Want An Exciting Family Vacation? Visit A Dinosaur

Okay, so last year's vacation was to Disney World.Ogden is located thirty-five miles north of Salt Lake
The year before that it was Disneyland. And theCity on the banks of the Weber River, and is home
year before that it was ... Disney World. Ready for ato a many dinosaur exhibits, including Ogden's Historic
change? How about visiting a dinosaur this time?Union Station's Gem and Mineral Museum at 2501 Wall
The state of Utah is home to the biggestAve. Here you'll find one of the world's oldest
concentration of dinosaur exhibits in the Uniteddinosaur eggs, estimated to be around 120 million
States, so no matter where in Utah you visit, you'reyears old. That's right, this egg's not for scrambling.
probably a day trip away from walking in the path ofThe egg, however, was not discovered in the Utah
a prehistoric dinosaur.area, but, rather, in China and later donated to the
Vernal, in northeastern Utah, is known asmuseum. There are several dinosaur bones, eggs and
"Dinosaurland," and is home to the largest quarry oftracks from North America on display.
prehistoric Jurassic dinosaur bones. Although currentlyAnother good dinosaur exhibit near Ogden is the
closed for repairs, the Quarry at Dinosaur NationalNorth American Museum of Ancient Life at
Monument has on display over 2,000 dinosaur fossilsThanksgiving Point. Here you'll find more than near
embedded and exposed in sandstone. The QuarryOgden is home to the world's largest dinosaur
boasts that they provide more complete skeletons,museum, the North American Museum of Ancient
skulls, and bones of dinosaurs than any other quarryLife. With more than 60 mounted dinosaur skeletons
in the world. Visitors to The Dinosaur Nationaland thousands of ancient fossils. You'll also find a
Monument have over 200,000 acres of land on whichsix-story movie screen and theater, which features
to hike, fish, camp and river raft.3-D movies and specialty films.
If you want to see life-size replicas of dinosaurs, theMoab, Utah
Utah Field House of Natural History Museum nearIf your travels take you to Moab, you have a few
Vernal has a dinosaur garden with 17 life-size replicaswonderful opportunities to view dinosaur fossils up
of dinosaurs, including a 20-foot tall Tyrannosaurus.close. Just 13 miles north of Moab you can walk The
You can also view displays of ancient fossil skeletalMill Canyon Dinosaur Trail, a self-guided trail where
reproductions, archaeological and geological exhibits,you can walk among dinosaur fossils and actual
fluorescent minerals and other aspects of the nearbydinosaur tracks left in the sedimentary rocks.
Uinta Mountains and Uinta Basin.Moab has two exhibits with displays on archaeology,
While Dinosaurland near Vernal is thought of as 'the"paleontology and dinosaur bones. These are the
dinosaur vacation spot, there are other areas in Utahvisitor center at Dead Horse Point State Park north
where you can view dinosaur fossils. Also located inof Moab on SR 313, and the Dan O'Laurie Museum,
Northeastern Utah is the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur118 East Center Street.
Quarry, one of the world's best fossil sites. FormedFor a truly unforgettable family vacation, dinosaur
about 147 million years ago, the quarry is open dailytrekking through Utah is a must-do. Remember,
during the summer and on a shorter schedule duringhowever, that fossils are protected, which means
the spring and fall.you cannot remove them from the environment. The
Some of the other more noteworthy dinosaur spotsonly thing you should be removing from your hikes
around Utah are:through Utah is your own trash. Be sure to leave all
Ogden, Utahfossils ad plant life undisturbed.