Ogden Summer Bucket List

Shaylee Stevens: Hello, and welcome to another edition of the Ogden Wire Group Chat. It has been a minute. We are here with your host Shaylee, that's me, and Sydney. Um, this week we're in the midst of summer, and yes, we know summer technically goes until almost the end of September, but let's be real, it actually ends around Labor Day, so we only have a few more weeks to get in all of the summertime fun. So we are talking about our summer bucket list and just some fun things that you can do before the summer ends to really soak it up, and also escape the heat because we know that's something that is hitting hard right now. So we have a whole list of things, and Syd, do you want to kick it off with some of your personal goals for the rest of the summer?


[0:00:46] Sydney Pace: Absolutely. I feel like I've done so much this summer, and I don't want to think about fall and stuff quite yet. So I'm just really locked down my personal goals of what I want to do for the rest of summer, and those goals are I am a paddleboard girl, and so, but when I go, obviously I don't want to go in the middle of the day because we're at work. But sunrise paddleboarding or sunset paddleboarding is just the perfect time because it's not too hot, and if it is, you can like get it in the water and you won't be like freezing. So sunrise or sunset paddleboarding is on my list.


[0:01:18] Shaylee: That sounds so pretty.


[0:01:19] Sydney: Oh, so so pretty and all the mountains, and then I love the Ogden River Parkway, and so biking on that, like taking the green bikes or taking like the scooters, definitely on my list of things to do. Like start at the Botanical Gardens and go all the way.


[0:01:33] Shaylee: I love that because you can like grab lunch at one of the restaurants on the way or do some like some shopping.


[0:01:39] Sydney: Yeah, we love the shops, and we love the Ogden River Parkway.


[0:01:42] Shaylee: And I feel like it gets super pretty this time of year, and it's one of the few spots that you can like, get some sun in patches, but then find some really good shady spots too.


[0:01:51] Sydney: Yes, so you're not dying to death from the heat.


[0:01:54] Shaylee: Exactly.


[0:01:55] Sydney: And then I also I haven't gone to one of the Ogden Twilight concerts yet, so I want to do that. Looking forward to Mount Joy, or outdoor yoga in the valley. So do something fun.


[0:02:06] Shaylee: I didn't know they did outdoor yoga in the valley.


[0:02:09] Sydney: Yeah, this girl I know, she's just-it's like a small group, but you can find them on Instagram and TikTok and stuff. And she just kind of pops up in different places in the valley. So,


[0:02:17] Shaylee: okay, cool. I'll find


[0:02:19] Sydney: it and send everyone the link, [https://www.instagram.com/explorenexpand]


[0:02:21] Shaylee: Yes, check that out on Instagram, guys. Like, I knew there was outdoor yoga at the farmers market, but I didn't know there was outdoor yoga up in Ogden Valley. That sounds so pretty.


[0:02:29] Sydney: Yes, so relaxing. But those are my goals, Shaylee. What are your goals for the rest of summer?


[0:02:33] Shaylee: Okay, so I have been like feeling very like botanical. I feel like I'm in like my fairy garden era. So it was actually you who told me about this place because you live up in North Ogden. I really want to visit the North Ogden Flower Farm. I had no idea this place existed, and like I've seen on Instagram all of the cute like flower farm places where you go and do like you pick, and it's just like a cute girly night out, and you can wear like a cute dress and just get cute Instagram pictures. And that is quite literally what North Ogden Flower Farm is. It is exactly that vibe, and so I just really want to make it up there. They have regular like flower picking times. I also saw on their Instagram that they're introducing this new thing called I think it's blooms and brushes. I might have that backwards, but I guess they're gonna let people go and pick a bouquet of flowers.


[0:03:30] Sydney: Yeah,


[0:03:30] Shaylee: and then you take your bouquet, and then you're gonna like paint it. Like they'll have like a paint class.


[0:03:36] Sydney: That is so cute.


[0:03:39] Shaylee: That, I think, is so fun. Um, and I love a good flower. Like, I have a tattoo with flowers. I'm getting another one with flowers. So I'm all about botanicals, which is also why towards the end of the summer, especially like in August, I really want to do like a little picnic at the Ogden Botanical Gardens. I think it'd be really pretty. I want to come.


[0:03:59] Sydney: Let me know.


[0:04:00] Shaylee: You're totally invited. Of course, you're invited. I just think the botanical gardens get so pretty towards the end of the summer. Like they're good this time of year too, as the roses are finishing up. But they get a lot of like wildflower type things towards the end of the summer. So I want to make sure I go there.


[0:04:17] Sydney: And I mean by the water too.


[0:04:19] Shaylee: Exactly. Like, you can go dip in the river and then go back to the gardens, and so it's just a nice little escape. And it's one of my favorite spots because it's right by the city, but you don't feel like you're in the city when you're there because it's just right off of Monroe. So check it out if you haven't been to the Botanical Gardens. They're pretty year round, and they're also free. So, and then my last one is I want to do Blues and Brews and the gondola ride. I've done Oktoberfest at Snowbasin like a million times, but I never managed to make it up before Blues and Brews is over. So I want to go, especially because this year, new at Blues and Brews, they are opening the Cinnabar. Normally, the Cinnabar is closed during this time of year, whereas now they're doing it to where I guess there's like appetizer type foods and like wine and cocktails. So I figured it would be fun to do a little like light lunch there, and then enjoy the music and the brews, and then take a scenic gondola ride, just a fun afternoon up at Snowbasin.


[0:05:22] Sydney: I love that. I feel like all of your goals are very much like escape the heat. Which is what we want because it's gonna get hot.


[0:05:26] Shaylee: Yes! I’m not a fan of the heat, so that's what I'm all about.


[0:05:33] Sydney: I definitely am gonna take some of your goals and add them to my bucket list. So thank you.


[0:05:36] Shaylee: Good, good, good. And I've been to Ogden Twilight, so you have to go. Like they're so fun.


[0:05:40] Sydney: Say less. I'll buy my ticket today. Some other outdoor ideas that we wanted to share with all of you. If you're like looking more to like escape the heat and just like I don't know, just get out and touch grass a little bit before we're forced to stay inside.


[0:05:56] Shaylee: We all need to touch grass more.


[0:05:58] Sydney: We all do. So a little bit of those ideas that you can add to your bucket list is hike Icebox Canyon the perfect way to escape the heat. It's a little like sunny as you're hiking up to the like trailhead, like up what is it like the first 10 minutes or whatever.


[0:06:14] Shaylee: Yeah, Icebox Canyon is like it's part of the Wheeler Creek loop.


[0:06:18] Sydney: Yeah,


[0:06:18] Shaylee: But if you can make the first like 1015 minutes of the hike where it's like fully in the sun. Then you get down into Icebox Canyon and it's fully shaded. And usually there's like a creek running by it too.


[0:06:28] Sydney: Yeah, so you'll be protected there.


[0:06:31] Shaylee: It's so pretty. And then going back to Snowbasin, the wildflowers are still popping off this time of year, and so Snowbasin has an amazing trail system where you can get really close to the wildflowers and just be up really high elevation. Like it's sunny up there, but because it's such high elevation, by the time you're up on the trails, it tends to be a lot cooler. So it's one of my favorite areas to go hiking. Plus, pro tip: you can actually avoid the uphill part of a lot of the trails of Snowbasin, if you just hop on the gondola, which I think it's a fairly cheap ticket to get on the gondola, like maybe $30-$40, something like that. Which, in my book, as someone who doesn't like the heat, worth it. And then it takes you all the way up to Needles, and you can hike down and see all the wildflowers and like pretty views of Pineview and Ogden Valley.





[Visit Ogden Tip: Check out Snowbasin’s Sunset Socials every Thursday evening, July 2nd to October 1st. 5pm to 9pm. Ride the Needles Gondola for just $10. Enjoy legendary Snowbasin cuisine, full bar, patio games, live music, and cool mountain temperatures.]





Other summer gondola/bike park operating hours and ticketing information can be found here: https://www.snowbasin.com/tick...





[0:07:22] Sydney: Okay. So shifting our gears into like, dipping into more water activities that we wanted to talk about is tubing the Weber River. Would be a good opportunity for you to go with your family, your friends, a big group of you out, and just rent some tubes and go down. It's a good way to just kind of have a more chill, mellow, but you're out of the sun, and you can just kind of take a relaxing evening or morning and go down the river.


[0:07:49] Shaylee: And this year, especially as they drain Pineview, the Ogden River is maybe not the best to tube. So the Weber River, on the other hand, because it's so dry this year, is a little bit more mellow. It's not rushing quite as much, so I highly recommend tubing the Weber River this year. There's a couple spots you can start in. You can go up Weber Canyon, which is typically where like Weber Rec goes. But then you can also start at like the Kayak Park in Riverdale and float that section. I think that section goes by like Fort Buenaventura, so it's like really scenic and shady. But yeah, it's just a really mellow time of year to go do it because it's a little lower on that river, and then you can avoid the Ogden River and all of the like runoff from Pineview this year. But if you're like me and you don't necessarily like floating or swimming in a river or a lake because you're like fish, ew, plants, and you prefer a pool. Check out Lorrinn Farr before it closes. It tends to close sometime in like mid to late August, depending on the weather. Although it's pretty hot this year, so it may run late. Lorrinn Farr, if you do not know this, is where they actually filmed the pool scene in The Sandlot, so it's a fun double whammy where you get to go see a historic filming spot of one of the most iconic movies in history, while also cooling off in the pool. And it's outside, so you can cool off while still getting some sunshine. Like get those UV rays and enjoy some of the heat while cooling off. So check that one out. But Syd and I, you and I both have a lot of friends who have like kids, so I thought it would be fun to also talk about some like indoor-oriented stuff for more family-friendly things. A lot of things we've already talked about are more like our age demographic, like 20s, 30s. Like we don't have kids, so let's get into some indoor stuff. If you really need to take those kiddos and escape the heat, one of the most easy ones to get to in the Ogden Weber County area is the Hill Aerospace Museum. It is a huge museum, multiple hangars of planes from different. Eras and parts of the military. It is so cool. Like I've grew up going there, and they've just continued to expand. And it is so well air conditioned. It is incredible because since they're trying to preserve the planes, like the air conditioning is just off the charts good. So on those peak heat days, run, do not walk to that museum.


[0:10:24] Sydney: It's the perfect place to go because I feel like it. Even if you're not like super interested in all like planes and stuff, there's a lot of things that you can do very interactive, and it kind of meets the needs of everybody.


[0:10:37] Shaylee: Yeah, like if I remember right, they have like a scavenger hunt too that like you can do through some of the hangers, so it really is the perfect spot.


[0:10:44] Sydney: Up next, we have the Dinosaur Park that is closer to our canyon, Ogden Canyon, and it's a little more. There's an indoor section and an outdoor section, so depending on the weather, what time of day, and all that, you can choose how long you spend outside. But the inner section is really cool because there's not only AC, but a lot of interactive,like, you can play with all the dinosaur bones and dust them off and learn about the different dinosaurs and areas that they're in, and it's just like a fun, easy way, all-accessible place to go and kind of meet the needs of everyone. Even if you're an adult, you can have fun at the Dinosaur Park for sure.


[0:11:25] Shaylee: And even on the outside, because it's literally right at the mouth of the canyon, it tends to be fairly breezy, and it's right by the river, so it it often is a little bit cooler than a lot of the other areas of the Wasatch Front. Plus, like you mentioned, they're very accessible friendly. Like their new playground, they're trying to make it as accessible as possible, and it's a brand new playground. So highly recommend checking that out. If you are more adventurous though, and you want a little more adrenaline, head to the Salomon Center. They have iFly, iRock, and FlowRider. iFly is an indoor skydiving like tube. It's so cool. Like you get to feel the zero gravity feeling while without actually jumping out of a plane in a completely controlled environment. So super cool. And then iRock is just an indoor rock climbing facility and FlowRider is the perfect summer activity because it's surfing without going into the ocean in landlocked Utah. So if you want more high adrenaline, definitely head there. But I love one of our last suggestions, Syd. I think this is right up your alley. If you want to take it away?


[0:12:41] Sydney: Of course. So Neptune skating is probably like the must-do of your bucket list if you take anything away. They have like a variety of different nights with Neptune skating. There's like a ladies' skate night. There's like a kids skate night. There's like usually themes like 90s or 80s, and that's the type of music that they play, they also do like swing dancing, country swing dancing. So Neptune skating is the place to go if you like good vibes, meet new friends, new families with their kids, connect the kids, and they all hang out. And it's just like a fun, relaxed way to get out and do something. They also have arcade games, I think.


[0:13:22] Shaylee: And it's like really affordable. Like it's they're so social. Like they really host fantastic events, and it feels like super retro and throwback to like a more analog time while also being affordable, which is great. Now, those are some things we haven't done yet this summer that we want to do, but I thought it might be fun to touch on some of the things we have already done this summer that we think other people should explore before the summer wraps up. So, Syd, what are a couple things that you've done this summer that you think other people should do?


[0:13:54] Sydney: Ooh, I feel like I've done so much, but some of my favorite things that I've done this summer is hike Waterfall Canyon that would be a really good one as it gets a little further into summer. So the first part is a little sunny, but the waterfall is beautiful. It's pretty shaded once you get past that first part. Yes, so I've done that and it was beautiful. And also pickleball. Me and my friends are really into pickleball, and Ogden has so many courts. There's a lot of new ones coming in, and it's just a fun way to get out with your friends, be active, meet other people, and I'm not good at it. But we're getting there.


[0:14:33] Shaylee: Who is actually good at pickleball? That's one. That's one I may need to steal from my bucket list because I have yet to try pickleball. So I feel like maybe maybe the time is now. Maybe it's this summer.


[0:14:44] Sydney: Take it as your sign.


[0:14:45] Shaylee: Yeah.


[0:14:45] Sydney: What have you done this summer, Shaylee?


[0:14:47] Shaylee: Um, I feel like mine has been like very downtown Ogden centered, which I think is why my the rest of my bucket list is so like outdoors mountain like botanicals. Um, so I have been to the Farmers Market a couple times, and I think you have to go before the end of summer, especially now that produce season is picking up. I was there early summer, so the produce wasn't as like, peak, but it was still so fun. It's always just a good time to like wander around, get some food, get some coffee, see what's new, and grab a few items. Like I got, I think it was from the Tagge’s. I think I'm saying that right. Farm stand. Um, this like fun cherry like pie topping. It may have been another stand. I'm sorry if I have the stand name wrong, but like I got this cherry pie topping that I used for the Fourth of July, and it was so good. It was like fresh and not processed, and didn't have like a lot of added sugar, so it was just like this beautiful tart cherry flavor. So just stuff like that. Like I like to go shop the Farmers Market. So if you haven't been exactly, there's always samples, and so you can try stuff. And there's always fresh produce. So definitely check out the farmers market if you haven't been already, especially towards the end of the summer, like they'll have “Dogden” at their last week of summer market, which will be super cool.


[0:16:07] Sydney: That'll be so cute.


[0:16:07] Shaylee: Take your dogs, and then I have already been to a couple Ogden Twilight shows, so I always recommend if you haven't been, go to one. Like the most recent one was Bunt, which was incredible. It was right before the Fourth of July, and it was just a fun DJ show. So the perfect dance party night, and they're gonna have a couple more of those. Like they have Sophie Tucker coming up, which is like a huge, huge artist. She's gonna be so fun, and then a couple more mellow artists like Mount Joy and Big Thief to end it. Big Thief is fairly late in the summer, so October. So there's still plenty of time to go if you have not been. But definitely catch a show. Like it's just a quintessential Ogden experience to go to Ogden Twilight. So yeah. So that is our Ogden bucket list for the rest of the summer. There's so much more to do though. Like there's the Ogden Nature Center, and there's Fort Buenaventura. There's just so much to offer. So we've only covered the tip of the iceberg, but we hope this helps you come up with some ideas for your summer bucket list. And we will catch you next time.


[0:17:13] Sydney: See ya.