More Firetrucks Than You Can Shake A Hose At

It's instinct. When we hear a siren, we stop, look around, find the emergency vehicle and wonder where it's going. Most little kids love police cars and fire engines. It could be the flashing lights and sirens. It could be the police officers and firefighters. Whatever it is, many kids, and adults find these vehicles amazing.

If fire engines, firefighters and a sense of history intrigue you and your kids, then you need to head out to Grantsville to the Desert Peak Complex. This is where the Utah Firefighters Museum is located and they have a mind boggling collection of fire trucks and other equipment that looks right into the history of Utah firefighting.

There are over 50 fire engines from all different eras, starting in 1914. The museum also has 3 horse drawn and 9 hand cart fire apparatus. You can also see many different kinds of helmets and firefighting gear that has been used for the last century.

Outside is a touching memorial area where Utah firefighters who have given their lives in the line of duty are properly remembered.

I don't know if it's all the bright shiny fire trucks or being surrounded by reminders of heroism, but this museum made my heart race and my adrenalin run just like when I was a kid watching a fire truck race past us on the road.

Place: Utah Firefighters Museum
Location: Grantsville,the museum is in the Desert Peak Complex on SR 112.
Phone: 435.884.3376
Hours: Friday and Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (and by appointment)
Cost: FREE


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 34.7 miles
Ogden: 68.0 miles
Provo: 73.1 miles
Logan: 111 miles

A Tale of Two Houses

Utah, as most people know, was settled by Mormon pioneers. One of the reasons the Salt Lake Valley, on the eastern edge of the Great Basin, was selected by Brigham Young was its isolation from the rest of the United States. In fact, when the pioneers arrived in the valley, Utah was still technically a part of Mexico.

Being so isolated, far away from the eastern United States and the "civilization" many of the pioneers were used to, often makes people wonder what life was like out here in the 19th century. There are two wonderful, contrasting examples of homes that the pioneers lived in, right in the middle of downtown Salt Lake City.

The first home is a typical log cabin, built from trees cut in the nearby canyons. The cabin was home to the William Henry Deuel family for less than two years after they arrived in the valley. It is one of only two original structures from that period that remain intact. It has been fully restored and is preserved with pioneer artifacts inside to show what life would have been like for a typical family in the early days in the Salt Lake Valley. During the summer, there is often a volunteer at the cabin, dressed in period clothing explaining what daily life was like for the pioneers.

The other home is The Beehive House, the residence of Brigham Young. Built in 1854, seven years after the arrival of the pioneers, it is an amazing example of what could be done by people living so far away from "civilization." The building was designed by Truman O. Angell who also designed the Salt Lake Temple. This was a large house, built with many rooms, including the playroom, the gracious sitting room, the fairy castle, and the family store.

There is a FREE 30-minute tour available of the Beehive House which has many of the original pieces of furniture, stoves, and even clothing on display, much the way it was in the 1850's. The tour guides point out things that are interesting to both children and adults. My first tour of the Beehive House was when I was about 7 years old and I found it fascinating. I've gone back numerous times since, both as a child and as an adult.

The Deuel Cabin and the Beehive House are within two blocks of each other; an easy walking distance, and in the blocks between is the Temple Square complex, with beautiful gardens and more historic buildings.

Places: The Deuel Cabin and The Beehive House
Location: 50 North West Temple and 67 East South Temple (respectively), Salt Lake City
Phone: 801.240.2671
Hours: The Deuel Cabin, dawn to dusk; The Beehive House, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: FREE


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 0 miles
Ogden: 37 miles
Provo: 44.7 miles
Logan: 81.7 miles

An Island in the Middle of the Desert

One of the places that I've taken my kids more than any other seems to be an anomaly when living on the deserts edge- an island in the middle of an ocean-like lake.

Antelope Island is the largest island of the eight on the Great Salt Lake. You access the island by driving out on a 7 mile long causeway that gives the impression of flying low across the water. You enter the island at the northern tip and immediately see a small marina where boat owners dock while not sailing the lake (yes, you can sail on the Great Salt Lake).

There is a road system on the island that gets you to the major points of interest, but by and large the island is free of roads, particularly at the southern end of the island, where there is even a dearth of hiking trails.

One of the first stops to make is the visitors center that you see sitting atop a hill above the entrance to the island. The visitors center has information and exhibits about the history, geology and habitat of the island. Get a sense of the island at the visitors center, ask state park rangers any questions you might have, get your bearings and decide what to see.

One of the most interesting drives is along the east coast of the island, south to the Fielding Garr Ranch. The ranch house is the oldest continuously occupied house in the state of Utah and the oldest house on its original foundation. There are activities going on quite often at the ranch. My kids loved learning how to dip candles. Check the events schedules to know when things are going on.

On your drive down to the ranch, keep an eye out for the herd of roaming bison. About 500 live on the island and graze in the open rangeland most of the year. Once a year they are rounded up and brought to the corral for checkups and thinning the herd.

There are several trails on the island for hiking or biking. Some are shorter than a mile and the longest ones run about 7 1/2 miles. Two of my favorites are the short, Buffalo Point trail at the north end of the island and the slightly longer Frary's Peak trail. The trail to Buffalo Point is less than 1/2 mile long and is a fun hike for kids and adults alike. From there you get a great view of the lake looking north. The Frary's Peak trail is a bit longer at 3 1/4 miles, but takes you to the tallest peak on the island. It is a bit steeper than the Buffalo Point trail, but my kids still were able to hike it with a few stops along the way.

Camelbak Backpacks: Free Shipping

If you're hot and tired after a hike, head down to Bridger Bay, a developed beach with campgrounds nearby. Take a dip in the lake, but be warned. With low lake levels, the water has not been close to the white sandy beach for a while and it may take a short trek to get to the water's edge. Also, once you get to the water, you will need to make your way through a swarm of brine flies, but once past them, the lake is is fun to play in and is shallow enough for the littlest of kids. If you want a little deeper water, just walk out a little further. Once you are done in the water, head back to the beach and shower off- unless you want to be encrusted in salt when you dry off.

My advice, when heading out to see attractions around the state is always to bring food and drinks with you- it's cheaper that way. But, Antelope Island does have concessions, and the one thing you may want to try is a buffalo burger, just to say you did.

There is no end to adventure on Antelope Island, so be prepared to spend an entire day, and like myself and my family, make follow up trips to go where you didn't get to go on your first trip to the island.

Place: Antelope Island State Park
Location: Take Exit 332 off Interstate 15, then drive west on Antelope Drive to the park entrance.
Phone: 801.773.2941
Hours: May through September: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. / November through February: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. / March: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. / April: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. / October: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visitor Center and Fielding Garr Ranch Hours: September 15 to April 14: 9a.m. to 5 p.m. / April 15 to September 14: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: $9.00 per car


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 40.2 miles
Ogden: 24.8 miles
Provo: 81.8 miles
Logan: 69.5 miles

Marble Park: It's Not What You Think

Marble Park. Most people have visions of a park set in an old marble quarry or even a place where the local kids gather to play games of marbles (do kids play marbles anymore?). The assumptions would be wrong however. This park received its name from the man who created it, Boyd Marble.

This park was created from an old gravel pit in a folk art style, using things such as old wagon wheel rims, old metal tractor seats, milk cans, and huge timbers from a railroad trestle that crossed the Great Salt Lake. This is more than just a pleasant and curious park, it's a showplace where people can gather for barbecues, family reunions and weddings.

Don't miss the display of rebuilt and restored horse drawn wagons and machinery from the 1800's under the large gazebo built from the timbers of the train trestle. The gazebo has a large fire pit and is a great place for a picnic. Once the kids are fed and the displays in the park no longer catch their interest (which takes quite a while), there is a playground for them to enjoy.

Be sure to look for the Utah History Timeline and the Bicentennial Arch, both made from welded pieces of scrap metal, tools and farm implements. If you or your kids are at all interested in the old west and what life was like before planes, trains and automobiles, this park is the perfect place for a relaxing afternoon.

Place: Marble Park
Location: 11150 West 11200 North, Bothwell, UT (follow State Route 102 straight west from Tremonton)
Phone: 435.854.3618 (for reservations for special occasions)
Hours: Dawn until Dusk
Cost: FREE

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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 80.2 miles
Ogden: 43.1 miles
Provo: 119 miles
Logan: 29.3 miles

Golden Spike National Historic Site

On May 10, 1869 the final rail was laid and the final spike driven for the transcontinental railroad. The east and west coasts were now united by a transportation system that could carry people and goods far more easily and conveniently than ever before. The place where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads met, where the two engines, Jupiter and No. 119, faced each other nose to nose was Promontory Summit, Utah.

The Golden Spike National Historic Site is located 32 miles west of Brigham City, Utah and is a fascinating place with great historic significance. There is a visitors center where there are interesting displays on the transcontinental railroad, slide shows and films about the railroad and the driving of the final spike. Just don't expect to see THE golden spike- it's not there. It is at a museum at Stanford University.

The main feature of the site during the summer are the two replicas of the original steam engines, the Jupiter and No. 119. From May 1 through Labor Day, the engines are on display and operate daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Saturday's the two locomotive are drawn head to head and the Golden Spike Ceremony is reenacted. In the winter months the locomotives are stored in the engine house.

There is a walking trail- the Big Fill Loop Trail which a mile and a half long trail that lets you walk on the original Central Pacific grade. See the Big Fill where a ravine was filled in to allow the trains to maintain a 2% or less grade, climb the ravines and over the fills. Remember, construction was done by hand with the help of some explosives.

You can also take two auto tours- the East Auto Tour and West Auto Tour. The East tour is a 2 mile loop drive. You'll see the Union Pacific's last cut; several trestle abutments and fills; drive through cuts made by blasting rock; and walk to the Chinese Arch, a natural limestone formation, a memorial to the thousands of Chinese who helped build the Transcontinental Railroad. Descend the steepest mile of railroad grade in Utah as you leave the tour.

The West Auto Tour is a 14-mile loop drive. You'll see the Union Pacific parallel grade; pass through several cuts; view fills, a stair-step cut, rock and wood culverts, and a distant glimpse of the Great Salt Lake. Pass the spot where the Central Pacific workers laid 10 miles of track in one day.

Normally, entrance to the historic site is $7.00 per car, which isn't bad for a family. This Saturday, May 10, 2008 is the anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike. There locomotives will arrive at 9:30 a.m. and it will be a day of festivities. There will be bands and choirs, and Anniversary Program, an historic photograph recreation of the Champagne Photo, steam demonstrations, and reenactments of driving the last spike. These activities should have some fun for the whole family and the park will be open FREE of charge for the day. Get out there and have some fun. Oh, and don't forget the camera.

Just a couple of suggestions. Take a picnic (or at least some food) if you plan to spend the day. There are no concessions, only vending machines. Also, check your gas gauge when you turn off at Brigham City. There is are no gas stations once you leave Corinne- about 25 miles away from the park.

Place: Golden Spike National Historic Site
Location: 32 miles west of Brigham City, UT via Utah Highway 83
Phone: 435.471.2209
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's
Cost: $7.00 per car (May 10, 2008 is a FREE day)


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 86.7 miles
Ogden: 52 miles
Logan: 50.3 miles
Provo: 128 miles