Western Expedition Stop 14: Salt Lake City

Landing in Layton

Ostensibly, the next stop on our roadtrip west is Salt Lake City, but in reality, we landed in Layton, UT, 30 minutes north of Salt Lake City. At this point in our trip, we had really done most of the fun stuff and were heading back home, which is never quite as fun as heading out.

Hilton Garden Inn

We did stay in a very nice Hilton Garden Inn, which was definitely an upgrade from our last hotel in Pendleton. But, I hate to admit, we ate at an Outback Steakhouse for dinner and at Chick-fil-a for breakfast. I mean, we can do that anytime at home! I hated that we didn’t explore the city at least a little.

Travel Doldrums

This was a particularly low point for me on this trip. We had to get back so that I could go back to work, and it made the return trip a little miserable. Plus, traveling with my older parents was really starting to wear on me. They just didn’t have the energy to go out after driving a full day, and I didn’t have much energy myself to go do something on my own.

In retrospect, I could have done things much differently, but the short answer is that I didn’t. Oh well, the trip overall was a success and that’s what counts.

Lagoon Amusement Park

The one thing that I really wanted to do here was to visit Lagoon Amusement Park. It’s a small historic park that I thought would be worth half a day and I would have killed to ride a few roller coasters after a long drive. Alas, we landed here on a Sunday, and it was only open until 6 pm, which was about the time we rolled into town.

If YOU get a chance to visit Lagoon, they have a few roller coasters on hand and pretty much the normal complement of flat rides. They have the historic 80-year-old wooden Roller Coaster (simply named, that.) The newest coaster is the Cannibal which currently features the steepest drop in North America. Regular tickets cost $65.

Hill Aerospace Museum

Also nearby is the Hill Aerospace Museum, which looks pretty cool. Admission is always FREE, and it looks like they open up a special “aircraft of the month” to tour for free as well. This month, the SR-71 “Blackbird” is open to tour every Friday and it looks really neato.

Ogden Union Station

In Ogden, the old train station is now a cultural center containing four museums and two art galleries. The Utah State Railroad Museum, a Firearms Museum, Classic Car Museum, and the Utah Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum all can be seen for the cost of one $7 ticket. Open 10-5, Monday-Saturday.

Peery’s Egyptian Theater

Also in the same area as Union Station is historic Peery’s Egyptian Theater. I’m a bit of a sucker for old movie houses and this 1920’s gem has been restored well. If there’s a performance or film playing when you’re here, be sure to check it out!

Salt Lake City

Downtown

In Salt Lake City proper, where do I begin? You can certainly take in Temple Square with the Salt Lake Temple and the Mormon Tabernacle. Be sure to catch a daily 30-minute organ recital in the Tabernacle at noon Monday-Saturday and at 2:00 on Sundays. Brigham Young can be found in statue form and a park adjacent as well as his historic home, Beehive House.

Immediately nearby there is a Mormon Church History Museum and a free contemporary art museum. A little north finds you at the Utah State Capitol Building with a fair amount of city parkland immediately nearby. Near the capitol is an interesting Pioneer Memorial Museum.

University Campus

Around the University of Utah, you’ll find a fine arts museum, the Fort Douglas Military Museum, and a natural history museum. But the big draw here is the Red Butte Garden, a beautiful botanical garden that serves as an occasional concert space. It’s also one of the few things to have an admission charge–$14 for adults.

Obviously, I’m only scratching the surface here, and mostly the cultural/historical aspect to it. As with any big city, there are many levels to explore, so definitely let me know what I am missing!