Where do I even begin with the beautiful state of Utah? If you’re into the outdoors, Utah has a little of something for everyone. Hell, even if you’re not into the outdoors Utah has something for everyone! According to Utah’s website, “Every state thinks it’s fun. Every state claims to have “something for everyone.” But not every state has 3.5 distinct geographic regions, five national parks, 45 state parks, 5 national historic sites & trails, and a dozen national monuments & recreational areas.”
I often say that Utah is one of the most underrated States in the US. Whenever anyone asks for a recommendation about where to travel during a road trip, I will ALWAYS say Utah. There is just so much to see. On one end you have gorgeous mountains that rival that of Colorado, and on the other you have brilliant red rocks. Whatever you are looking for, Utah has it.
If you happen to be flying into Utah, more than likely you will be flying into Salt Lake City International Airport. This airport is currently being rebuilt and renovated, so expect a bit of confusion. While it’s very nice, I will say they seemed to be lacking proper signage. Once we landed, we had a hard time figuring out which way to go! So plan for some extra time, while they are finishing up their construction. As far as flight prices, I’ve seen some great deals through Frontier Airlines. Just expect to have a long layover in Denver with those prices (Frontier’s hub is Denver). Delta’s West coast hub is Salt Lake City. So there was a lot of options for flying out with them. I’ve never seen flights for under $300 flying from MSP to Salt Lake with Delta though….
Click HERE to find the cheapest airfare using Google Flights!
Salt Lake City, Utah
In ancient times, Utah was inhabited by a variety of different Native American groups. Salt Lake City itself was founded by a group of Mormon pioneers on July 24th, 1847. That founding group of 148 consisted of 143 men, 3 women, and 2 children (talk about good odds for any single ladies in that group). The group came here looking for an area where they could be free of religious persecution! Although the city remains an epicenter to the Mormon religion, Salt Lake has so much more to offer.
Salt Lake City was home to the Winter Olympic Games in 2002. According to ESPN, they also have committee bidding for the Olympics to come back to Salt Lake City in either 2030 or 2034! “The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee chose Salt Lake City two years ago over Denver and Reno, Nevada, as the next U.S. city to bid for a Winter Olympics, but hasn’t chosen which year it wants Utah to pursue.” (ESPN) A big factor into this decision, is that Salt Lake City has kept and maintained their venues from 2002. Which would overall cost a significant amount less than other cities! This goes to show just how much time and effort Utah puts into its resources!
Now before we get to some of the amazing restaurants located in Salt Lake City, lets talk alcohol. If you didn’t already know, Utah has some “quirky” liquor laws. While its a lot easier to get a proper drink these days, there’s still a few things you should probably know. According to Liqour.com, “You can only be served one and a half ounces of a primary spirit in a cocktail, with a second ounce permitted as a sidecar only if it is a different spirit than the primary and is served from a bottle clearly marking that additional spirit as “flavoring.” Also, only beer up to 4% ABV is available on draft at bars (although you can find the harder stuff in bottles). In addition, you still need to order food if you’re drinking at a restaurant. And finally, Utah’s new drunk driving law—which limits blood-alcohol content to 0.05%, the lowest in the nation—went into effect at the end of 2018.” If you are hoping to bar hop the night away in Salt Lake City, you might be out of luck. That being said, you are still going to have a good time!
Restaurants in SLC
Red Iguana– 736 W North Temple Salt Lake City, Utah 84116
On top of having an incredibly long list of awards, the Red Iguana was also featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. You don’t often think about great Mexican food in Utah, but it’s here! I would expect to wait for a bit, to get a table at the Red Iguana! The food is worth the wait. I’ve stopped in at the Red Iguana every time I’ve been in Salt Lake City.
Prohibition– 151 E 6100 S, Murray, UT 84107
Prohibition is a 1920’s themed Speakeasy in the heart of the Salt Lake Valley. Definitely a must if you are staying in Salt Lake and are looking for a fun night. They hand craft drinks using fresh juice and quality ingredients. On Friday’s and Saturdays you may even catch a live burlesque show, that will take you back in time!
Log Haven– 6451 E. Millcreek Canyon Road, Salt Lake City, Utah
If you are looking for the PERFECT date night, or just want to spoil yourself with good food…. This is the place! The food is amazing! The portions aren’t the largest (but what “fancier” place is). While we were here, a small wedding was having their reception out back. According to their website, they have been acclaimed as Utah’s most romantic fine dining restaurant. That just goes to show how pretty this restaurant is. Across the street is a beautiful waterfall, that is perfect for photos!
Silverfork Lodge– 11332 E Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd, Brighton, Utah
We checked out Silver Fork after a day exploring a local ski resort. The restaurant is nestled between the mountains of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, in the Silver Fork community. Naturally, there are beautiful views everywhere! Like Log Haven, this is another place that offers wedding receptions.
Porcupine Pub and Grille– 3698 E Fort Union Blvd, Salt Lake City, Utah
Great American style food. From what I’ve read this place can get fairly rowdy. When we were there, it wasn’t bad though. Just like the majority of Salt Lake City, the view is gorgeous! The have opened multiple locations over the years. If possible, try and make a reservation! The second time we ate there, we weren’t able to get a table for about an hour. To kill time, we walked over to a brewery right next door.
United States National Parks
In Utah, all of the National Parks seem to be within a close proximity of each other and are all located in the southern region of the state. Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyon Land can all be reached in under 6 hours. If you are planning a road trip, this makes Utah a must stop!! You’ll be able to see so much more by coming to this area, compared to other parts of the US.
If you do plan a trip in Utah, you MUST buy the US Park Pass. Most national parks cost around $20-$35 dollars to enter. The America the Beautiful National Park Pass only costs $80 dollars and is good for an entire year. This pass is your ticket to more than 2,000 Federal recreation sits across the country and covers entrance and any amenity fee’s. If you plan on seeing 3 parks this year, you can save some money. Plus, it may give you an excuse to explore other places around the country! National Monuments are also included in the pass and Utah is nothing short of those! Monument Valley is one you may have seen over social media.
If you happen to be a United States Military Veteran, you can now receive this pass for free! Previously you had to be claiming some sort of disability to get this deal. But they recently made it so ALL US Veterans can get in for free! All you have to do is show them your VA card upon entering and you are good to go!
Zion National Park
Zion National Park was Utah’s first National Park. After seeing this place for the first time in 2016, It quickly became one of my favorite National Park’s. With its massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink and red, you’ll easily see why. Like southern Utah overall, there is so many things to do in Zion. This includes; backpacking, bicycling, canyoneering, hiking, the Kolob Canyons, the Narrows, Ranger-led activities, river trips, and rock climbing. Unfortunately, the second time we visited Zion the park was partially closed due to COVID. Make sure you check out the National Park Services page for updates!
The Zion region has had human presence dating back to 8,000 years ago. The same people seem to disappear from archaeological presence in the 1300’s. This was after extended periods of drought and catastrophic flooding. Euro-Americans didn’t begin exploring until the late 1800’s. Finally, Mormon farmers eventually settled in the area in 1847. Mukunuweap National Monument was established in 1847, before having it’s named changed to Zion (local Mormon name) National Park in 1917.
Angels Landing has to be the most intense hike I have ever done. And for good reason…. All that stands between you and sheer death, is a mere chain link. While the cliffs drop over a 1,000 feet on each side of you, you can understand why this is an extremely intense hike! With the being said, as the saying goes “The best view comes after the hardest climb.” I don’t think I will ever forget the views from the top! Even if you can’t stomach the “dangerous” part of the hike, you can still go partially up! The beginning of the hike consists of switch backs, before arriving at an AMAZING lookout area! This is where the majority of people turn back around! So don’t feel bad if you can’t finish!
Click here to see “Americas Scariest Hike”
Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park draws in over 1.5 million visitors annually, and it’s not hard to see why! This beautiful National Park is a sprawling reserve in Southern Utah. It’s known for it’s crimson-colored hoodoos, which are spire-shaped rock formations. Currently, these hoodoos exist on every continent. But, Bryce Canyon has the largest concentration found anywhere on earth!
If you only have a limited amount of time in Bryce Canyon, I suggest doing the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop combination Loop. This is the most popular trail in Bryce Canyon, but most people seem to stay up near Wall Street. It’s a moderate hike, but something the majority of people can easily do! This hike is approximately 2.9 miles (4.6 km).
Utah, The Greatest Snow On Earth
*The following few articles were written by my brother Nick. He moved from Minnesota to Utah a few years ago, and is an avid Snowboarder*
“Utah has an amazing, fourteen world class ski destinations all within an hours drive of the brand new 4.1 Billion dollar SLC International Airport. Built to get you off the plane and on the slopes in record time. Believe it or not, Utah has the largest average peak height in the entire United States, including Alaska so it’s no wonder the states motto is life elevated. And the mountains aren’t the only thing that’s big in Utah, so are the snowfalls! The Wasatch front and the Cottonwoods average 550″ (45.83′) of snow, and my first winter here I saw 750”. That’s 62.5 feet of fresh powder! We take what mother nature gifts us here and Colorado gets what’s left over. But its not just a lot of snow we get here, Its the greatest snow on earth. It says so on our license plates! And that’s not totally an advertising gimmick there’s actually science behind it.
Our snow storms develop over the Pacific, coming inland and dumping wet heavy snow over the Sierra Nevada’s, then dry up moving inland and bloom again over the salt lake. The result is always super light and fluffy blower snow. If that’s not enough for you Park City is home to the largest ski resort in America, covering an incredible 7,300 acres. Park City is also proudly the home of the United States ski and snowboard teams who live and train here. Which makes a lot of sense since park city was a major site during the 2002 winter Olympic games. Utah hosted the best of the best in the world to compete on our mountains. What you might not know is that they’re aggressively trying to bring the games back to the state. We are currently in the final three and with major infrastructure updates and all existing venues in excellent condition Utah would love to bring the Olympic games back to the American Rockies.
After skiing nearly everything Utah has to offer I can tell you that you will get an amazing experience and views anywhere you choose to ski. The food is good, the people are great, and its way easier to get a drink then you’ve been told on the internet. Come find your new favorite resort and experience it for yourself! Ski Utah!”
FREE lift tickets
Utah and Salt Lake resorts are widely know for having some of the greatest snow on earth. Unfortunately, a heftier price often accompanies quality! Anyone looking to experience that ski-bum lifestyle without breaking the bank should check out a Ski City Super Pass. When you book 2 + night’s at a qualifying hotel, you get (2) Ski City Super Passes for FREE. This pass gives you access to any of Salt Lake’s 4 world class resorts (Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude) as well as free transportation and discounted gear rental. For this deal, you have you choice from 179 different hotels! If you add up the costs of lift tickets at all 4 resort passes, you are easily saving over 1,000 dollars between two people! Make sure to check out this deal if you have yet to book a hotel room! *THESE DEALS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
Park City, Utah
Park City is a small town located just 35 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport. This makes Park City an ideal locale for anyone looking for a mountain getaway! Finding parking in the city can be a hassle. Check with your hotel prior to booking, many of the hotels around the downtown area and Deer Valley offer a free shuttle service. Also, Park City offers a free shuttle service throughout the town! Click here for a complete guide to Park City’s Shuttle Service.
While I haven’t had the chance to spend much time in Park City, each time I’ve been here we’ve stopped by the “downtown” area of Main Street. This strip is home to many restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries. If you do plan on doing some shopping, expect to pay a pretty penny. This is one of the few places I’ve been where I’ve seen thriving fur stores. If that doesn’t give you a perspective to how much money is in the city, I don’t know what will….
While Park City is known for it’s amazing ski resorts, it’s also known for the world-famous Sundance Film Festival. Be aware of booking a trip during this time. It may be extremely hard to find reasonable accommodation. If you are lucky enough to be in town during this time, keep your eyes open. Many celebrities come to town to celebrate the festivities. While downtown check out the Egyptian Theatre, which was the host of the very first Sundance Film Festival.
No Name Saloon & Grill– 447 Main Street, Park City
Both a local and tourist favorite and “Home of the world famous Buffalo Burger.” No Name Saloon & Grill is a bit of fresh air compared to the rest of Park City. While there isn’t a thing wrong with the city, the quirky nostalgia hanging on the walls and ceiling is a sight for sore eyes. This place was packed during the Summer. After seeing the broad bottled and tap beer selection, I can see why!
Wasatch Brewery– 250 Main Street, Park City
Famous for their Polygamy Porter (fitting for Utah right?), Wasatch Brewery now has multiple locations throughout Salt Lake City and Park City. According to their website, ““Where’s the beer? Where are the breweries?” Those were among the first thoughts Greg Schirf had after moving to Utah from Milwaukee in the early 80’s. Incredibly, drinking and brewing were all but forbidden. Greg took matters into his own hands and did what any self-respecting midwesterner would do: He started a brewery. Wasatch was the very first brewery in Utah – and one of the first craft brewers in all of the U.S. – brewing award-winning brews since 1986.” If you want some tasty beer and great food after a day on the slopes (or shopping), this is the place try!