Feedback Fridays - May 9, 2008

Each Friday I will post a poll with a question. Some will be entertaining and some are intended to help me create great posts for Things To Do, Utah. Here then, is the first poll for Feedback Fridays:

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Free Event of the Day- May 10, 2008

National Astronomy Day 2008

Saturday, May 10, 2008 is National Astronomy Day, and there are plenty of FREE activities going on for anyone who has an interest celestial bodies.

The University of Utah Astronomy Department will be starting their day at 10:00 a.m. with telescopes pointed at the sun. As the sun goes down and it gets dark the telescopes will be pointed at anything they can find, including stars, planets, galaxies and nebulae. The Observatory is in the South Physics Building at 125 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT.

The Clark Planetarium in the Gateway Mall will also be holding events for Astronomy Day. Starting at 12:00 p.m. there will be science demonstrations, rides on the lunar gravity simulator, Science on a Sphere demonstrations, and a drawing for a telescope. A program on how to use a telescope will be given in the Hansen Star Theater at 4:30 p.m. All star shows will cost only $1.00 from 12:30 to 6:45 p.m. The Clark Planetarium is at 110 South 400 West, Salt Lake City, UT.

At 4:00 p.m. live music will start, and then at 8:00 in the evening at This Is The Place Heritage Park, former Senator and astronaut, Jake Garn will give a 30-45 minute lecture about space and then telescopes will be provided by the Salt Lake Astronomical Society for viewing the stars, planets and anything else interesting that can be seen. Prizes, including a telescope will be given away. The Star Party will be held at the Bowery at the Park, located at 2601 East Sunnyside Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT.

The Salt Lake Astronomical Society will continue to be busy as they host a star party at the Stansbury Park Observatory in the Tooele Valley starting at about dusk. A short 30-45 minute program will be given on astronomy, and then you can get a look at the skies through some amazing telescopes. The Observatory is located just inside the entrance to Stansbury Park at 15 Plaza, Stansbury Park, UT.

If one of these locations is near you, try to get out to one of the star parties. They are a lot of fun and you get to see and learn some interesting things.

Event: National Astronomy Day 2008 Star Parties
Place: Various Locations (see above)
Hours: Various (see above)
Cost: FREE

Free Event of the Day for May 9, 2008

This Friday should be, weather permitting, a fun one for those who like to watch the night skies.




The Salt Lake Astronomical Society is hosting two separate Star Parties at two Harmon's Grocery Store locations. The first is the Harmon's at the Brickyard Plaza and the other is the Harmon's in South Jordan.

If you have never been to a star party, you're missing something special. My daughter and I just happened upon one once at the Harmon's in Taylorsville as we were picking up some milk for my wife. We decided to go over and check it out.

Members of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society had brought their telescopes (some rather large ones), set them up in the parking lot, and allowed anyone who wanted, a peek at the moon, stars and planets that could be seen that evening. Harmon's even had provided some treats. Patrick Wiggins, member of the society and NASA Ambassador to the Solar System, was also there answering any questions we might have had.

That evening, I got a real close up look at the mountains on the moon and saw Jupiter and several of its moons. Way cool! If you get the chance, drop on by and take a look. You'll be amazed by what you can see. The Star Parties run from dusk, weather permitting, until everyone is ready to go home.

Event: Star Parties
Locations: Harmon's in the Brickyard Plaza, 3200 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City, UT and Harmon's in South Jordan, 10500 South Redwood Road, South Jordan, UT
Phone: 435.882.1209
Hours: Dusk until Late
Cost: FREE


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 8.1 miles (Harmon's Brickyard)
Ogden: 43.5 miles (Harmon's Brickyard)
Provo: 31.2 miles (Harmon's South Jordan)
Logan: 88.2 miles (Harmon's Brickyard)

Bridal Veil Falls- Walk, Hike and Picnic

The first time I ever went to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon, I don't remember seeing the waterfall. How could I miss it? It's right there, bigger than life, in your face and hard to miss. I was more than fascinated with the aerial tram that climbed its way from the side of the Provo River to a location high above the falls on the top of sheer cliffs. The tram, often cited by locals as the steepest aerial tramway in the world, was amazing to watch- and I wouldn't go anywhere near it as I'm afraid of heights.

The tram was destroyed in an avalanche in 1996 and for a while after that, the area became kind of junky, vandalized and only a place for a short stop to see the falls on the way through the canyon.

Recently, I was back at Bridal Veil Falls again. The tram has not been rebuilt, but the entire area around it has. There is a park with picnic and barbecuing areas with plenty of parking (in a couple of parking lots). Lots of trees surround the grassy picnic areas, but it is open enough to toss around a Frisbee or a football. The park is set right next to the Provo River and it is just a short walk up the paved Provo River Parkway Trail to Bridal Veil Falls.

The Falls are impressive. The water comes from a year round spring the flows over the edge of the cliff and falls over 600 feet through a double cascade. The water expands from a narrow point at the top of the falls to a wide, lacy veil. Thus, Bridal Veil Falls gets its name.

At the bottom of the Falls is a small shallow pool that people love to play in. Just a bit further up the paved Parkway Trail is a dirt trail that takes you right up to the base of the lower cascade. It is a steep, but fairly short hike that most people can make in a matter of 10-15 minutes. You get a great view of the canyon and river below.

There is a separate trail that goes up to the top of the falls, but it is a steep and difficult climb and should not be attempted unless you are a serious hiker or climber.

The Provo River Parkway Trail that runs through the park and past the base of the falls is a 14 mile long paved trail that runs from Utah Lake to Vivian Park in Provo Canyon. This is a great place for walking, jogging and bicycling.

Take an afternoon and enjoy Bridal Veil Falls.

Place: Bridal Veil Falls
Location: About 2 1/2 miles up Provo Canyon on Highway 189 on south side of the road.
Phone: None
Hours: Provo River Parkway Trail is open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: FREE


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 45.8 miles
Ogden: 81.2 miles
Provo: 10.8 miles
Logan: 126 miles

Utah Trivia Thursdays- May 8, 2008

Did you know that Utah has...











5 National Parks- Arches, Canyonlands, Zions Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef.

7 National Monuments- Cedar Breaks, Natural Bridges, Dinosaur, Rainbow Bridge, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Timpanogos Cave and Hovenweep.

2 National Recreation Areas- Flaming Gorge and Glen Canyon.

6 National Forests- Ashley, Dixie, Fishlake, Manti-LaSal, Uinta, and Wasatch-Cache.

Almost all of these areas are within a days drive of any location in Utah (often less than a day) and nearly all (or parts of them) are easily accessible by car.