Visit Salt Lake City, Park City and surrounding region in Utah for unique landscapes, good shopping and great food. In a related blog, I show the California Pioneer Trail that passed through Utah and Nevada. The first thing I noticed about Salt Lake City is that it very quiet, but pleasant. It feels different. Not the typical noisy hustle and bustle of a city. The core population is under 200,000 but the greater area is about 1,150,000.
It is bordered by the very salty waters of the Great Salt Lake and the snow-capped peaks of the Wasatch Range. You are never far from nature. And Utah has some of the most unique and breathtaking vistas in all of the U.S.A.
Downtown’s 10-acre Temple Square, headquarters of the Mormon Church, is home to the majestic, 19th-century Salt Lake Temple and the neo-Gothic Assembly Hall. The acclaimed Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs in the square’s domed Tabernacle. The city’s street grid system is based on the temple constructed by the Church at its center.
The city was originally founded in 1847 by Brigham Young, and other followers of the Church, who were seeking to escape religious persecution in the mid-western United States. These Mormon pioneers at first encountered an arid, inhospitable valley that they then extensively irrigated and cultivated, thereby establishing the foundation to sustain the area’s large population of today. There are dry zones (for alcohol) in Utah, but hotels serve alcohol and you can easily find places to get a drink.
Salt Lake City’s modern economy is service-oriented. Today the city’s major sectors are government, trade, transportation, utilities, and professional and business services.
As the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River and the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the Great Salt Lake is perhaps the best known geologic feature in the area (it is much bigger than what you see in the photo above). Many people go swimming in the lake. Floating in the lake is a unique experience because the high salt content makes it easier to float. And it is very shallow. You can walk out quite far. I even tasted the water! It is indeed, extremely salty and fishy tasting (the lake is home to an abundant population of shrimp).
Many people go to Antelope Island State Park (seen in the distance of the photo above). It is home to free-ranging bison, mule deer, bighorn sheep, antelope, and many other desert animals. Millions of birds congregate along the shores surrounding the island, offering unparalleled opportunities for birding. John C. Fremont and Kit Carson made the first known Anglo exploration of Antelope Island in 1845. You can step back in time with a visit to the Historic Fielding Garr Ranch, or go on the hiking & biking trails. And you can camp overnight.
Salt Lake City has a thriving and vibrant festival culture. Various festivals happen throughout the year, celebrating the diversity of the communities in the Salt Lake Valley. From culture, food, religion and spirituality, to dance, music, spoken word, and film, almost any type of festival can be found. Many of the festivals have been ongoing for decades.
The city has a local music scene dominated by hip hop, blues, rock and roll, punk, deathcore, horrorcore and indie groups. There are also many clubs which offer musical venues.
In 2002, Salt Lake hosted the Olympic Winter Games. The Olympic spirit lives on at the Utah Olympic Park where you can skate on Olympic Ice, take a luge ride, or watch future Olympic athletes in training.
Where to Stay?
I stayed at the Grand America Hotel and I think it is the best place to stay by far. It is reasonably priced yet luxurious. They have exquisite Chandeliers, beautiful flowers, antiques and fascinating sculptures peppered throughout the common areas. It was like going back in time to a magical era. The staff is very friendly, but not in your face.
Where to Eat?
The hotel has excellent restaurants. The Garden cafe is nice if you want to sit outside. For farm to table food here is a list of recommendations:
Day Trips
The Sundance film school is just outside of Salt Lake City – it’s a great place for film makers to perfect their craft.
And of course, Park City, where the Sundance film festival is held every winter, is not to be missed. I was there in the summer and have never attended the festival, but it is a beautiful place to visit anytime. It is a small upscale resort town with great restaurants and shops. In the winter, skiing is the main activity. Main Street is lined with buildings built during a 19th-century silver mining boom.
Where to Eat?
- Handle
- High West Distillery and Saloon
- Grappa Italian Restaurant
- Butchers Chop House
- Lodges at Deer Valley
- Windy Ridge Cafe
- Fletchers
- Tupelo
- Purple Sage
- Blind Dog Restaurant & Sushi
Where to Stay?
- Stein Lodge
- Sunrise Lodge
- Park City Peaks Hotel
- Washington School House Hotel (pricey but unique)
Bonneville Salt Flats
The Bonneville Salt Flats is a densely packed salt pan in northwestern Utah. The area is a remnant of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville and is the largest of many salt flats located west of the Great Salt Lake. The property is public land and is known for land speed records at the “Bonneville Speedway”. I drove by here and it truly is another planet. This is one area the California pioneers had to go through on their wagons – can you imagine what they went through traversing this. Wow!
There are many day trips from SLC to the national parks that are unlike anywhere on the planet. These areas are a photographer’s dream. The shapes and the colors are masterpieces waiting to be captured on media or canvas.
Moab is not too far from SLC and they also have skydiving excursions, hiking through the caves and general walking tours.
Further south, Bryce Canyon, Arches National Park and Zion National park are jaw droppers. There is nothing on the planet that looks like quite like this! Bryce Canyon has more Hoodoos (tall think spires of rock) than anywhere else. So far, I have just seen photos, but I can imagine how much more spectacular this is when you see it in person. A visit to these parks is definitely on the list. We would probably stay in St. George Utah and do day trips from there.
Enjoy your trip! Send your thoughts on Utah. Spammers please note, I will not approve your comments.
