SLC from 600 North, by Justin Wheatley
Even though I’ve lived in Utah (specifically in and around Salt Lake City) pretty much all of my life, sometimes I like to pretend that I’m a tourist in my own backyard. I’m a travel junkie, but opportunities to hop on a plane and explore a new city/country are usually few and far between these days, so adventures in discovering new venues in my own home town feed the travel bug inside of me. Visiting the same old sites with new eyes keeps life interesting. (Having two little ones in tow when I venture out also helps me see these places with fresh eyes.)
Anyway, I decided to focus my next few blog posts on great things to do in and around Salt Lake City. Most of these are kid-friendly, with a few exceptions, that I will note.
- Things to Do (Parks & Rec Version)
- Things to Do (Arts & Culture Version)
- Things to Do (Shopping Version)
- Must-Try Restaurants
Most of these things are free or low cost (an added plus for a thrifty mom, with the exception of the restaurants, of course). I really love Salt Lake City and all that it has to offer a mom with two young kids (and another kid on the way). These are just a few of my favorite haunts.
Things to Do (Parks & Rec Version)
- Memory Grove (Utah Heritage Foundation offers tours during the summer – check the website)
- Liberty Park
- Lindsey Gardens (426 N “M” Street – a great park in the Avenues)
- Shipp Park (479 E 4th Avenue)
- Bonneville Shoreline Trail (catch one trailhead by driving all the way to the top of “I” Street in the Avenues)
- Silver Park (126 West 500 North – a tiny gem of a park)
- Heber C. Kimball Park (in between State St. and Main St., just north of North Temple)
- Brigham Young Historic Park (100 North State Street – a great place for free concerts in the summer)
- Salt Lake City Cemetery (a good place to find the headstones of many LDS prophets)
- Ensign Peak (great views of the Salt Lake Valley)
- Reservoir Park (South Temple and 1300 East)
- Gilgal Gardens (so weird because of its crazy sculptures, you have to check it out – 749 East 500 South)
- Miller Park (1708 E 900 S – close to the 15th & 15th neighborhood)
- Salt Lake City Garden Park Ward (not a park, but the grounds are gorgeous and a must-see – 1150 E Yale Ave.)
- Jordan River Parkway
- Steenblik Park (fondly known as the “cat park”, for its giant cat statues – 1050 W 800 N)
- Riverside Park (1490 W 600 N)
- Red Butte Gardens
Modern Daily 