We all know there is so much to do in Utah Valley. From the great outdoors to shopping, festivals, and dining,Utah Valley really has a little bit of everything for everyone.
This season we are offering you a discount for lodging and ski tickets! When you sign up on our site here, you will receive 20% off your stay and $10 off tickets to Sundance Ski Resort. What a deal!
This offer is only available until February 28 so hurry and book your ski trip now! We'll see you on the slopes :)
Five years ago we had an added blessing in our life when my wife, Stacy, had our fourth child; 12 years after our youngest. Recognizing I wasn't the youngest dad, I started looking for ways to stay in shape. I wanted to be able to keep up with this guy! I used to be an avid runner, but running is not as easy as you get older. Some of my neighbors told me about cycling and encouraged me to get involved.
I started riding with some of the guys in the neighborhood and fell in love with it - cycling is a wonderful activity as you age; there's less wear and tear on the body. I like to joke that the only downside is that I didn't take up golf earlier in my marriage so my wife would be accustom to my being gone for several hours each weekend! Cycling takes time. In order to get a long ride in, you are gone for a few hours. Stacy knew how much I loved cycling and even though she had never really done much riding before, she started riding with some of her girlfriends. It was also a great way for her to exercise and keep up with our 5 year old.
We love the chances we get to cycle together. One of our favorite trails is the Murdock Canal Trail that just opened in Utah County this past spring. The trails runs from 800 North in Orem to the Point of the Mountain in Lehi. We love this trail not only because it connects to other trails, but it is perfect for all level of cyclists. Whether you are an avid cyclist or a recreational rider, the Murdock Canal Trail is perfect. The County commission needs to be commended for their commitment to building a world class trail system throughout the County.
In 2011, some of my neighbors, who are avid cyclists, started discussing organized rides and challenged me to complete a century ride (100 miles) by the end of the summer. They asked if I wanted to join them and to be honest I was a little unsure. They were participating in the Utah Lake Century Epic Ride (ULCER). This was a 100 mile course that went around Utah Lake. I decided to do it and had an amazing experience. Even though riding 100 miles was exhausting, I'm looking forward to the chance to ride it again next week (Saturday, August 3rd). This year the Bonneville Cycling Club, who owns ULCER, had decided to retire the event after 28 years. Not wanted to see this event "ride off into the sunset", the Utah Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce approached Bonneville Cycling Club and offered to assist with the event if they were willing to keep it going. Fortunately they said yes! I am so pleased that they said yes and that my wife and I will both be able to participate in the ULCER this year. The ULCER offers three different course lengths depending on your ability and desire to ride - 30 miles, 60 miles, and 100 miles. My wife is planning to complete the 30 mile course and I'm planning to ride the full century - 100 miles! We have been training and are looking forward to next week's experience.
In less than four weeks' time, Utah Valley will be filled with close to 1000 bike riders who will cycle in the Utah Lake Century Epic Ride, nicknamed ULCER. Riders can choose between 30, 60 and 100 miles of riding around the Utah Lake. All proceeds from the event will go to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs houses all over the world to help everyone have a decent, safe, and affordable place to live.
One excited ULCER rider, Cade Taylor, shares his experience about the ride:
"Like the name implies, the ULCER
isn't for the faint of heart but isn't so hard that it will give you actual
ulcers. The ULCER was the first official century ride I participated in and I
have been back each consecutive year now going on my fifth year. What
originally caught my attention was the relatively level course and the ability
to ride it on my single speed bike – which is all that I had at the time. I’m
not the hardest core biker but I've been able to see my completion time improve
each year by minutes to hours – in large part due to the multi-geared bike I
now ride.
There is something unique about the
ULCER that brings me back each year. I don’t know if it is the joy of being
pulled along in a peloton of other riders or the peace and tranquility of
finding yourself riding a stretch alone on the West side of Utah lake. Whatever
it may be, it brings me back year after year."
See more about Cade's experience in this video here:
There's still room to sign up for the ULCER! The ride will offer breakfast, have plenty of rest stops with food and hydration stations, and a medal for crossing the finish line, among other things! Don't miss you chance to be part of the fun!
The Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau have teamed up with the Bonneville Cycling Club to sponsor this event. Learn more here or register here.
Riding isn't your thing, but you want to be a part of the fun? Volunteer!
Do you miss the
Olympics? Do you have a countdown to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia? Do you
like Figure Skating like a fat kid likes cake?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions then look no
farther than the
2013 U.S. Pacific Coast Sectionals being held this month at the
Peaks Ice Arena in Provo.
Three skaters from Utah Valley will be skating at the event. The
top four finishers in juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior and senior
categories at the Pacific Coast Sectional will earn spots at the 2013 U.S.
Nationals Championships. The top finishers there will have the chance
to be on the U.S. team for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
How do you get
tickets to this event? Good question, there are two ways. First option is to win them on the Visit Utah Valley Facebook page. The next is to buy them at http://peaksfsc.org/event-information--tickets.html
We would like to send out a giant congratulations to Utah Valley University! Today they officially announced their membership in the WAC conference beginning in the 2013 school year. With this new commitment, they have also secured a bid into the NCAA tournament. We had the wonderful opportunity to be at the press conference this morning and let's just say the environment was electric. Good things are happening all around in Utah Valley and UVU has raised the bar to yet a higher standard. Congratulations Wolverines!
Yesterday, the UVCVB enjoyed a retreat up at the beautiful Sundance Resort. Our very own Julia Currey took these beautiful photos of the fall colors and this painter hard at work. We can't get enough!
Nothing is more American than a hotdog & baseball game in the summer. As the days dwindle down, your time to head to the ballpark is more important than ever! Grab the kids and head out to the Orem Owlz game tonight at the ballpark at Utah Valley University. The Owlz often have fantastic deals that make game days more affordable and fun so make sure you keep a look out for those! As for today, you're in luck---this is the steal of a deal going on:
August 8 vs. Grand Junction Rockie
NAPA Family Feast Night
$1 GA Tix, $1 Popcorn, $1 Hot Dogs, $1 Pepsi's
In order for you to take advantage of this deal, you must head over to any NAPA store (several located in Utah Valley) and grab a coupon. You will present your coupon at the game for all of the offerings.
No better time to enjoy an evening at the ball park---especially if you can FEAST with the whole FAMILY! As always, click this link Utahvalley.com for more information.
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