SALT LAKE CITY, UT
More than seven weeks have passed since I was in a city! I was abruptly reminded about traffic while cruising into town on a multi-lane interstate highway with an 80 mph speed limit, and again while sitting at traffic light after traffic light on my way to my Airbnb.
Part of me doesn't miss the city at all.
Another part of me was thrilled to have access to all the retailers, services, and restaurants I could possibly want.
All of me was reminded that anywhere can be home.
Here are some things that stood out to me about Salt Lake City.
Everyone is so nice.
I grew up in South Dakota, so I am used to nice. But I have seen the other side of nice in big cities where employees seem super annoyed I asked them to get me a coffee ... for minimum wage ... ugh. Meanwhile, the peeps I encountered working in stores and restaurants in Salt Lake City are friendly, they look you in the eye, they smile, they go out of their way to help you. Even for minimum wage. It was like an entire city full of Chik-fil-A employees.
Even on hiking trails, people were friendly. I would step aside to let people on the trail pass and even little kiddos would say "thank you" before their parents could say it. I would pass families stopped for a break on the sides of trails and hear them engaging in real conversation, instead of kids on their phones or parents scolding kids to stop doing that.
My friend, Karen, came out for the weekend and she too was impressed at the genuine kindness and courtesy of everyone, from our wait staff to people on the trails. She said she will be curious to know what I think of the DC area after being gone for this long.
Why is there no oxygen in Utah?
Karen also wants to know why there is no oxygen in Utah. God bless her, she wanted to hike Mt Olympus, where the trailhead starts at 4,800 ft and climbs to 9,000 ft, and so we did. On her first day in Utah. Halfway up the mountain she asked if her heart rate of 180 is too high.
OH MY GOSH! Yes, Karen, that is WAY too high!
Neither of us thought about the elevation beforehand (shame on me) and how long it takes to acclimate. She is a machine though. We made it up to 8,500' and neither of us died. But she thinks Utah would benefit greatly if it traded in some of that niceness for just a little more oxygen.
This is legit hiking.
I've done some pretty epic hikes on this trip. But wow. There are some legit hikes in the Salt Lake City area. There are literally dozens of peaks over 8,000 ft high. Dozens. I started counting and stopped after 36.
The trails start at high elevations and then take on incredible elevation gains. It is definitely easy to get a good workout here, from both a physical and cardio perspective.
Surely, a majority of our US Olympians hail from Salt Lake City? There must be a stat on this.
This legit hiking is just outside your door.
What's even better about these trails is that you can see them right from your window. The entire east side of the city is flanked by mountains, some so close it looks like you can reach out and touch them. It takes just 15-30 minutes from downtown to get to some incredible trailheads. How awesome to live in a city with the entire outdoors right there!
Businesses close on Sundays.
Again, it's like living in a city full of Chick-fil-A's. Don't get me wrong. Most of the city is business as usual on Sundays. But I noticed a few places (Crumbl, Jiffy Lube, Hires Big H, and more) that are closed on Sundays.
I actually like it. My Grandpa never worked on Sundays; that was partially religious and partially practical. He would say, "If a man can't make a living working six days a week, he's doing something wrong." Can't say I disagree. But also, it's the one day a week you are guaranteed to crave Chick-fil-A. And now Crumbl.
People I Saw
My friend, Karen, flew out from Virginia for the weekend. We hiked, ate, shopped. It was great to have company. Even better to catch up in person. We laughed a LOT.
My friend, Kim, introduced me virtually to her dad, Calvin, who lives in Salt Lake City. We had brunch together and if you think anything I'm doing is remotely adventurous, you need to meet this guy. He's raced bicycles and boats all over the world and skis all winter.
Hiking
Running
Running, you ask? Yeah. I was surprised by that too. There were a few places within a mile or two of my Airbnb, so I figured, why not run there? Well, let's be honest. I may be using the term "running" loosely ... not sure how fast or far you have to run to call it running, haha, but I tried. Here are a few sites I ran to, all within 1.5 miles of my Airbnb:
Temple Square
Just west of my Airbnb, Temple Square is 5-city-block campus in downtown Salt Lake City and is home to The Salt Lake Temple and also the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, essentially the Vatican for LDS.
The Utes
The University of Utah Campus is beautiful, with the mountains so close you can nearly touch them. It is straight east of where I stayed. Here's a picture of one of the beautiful buildings welcoming you to the campus.
Liberty Park
Just south of my Airbnb, Liberty Park is a pretty urban park with all sorts of activities.
One fun little story ... I passed a bunch of skateboarders as I was running through the park, all in baggy board pants, shaggy hair, and painfully skinny adolescent bodies, some bare-chested with their concave chests and ribs showing. They were all lined up to take their turns at a concrete ledge and at the edge of a large fountain.
I suddenly realized I was running right through their skateboard party. Talking out loud to myself, I said, "Oh gosh, I'm running right through something here." One of the boys politely responded, "Nah, you're good. No worries," and stepped out of the way for me to pass.
On the way back, I stopped and watched them. There was a system where someone would come in from the north, flick his board up in the air and try to slide it along the edge of a concrete retaining wall. Then someone from the south would attempt the same in the opposite direction. Meanwhile others were attempting to flip their boards and land on them. Admittedly, none of them were about to join the ranks of Tony Hawk any time soon, but I was impressed at how polite they were.
One boy sitting on the edge of the fountain saw me watching; he smiled and sort of waved to acknowledge me. Another boy struck up a conversation with me and chatted about how they just practice a lot and yes, they sometimes get hurt, but they just have to keep trying to get better.
I know skaters often get a bad rap, so I was especially delighted at how polite and friendly these kids were. Yet another reason to love Salt Lake City.
Cemeteries
Since I covered all the other directions, the only thing I could find to the north of me was the Salt Lake City Cemetery & Mt Calvary Catholic Cemetery. I know, it's a little weird, but I love stopping at old cemeteries. And I figured this would be a quiet place to run without traffic zipping by or having to wait for lights to change.
It's huge, taking up just over 120 acres, with the oldest grave dating back to 1848. Apparently there are some famous historic figures buried there, but the most intriguing headstone is that of Lilly Gray, with the inscription of "Victim of The Beast 666" ... and no one knows why. I didn't see it, but maybe that's a good thing?
Things to Do
And REI. And Target. And Walmart. And a Jiffy Lube to change my oil because yes, I've already put over 8,000 miles on my car. And finally getting my iPhone camera fixed at the Apple Store. It was the first time in weeks, even months, where I had stores like these less than 100 miles away.
Giving the car a little love:
Built in 1909 and located just a few blocks from where I stayed in Salt Lake City. It is beautiful. I went to mass here twice, and once at the Newman Center at the University of Utah campus, just a mile east of my Airbnb.
Eating
The Copper Onion - a lovely restaurant in downtown SLC with outdoor seating and great food. I ate here with Karen and it was so nice to have company for dinner for the first time in a couple months!
Red Iguana 2 - tried to get into Red Iguana 1 but they were full and directed us to their second location just 3 blocks away. (Great strategy on their part!) The salsa was AMAZING and I ate my weight in chips, then topped it all off with the mole that will make you cry, it's so good. I can't ever go here again unless they promise to take the chips away.
Hires Big H - this is a local chain with a small-town mom & pop feel that Danny B recommended to me. It was founded as a drive-in by a former grocer in Sandy, UT, and is known for its burgers, ice cream desserts (I had a root beer float in honor of Raycroft), and fry sauce. I asked the waitress three times what she said because I had never heard of fry sauce. I'm still not sure what it is - a combination of ketchup and mayonnaise and something else, but it was dangerously delicious.
This is from a menu at Davanza's, and proof that fry sauce is a thing in Utah. Also, that's a lot of mayo.
Beaumont - this is actually a bakery and I somehow managed to NOT order a pastry or the croissant loaf bread. I don't even know what croissant loaf bread is, but I suspect the size of my hips will be much smaller not knowing. I ordered the avocado toast and it was so good I almost forgot about the pastries. Almost.
Crumbl Cookies - this cookie chain was founded in Logan, UT, and now has locations all over the country. Danny B mentioned it, so of course I had to stop. The cookies are HUGE and I swear it weighed nearly a pound. I looked up the calories online (that was dumb) and it looks like each cookie is somewhere between 530 and 800 calories. Good thing I savored it because that will have to be my last Crumbl cookie for a looooong time!
Davanza's - it was tough to choose between their burgers and their pizza. Finally settled on the pizza and I have no regrets. Bonus: the interior of the joint was pretty cool. In case you're wondering, those are beer cans and framed photos lining every square inch of the walls.
Sleeping
I stayed in an Airbnb in downtown Salt Lake City. I couldn't have asked for a better location - just 1 mile east of Temple Square, 30 mins from Park City, 15-20 mins to Cottonwood Canyon, a grocery store less than a block away, and everything else I needed either a short walk or a short drive away.
It is an old house divided into units and remodeled. It is super cute and I am sort of digging the heavy dark woodwork. Plus, the huge balcony was awesome.
I moved the little desk so it would face the patio and every day, I would throw open the double doors and let all the fresh air in. It was perfect.
The kitchen had everything I needed ... except a dishwasher. But that will make me appreciate the next house more. :)
The bedroom had lots of light and the shades made it just dark enough for the nights I went to bed before dusk at 9:00 pm.
Things on My List I Didn't Do
Oh my gosh, there is sooooo much hiking in this town! There is also soooo much snow in this town, which is why I missed out on a few of these hikes.
Still Covered in Snow
Lake Mary Trail - 2.6 miles, moderate, 849' elevation gain. I tried to do this one, but the trailhead was covered in FIVE FEET OF SNOW. I can't make this up. And yet people are still out hiking these trails - it's crazy! This is how I learned that I need to read ALL the comments before trying a hike.
Mount Timpanogos via Timpooneke Trail - 15 miles, difficult, 4425' elevation gain, still covered in snow, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Donut Falls Trails - 1.5 miles, easy 308' elevation gain, road to the trailhead was closed, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Lake Catherine via Brighton Lakes Trail - 4.4 miles, moderate, 1243' elevation gain, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Ran out of time
Lake Blanche Trail - 6.4 miles, difficult, 2716' elevation gain, Twin Peaks Wilderness
Red Pine Lake Trail - 7 miles, difficult, 2073' elevation gain. Lone Peak Wilderness, near Little Cottonwood / Snowbird
Frary Peak Trail - 7 miles, difficult, 2335' elevation gain, Antelope Island
Dog Lake Loop - 5.8 miles, moderate, 1712' elevation gain, Big Cottonwood Canyon
Circle All Peak - 3.2 miles, moderate, 1541' elevation gain, Big Cottonwood Canyon
Bloods Lake Trail - 2.7 miles, moderate, 459' elevation gain, Bonanza Flat Conservation Area
Stewart Falls Trail - 3.4 miles, moderate, 646' elevation gain, Mt. Timpanogos Wilderness
Living Room Lookout Trail - 2 miles, moderate, 895' elevation gain, Red Butte Canyon Research Natural Area
Not a Hike
Joseph Smith Memorial Building - originally called Hotel Utah, the building was built in 1911 and boasts opulent architecture and decor. It now serves as office and meeting space for the LDS church. Unfortunately it is currently closed to visitors due to COVID.
The Beehive House, followed by lunch at The Lion House Pantry - the Beehive House was the official residence of Brigham Young, the second president of the LDS church and also governor of Utah. The Lion Pantry serves home-style food, next door to the Beehive; many of Young's wives and children lived here. Both were closed due to COVID.
And that's a wrap.
Salt Lake City, you were sweet!
Next stop: Ketchum, Idaho. See you there!