Salt Lake City, UT

Utah's Botanical Garden and Arboretum is Mother Nature's haven to get you away from all the hustle and bustle, and give you a chance to really commune with nature. The whole family will not only enjoy the deep, clean breaths of air and dazzling scenery, but there is much to explore and learn in this truly enchanting corner of the city.

Address: 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 - MAP
Phone: (801) 585-0556
Web: www.redbuttegarden.org

The Hogle Zoo was founded back in 1931 at the mouth of Emigration Canyon and it remains one of the most visited attractions in Utah. There are over 800 animals in residence. Among the many must-see specimens are the five endangered species of Asian cats, African elephants and white rhinos. And, the little ones will take delight in riding on the Conservation Carousel, featuring hand-painted models of endangered or threatened animals, so it's fun and educational at the same time.

Address: 2600 Sunnyside Avenue (840 South), Salt Lake City, UT 84108 - MAP
Phone: (801) 582-1631
Web: www.hoglezoo.org

Want to remember how the West was won? Then This Is the Place Heritage Park will give you the chance to relive the story! This sprawling, 450-acre historic Park is packed with so many stories that the highly knowledgeable staff will go above and beyond to make sure you take in as much as you possibly can! Let the Visitor Center be your first clue, as it is a stunning replica of a 19th Century sugar mill. There, you can choose your plans for the day, but don't forget to see all the breathtaking monuments in the Statuary Walk. And it doesn't matter what time of year it is, there's always something fun and interesting on the park's very busy calendar of events. There are dozens of Special Event Days, concerts and other notable happenings that will make you want to return again and again!

Address: 2601 E. Sunnyside Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 - MAP
Phone: (801) 582-1847
Web: www.thisistheplace.org

With the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Tracy Aviary is open every day of the year. That's 363 opportunities for you and your family to let your knowledge of birds take flight! Tracy Aviary offers year-round exhibits, bird shows, and educational experiences for all ages. Nothing can quite describe the wonder and awe that will be put into motion when you experience a flighted bird experience as the birds and their trainers present a spectacle that underscores how wondrous nature can be! And, you can also take a trip to the Amazon Thursday through Sunday and come up close to some of the Amazon Basin's most energetic and engaging birds. The time for each of these is limited to 15 minutes and only 8 people per feeding, but the wait is well worth getting up close!

Address: 589 East 1300 South, Liberty Park, Salt Lake City, UT 84105 - MAP
Phone: (801)596-8500
Web: www.tracyaviary.org

Launch a day filled with fun and learning by visiting the Clark Planetarium. Begin with the ATK Go for Launch Exhibit that is a fascinating history of rocketry, how rockets work, as well as a multiple choice video presentation that is so vivid, it literally draws you into space! You will also experience how much fun it is to learn about constellations, telescopes, the International Space Station, meteorites, and the solar system itself. Equally amazing is the new Cosmic Light Show that fills your senses and might quite possibly be a stairway to Heaven itself! There's also an IMAX Theater, where special presentations mark man's voyages into space.

Address: 110 S 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT - MAP
Phone: (801) 456-STAR (7827)
Web: www.clarkplanetarium.org

The majestic panorama of nature intermingling with your senses is something to behold from any of the strategically placed lookout points at Bryce Canyon. Utah's crown jewel of a National Park brings together not only Utah's natural beauty, but celebrates its cultural diversity as it embraces nature. Freeze-thaw cycles, not a river, formed this magnificent and always changing geological wonder, and temperatures stay in the comfortable 80s range during the day and dip into the 40s at night. But don't let the chilly night leave you cold as the lack of light pollution allows you to see even more stars with even greater detail in the deep evening sky.

Address: Highway 63, Tropic, UT - MAP
Phone: (435) 834-5322
Web: www.nps.gov/brca