Sundance Film Festival-Locals' Secrets

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival will officially be underway on January 21st. While the festival is a popular tourist event, we've uncovered some of the locals' secrets for this year's festival.

The Park City Box Office, located in the Gateway Center on the corner of Heber Avenue and Swede Alley, officially opened on Jan 9. The 2010 Film Guide is now available at the box office as well as at merchants throughout the Gateway Center.

Tickets to the festival are available online or at the box office starting Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. through Jan. 29. If you aren't able to get the tickets you want because a screening is sold out, your best bet is checking again on the day-of-show. Each morning, the main box offices in Park City and Salt Lake City release a limited number of tickets to that day's screenings at 8 a.m. These tickets must be purchased in person and are not available online or by phone.

After the festival is over each year, the Sundance Institute Film Series presents free screenings of the award-winning films. "Best of Fest" tickets will be distributed, free of charge, to locals Jan. 16-17 at each city's main box office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. There is a limit of two tickets per person per screening, with a maximum of four tickets total.

Summit County residents are also invited to pick up free tickets to the Jan. 26 screening of "The Tillman Story" to be shown at the Library Center Theatre at 8:30 p.m. Tickets will be distributed on Monday, Jan. 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Park City Main Box Office. A legal Utah ID with a Summit County zip code or a utility bill must be presented. The film is a documentary about professional football star and decorated U.S. soldier Pat Tillman, whose family takes on the U.S. government when their beloved son dies in a "friendly fire" incident in Afghanistan in 2004.

Utah Ski Resorts - Snow Reports

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com
The Utah ski season is officially underway.  Resorts are opening and celebrating all their fresh powder.  Famplosion makes it easy to check the snow conditions at all resorts, all in one place.  Skiers and boarders can also keep up with the latest Utah ski resort events and activities by checking these continously updated links:

• Solitude Mountain Resort, Salt Lake City
• Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, Sandy
• The Canyons Resort, Park City
• Park City Mountain Resort, Park City
• Deer Valley Resort, Park City
• Brighton Ski Resort, Brighton
• Alta Ski Resort, Alta

Check back with Famplosion, throughout the Winter season for snow reports and all the best Winter family fun in Utah.

 

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All Aboard - Kids Love Trains

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

There's something magic about a train. Kids light up at the mere sight of them. Historic trains are celebrated throughout America, and available for families to enjoy together.

The New York Train Museum features the Long Island Railroad, reputed to be the oldest railroad in the United States. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the state of New York points out,

Initially built as a shortcut to Boston, it has adapted to the
ever-changing needs of its customers and survived competition, takeovers, hard times, and bankruptcy. Today it is the busiest commuter railroad in the country. Historic photographs, maps, illustrations, and objects tell the fascinating story of the railroad's influence on the development of Long Island.

A visit to this train museum is a delightfully affordable excursion for families.

Chicago, long regarded as America's crossroads, where trains crossing the country would intersect, bringing with them the tales of travelers from far and wide. The Chicago History Museum highlights these tales in its Great Chicago Stories exibit. Just an online visit gives families access to the wonderful story of 'Joseph's Railroad Dreams'. Click on the 'Listen to the full story' button and hear these stories read aloud, as the text streams by.

Further west, visit the Heber Valley Railroad, near Park City, Utah. Completed in 1899, this railroad first served new settlers to this area. Today, vintage coaches are pulled by two 1907 Baldwin steam locomotives, and three vintage diesel electric locomotives. Themed excursions are available throughout the year, sure to delight kids and adults alike.

In Sacramento, California families enjoy the California State Railroad Museum. Completed in 1869, the Sacramento Southern Railroad was borne out of the gold rush and the need to transport the rich grains, and fresh produce of the the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta area, across the continent. Today, train rides are offered at the museum weekends, through September. The Polar Express Train rides are a holiday season treat.