Nerd Adventures in Utah County + $500 value Giveaway!

Did you know that according to one survey, Utah is definitely the nerdiest state out there? Our new Salt Lake Comic Con (first started in 2013) has already reached six digit figures in attendance. At BYU, I was part of YJuggle, their juggling club (fun fact: I know how to juggle fire devil sticks). In every city, you can find at least some evidence of how nerdtastic we can be. Here are some of my favorite spots to visit in Lehi and Pleasant Grove!

Thanksgiving Point

Image by Flickr user anglerp1 via a Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives License

You could easily spend the whole day exploring all of the different attractions at Thanksgiving Point. Two areas you should especially leave some time to visit:

-Museum of Ancient Life

Utah is home to many different dinosaur species. In fact, the only place where you could see more fossils is China. I’ve enjoyed an advantage in learning about these ancient creatures over the years since one of my close friends is a paleontologist. One year he even assisted another friend (a professional balloon twister) in creating a life sized T. Rex for the museum. Even if you don’t have your own personal scientist, you can still explore all of the exhibits and greatly expand your knowledge. Check out one of the movies on the Mammoth 3D screen.

-Museum of Natural Curiosity

This is the newest addition to Thanksgiving Point. It’s a children’s museum that is packed with more than 400 activities that are fun and educational for kids of any age. Check out the Trading Post where you can go on a nature hunt in your own area and bring them in to trade for points towards treasures.

Other Fun Attractions There:

-Farm Country

Here you can see all kinds of animals that would call a farm home. You can also observe traditional farming activities.

–Gardens

I personally adore the gardens; it’s only natural since my Bachelor’s degree is in horticulture. There are many different themed gardens found throughout. In one area you will also find the largest manmade waterfall in the Western Hemisphere. Festivals and other events are held throughout the year.

-Harvest and the Tower Deli

Harvest is our favorite restaurant to visit on special occasions. They strive to use locally produced ingredients in their delectable dishes. I love their elegant version of buttermilk fried chicken and you MUST try the rock shrimp nachos. Afterwards, go get some sweet dessert at the Tower Deli.

Lehi Roller Mills

Image by brewbooks via Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

I was a child in the 1980s and still love to geek out over everything from that era. You can recreate a corner of this iconic decade by visiting the Lehi Roller Mills. Bring your dancing shoes…. this was featured throughout the movie ‘Footloose’. Once you’re done getting your groove on, you can go to the Mill Store and buy some of their yummy baking mixes.

Dragons Keep

Last year I found out about the fun event known as Free Comic Book Day. I had fun visiting Dragons Keep and enjoying a store that was chock full of everything geeky. If you time it right, you can participate in a gaming tournament or simply borrow one of their board games to try it out before buying. They also have locations in Orem and Provo.

Truffle Cottage

Handmade potion caramels and the golden egg from Harry Potter

This is THE place to come enjoy some tasty treats with a geeky bent. In addition to the standard array of decadent chocolates that will make you drool, owner Jennie loves to try her hand at crafting sweets that honor your favorite fandom. Try the Ghostbusters peanut butter truffles, the Millenium Falcon S’Mores truffle, and the Batman bordeaux truffles. MMMMM. You can also sign up for one of the Truffle of the Month clubs.

About the Author: Miss Nessa is the head dork over at 2dorksinlove.com. She loves having wacky adventures with her husband, Mister Eric, and her adorable toddler, Miss ZZ. As her blog tagline says, they “love everything dorky, nerdy and geeky…and each other” She grew up in Southern California but moved to Utah for college and ended up staying after graduation.

“14 Utah bloggers, 14 Utah Adventures! Click this link to go to the next great Utah adventure! I am blogging about inexpensive things to do in Midway, Utah. Geothermal spring craters, fairy forests, pygmy goats, ice castles – you want to check it out!”

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What is your favorite place to visit in Utah?

Where is the nerdiest place you have been? Or the nerdiest place you have on your bucket list? (Mine – Diagon Alley, Universal Studios – bring on Harry Potter land!!!!)