So collegiettes, fall break is upon us here at the University of Utah. It seems to have snuck up on most of us without allowing ample time to create any vacation plans. So if you are like me and staying in the city for fall break, here are some fun activities you can do around Utah without breaking the bank or having to leave for very long, if at all.
Besides… who really wanted to go out of town anyway?
1. Go camping (yes, it’s getting colder… but you’ll never remember the nights you were warm in your bed at home.) I recently camped up at Mirror Lake, and having lived in Utah my whole life it’s a shame that this was the first time I went. If you double up on the sleeping bags or get a snuggle buddy, you won’t even realize how cold it actually is. And let’s be real, it’s an excuse for s’mores and peppermint schnap hot chocolate.
2. Go Skydiving! Skydiving the Wasatch is promoting jumps for only $150 in the month of October and what’s better than saying you jumped out of a plane over fall break? This is a deal that I definitely will be taking advantage of.
3. Take advantage of all the hiking resources that Utah has and gather a group to hike Mt. Timpanogas! It’s just at the south end of the valley and is definitely worth the blisters and body aches. This hike is an activity that will take a large chunk of the day. But then you’ll be tired enough you can go home and watch Twitches AND Twitches 2 and not feel guilty for being lazy, like you just hiked an entire mountain for pete’s sake.
4. Go on a hot air balloon ride. This one is a bit more expensive, but if you have the funds available it’s a must do! Utah Ballooning does rides for $250 a person and the experience takes about 3 hours. If you can spare an extra $5, get a PSL and you’ll have the ultimate fall experience.
5.Get a group of friends and road trip to Vegas to see Britney Spears. It would be every girl born in the 90’s dream come true. Tickets begin at $100ish and she has shows Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of fall break.
6. Go on a date night and take the Monday Night train at Heber Valley Railroad. The 90 minute train ride has sing-a-longs and travels along a very beautiful scenic route. Admission is $8 and there are low cost snacks available too!
7. Spend $25 on an All Special Activity Pass at Snowbird. When you buy one of these passes you get unlimited use on the Bungee Tramps, Mountain Coaster, and Scenic Tram… each of these are usually at least $20 a piece. Doing this will be a perfect time to be able to look at all of the changing leaves and will be a good excuse to break out the cozy new sweaters and scarves you just splurged on.
8.If it’s been a bit hard to accept the fact that summer is over which means no more swimming, than you are in luck. The Homestead Crater in Midway is an all natural warm body of water that is a short drive east of Salt Lake City. There have been some Groupons for $25 but there is more pricing info on the website.
9. Miller Motorsports Park is a fun way to satisfy your need for an adrenaline rush. Head out to the race track in Tooele and experience the thrill of racing cars with all of your friends for an inexpensive first session of $12. If a dream life and future career goal is being a racecar driver, this may be your chance to test it out.
10. If you’re ready to start celebrating Halloween, book a ghost tour with Grimm Ghost Tours. If you buy your tickets online, $25 will get you one scary evening that will last about an hour and a half. Tour guides lead you around the valley to some of the oldest and scariest places, that you probably didn’t know existed.
Utes, I hope this helps with your staycation/fall break plans. Stay safe and have fun!