Wanderlusting in Utah
Thinking about taking a quick trip to Utah, but don’t want to plan activities? I took a trip and here is my agenda.
Traveling rejuvenates my soul. Seeing the sunrise and set on trips gives me a sense of tranquility. It is in those moments where I truly see the world in its glory and its beauty. It’s so beautiful and I am a small part of “that.” I have made it a duty of mine to travel to as many places as I can to experience new adventures, indulge in new food, and meet new people from all over the world.
One of my favorite all-time trips was to Utah. Although it was short, it was extremely jam-packed with activities. Here are the things I did and time stamp for your viewing. So if you are thinking about going for a quick trip and don’t want to plan, here is my agenda.
[All pictures taken on this trip were by me and my now dissolved photography business Amelia Rose’s photography.]
Thursday:
My plane landed in Salt Lake City, Utah around one in the afternoon. The best thing any airport terminal can do is have the car rental place inside the airport. For convenience alone, I don’t look elsewhere for car rentals.
I check into my hotel room downtown, head to the local grocery store to buy snacks and two cases of water for my friends coming into town tomorrow morning. I walk around downtown to find a quick bite and ended the night with a full body massage.
Friday:
6:00 AM:
Free Breakfast at the hotel.
7:00 AM:
Living Room Trail: This trail was roughly 15 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City and only about 1.5 miles altogether. 1.5 miles didn’t seem extremely strenuous, so we decided to take the challenge. This trip was in late April and Utah’s weather was still cold in some parts of the State. On this trail, it started to snow a bit, but we were still excited to go. It wasn’t until we were midway into the trail that we realize snow was melting in some areas and water was running down the trail. The road to walk became so slippery and muddy that we got mud all over our shoes. As we went higher in elevation, the colder it got. We certainly couldn’t get to the very top of the trail to sit in the rock seats and look out on the city, but we got close. It was still beautiful. Next time I’ll go at a different time of the year.
10:00 AM:
Antelope Island: Anyone who goes to Utah must visit this place. It is absolutely gorgeous. This place is known for swimming and sunbathing. The water is super salty and buoyant that you can easily float. I loved seeing the Bisons roam around. There are also hiking trails if you wanted to hike. I think I spent too much time on the beach and driving around trying to take a picture of the Bisons.
2:00 PM:
Crystal Hot Spring: To relax and enjoy ourselves we decided to head on over to the hot spring. I’ve heard so many positive things about being in a hot spring that I wanted to do it myself. This hot spring had three separate areas where the temperature of water varied. All areas were warm, and I sat in the hot spring that was the warmest.
6:00 PM:
The Gateway Mall: My friends and I mainly had dinner at The Gateway. It was roughly ten minutes away from the hotel. My favorite place to eat was Mr. Shabu! At Mr. Shabu is an Asian hot pot dish place where you can cook your broth, meat, and vegetables of choice. For dessert, we went to Sweet Rolled Tacos. Their specialty is rolled ice cream in a taco-shaped waffle! Their choices of ice cream and drinks are out of this world.
Saturday:
3:00 AM:
Yes, you read that right. We decided to drive to Arches National Park in Moab, UT. It was roughly a four-hour drive from our hotel, and we wanted to arrive around 7 AM. There were a few trails we wanted to see which were:
· Balance Rock: This is a view you can enjoy from the road
· Windows Section: This hike is rated easy and is only 1.5 miles roughly.
· Delicate Arch: This hike is a 3-mile hike roundtrip and is rated hard. Personally, I didn’t think it was difficult, but it was scary at times. The top is breathtaking. It’s worth the semi-scary trip.
Sunday:
5:00 AM:
Bonneville Salt Flats: Definitely a place to visit. It’s beautiful. Words and pictures cannot explain/show how serene this place is. From the road, the salt looks like a lake. When you look closely at the salt, it looks like soft snow.
Food Mentions:
Asian Food:
-Mr.Shabu at Gateway
- Takashi Sushi
- Pho 33
- Pho Saigon
- Freshie Lobster
- Oh Mai’s sandwich
- Itto Sushi
American Food:
- Copper Onion
- Hall Pass (variety of foods, brunch on weekend)
- Eggs in the City
If you are planning on visiting Utah, let me know what you did and what places you visited.
Easy Travels.
-Milly