It's been over 10 years since my last trip to Salt Lake City, which feels like another life ago. Last time, I was there for a conference, namely ACDA. This time, Mary was there for a conference, and I was there just for fun!
I joined her midweek as her conference events were wrapping up so that we could have a couple days of sightseeing in the Utah capital, arriving Wednesday night and pretty much just heading straight to bed as it was already getting late. Speaking of the capital, I visited the Capitol building the next morning as Mary was attending her last session, and it was pretty grand!
It's a pretty good Capitol. Again, as the resident expert now, I'd rate it very well, though maybe not among the best of the best. Top 50% easy.
I found it quite similar to Kentucky's, actually. Similar look and size.
Anyway, aside from a detour to pick up the rental car, that was my only solo time during this trip. By late morning, Mary's sessions were done and she was free and clear to enjoy the city with me.
Our first stop was the Salt Lake City public library, which is in this crazy 5-story building with a few other shops and glass elevators:
We went up to the rooftop terrace then meandered our way down through the levels, arriving back on one and then heading to another bookish spot: Ken Sander's Rare Book store. I liked this place a lot! I ended up buying a 1930s book of Robert Frost poetry and an old hymnal from the 1890s.
Lunch followed at a place called Arempas (where we had arepas), then a coffee break at Rawbean, then it was time to make use of that rental car to head into the surrounding mountains.
I know the ACDA group went into the mountains at the end of our trip in 2015, but I am really not sure where we were. I don't think it was this place, called Snowbird, but it could have been near the same area. Regardless, there was a cable car to take us up to the top of the mountain, which was great to get to utilize in the offseason like this:
The scenery at the top was hard to beat:
...also, between the city and the top of the mountain there was probably about a 30 degree temperature difference.
We made our way back off of the mountain and into the city once again to prep for our evening activities. The big activity was attending a rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which is what everything else was being planned around. I had actually been up adjacent to Temple Square already that day, on my way to the Capitol. The Temple itself, and many of the auxiliary buildings, are currently under renovation, so the usual majesty of that area is a bit diminished:
I suppose this counts as another manifestation of my travel curse, where something is always closed down or unavailable. Would have been nice to see that area in all her glory.
Nonetheless, we carefully mapped out a route to the Tabernacle that included both dinner and a stop at the Planetarium, which I enjoyed immensely:
We took in a show in the dome theater about the formation of Earth and I had a momentary existential crisis about how transient human life is and how we're all just hurdling around on this one, lone inhabitable ball in space which could be destroyed at any moment.
You know, the usual.
Sped out of there to the mall food court where we wolfed down a meal in record time:
And then happily made our way to the Tabernacle with multiple minutes to spare!
...but wait, what's this? Where are all the people?
Well, here's where the curse really did manifest. The choir had just been on tour in Argentina, and many members were now sick. So rehearsal was now canceled.
The thing we'd planned the whole day around! Arguably the whole trip!
As frustrating as it was, it really did not ruin the trip, let me just say that. We had a great time and saw a lot. But this was the really unique thing, the really special thing, the thing that mirrored one of our most core interests. And it was off.
So now we had some spare time, and nothing much to do with it. Getting on the internet machine, we located something nearby that looked odd and interesting enough to capture our attention, so off we went...to Dreamscapes:
On the way there, we passed by the Union Pacific building which, unbeknownst to me at the time, was the very place the choir folk had recorded ourselves singing Rachmaninoff more than a decade ago:
The place was in this open-air shopping area called Gateway:
So, okay. What was this place? Well, it was an art museum, essentially, but one with deliberately weird, surreal sets, apparently all made from recycled material, and where you are encouraged to touch/interact with the installations.
Around every corner, a new universe. Reality folding in on itself. It was wonderful. It made me feel insane.
Plus: a ball pit!
So missing the Tabernacle was a bummer, but what a discovery to make instead.
We made our way back to the hotel by way of WanYen, an ice cream place, where I had a flavor called Bangkok Tea, which was one of the more unusual flavors I've had. It was like a sweetened green tea, turned into ice cream.
We finally made it back to the hotel and collapsed on the bed. This had been a big day. Our dogs were barking. My iPhone said I took over 25,000 steps!
The next day was to be a big day as well, though the step count did fall a bit shorter. We started with breakfast at the hotel, then made our way to a place called Red Butt:
...ah, wait. Sorry. Red Butte.
This was botanical garden/arboretum kind of place, but with the majestic mountains in the background. A wonderful start to our morning - and we were able to get through it before the day got too hot out.
Gorgeous!
Then, right next door, was the Natural History Museum of Utah, which had an uninterrupted sloped path the crossed all five levels with seamless ease:
Our last venture in the northeastern corner of the city was lunch, at a place that came highly recommended by...the internet? Maybe? Ruth's Diner:
The food was certainly tasty, but the extreme wait to get our check at the end of the meal soured me a little on it. It didn't screw anything up, but boy was I grumpy!
And Ruth wasn't even working that day!!
A hotel respite was in order after that very full morning, but then it was at last time: time to venture to the city's namesake, time to see the natural wonder of this desert plain. It was time to go to the Great Salt Lake!
I had hoped and intended to physically get in the lake, but once we arrived there I sort of "lost my appetite" so to speak. Mainly, it was the smell. All that evaporation gives way to a very sulfuric odor which, along with the surrounding desert gives one the sense that this is not a place that life is welcome.
Also, any time I tried approaching the water, a swarm of gnats emanated from the ground in front of me, like something straight outta Exodus. Not a good omen!
And what's with this obelisk??
Needless to say, the vibes were off. Was good to see it, though!
On our way back into town, we stopped at a coffee spot, and then walked to an iconic SLC landmark: the big ol whale:
Another hotel stop and a quick dinner at a place called Zao, then it was time for our last big outing of the evening: a place called Trolley Square, which is a shopping mall and outdoor pavilion.
We bebopped around the shops as evening fell, then returned by train when the day was done.
We turned in the rental car, then took a dip in the hotel's indoor-outdoor pool, which by that time of year had already begun to be a bit chilly by nightfall. Luckily there were also hot tubs to boil us alive like lobsters!
Last, we enjoyed a spot of ice cream on the front patio by the fountains:
The next morning we had just enough time for some quick activities before our early afternoon flight to Chicago and then home.
First up, the farmer's market, where we intended to grab a breakfast of some kind:
Coffee was easy to come by, as were light pastries, such as my apple cider donuts:
...but for something more substantial, we stopped in at The Rose Establishment:
Then we strolled back to the hotel, through the heart of the city we'd gotten to know quite well in our short whirlwind time there. On the way, we saw a huge group of young people enter into a building, and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to sneak in behind them, and see once again the inside of the Salt Palace Convention Center, where I'd come to ACDA all those long years ago:
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