The Killers 

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BEST BIRDER’S EDUCATION
Bear River Bird Refuge Wildlife Education Center
Brigham City’s Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge has long been a favored destination for bird-watchers keen on spying everything from ducks and geese to avocets and tundra swans. But it became an even more exciting place last year with the completion of the new Wildlife Education Center. Its 28,000 square feet include research facilities, an auditorium and many vibrant, interactive exhibits to teach visitors about the feathered fauna who pass through. You’ll know more about the Great Salt Lake wetlands than you ever thought possible. 2155 W. Forrest St., Brigham City, 435-723-5887, fws.gov/BearRiver

BEST HOOPS-WATCHING BARGAIN
Rocky Mountain Revue
Leave your mega-contract superstar complacency at the door—this is where the guys who are still hungry hang out. Salt Lake Valley residents get a unique opportunity every July to watch draft picks, free agents and other young prospects compete in the Rocky Mountain Revue. An $8 adult ticket gives you a chance to watch NBA-caliber athletes for the cost of a Friday night movie. Throw in a 2006 promotion that allowed attendees to get two free tickets for a November home Jazz game, and it was the best basketball deal in town. UtahJazz.com

BEST MONUMENT VALLEY MOVIE HISTORY LESSON
Goulding’s Lodge
The vintage Westerns of the 1940s and ’50s made Utah’s Monument Valley the cinematic embodiment of the Old West. And who introduced legendary director John Ford to the region? Utahn Harry Goulding, whose descendents still operate his namesake lodgings. Visitors can check out John Wayne movie sets, examine movie memorabilia and take one of the area’s trademark films back to your in-room VCR. You’ll feel like you’ve walked in The Duke’s footsteps. Route 163, Monument Valley, 435-727-3231, Gouldings.com

BEST PLAY-STUDY OPPORTUNITY
Westminster College “Winter at Westminster”
Oxford? Paris? Barcelona? That’s “study abroad” for suckers. Collegiate ski bums nationwide are making their way to Westminster College to take advantage of a winter program that allows students to take regular college courses and enjoy lectures on the outdoor sporting industry, all while getting perks like special early-tram priority at Snowbird. And classes are only scheduled Monday through Thursday, making every weekend a three-day weekend on the slopes. 1840 S. 1300 East, 484-7651, WestminsterCollege.edu/snow

BEST FLEXIBLE BILINGUAL CLASSES
Ingles Para Latinos
Yes, English-first advocates, it’s always sooo easy for an immigrant working three jobs to sign up for a class to learn a second language. Well, it’s getting easier. As with this innovative program, Spanish-speakers looking to learn English can take as many as nine different sessions per week—at any of a variety of midday, evening and even weekend time slots—for only $5 per week. It’s a unique opportunity for those with irregular schedules to stay with a program—and that’s something to cheer about in any language. 615 S. 300 East, 556-1763

BEST PLACE TO SEE LOCAL EX-COLLEGE FOOTBALL STARS PLAY FOR PAY
Utah Blaze
For years, if you wanted to follow the professional careers of former gridiron Utes and Cougars, you needed to hope they were on the network NFL games of the week. With last year’s debut of the Arena Football League Utah Blaze, you can see them up close and personal even after their eligibility expires. At press time, the 2007 Blaze roster boasts several players with local ties, including linemen Manaia Brown and Hans Olsen from BYU and ex-Utes Kautai Olevao, Jesse Boone, Garrett Smith and Clarence Lawson. It’s like supporting the home team times two. UtahBlaze.com

BEST YOUTH MAGIC INSTRUCTION
Doug Roy’s Royal Academy of Magic
As anyone who ever tried as a fourth-grader to make a coin disappear will tell you, kids love magic. But darn those pros and their “magicians’ code,” because it makes it awfully hard for interested youngsters to pick up tips from anything besides a book. Doug Roy offers four-week magic classes for kids ages 8-14, providing materials, the fundamentals of rope, card and coin tricks, and guidelines on how to give a good performance. Class locations and dates vary across the valley, but one is likely to materialize soon near you. 918-9140

BEST STREET PARTIERS
Mountain Town Stages
This nonprofit group turns Park City’s Main Street into a Footloose, only with good music, for much of the summer, staging concerts that often end in fireworks on three stages on upper, middle and lower sections of Main Street, referred to by locals as the “strap-on extension.” In winter months, Mountain Town puts on shows at the Egyptian Theatre. It also hosts a singer/songwriter festival in May and acts as a support group for local musicians. 435-901-7664, MountainTownStages.com

BEST SUMMER CAMPFLY
Freestyle
This summer camp lets any Joe Q Public off the street use the 750,000 gallon Utah Olympic Park splash pool to perform back flips, spins or plain old belly flops with skis or snowboards strapped to their feet. It’s the same facility used to train Olympians, a pool at the bottom of synthetic ski jumps. The camp is open for beginners to experts, age 6 to 60. There is even an expert training program teaching freestyle aerials that might, someday, land your kid in the Winter Games. Those who just like to watch can take a picnic to the Olympic park on summer weekends and watch the real athletes practice. P.O. Box 682436, Park City, 435-658-2359, FlyFreestyle.com

BEST BOBSLED DRIVING LESSONS
Utah Olympic Park
During the 2002 Winter Games, the crown prince of Monaco drove a four-man bobsled halfway down the Utah course, then flipped it over and rode on his head. Think you could do better? Then sign up for bobsled driving lessons taught by coaches from the U.S. national team. The Utah Olympic Park also offers winter camps for those who fantasize about piloting the luge (essentially a very fast sled) or the skeleton (like the luge, but you drive face first). Introductory camps start around $200. 3419 Olympic Parkway, Park City, 435-658-4200, OlyParks.com