akeisel's Passport
 | Been to 209 Attractions |
 | 205 Reviews |
 | 136 First to Review |
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Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
My family and I love road trips. In fact, our annual road trip miles amount to at least 10,000 per year! We love National Parks and any place that is off the beaten path.
Our Family's Travel Personality
adventurous, curious, simple, independent, energetic, spontaneous
We Just Got Back From
The road (wherever it takes us), of course!
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
National Parks
A Place We'd Love To Visit
Alaska
Favorite Vacation Memory
There are so many to name. We love Alta Ranch Montana. We have so many fun memories of just staying at the ranch. We never left the place and we were never bored!
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
My daughter got car sick on the way to New Mexico. She puked in every state on the way. I sat in the back and caught the puke in a Ziploc bag for about 8 hours. Once we got to our destination, she was just fine and happy to be there.
Websites I Like:
Best Attractions for Kids who Love Animals in Utah
If your kids are wild for animals, or wild AS animals; be sure to check out these attractions in Utah for kids who love animals.
2600 East Sunnyside Ave
Salt Lake City, Utah
Comment:
Utah's Hogle Zoo has recently undergone some changes, adding the new Rocky Shores exhibit featuring polar bears, seal lions, seals, and otters. Another new addition, set to open in 2014 will feature a new African Savannah area complete with a pride of lions, and giraffe feeding station.
reviewed on: January 11 2011
"Small zoo for a capital city"
Hogle zoo is a very small zoo for a capital city. However, our family goes to zoo a few times a year and we enjoy a half a day walking around looking at the animals. Since it is small, a few hours is all you need. Bring in a picnic and enjoy the setting. FYI - food is available for purchase but a bit expensive with few healthy options. However, the zoo allows you to bring coolers and food inside, so bringing your own picnic is a great idea. There are several nice shady picnic eating spots throughout the zoo.The zoo has made some good improvements recently - especially the upgrade to the big cats. In 2011 the zoo has added some fun robotic dinosaurs. These dinos scared my 2 year old, but the older kids really liked them. I'm not sure if these dinos are a permanent exhibit. Hogle Zoo is also adding a new area for polar bears, penguins and seals but these displays won't be open until the summer of 2012.
In the summer be sure to attend the bird show. This show is my kid's favorite part of the zoo. Kid's will also enjoy seeing the elephants as they often have a baby elephant and there is a huge viewing area.
In summary, if you have a few hours, go and enjoy but don't expect too much.
725 E. 10600 S.
Sandy, Utah
Comment:
Utah may be landlocked, but ocean animal loving kids can still admire, and even touch some of the critters on display at the Living Planet Aquarium. There are 1,556 animals and 294 species on display in this aquarium's three main exhibits: Discover Utah, Ocean Explorer, and Journey to South America!
reviewed on: January 11 2011
"Small, but great family fun"
The Living Planet Aquarium may be a small aquarium but it is big on fun. My kids love the hands on exhibit that let them touch sting rays. We also loved the new exhibit that was added to include animals from South America. This aquarium is great family fun and has much potential to grow and become bigger and better!Update: Just returned from the aquarium with kiddos 10, 7, & 2 (July 2011). Everyone said that this was the best visit to the aquarium we had ever had. We hadn't been in a few months so were pleasantly surprised to see new exhibits. My 2 year old couldn't get enought of the cute penguins in the South America area. My older kids loved the new "superhero" exhibit where unique animals with superhero attributes are displayed in comic book style writing. I learned something new! I loved how the aquarium had plenty of volunteers at the displays teaching the kids something about each animal. The aquarium was packed today, with day camp kids and families, but we were still able to find our own little space to enjoy the exhibits. We purchased an annual pass (thanks Groupon) and can't wait to return - this may be a once a month visit because you can stare at each of the aquariums and find something new each time.
Scipio exit on I-15
Scipio, Utah
Comment:
This truck stop along I-15 also hosts a unique petting zoo complete with pygmy goats, alpacas, ostriches, emus, a zebra, and lambs. There is no admission fee although donations are accepted. What a great way to stretch your legs, grab a bite to eat, fill up the car, and admire some animals!
reviewed on: October 26 2011
"Petting Zoo Rest Stop"
I wouldn’t normally post a review about a truck stop in the middle of nowhere along I-15. However, this place is unique and worth a stop whether or not you need gas at the Flying J or ice cream at its attached Dairy Queen. This truck stop at the Scipio exit along I-15 hosts a free petting zoo. Animals include sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, alpacas, emus, ostriches and a zebra.We pulled into this truck stop to purchase gasoline but couldn’t miss the large “petting zoo” sign posted adjacent to the Flying J. I inquired inside about the zoo and the cashier told me that it was free, donations are accepted, but go ahead and enjoy it. So I took my kids age 3, 7 and 11 through the small zoo where they fell in love with the goats and found some cute bunnies hidden in a rock pile. We also admired the ostriches and emus but didn’t dare pet these animals due to the size of their beaks. Beware when moving between areas through the gates as the goats really try to follow you. I had to become a “goat guard” while my kiddos moved through the gates. The zoo was small but the animals all appeared well taken care of with clean stalls. Free hand sanitizer is available at the zoo’s exit as well. We spent 20 minutes admiring the animals; enough time to stretch our legs during a long road trip.
In all, this is a nice place to stop and give the kids a break if you’re travelling along I-15; a great way to break up the monotony of driving through this rural area.
419 West 700 South
Logan, Utah
Comment:
This small and intimate zoo is a local favorite place to admire native North American animals as well as a few exotic species. Admission is inexpensive: Adults $2.00, Children 3-12 Years of Age $1.00
Children 2 and Under No Charge
This zoo is open seven days a week 9:00 am to sunset in the Spring, Summer, and Fall.
589 East 1300 South
Salt Lake City, Utah
Comment:
Birds rule at Tracy Aviary where mammal fur and reptile scales give way to our feathered friends. Don't miss the bird shows, which are both educational and entertaining.
reviewed on: July 21 2011
"The place for future avian scientists"
You know that an attraction is kid friendly when your 10 year old walks away saying, “this is the best day that I’ve ever had”. Then he promptly goes home to look for a book on bird-watching at our library. I took my kids, aged 10, 7, and 2 to the Tracy Aviary. We spent 3 hours walking around this small aviary, enjoying the exhibits, informative speakers and the best bird show that I’ve ever seen. This aviary is very small, located in the southwest corner of Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. But what it lacks in space it more than makes up for in awesome volunteers and employees. It seemed like everywhere we went; a volunteer was offering interesting tidbits of information about all of the birds. The aviary is currently undergoing some construction and will be adding a new education and guest services building, opening 2012. We can’t wait to return when that addition is complete.
The best part of the Tracy Aviary is its bird shows. We attended two of these shows that were offered during the day and enjoyed them immensely. The trainers did a wonderful job utilizing several child and adult volunteers from the audience and offering so much interesting information about birds. My son and I were both lucky enough to be volunteers – allowing us opportunities to hold individual birds on our arms! The venue for the bird shows is small with only three rows of seats making the experience intimate and unique. Several times throughout the show, birds fly just inches over the audience’s heads – my toddler loved this. Another of my kids’ favorite part of the aviary was just feeding all of the water fowl. They loved picking out the cutest babies and making sure that they were well fed.
The aviary is very well shaded with huge Cottonwood Trees. The only really sunny area of the Aviary is the southeast corner, so I would suggest seeing these birds earlier in the morning, or later in the evening if visiting during the summer. There are some very nice picnic areas and they allow you to bring in food and coolers. There isn’t a snack shop within the aviary, only soda vending machines, so it’s best to bring a bag for snacks and water bottles. There is only one restroom and water fountain area, so I would suggest taking advantage of this facility when you walk by it.
I would recommend taking your kids to this wonderful aviary. I was pleasantly surprised at how much my kiddos loved this place, resulting in some budding avian scientists after our trip to Tracy Aviary.
3003 N. Thanksgiving Way
Lehi, Utah
Comment:
Find some farmyard fun at Thanksgiving Point Farm Country where animal loving kids will love the hands-on opportunities to pet, feed, and even ride some of the farm animals.
reviewed on: August 16 2011
"Learn where your food comes from"
Thanksgiving Point Farm Country is a good place to teach kids that food doesn’t come from the grocery store. This farm is a working farm with plenty of hands on displays demonstrating processes such as milk-pasteurization, milking demonstrations and a “soil to market” area where kids get to pretend to plant, grow, and harvest. The farm houses several farm animals including horses, cows, pigs, chickens and goats. Kids can get up close to each of these farmyard critters with a little coaxing and a handful of feed. Animal food can be purchased for $0.25 per handful near some of the animal enclosures. I would suggest bringing a Ziploc bag to fill up near at the feed vending machine so kids can walk around feeding the animals as they explore. Child admission to the farm also includes a pony ride (for kids under age 12). Families can also enjoy unlimited horse drawn wagon rides.I took my kids aged 10, 7, and 2 to the Thanksgiving Point Farm Country and overall they had a great time. They spent most of their time petting and feeding the animals. The farm provides a large kid friendly hand washing area to wash up afterwards. I was pleased to see that the animals appeared very well taken care of with nice clean stalls. The farm also has some pasture land available to allow the horses to run around. There is a good variety of farm animals with signage near each enclosure explaining specific details about the animal. My toddler really enjoyed the hands-on displays, perfect for her age group but a little childish for my older kids. My younger two kiddos loved the pony ride and I liked that they allowed Mommy’s to walk along little ones that may be a little scared. The only thing this working farm lacks is a lot of shade. Luckily each of the animal enclosures have shaded areas so the animals have a place to cool down. In all I would recommend visiting the Thanksgiving Point Farm Country in either the spring or fall. I would also suggest that this activity is more suited for younger kids who would better benefit from the hands-on displays.
2 N Highway 138
Grantsville, Utah
Comment:
Kids can snorkel or scuba dive year round in landlocked Utah at Bonneville Seabase! This geothermally heated, salt water, high altitude, mini ocean is filled with colorful marine tropical fish. If kids aren't quite ready to dive below, they can still admire the fish from the shores. Better yet, arrive early and witness the morning fish feeding.
2502 W Grand Terrace Pkwy
Lehi, Utah
Comment:
Admire some animals, and do a little shopping in the 150,000 sq. ft. Cabelas showroom. Displays include animals interacting in their natural habitats, trophy animals, and a large fresh water aquarium. Admission is free, and open 7 days a week.
6351 South 900 East
Salt Lake City, Utah
Comment:
Step back in time with your animal loving kids at Wheeler Historic Farm. With pastures filled with cows and horses, coops filled with chickens and turkeys, and pens filled with pigs and sheep; this farm allows kids to experience a real working farm while enjoying all the barnyard animals. There is no fee to explore the grounds. Open every day dawn to dusk.
reviewed on: September 07 2011
"Fun at the Farm"
Wheeler Farm is a 75 acre working farm designated as a Salt Lake County Park. The grounds include out- buildings and a historic farm house, where guided tours are offered. Several pastures along the property house horses, cows, sheep and goats and there are a handful of small pens with chickens, turkeys, pheasants, pigs and rabbits. Little Cottonwood Creek runs along the property and there are also two duck and goose ponds. Wheeler Farm has recently added a nice children’s playground, and a large picnic pavilion on the south side of the property.We have visited Wheeler Farms several times with our kids and it is a good outing, a chance to step back in time to see how our pioneer ancestors lived. We like to bring old bread to the ponds and feed the ducks and geese. However, these waterfowl are pretty well-fed and sometimes aren’t too interested in our crumbs. My kids also like to visit each pen; the animals are usually pretty friendly and come up to the fence for some adoration, pat on the nose and tickle behind the ear. The farm does have a few downfalls for families. First, much of the animal pens are along dirt or gravel pathways which aren’t conducive for pushing strollers through. Second, there aren’t enough educational signs or interactive displays for children. Kids just end up running from one animal to the next, without really learning something new.
Wheeler Farm hosts several events throughout the year that are definitely worth enjoying. These events include Easter egg hunts, fall festival, Christmas breakfast with Santa, summer Sunday farmers market, summer day camps and special community events. Wheeler Farm is a nice venue for these events as they have added a modern “barn” for indoor events and there are large shady and grassy areas for outdoor events. The farm also has three restroom facilities located conveniently throughout the 75 acres.
In summary, this place is like a domestic animal petting zoo with shady picnic areas and plenty of grass to spread out. Spend an hour visiting the animals or attend one of the farm’s many events and enjoy this delightful county park.
