Unique Ways to Give the Gift of Experiences this Holiday Season

If you're tired of gifting physical items that wind up in the return bin days or weeks later, this may be the year to consider gifting experiences instead. Experience-based gifts are great because they're extremely customizable, create lifelong memories, and introduce your loved ones to new sights and skills. In Southern Utah, thrilling and unique experiences are around every corner. No matter who you're planning for - an excitable child, a dramatic teen, or even the whole family - you're sure to find plenty of options in the area to suit their style. To help you rival Santa's list this holiday season, we're covering unique ways to give the gift of experiences in Southern Utah this holiday season! These are just some of the great area experiences you can gift this holiday season. For a guide to everything the area has to offer, download our FREE Southern Utah Vacation Guide!  Experiences for LittlesIf you're traveling with young explorers, you know they can make - or break - an activity. While young children may not get as excited initially about an experience-related gift (instant gratification is a powerful thing), they're guaranteed to perk up once they realize how carefully you planned their upcoming adventure! For experiences they're sure to enjoy, try these ideas: A trip to Brian Head Resort. Kids just want to have fun, and a fun trip to Brian Head Resort is as fun as it gets. The resort is jam-packed with kid-friendly activities they'll love - skiing, tubing, mountain biking, disc golf, archery, and more. The best part? During the 2020/2021 winter season, all kids 10 and under can snag a FREE Power Kids Pass that's good for the entire resort (and several others). Fun and free? Sign us up! Plan a fishing trip. Fishing is a great experience for kids because it combines beneficial life skills with exciting fun - and paves the way for some quality one-on-one time with the parents. For the ultimate fishing experience, plan a weekend trip to Panguitch Lake! This hidden gem is full of some of the best trout fishing in the state and lies close to Southern Utah's best spots for other outdoor adventure. For a rental that's kid-friendly too, book Evan's Cabin. It's right near the lake and includes a variety of fun amenities like playground equipment, outdoor hammocks, a trampoline, and more. Experiences for TeensWe all know it - teens can be hard to please. If you're going to gift your teen a Southern Utah experience this holiday season, you've got to make sure it's out of this world. Luckily, the area has plenty of teen-approved activities that make it easy to earn the Parent of The Year award! Here are a few good examples: Put them behind the wheel. Especially if your teen is under 16, an experience that puts them in the driver's seat is sure to excite. During the winter, team up with Thunder Head Motorsports for a guided snowmobile tour or get your own snowmobile rental to hit the trails solo. If you're visiting during the warmer months, jump on a powerful ATV to race the trails at top-speed. Send them to Winter Sports School. For teens, it's all about the look - and nothing looks cooler than expertly shredding the slopes on skis or snowboard. To earn major cool points for them and yourself, gift them a lesson at the Brian Head Resort Winter Sports School. They'll learn to ski or snowboard at the hands of some of the most skilled and passionate winter sports athletes in the area! To make sure they aren't late for class, book one of our ski-in/ski-out properties to be within walking (or skiing) distance of the slopes. Our condos at Giant Steps include access to a game room, hot tub, sauna, and more!  Rock a Rock Climb. Teach your teen to test their nerve (and their wits. And their skills.) with a thrilling and fun rock climbing experience. Zion National Park has some of the best climbing cliffs in the area, each offering a new challenge and required skill level. You can bet they won't be reaching for their phone as they rappel down a steep sandstone slope! Multi-Generational ExperiencesFull-family experiences are easy to enjoy - but not as easy to plan. If you have large age gaps in your traveling troupe, you may be working against a variety of styles and skill levels that seems impossible to reconcile. In Southern Utah, it's easier than you think to plan an experience everyone will love! Tubing. Whether in summer or in snow, tubing is a fun experience for the whole family. It doesn't require any great level of skill - just sit, hold on, and slide! Brian Head Resort has nearly 3,000 feet of tubing runs complete with an uphill pulley rope for those who lose their breath on the way down. Mystic River Zipline. The Mystic River Zipline allows you to see the stunning Southern Utah landscape from a whole new angle - a bird's eye view! Soar over the scenes below on a carefully-designed harness that's safe and easy for the whole family - even the grandparents! Choose from a smooth 800-foot or a daring 1600-foot zipline depending on your need for speed. Note: Children under 40 pounds can't zipline solo, but they can ride tandem with a parent.
Book a 2021 Family Time Vacation Rental. For an ultimate Southern Utah experience the whole group will love, surprise your family with a 2021 Family Time Vacation rental! Luxury cabins like our Browning Lodge in Duck Creek Village offer something for every family member - luxurious and spacious accommodations, outdoor amenities like viewing decks and fire pits, free WiFi, and more. Best of all, you're centrally located near the area's most popular attractions, making it easy to enjoy all of the great experiences we've talked about - and make some of your own, too!