Salt lake City is the capital and largest city in the state of Utah. It was first inhabited by the Pueblo People; however, the Ute and Navajo arrived later and took control of that area. The state got its name from the Ute tribe. Utah was a part of Mexico at that time, so American settlers were not interested in moving there. Everything started with Joseph Smith Jr. which was an American religious leader and founder of the Mormonism; he wrote the book of mormon. After he died, he
had a lot of followers. Brigham Young (The Mormon "Moises") led an exodus from the northeast of the country to Salt
Lake City, promising a land for their church. He founded this city with 148 people and naming it because of the salty lake close by. Utah became part of the U.S. after the Mexican American war (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo). More and more people came to convert to Mormon. They built the Temple and a few years later Utah became the 45th state. Mormons economy boost during the California Gold Rush and Civil War. During the 1960s the Mormon Church invested 40 million to build a shopping center as many businesses were
leaving downtown. Nowadays Salt Lake City has become an important city of the West and its national parks attracts visitors from all around the world.
I have prepared a two-day guide to help you cover the top attractions. If you wish to make your own, scroll down!
DAY 1
After breakfast or coffee, we will start the day at the Utah State Capitol. You can fin here the Public Library and the Pioneer Memorial Museum; it has a collection of many artifacts and manuscripts from the first settlers in Utah.
Then you will take N State St or Main St south until Temple Square. It is a plaza owned by the Mormon church which includes many places you can visit: Church History Museum, Beehive House (house of Brigham Young), and Salt Lake Tabernacle (Mormon choir). You will learn about Mormons. If you are not interested, it is a very nice square to walk around.
When you are finished, head to the University of Utah. This will be our last stop. In this area you will have several options.
If you like art, Utah Museum of Fine Arts; if you like nature, the Red Butte Garden y Arboretum; if you like animals, Hogle Zoo; or if you like history, Natural History Museum of Utah. Go out for dinner and take a good nap because we are going on a road trip tomorrow.
DAY 2
Today is road trip day! I will highly recommend going to Arches National Park; however, I will give you a list and you can decide which you like the most.
Zion National Park 308 miles
Arches National Park 230 miles
Canyonlands National Park 242 miles
Capitol Reef National Park 218 miles
Goblin Valley State Park 223 miles
Bryce Canyon National Park 268 miles
Antelope Canyon 395 miles
Drive Safe!
Make Your Own
- Temple Square
- Antelope Island State Park
- Pioneer Memorial Museum $
- Utah Museum of Fine Arts $
- Utah State Capitol
- Salt Lake City Public Library
- Red Butte Garden y Arboretum
- Natural History Museum of Utah $
- Hogle Zoo $
Utah Jazz (Basketball)
Season October - April
Real Salt Lake (Soccer)
Season March - October
Playoffs October - December
Las Vegas 421 miles
Worldwide known for its famous for casinos and nightlife.
I personally will not stay in Salt Lake City more than two days unless you are working or visiting relatives. The city has very few attractions and could be visited in one day. The views are amazing as it has mountains on the back. Some people come to Utah in winter for its ski resorts because they are inexpensive compare to "the mecca" of winter activities, Denver. I will totally recommend renting a car. If you have time try to squeeze some national parks. My favorites are Arches, Zion and Antelope Canyon; even thought the last one is not in Utah. The landscapes in Utah are amazing, so if you are hoping to find a cosmopolitan city like Miami, NYC or LA, Utah is not for you. Most of the best parks are down south; therefore, you can make a National Parks road trip and end up in Las Vegas, so you could finish your trip having some fun.
Beerhive Pub, Whiskey Street, Bar X, The Door Door, and The Bar in Sugarhouse are great places to have a drink.
Elevate and Area 51 (clubs).
If your plan is shopping check out this malls: City Creek Center, The Gateway, and Tanger Outlets Park City.
