Summer is here and every teenager across Utah can finally take a deep breath and feel the freedom shiver through their veins.
Summer can be full of all kinds of fun activities because we have so much time to fill in with whatever we choose. So instead of staying inside or just going to friends' houses, make the most of this summer, and try some other activities. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air and explore some new spots in the Top of Utah.
Our TX. staff share a few of their favorite outdoor activities, to give all of you lazy teenagers who sit inside watching TV day after day some good ideas of places to go to live up your summer days.
Crystal Hot Springs
Crystal Hot Springs is quaint swimming and relaxation getaway. Located in Honeyville, north of Brigham City, Crystal Hot Springs is known for having the highest mineral content in America in both its hot and cold springs.
The resort includes a huge Olympic swimming pool, two small hot springs, a cool spring and a bigger mineral-filled spring. Also, Crystal Hot Springs is home to two big waterslides that open up to a small swimming pool.
Crystal Hot Springs is located in kind of a smaller town, bordered by lots of grassland, so no matter which direction you're coming from, it's usually a nice outing to take with friends. Teenagers will love the road trip, the fact that a visit to the springs is not expensive, being able to relax in the hot water and also the wonders the minerals work on your skin.
Admission is $6 for teenagers; that price allows you to come and go all day long. You can also purchase punch passes for swimming and the slides. If you want to use the slides as well as the hot springs, it's $10.
Crystal Hot Springs, 8215 N. Highway 38, Honeyville, is open for the summer from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.
Camping is also available, with a campsite right by the springs. For only $25, you can reserve a spot that includes water, electricity and sewage, and allows one motor or trailer home, plus one tent.
To contact Crystal Hot Springs, call 435-279-8104 or visit the website for more information at http://www.crystalhotsprings.net/.
Danielle Collier
Northridge High School
Motor-Vu Drive-in
Want to have a fun, amazing and unique movie-going experience this summer? A drive-in movie theater is a great way to experience a movie, especially if you've never been to one before.
Riverdale's Motor-Vu Drive-In is extremely fun because it is like no other movie. You can bring chairs, blankets, pillows or anything you'd like to get comfortable for the movie. You watch the show however you like, from reclining in your car seats to enjoying the movie in the fresh, brisk, outdoor night air in the back of a truck bed -- anything is possible.
Another one of the benefits of a drive-in is that it solves many of the "pet peeves" people have with indoor theaters. Do you dislike it when people talk so loud you can't hear the movie, or, on the other hand, do you like to talk to your friends about everything that goes on in the movie? That is definitely a problem in a bustling, crowded indoor movie theater, but is much less of a concern at a drive-in.
Admission at the Motor-Vu is $7 for adults, $3 for ages 5-11, and free for children 4 and younger. For about the same price as a theater ticket, you can see not just one but two movies! You can choose from four different new releases -- on different screens -- each one accompanied with a co-hit that has been out for a while longer.
The only problem with a drive-in is the time. Because the movie cannot start until the sun goes down, you must count on staying out late. You may have to choose whether to stay for the second movie, or skip it if you are too tired. You can go with anyone you would like, but in my experience I think it's best to go with a group of good friends, or family/cousins. I wouldn't recommend it for an official date night, because your date's parents may not be OK with staying out that late on a date. Just choose whoever you can have fun with, because unlike at an ordinary theater, you can talk as much as you'd like!
There are just a few things to remember: First, you NEED a radio to get the audio that plays with the movie. So make sure that either your car radio is working well, or that you bring a portable radio that will work instead. Next, it may be nice to wash your windows if you plan on watching from inside your car, in case there is any dirt that stands between you and your movie. Any local gas station will likely have a window-cleaning station that should do the job.
The Motor-Vu Drive-In, 5368 S. 1050 W., Riverdale, is a great time because of its outdoor atmosphere and how you can personally customize the experience. For more information, call 801-394-1768.
Nathan Beeston
Syracuse High School
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Teenagers will like going to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge because it's a good alternative to hiking if the trees and mountains are getting monotonous. Since the refuge is in a valley, everything is flat, so it's also great for those who want to be outside in nature but aren't physically fit enough to hike.
Also, there are a ton of birds and other animals EVERYWHERE! Volunteers and park rangers abound, so there's never any shortage of experts to answer questions.
At the refuge there's a wonderful new visitor center with a small museum that tells about the origins and history of this haven for birds. Attached to the visitor center is an observation deck designed for -- you guessed it! -- bird watching and observing the many fish and amphibians that call the refuge home.
There are also several walking trails that lead out from the visitor center. And the refuge offers all sorts of classes and tours during the summer. Guided tours are about 2 1/2 hours long and are offered at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday and Saturdays through Sept. 29. The tour guides like to know how many people they're taking out, so make sure to call ahead and save a place in the group.
Another attraction is an auto trail that goes a few miles more to the west and makes a 12-mile loop around the bird refuge. However, sometimes with heavy precipitation, the dikes and roads on the loop get covered in water, so call ahead to make sure everything is in working order. The auto trail can be traversed by car or by bicycle, or, during hunting season, visitors can take canoes out on the water to get a more intimate view of the birds.
For a trip to the bird refuge, I recommend taking a friend who likes to be outside and likes nature. I love the refuge because I love to watch the birds and listen to the bullfrogs, and I really enjoy walking around the trails. Someone who isn't that into nature and being outside might not have as much fun as the tree-hugging hippie friend we all know we have.
The best time of day to visit is in the morning, if possible, before the sun gets hot and chases all the birds away. The visitor center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is located at 2155 W. Forest Street, just outside of Brigham City. From Ogden, take Interstate 15 north to the Forest Street exit and turn west. The visitor center is really hard to miss; it's the only building west of the highway that isn't a private residence.
Admission to the bird refuge is free, unless you want to go hunting or fishing. There is no food at the refuge, but there are a variety of places to eat nearby in Brigham City. Or there are also plenty of parks that are perfect for having a picnic.
For more information, call 435-723-5887 or visit http://www.fws.gov/bearriver/index.html.
Abby Payne
Bear River High School
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