The Utah Olympic Oval
Sometimes life is lived in a mad rush. We get stressed and we get exhausted. If you asked me if that is the life I dreamed of then I would tell you no, but it is the life I got and I absolutely love it. We cram a lot of memories in the time we have. I hope so much that my kids will look back on this time in their life and be so glad that it happened. Right now they think a lot about all the time we spend in the car. They think about the schooling we get as we drive in the middle of nowhere, thank you cell phones with internet. They think about how well we know gas stations along the path. (If you are traveling from Utah south on I-15 Choose Maverik gas stations when ever possible. Cleanest bathrooms, best gas prices and best food options by far! Last one we found is in Mesquite, Nevada). I'm not even sure they know the amazing life they are living. We never know how great we have it until we look back on it right?
Wednesday morning we were in bed in our home in California. Wednesday night we were at the Utah Olympic Oval with a youth group from our Utah LDS ward. It was 10 hours of driving with a few stops to reach an amazing opportunity. We love to stand where history happened and we were super excited to stand where Olympic history happened while the Olympics were raging on. We arrived and checked in with Guest Services and went right in to get our skates. Prices are $5.50 for adults, $4 for kids, $6.50 for cosmic (cool lighting), and $3 for skate rental. 
So it turns out that ice skating is tough. I remembered that as I walked in but I didn't tell my kids. Life is full of tough things and I want them to try everything they run up against. That includes standing on really fast ice with shoes that are on two tiny metal blades. There was a pretty good line most of the night at the rental booth so they were moving fast. You would walk up and they would ask "Hockey or Figure". What?!?! We don't know this stuff. We said what ever and got one of each. Neither made it easy but both were fun.
When they got us the skates they took our shoes so we didn't need to worry about keeping track of them. That was awesome. The kids put on skates, I stayed in shoes because I wimped out. Fun fact. As you get your skates you pass a sign that says "No Skates Allowed on Stairs or in Elevator". Guess where the ice is?! Its above you, up the stairs or up the elevator. We put skates on with the provided benches and in skates we went up the stairs. I'm not really sure how to keep our socks dry and get to the ice while following the rules. Sorry we were rule breakers. We try hard to follow the rules. Next time Ill ask how we were supposed to do this. 
The kids went for the ice. I found a bench where I could watch. By this time I lost everyone we came with but I had a blast just looking around. in 2001 the Utah Olympic Oval was built for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Fun fact- Did you know that Brandan worked the 2002 Olympics? He got paid to be there and watch things incase they needed immediate fixing during the day events. He could tell you more than I could, just ask. Sorry, wandered off there for a minute. The Olympic Oval is located at 5662 S Cougar Lane in Kearns Utah. This is 16 miles west of Salt Lake. 
In addition to the ice track the kids were on there is two international sized ice sheets where they were playing hockey that night. It was amazing how well those hockey players were getting around on those skates. It gave me the bug to go watch a hockey game soon. I wonder which team we will go see? 
There is also a running track. Genius! The place stays a cool 65 degrees all year long. This got chilly just sitting on that bench but for running that temperature is perfect. Training on the 442 meter indoor track sounds perfect. Its only $4 a day or $3 of you are with the police or fire department. 
I think we have already determined that I have a Diet Coke addiction. Lucky for me they have a snack bar that serves Coke products. I was able to get a cold soda. After that I was freezing though. If I timed it better I could have run down to the Speed Zone store to get a jacket. We waited until almost closing and the store was locked up tight for the night. This time spent in Cali has me craving a bit warmer temperatures. Next time I'm picking up a jacket on the way in. 
The parking lot is massive so you can always find parking. They even covered it all with solar panels so your car wont scorch in the heat of the summer. The building has a pretty cool design too. Overall I think we have found a new loved way to burn off some extra energy. I'm planning on coming back this summer when we are looking for a place to hide from the heat. I'm thinking Cosmic skating under the black light to music played by the live DJ. Whos in? We'd love to go with some friends. Let us know and we will meet you there.
🎔Misty