I have always loved September in Utah – the leaves are changing to beautiful bright colors, on top of that we have the Greek Festival and the State Fair.

It is a beautiful time to visit Utah – cool crisp air, beautiful fall scenery, and old fashion festivals.

The Utah State Fair is a really fun – inexpensive way to treat the family – it funs from September 9^th through the 19^th to find out more go to:

http://www.utah-state-fair.com

Another very popular festival is the Greek Festival – it runs from September 9^th – September 12^th and is in close proximity to the State Fair, celebrating 35 yrs of great food and fun.

For a great video on the Greek Festival Click Here

To access website information Click Here

If you plan on visiting utah, for a great place to stay – visit us. We are close to the mountains where you can hike, bike, sightsee, and it is just a hop skip and a jump to get to the festivities down town.

For 10 days in January, the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, presents cutting edge films from filmmakers who present their stories to the world.  The phenomena that is the Festival grew from the original inspiration of a special place of great beauty. Sundance Film Festival offers the opportunity to view films in a place where so many works of art have been inspired.

The Sundance Screening Room features screenings of competition films throughout the Festival. For additional information about the festival, please visit: www.sundance.org.

If you would like to go to the sundance film fesitval – WFSA has beautiful condo’s at a fraction of the price you would pay to stay in Park City…

Don’t wait until we are all book – reserve a place to stay now!

To see you option to purchase passes to get into the festival – registration starts on September 21, 2010

The online auction for the Scales & Tails 2010 Gala is now open. The auction will run from August 15, 2010 to September 16, 2010, with the live event taking place on September 18, 2010.

Her Majesty’s Secret Service cordially invites you to the Casino Royal (La Caille) on September 18, 2010 at 6pm. Come dressed to the nines as your favorite James Bond Character, Bond Girl or Bond Villain, and enjoy an evening with friends, food and great entertainment.

About the Living Plane Aquarium

The Living Planet Aquarium is focused on engaging people to explore, discover and learn about Earth’s diverse ecosystems. TLPA connects its audience to the world’s ecosystems through countless educational opportunities to understand and respect Earth, from the Utah’s rivers and lakes, to rain forest habitats, to the planets’ vast oceans.

The aquarium has been wildly popular over the past few years with over 1.5 million visitors since 2004.  In fact since March 26, when we opened our new Gentoo Penguin exhibit, we have seen over 200,000 visitors.  We’ve grown so much over the past few years that we are completely out of space, and the people want more! Because we want to provide a world class opportunity to the people in our great state, we have plans to build a new 90,000 square foot facility which will more than double our current size.

The Living Planet Aquarium is unlike most nonprofit organization, in that 100% of our operation expenses are covered by gate receipts, gift shop and café sales, and building rentals.  This allows us to allocate all funds we raise directly to growth, expansion and outreach without using any of the funds for overhead.  Because of our great success and our effective business plan, and because we want to provide a world class opportunity to the people in our great state, we have plans to build a new 90,000 square foot facility which will more than double our current size.

All the proceeds of this event will go toward the new aquarium that is planned to break ground spring 2011.

Raspberry Days

Garden City Utah (Bear Lake)

August 5 – 7

What is Raspberry Days?

The Raspberry Days Festival is an incredible event held to celebrate the harvest of the world famous Bear Lake Raspberries. The Raspberry harvest usually starts around the 3rd week of July and lasts 3-4 weeks. The Raspberry Days Festival is an annual event, which begins two days prior to the first Saturday in August.

The festival is a fun filled 3 days with the Little Miss Berry Pageant, the craft fair with continuous entertainment, the Parade on the Boulevard, the Rodeo and 5K run in Laketown, the Pancake Breakfast at the Garden City Park, and ending with the fireworks on the Beach.

For more information and a yearly calendar of events Click Here

check out this fun site on how to grow your own raspberries Click Here

If you are a resident of Utah you know that the 24^th of July is a big holiday – so many festivities – fireworks and thing to do. On this day Utah celebrates the pioneers who came across the plains risking life and limb to settle this great state.

If you are visiting during that time take advantage of all the wonderful festivities!

The Days of 47 Family Fun Day provides an excellent opportunity to bring families together to celebrate Utah’s great heritage at This Is The Place Heritage Park.

Pack a picnic and join the fun. Enjoy the many activities throughout the park, which include:

The Days of ‘47 Rodeo games, train rides, petting corral, and pony rides, educational crafts and art garden, magic show, carnival games, pioneer Demonstrations, live music, dancing, entertainment and a Native American exhibit.

The mini King and Queen competition will be held from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Children between the ages of 5 and 12 are welcome to compete for a chance to win the crown and ride in the Youth Parade.

If you would like to visit us – we have some great specials on full accommodations give us a call! 1-800-762-7606

For more information and the official website go to:

http://www.daysof47.com/

The true creation of a popular cocktail can be traced to the nineteenth century. One early written reference to the term “cocktail” (as a drink based on spirits with other spirits and additives) can be found in an American magazine, The Balance, published in May 1806. It stated that a “Cocktail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters…”

Cocktails once made with the finest of liquors – spirits and ingredients started to go down hill over the years – for the sake of saving money -with the use of pre-mixed concoctions, artificial flavors and colors.

Now there is a real revolution going on in the cocktail world, a return to the real cocktail with the best ingredients. Some clubs – and bartenders are making their own, going back to the original cocktail – that of past times using real fresh fruit, organic sugars and infused liquors, mixing small batches, shaking or stirring by hand.

Restaurants and clubs all over the country are getting with the program – including Utah!

If you would like to partake in some of these delicious artisanal cocktails – and great food we might add (right here in Salt Lake City) – check out the links below.

Wild Grape Bistro

481 East South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 746-5565

The Wild Grape Bistro has now been open for over a year. Chef’s Phelix Gardner and Pete Hines are back to back winners of the 2009 and 2010 Utah’s Top Chef Competition at the Utah Home Show sponsored by Channel 4. Best New Restaurant award from Salt Lake Magazine, Mentioned in Best New Restaurant and Best Wine List categories Salt Lake City Weekly, Best Kept Secret Utah Business Magazine, Written about in Sunset Magazine, Salt Lake Magazine, City Weekly, Enterprise, Examiner, Avenues Monthly Paper plus several other publications.

Pago

878 South 900 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84102-3608
(801) 532-0777

Built in 1910, the Woodman Building features original brickwork throughout adding old world charm to the renovated space. Reclaimed wood tables compliment the historic quality of the brick. Additionally, green-building techniques punctuate the restaurant, complimenting the sustainable food and beverage offerings.

Pago is a meritage of contemporary and old world design aesthetics. This combination allows our guests to experience Pago as both their familiar neighborhood restaurant and watering hole with an urban flare. Pago is a great place to grab a casual Belgium beer and an artisan sandwich or to have a multi-course meal paired with one of the 20 wines by the glass.

Make sure and check out our beautiful rentals – we have vacations rentals – temporary housing and monthly rentals – check us Out!  http://saltlakevacationrentals.com

From the dinosaurs in the north to the petroglyphs in the south – it is full of the history of mysterious civilizations long ago and was a stomping ground for dinosaurs when they ruled the world!

Did you know that more than 100 of the 900 valid dinosaur species were discovered in Utah? Utah’s geologic record reaches back 160 million years.

In fact as a child I was fascinated with fossils and would climb a small mountain to find trilobites and worm trails left in sandstone.

Northern Utah has some of the most fascinating places to visit:

Beautiful “Flaming Gorge”, “Nine Mile Canyon”, “Dry Fork Petroglyphs” and more.

To plan an amazing day in Northern Utah check out this website – and while visiting come stay with us!

Centrally located and an amazing place to stay “WFSA” is comfort and style…

http://undiscoveredutah.com/

One of the little known jewels here is Utah is called Antelope Island – it is an island off the great salt lake that is filled with sites and sound (not to mention smells LOL) like you may not have ever seen before. Take your binoculars, and pack a great lunch or enjoy a bison burger at “Buffalo Point Burger” while watching the bison!

You may actually spot buffalo strolling along the beach, or a mule deer, bobcats, jackrabbits, coyotes or pronghorn antelopes… How much fun is that – take your cameras!!

If you love to hike or bike then this place is just up your alley – there are 20 miles of trails for hikers, road cyclists and trail bikers.

If you are a bird enthusiast – then you cannot miss going to this place. Antelope Island is full of what you are looking for – burrowing owls, long-billed curlews, California gulls and more.

So come stay with us and take a trip to Antelope Island – hike, bike, take a picnic and just drive… there is something there for everyone to enjoy.

For more information go to:

http://utah.com/stateparks/antelope_island.htm

I have found a treat for those of you staying or living in Utah! This looks like fun for the whole family – The Great Salt Lake Bird Festival is in its 12^th year and going strong! Only a hop, skip and a jump from Salt Lake City, and a unique experience on the shores of the Great Salt Lake (north) of the city.

Great Salt Lake Bird Festival
May 13-17, 2010

Welcome to the 12th Annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival
Farmington, Utah

We welcome you to the 12^th Annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival. Utah offers varied opportunities to see birds and other wildlife from the shores of Great Salt Lake to the impressive Wasatch Mountain Range. Great Salt Lake Bird Festival is the premier bird festival in Utah. Our guides are experienced and well-qualified in their knowledge of birding. Several field trips offer “Behind-the-Gates” opportunities beyond those generally available. More…

Photo by: Ann Neville

As a little girl I was enthralled by the Story of Anne Frank (the book is called “The Diary of Anne Frank”) – the history of this young girl is something that everyone should know about. Here in Utah we are having an exhibit that is free – I would say take the whole family and learn about this courageous young woman…

ANNE FRANK:

A HISTORY FOR TODAY

Shows April 13 — May 11, 2010

This FREE National Exhibit opens at the Salt Lake City Public Library (210 East 400 South adjacent to TRAX stop).

School and Group Tours must be reserved by contacting the Jewish Federation of Utah: annefrankexhibit@ShalomUtah.org or (801) 581-0102.

The life history of Anne Frank and her family is the leading thread running through “Anne Frank: A History for Today.” The family’s story is juxtaposed against world events before, during and after the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. The exhibit includes photographs of the Frank family and the other occupants of the Secret Annex and shows how people were persecuted by political decisions and by the actions of individuals. Implicit in the exhibit are the themes of scapegoating, bullying, anti-Semitism, racism, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Visitors are challenged to look for ways to resolve differences without violence and to learn about human rights laws and standards as defined by such documents as the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights and Convention on the Rights of Children. Finally, visitors are encouraged by docents to learn about current events and take an active role in their community and government.

Exhibit is bilingual: English/Spanish

Appropriate for elementary, middle school, high school grade levels and above

The Anne Frank Center suggests 90-minutes for group tours and discussion.