Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler What To Do in Salt Lake City?

Anyone live in or around Salt Lake City?

It appears that my wife will be traveling there in mid November to attend training for a computer system they will soon be using in the car dealership she works for.

I am trying to work being able to go with her (while she is in class, I hope to go flyfishing...) but am looking for any interesting things to do or good places to eat...in addition to or in case of going flyfishing does not work as planned.

We have never been to that part of our great country and by leaving our son at home, it will be nice to be "just the two of us..."

I am thinking about spending Wednesday night and Thursday night in SLC and then Friday evening driving over and spend Friday night and Saturday night in Park City...provided I can secure lodging...

I usually do real well on my own but I am just looking for additional ideas...especially if you have visited there or near there before.

As Axiomites, we appear to be well bred and well traveled, so I am hoping someone will have suggestions...

Any ideas will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

WhatFurrer

Lots of nice hikes in the area, if you're up for that. The only other thing I can recommend is definitely eat at Spencer's. The best steak I've had anywhere. Seriously.

http://www.spencersforsteaksandchops.com/slc

I remember a REALLY great brewpub in SLC. Big wall of glass between the brewery and the pub, and great food. I don't remember the name but I know how to walk there from the hotel

Hope you have a good trip!

That whole "well bred" thing is going to have me laughing at odd times for days.

Peter's right about Spencer's; there is one in Spokane, and I thought the quality rivaled other, much more expensive steak houses I've been to (Ruth's Chris, The Ringside, Shula's, etc.).

Couple brewpubs from realbeer.com. Never been there.

Squatter's Pub & Brewery
147 W. Broadway
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
Phone: (801) 363-2739
Fax: (801) 575-7139
Brewer: Jenny Yohe

Squatters is housed in the old Boston Hotel, which was constructed in the early 1900's as a modest rooming house and was operated by Latvian immigrant Ethel Yudin. Salt Lake Brewing Company began its renovation of the building in early 1989.

Desert Edge Brewery At The Pub
273 Trolley Sq.
Salt Lake City, Utah 84102
Phone: (801) 521-8917
Fax: (801) 521-8839
Hours: 11am - 1am
System: AAA fabrication
Capacity: 1400 bbls/ year
Brewer: Alan Dieffenbach

Voted the best brewpub in 1998 by Salt Lake Magazine, the Desert Edge is truly the locals favorite. Located in the converted trolley barns, the Desert Edge has a unique dining and drinking atmosphere. The Desert Edge won a gold medal for "Happy Valley Hefeweizen"tm and a silver medal for "Red Butte Bitter"tm in 1998 in the world beer cup. In 1997 "Latter Days Stout" tm won a bronze medal at GABF in the dry Irish stout category. In 1996 "Happy Valley Hefeweizen"tm won a gold medal at GABF in the American wheat category.The Desert Edge offers true cask conditioned ales as well.

I live about 70 miles north of Salt Lake. I am not the most knowledgeable person of everything to do in Salt Lake but here are a few suggestions and ideas that come to mind.

Park City is pretty cool. Of course the Sundance film festival is a huge gathering of celebrities and independent films in Park City, but I think that takes place in January. The mountains east of Salt Lake city are beautiful and there is alot of activities outdoors going on though somewhat less in November than at warmer times of the year. Skiing in Utah is excellent (lots of dry powder) and there are multiple resorts within 45 minutes of Salt Lake. Park City has several very close by.

I am a big sports fan. The Utah Jazz play in the Delta Center which is very close to downtown. It's a good time if you have never been to an NBA game. Tickets are a bit cheaper here than at most NBA arenas. The Utah Grizzlies play in the E-Center in West Salt Lake. Although it's not the NHL, it's still alot of fun.

The "Gateway" is downtown and offers alot of shopping and other stores and activities. I myself have been wanting to visit the Clark Planetarium there. I hear there are some really awesome shows.

Temple square is interesting to visit. If they have the Christmas lights up in November when you are there that is probably worth seeing. The conference center where the LDS church holds their semi-annual conferences is interesting as well. It holds 21,000 and looks enormous when empty. They give free tours I believe.

I think the pub bridgman is talking about is Red Rocks. Great place for food. We eat there fairly often. I don't remember the exact address but it's on about 250 S. 200 W. in downtown. Trolley Square also offers alot of restaurants and shopping set among trolley cars and barns.

Trax is fun to ride around town in. That was put in for the Olympics to help move everyone around. I don't know exactly what venues there are and other things from the Olympics there is to see now, but I could find out. My dad did some volunteering during the Olympics, he might know.

That's what I remember off the top of my head but I am sure more will come to me later.

www.boyercompany.com/gateway/directory-a.html
www.visitsaltlake.com/home.shtml
www.nba.com/jazz/
www.utahgrizzlies.com/
www.lds.org/placestovisit/location/0,10634,1867-1-1-1,00.html
www.clarkplanetarium.org/
utah.citysearch.com/profile/10373774
www.hoglezoo.org/
www.thelivingplanet.com/flash.htm

All,

Thanks for the responses so far...will have to run the list past my wife and see what she thinks...

Any other suggestions will be appreciated...

Thanks again.

WhatFurrer

How was the trip? What did you end up doing in Salt Lake City?

Sorry for the lack of a trip report...been busy since we got back.

I spent Thursday flyfishing the Provo River, marveling at the mountain range and ended the day flyfishing the tailwaters that feed into Jordanelle Reservoir.

We were able to make the Thursday evening rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir...even with the main auditorium under reconstruction, the Conference Center they were rehearsing in was huge...really made you feel insignificant to sit in the audience of that huge hall. Did visit most of the rest of the campus and found the artwork and paintings to be of interest...

Also made it down to Trolley Square and ate at one of the pubs there...believe it was "Desert Edge Brewery At The Pub" that Tom had mentioned...My wife had a pint of the Happy Valley and enjoyed it. I am not a beer drinker but had a wonderful Pork Loin with Balsamic Demi-glace with Braised Pear and Fennel with Gorgonzola and Pinenuts...exquisite! Thanks for the tip!

Friday, I drove into the mountains alone to look for a small stream called Thistle Creek. I found it after getting a very late start and found the reason for the creek's name...spent a couple of hours climbing over boulders, navigating the stream and bushwhacking through the dense thistle growth surrounding the creek. I was witness to a Bald Eagle fighting with another smaller bird in the wild...

Friday night we drove over to Park City and spent the rest of our trip exploring this resort area...interesting town...lots of shops (most well out of our price range but interesting to look at), great restaurants and friendly people.

Was blessed with waking on Saturday morning to one of the first snows in the area. To a couple from Central Texas, this was a rare treat.

Thoroughly enjoyed our trip and will probably return in the near future to attempt some snow skiing (when we have saved enough to go).

Thanks again to all for suggestions...having many ideas made choosing difficult but well worth it.

Thanks again and Beautiful State!

WhatFurrer

In reply to:

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Pork Loin with Balsamic Demi-glace with Braised Pear and Fennel with Gorgonzola and Pinenuts...

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It must be time for lunch! I just got real hungry.

Glad you enjoyed your trip.

Good report. Glad you enjoyed your trip.