Rule the Free World
I've always wondered why rich, famous and powerful people get a lot of stuff for free, when they're the ones who need it the least. Well, the rest of us can get a lot of stuff for free, too, if we know where to look. At About.com we've all been working hard to find the best free stuff in the world to share with our readers.
About.com: Free Things to Do lists all the best free things to do around the world: in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and the Caribbean. Check it out as you're planning your summer vacations!
Free Things to Do in Salt Lake City
Photo: Tours of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. are free. By Dennis Flaherty
Spa Gifts for Mother's Day
Spa gift certificates are a great gift for a hardworking mom who deserves a little pampering. Many of the Salt Lake area's favorite spas have special offers for Mother's Day to make it a little easier and more affordable to treat mom to a relaxing spa treatment. Some of my favorites include Heaven and Health massage near the Gateway and Zermatt Resort and Spa in Midway.
SLC Spa Gifts for Mother's Day
Photo by Jamie Grill
Sweet Charity at CPK
California Pizza Kitchen, with locations at the Gateway, Fashion Place Mall and University Mall, will celebrate Mother's Day by donating 20 percent of the purchase price of every slice of red velvet cake sold between May 11-13 to the National Charity League.
The National Charity League organizes volunteer opportunities for women and their daughters in grades 7-12, promoting confidence, leadership ability and social awareness while strengthening mother-daughter relationships. With more than 170 chapters in 19 states, the league provides community service, leadership and cultural experiences to its members. Annually, NCL members provide more than one million hours of community volunteer service.
Image courtesy California Pizza Kitchen
Free Summer Bowling for Utah Kids
One of my favorite summer fun programs for families is Kids Bowl Free. Kids can join the program for free and bowl up to two games per day during the summer at six Utah locations: All Star Fun Centers in Sandy, West Jordan and Tooele; Orchard Lanes in North Salt Lake; Miracle Bowl in Orem; and Sparetime Family Fun Center in Roy.
Free game coupons are delivered weekly by email. Parents can get in on the fun by purchasing a summer pass for $24.95. Shoe passes are also offered at many centers for around $20.
Free bowling is a great way to beat summer boredom and summer heat, without spending a lot of money. Check out these links for more ideas:
Photo by Thomas Northcut
Cinco de Mayo in Salt Lake City
Cinco de Mayo, May 5, commemorates the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, and more importantly celebrates Mexican culture and heritage in the United States. Salt Lake City residents can pay tribute to Mexican culture at these events this weekend:
- (Re)Affirming Visions by Veronica Perez at the Gallery at Library Square: Veronica Perez employs a keen command of colors to portray historical images and a unique brand of iconography rooted in her own Mexican and Indigenous culture. Saturday, May 5, 2012, artist talk 3:30, reception 4 p.m. Veronica's artworks will be on display at the gallery until June 15.
- Salt Lake City's Frida Bistro will host a Cinco de Mayo party from 7 p.m. to midnight, with a four-course menu for $30 per person, plus live music, dancing, a cash bar, and a bodega with artisan booths.
- The Park City Hispanic community will celebrate Cinco de Mayo from 5 p.m. -9 p.m. at the Yard Event Center on Kearns Boulevard. The event, will feature food, a cash bar, live music, dancing and a silent auction, and will also collect donations for local food banks. Admission is 15 cans of food or $15 for adults and 5 cans of food or $5 for children under 12.
- Enjoy Mexican fare and help save an endangered species with "Cinco de Rhino," sponsored by Rubio's and Hogle Zoo. Dine in or take out at all Salt Lake Area Rubio's locations, and and Rubio's will donate 20% of the purchase price to the American Association of Zookeepers' efforts to save all five species of endangered rhinos.
- Come watch one of Mexico's (and the world's) favorite sports as Real Salt Lake takes on the New England Revolution Saturday, May 5 at 7 p.m. Be at the gate between 6 and 6:45 to receive a $5 concessions voucher.
- Remember the Alamo as the Utah Jazz take a stand against the San Antonio Spurs in the third game of their best-of-seven playoff series, Saturday May 5 at 8 p.m.
Image: "Seeds of Resistance" by Veronica Perez
The Beehive Tea Room is a Salt Lake Treasure
The Beehive Tea Room at 12 West Broadway is a cozy, nostalgic getaway and a great place to relax with a pot of tea or other favorite beverage. It's a place I love to visit, just to take a break or to catch up with friends.
The Beehive Tea Room serves more than 30 varieties of tea, plus beer, wine, smoothies, sodas, juices, hot chocolate, steamers, salads, soups, sandwiches, appetizers, pastries, and English passties (meat and vegetable-filled turnovers). They also offer afternoon tea service by reservation. The real star of the show at the Beehive Tea Room is the decor, with upholstered chairs, carved wood, antique artworks, wall murals and lace curtains to evoke the elegance of a bygone era.
Read the Full Review: Beehive Tea Room
Image courtesy City Home Collective
Salt Lake City Mother's Day Brunches
Reservations are filling fast for Salt Lake's favorite Mother's Day brunches! A relaxing weekend brunch is a great way to spend time with Mom, whether you prefer a grand buffet like Little America, an intimate plated brunch like Franck's, gorgeous gardens at La Caille, or a mountain getaway like the Homestead Resort. Mother's Day 2012 is Sunday, May 13.
For those who prefer a Saturday option, The Harvest Restaurant at Thanksgiving Point will serve an elegant Mother's Day buffet brunch May 12 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The buffet includes this salmon recipe from Chef Jason Merryweather:
Seared Salmon Salad with Avocado and Pineapple
Salad components:
- 1 lb. mixed greens
- 2 medium ripe avocados (diced)
- ½ medium Pineapple (diced)
- 1 medium cucumber (peeled and diced)
- 1 lb. grape tomatoes
- 4 or 5 portions salmon filet
- 1 T. olive oil
Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl. Heat up large saute pan over medium heat. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to the pan, place salmon skin side up and cook halfway. Turn salmon and cook until done.
Citrus Vinaigrette:
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 lime and 1 orange
- 1 T. sugar
- 1 c. olive oil
- 1 t. diced shallots
Combine citrus, sugar and shallots in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Toss the salad and ingredients with the citrus vinaigrette reserving 2 T. for the salmon. Split the salad into four pasta bowls. Place one warm salmon filet on each salad and drizzle reserved vinaigrette over the salmon.
Salt Lake City Mother's Day Brunches
Image by Inti St. Clair.
Ticket Gifts for Mother's Day
Mother's Day will be here before we know it - Sunday, May 13 - and it's time to start thinking about what gift will show Mom how much you appreciate her. Tickets to a favorite music, entertainment, or theater event can be a great gift. Moms usually enjoy an evening out, and they don't always splurge on themselves.
Some of the ticket gifts I've been eying this year include Million Dollar Quartet at the Capitol Theatre, Man of La Mancha at Pioneer Memorial Theatre, and Father of the Bride at Hale Centre Theatre, as well as upcoming performances of the Utah Opera and Utah Symphony. Click on the link for a full list of Salt Lake City events for Mother's Day gift giving, and have an entertaining Mother's Day!
Entertainment Gifts for Mother's Day
Image by artpartner-images.
Time to Get Tickets for Red Butte Garden Summer Concerts
It feels like summer is already here, and ticket sales start Monday for Red Butte Garden's popular summer concert series. Full and part season ticket packages will be available Monday, April 23. This season's lineup of 26 shows features Colby Callait, Bonnie Raitt, Steve Martin, Wilco and many more.
Garden members can buy individual show tickets beginning Monday, April 30, and tickets go on sale to the general public Monday, May 7. In previous years, popular acts have sold out early to garden members, but anyone can become a garden member to get in on early ticket sales.
Red Butte Garden is only one of the Salt Lake area venues hosting exciting concert series this summer. There are more that 100 outdoor concerts, many of them free, in the Salt Lake Valley and at nearby resorts throughout the summer. Click on the link below for a full list of Salt Lake area summer concerts.
Salt Lake City Summer Concerts
Photo courtesy Red Butte Garden
Spring Happenings at Thanksgiving Point
This weekend's weather forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s - blissfully beautiful weather for enjoying the Thanksgiving Point 2012 Tulip Festival. Thanksgiving Point gardeners have planted more than 250,000 tulips of 100 different varieties throughout 55 acres of amazing gardens. The festival continues through April 28, 2012.
Another fun event at Thanksgiving Point this weekend is the Queen Bee Market, a craft bazaar with more than 50 local vendors, Friday, April 20, from 7-9 p.m. and Saturday, April 21 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The Queen Bee Market is a good place to pick up some unique handmade Mother's Day gifts.
Saturday, April 28 is the day for one of my favorite annual events at Thanksgiving Point, the Farm Country Baby Animal Birthday Party. The party includes cake, games, and the chance to see and touch adorable baby animals! April 28 is also the day for Thanksgiving Point's Half Marathon, 5K and 1-mile Kids' Fun Run.
Photo by Sharon Maxwell.