Landing in Layton
Ostensibly, the next stop on our
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.) T
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 B
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!
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