Help your clients make the most of their summer vacation on the West Coast with these outdoor activities.
Snowbasin Resort’s Mountain Adventures
From June 10 through Oct. 8, Snowbasin Resort, located 43 miles north of Salt Lake City, will offer an array of kid-friendly activities including Family Movie Night (June 26-Aug. 7) on Monday evenings on the Snowbasin lawn; a Solar Eclipse Viewing on Aug. 21; and Bark at the Basin (Sept. 10), where guests and their furry friends are invited to the resort’s annual 5k hike and fundraiser benefitting the Best Friends Utah Animal Society. The hike ends at Earl’s Lawn, where owners and pets can enjoy the afternoon’s Blues, Brews & BBQ concert. Dog treats specially made by Snowbasin Resort chefs are available with all proceeds going to Best Friends Animal Society. On Saturdays from June 17-Aug. 19, the resort is offering more adventurous youngsters an Introduction to Mountain Biking, where they’ll learn trail etiquette, how to navigate rocks and roots, and improve their ability to climb hills. For more information, call (801) 620-1000 or visit snowbasin.com/the-mountain.
LEGOLAND California Resort’s Expansion
This summer, Southern California’s LEGOLAND California Resort is introducing the newest beach-themed expansion of LEGOLAND Water Park—Surfers’ Cove. Featuring six water slides extending 100 ft. where park-goers can compete for the fastest time, plus and a “spray ground” with multiple water jets splashing on and off, the new theme park experience is just one more reason to visit the LEGOLAND California Resort, which offers more than 60 rides, shows and attractions in all.
Families can continue their LEGO-themed adventure by booking their accommodations at the LEGOLAND Hotel. We suggest booking one of the new LEGO NINJAGO rooms—there are 18 guestrooms and two suites in total—where each room is filled with 11 LEGO NINJAGO-inspired models. Think Zane’s titanium falcon, Nya’s helmet, ninja-throwing stars and a massive dragon egg completely out of LEGO bricks. Every children’s sleeping area is themed as a dragon’s cave where ninja dragons are waiting for battle and includes bunk and trundle beds. Plus, kids have their own TV, games, LEGO bricks and a treasure chest hidden in what’s designed to be a bamboo passageway to a mountain temple. Parents will also sleep in ninja-style as the king-size bed’s headrest includes a shrine that holds all four elemental weapons. For more information, call (760) 918-5346 or visit legoland.com.
Chicago Detours’ Walking Tours
Tour operator Chicago Detours has officially launched its summer line-up of architectural and historical tours in the city’s downtown and vibrant neighborhoods. From walking tours of downtown Chicago’s storied drinking establishments to other famous and unexpected locations, Chicago Detours offers a tour for every interest be it foodie or cultural.
The summer schedule of daily tours include the Loop Interior Architecture Walking Tour with Pedway, the Historic Chicago Walking Bar Tour, the 1893 World’s Fair Tour with Bars, the Best Architecture Walking Tour Since Sliced Bread, and the Old Polonia and Wicker Park Food Tour. The 1893 World’s Fair Tour with Bars tour, for example, digs into how and why the World’s Columbian Exposition still captures imaginations more than 120 years later. On this 3-hour walking tour, starting at $40 pp, guests venture into beautiful architectural spaces from the era, while playing a few thoughtfully designed games, like visual scavenger hunts. In addition to commentary, guests’ guide will share photographs and material from archives. This downtown tour visits some of the few remaining buildings from the time of the World’s Fair and includes a couple of light snacks with the option to purchase alcoholic beverages as well.
On June 10, the company will offer a special 1-day only Chicago Jazz, Blues, and Beyond Bus Tour for $65 pp that visits architectural landmarks of Chicago’s blues and jazz history in neighborhoods north to south. The 2.5-hour tour has guests hop off the bus for up-close looks at significant Chicago architecture as the tour guide shares forgotten stories of Chicago blues and jazz. When they aren’t exploring gems like a hardware store with relics from its time as a jazz club almost a hundred years ago, guests will travel by a luxury coach equipped with video screens with historic photos and film clips of interviews, songs and performances. There’s even the opportunity for a blues harmonica lesson on the bus. For more information, call (312) 350-1131 or visit chicagodetours.com.
