Your favorite place to take out-of-town guests?

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

Your favorite place to take out-of-town guests?

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

We took my sis and her family to Park City for the Alpine Slide and the Zip Line. Looked around the galleries... We took them to that scubadiving place west of Salt Lake...

Aren't you by Payette Lake? I'd go there! Or river rafting!

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

By-ish. It's a couple hours up the mountain.

Duke of Mirth · Profuse Pontificator

We try and get out of towners to go to the beach but it seems like they always want to go to the mountains which is funny since they usually live in mountainous areas. Go figure?

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

We prefer guests who don't like to see anything... but us... :)

But sometimes we go to a movie... I think it depends on the guest. My dad's an airplane nut, so we went to the Museum of Flight in Renton. We also have gone to the waterfront and Pike Street Market Place, and the Space Needle or the Seattle zoo all in Seattle... Once we took a fairy to Whidbey Island, or to Mount Raineer, or to Snoqualmie Falls...

There are really a lot of options... It's a real trial we deal with here in the Pacific Northwest...

--Ray

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

We're considering a trup to Seattle this summer, ray. We have brothers that live close enough to drive in for a day and see some stuff. Thanks for the suggestions. I've been poking around online and the Childrens' Museum looks fun, too.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

yeah, the pacific science center is great, and they have an imax and a ton of things to do. And the aquarium down on the waterfront is really nice... apparently it's better than it was when I went a few years ago now that the constructions done.

--Ray

-- Edited by rayb at 12:56, 2007-12-19

dianoia · Senior Member

The mountains.

But that's kind of a no-brainer, because I live near Banff.

Although when Hiccups was throwing around the idea of a road trip up my way, I planned this whole great itinerary. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and everything.

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

You live near Banff? LUCKY! We almost had our honeymoon up there, but decided not to drive quite that far. Someday, though.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

I must put that trip back on the front burner.

dianoia · Senior Member

Personally, I like Waterton better than Banff. Same jaw-dropping scenery, quaint little summer town that's not crazy-busy with tourists, 45 minutes from the Cardston temple.

Plus it shares the border with Glacier National Park. And I gotta give you guys props for the Going-to-the-Sun road. If you've never done that drive, you need to repent.

Poncho29 · Senior Bucketkeeper

What out-of-town guests? We can't even get our families to come visit us!

alabamabelle · Senior Member

we'll come visit - we need a reunion. with potato salad, and some grilling. maybe a pie or two?

and no stinkin' full up to the gills agenda of every waking moment !

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

I must hear more about Waterton and Glacier! That's our tentative 2011 or 2012 family trip!

Duke of Mirth · Profuse Pontificator

Did someone say something about pie?

dianoia · Senior Member

What would you like to know, Coco?

As far as Glacier goes, I've just driven part of the Going-to-the-Sun road and hiked up to the Continental Divide (not as hard as it sounds).

However, for the Waterton side, I'm your girl. My ancestors helped develop the roads and brought in lumber for the Prince of Wales hotel, my grandparents used to own a cabin in the town and we went most summers, and now I camp there every year with my own kids.

Heck, Red Rock Canyon is my screensaver.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

di- That is awesome. I was actually looking at the Glacier Park Lodge yesterday... it has a family suite and I like that better than renting two or three seperate rooms... What "props" are you talking about for that drive?

Ros · Senior Member

rayb wrote:

Once we took a fairy to Whidbey Island,
--Ray

This was our favorite day when we were in Seattle. And Port Townsend.

(I had just read a book based in Port Townsend so that may have effected my thinking)

Ros · Senior Member

Jen wrote:

When you have visitors and they want to see the local sites, where do you like to take them?

Temple Square.

Some find BYU campus or the MTC interesting... confused

Depends on the time of year, but we usually just ignore guests. Everything is easier that way.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

alabamabelle wrote:

we'll come visit - we need a reunion. with potato salad, and some grilling. maybe a pie or two?

and no stinkin' full up to the gills agenda of every waking moment !

Good! We gots lots of neat things to do, see, and spend money on up here! Just make sure you bring lots of moolah so that y'all can treat!

One of Michigan's top industries (after automotive) is tourist trapism... er, tourism...

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

Now I want potato salad.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Poncho29 wrote:

What out-of-town guests? We can't even get our families to come visit us!

Yeah, our out of town guest usually have only ended up seeing our ward chapel... and then not even all the family has made that long and arduous journey from the Buckeye State to this state up north.

But, we like Frankenmuth... the first 3 or 4 times... after that, Bronners (billed as the largest Christmas store in the world and open 364 days of the year) gets old and about the only thing that is worth the trip is The Bavarian Inn and their wonderful meals! :woot:

Up north, there is a lot to do and see... Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City, Petoskey, Mackinaw area... but it all costs money unless you have connections (which we don't). Here in the Detroit area, there is the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. Oh, and if you like to gamble, why we even have our own casinos downtown... now you don't have to go over to Dianoia's backyard or down to Las Vegas to give in to the temptation to waste your money on games of chance...

We gots Red Wings, and Lions, and Pistons, and Tigers too, if you wants to pay for tickets and all them sorts of stuff.

dianoia · Senior Member

Here's my props (kudos) for the Going-to-the-Sun drive.

I've been on what's considered the most scenic drive in Canada, The Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Banff (it goes north-south in the middle of the Rockies). I've also driven Highway 40 in Kananaskis country, which comes a close second. Plus I've travelled through the mountains east-west at the Yellowhead Pass, Kicking Horse pass and Crowsnest Pass. All truly inspiring.

But nothing was quite like Going-to-the-Sun. On the other drives, you get 360 degrees of mountains, but you don't really have a sense of your own elevation. With Going-to-the-Sun, you're driving on this narrow little road, and to your left you're looking down, down, down, and to your right there's still towering peaks far above you. No other drive quite gives the feel of hugging a mountainside half way up.

It's some impressive engineering.

Trust me, it's a looooong way down at the left.

Ros · Senior Member

dianoia wrote:

Here's my props (kudos) for the Going-to-the-Sun drive.

Ooooh! I've been there. SOooo cool. Loved, loved, loved!!

Dyany · Senior Member

I looooooooooove Waterton and that whole area. To me it's some of the most gorgeous country in the world. beautiful open fields, marvelous mountain vistas, everything a person could want. Well, except beaches. But I never liked sand in my underwear anyway.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Dianoia... I'm feeling a rush of vertigo just looking at that picture...

Mahonri · Senior Bucketkeeper

The Tiger Zoo out west (Out of Africa)

The Temple in Mesa.

Rawhide.

The IMAX theatre at Arizona Mills.

nitasmile · Senior Member

Growing up it was the Smithsonian or the Monuments. Most common museum was the Museum of Natural History w/the big elephant in the atrium.

Now, my favorite place is to drive north on the Beltway and go about two exits past the DC temple. Then get off, turn around and let the people see the beautiful view of the Temple as you come south on the Beltway. If you haven't ever seen it, it is an especially stunning view of the Temple.

eta: here is a link though not a great one. The real view is far more spectacular: http://www.lofthouse.com/design/photo/temple4.gif

-- Edited by nitasmile at 21:34, 2007-12-19

-- Edited by nitasmile at 21:38, 2007-12-19

nitasmile · Senior Member

Diania- both of those pictures are breathtaking, how beautiful! I wish I could come visit you!! :)

Organist · Senior Member

St. Loius:
Arch - That thing is huge
City Museum - giant playground for adults and children, amazingly fun.
Zoo - #1 in USA

DaKnife · Senior Member

Regardless of where they are from it seems like they all want to go to Cabela's.

Oh and Coco, good choice on taking em scuba diving, my only question is how far west of Salt Lake? Do you take em to Seabase in Grantsville, or out to Blue Lake south of Wendover? And this time of year ya gotta get em to The Crater at the Homstead resort in Midway.

Pretty much all of our families lives here in state. But my students come from across the country, so they always have questions about what to see and do in the little amount of free time we give them.

alabamabelle · Senior Member

sometimes, we take our guest to see the antebellum homes tours and to the Space & Rocket Center and MSFC.

we have miles and miles of rivers for fishing, skiing and swimming, great areas for rock climbing and rappelling, nice nearby places to hike and picnic and some cool caves for those who don't mind slime mud and, it depends on the season, but we also have horse drawn carriage rides, too.

of course, we also treat them to world class cooking and some seriously laid back scheduling

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Daknife- We've only been to Seabase. Is Blue Lake warm? (Seabase is also known as the "hotpots") What's the Crater?

I love finding out about places close to home I never knew about!

DaKnife · Senior Member

Blue Lake is warm, it's about 74 F year round at the bottom, a little cooler at the top this time of year.

The Crater's temps are in the low to mid 90's F year round. There really isn't much to do or see there but it's really relaxing, and a great place to practice your basic skills if you've been out of the water for a while. And of course this is the best time of year to go. If you go, take your Regs, Fins Mask and Snorkle, they have the tanks and weight belts. No wet suit needed or wanted. And their prices are quite reasonable.

If you have your own equip the cost is just Admission ($22-$27) plus tank which is $7.5 If you need the rest of the gear, it's $25.

Here are the rates off the linked page
Weekdays: $22
Weekends: $27
Rental equipment: $25
Tank only: $7.50

DaKnife · Senior Member

Oh and if you go to Blue Lake and happen to geocache as well, there is a two part cache set up by my brother which requires a dive, to get the last two digits of the coordinates for the final cache site.

For a full listing of all diving sites in Utah ya gotta go to utahdiving.com

Poncho29 · Senior Bucketkeeper

alabamabelle wrote:

of course, we also treat them to world class cooking and some seriously laid back scheduling

I'm all for that! My kids have been wanting to go to Alabama for quite a few years now.

alabamabelle · Senior Member

Poncho29 wrote:
I'm all for that! My kids have been wanting to go to Alabama for quite a few years now.

bring 'em on!!

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

I didn't even know that Crater place existed! My sis knew about this little hotspring place sorta by Heber - nothing's marked, it's just down this road, turn off, down by this old fence... anyway, we went "swimming" in that until the local teenager gang came and took over. It was cool - like you'd never know it was there.

I'll have to take my daughter diving in those places. I guess she's quite good. The instructors all made a point of telling me how great and a "natural" she was, how she should definitely pursue it, etc... Thanks for the links!

PollyAnna · Senior Bucketkeeper

Mahonri wrote:
The Tiger Zoo out west (Out of Africa)
The Temple in Mesa.

Rawhide.

The IMAX theatre at Arizona Mills.

Wow!!! Places I have been to... COOL!!!