Things to do in Utah:
Park City: the best day trip in any season! We love window shopping on main street and trying new restaurants. El Chubasco is a great lunch spot for tacos, and we always stop at Java Cow Coffee & Ice Cream to get the Sammy Dee’s flavor in a waffle cone. We’ve also liked the The Eating Establishment and Versante Hearth + Bar for dinner. Midway and Heber are also close to Park City and are fun spots to add to your weekend itinerary.
Tibble Fork Reservoir: a beautiful recreation area to canoe or kayak! We also like driving up past Tibble Fork to Silver Lake Reservoir (be forewarned the road up isn’t very well maintained). Bring a picnic, take a walk around the reservoir, or hike Silver Lake Trail from the Silver Lake Reservoir parking lot.
Albion Basin: in July, the hillside blooms with wildflowers. During the day, parking is limited, so be prepared to hike up (or if the chair lift is running, that’s my favorite way to get up to the top). To avoid crowds completely, opt for a sunrise hike to Cecret Lake.
Antelope Island State Park: another fun day trip. There are beautiful spots all over the island to explore, and it’s pretty much a guarantee you’ll see Buffalo. Bring a picnic to eat on the “beach” and don’t forget a camera if you’re into photography. It would also be a great place to road bike (we’ve never done this before, but we see bikers every time we’re there). Whatever you do, make sure to bring bug spray!
Christmas Meadows Campground: the prettiest spot I’ve ever camped at in Utah (pictured above). Book early in the year to get a spot (I think we booked in February to get a weekend spot in August), and dress warm—the high elevation makes for cold nights!
St. George: visit Zion National Park, Snow Canyon State Park, or Pioneer Park.
The King’s English Bookshop: One of my favorite things to do when I’m in a new place is visit a local bookstore and pick up a new picture book to add to my collection—it feels so fun to have books from my travels rather than buying them all off of Amazon. This bookstore is darling and it’s in a fun neighborhood of SLC.
Bloomingsales, Jolley’s Gift & Floral, and Salt & Honey Market: all good places to find unique Christmas ornaments and decor during the holiday season.
Utah National Parks:
Bryce Canyon National Park: Hike Queen’s Garden/Navajo Combination Loop and check out Inspiration Point. There’s also a paved bike trail through the park that we didn’t know about until we got there—we wished we would have brought our road bikes!
Arches & Canyonlands: I always group these two together because they’re within a half hour of each other, so don’t miss one if you plan on going to the other. Here’s the perfect 36 hour trip from Utah County: Drive to Canyonlands first (3 hours from Utah County) and stay for sunset (I like to drive the loop and stop at the lookouts, be sure to end at Green River Overlook for a killer sunset view), then grab some dinner in Moab. Wake up and hike Delicate Arch in Arches first thing in the morning (get there before 8am—the parking lot fills up FAST and it’ll be cooler temps), hit up any other hikes you want to do in Arches, then drive home.
Capitol Reef: This is the least crowded national park I’ve ever been to, and I’ve never had to pay a fee to get in. I’d recommend hiking Hickman Bridge Trail, and stopping by the orchards near the entrance during summer months for fruit pies and ice cream. On dry summer days you can also drive the backroads to Cathedral Valley (if you have a car that can make it over the unmaintained dirt/sand road).
Zion National Park: I’ve been to Zion a couple of times, and it’s [unfortunately] best when you just commit to the intense hikes. There are a lot of National Parks that deliver amazing views from the comfort of your car, but this isn’t one of them. For the best views, add Angel’s Landing to your list unless you’re 100% afraid of heights (I’m afraid of heights and I was okay, the chains are less scary than you think and you kind of have to keep moving since it’s a pretty crowded trail: there isn’t a lot of time for hesitation). If you can’t stomach Angel’s Landing, Observation Point offers a similar view without the chains. My biggest piece of advice for Zion is to take the weather warnings seriously. Angel’s Landing accidents happen in wet weather, and I still haven’t hiked the full length of the Narrows because I got caught in a spring hail storm that almost turned into a flash flood (although don’t let that scare you, finishing the Narrows is on my bucket list). As a side note, it’s actually “Zion” and not “Zion’s,” which a lot of Utah locals mix-up, and you emphasize the I instead of the O in Zion for any out-of-staters.
What to eat in Utah:
Guru’s Cafe: I love the house salad, and the sweet potato fries are arguably the best I’ve ever had.
Communal: This is one of the nicer sit-down restaurants in Provo. They have a great weekend brunch and a seasonal dinner menu.
180 Tacos: My favorite fusion tacos in Utah! Just a short drive from the The Shops At Riverwoods.
Brasas Mexican Grill: If you’re looking for a more traditional taco, this place is our favorite in Utah County.
Snoasis: The best shave ice in Utah (open May-August). I’ve been going every summer for over ten years and no other place in Utah compares. They have the best range of sizes so you can order the exact amount you want, and their pricing is so reasonable compared to other shacks that have popped up in Utah County in more recent years. Be sure to “make it a glacier” (cream on top + ice-cream on bottom). I always order the sunrise flavor combo or butterbeer + raspberry.
Cravings- Alisha’s Cupcakes: Of Cupcake Wars fame. I’m not even a cake person (I usually prefer brownies or cookies), but their “Better than What” cupcake is one of my favorite treats.
The Chocolate: I’m obsessed with the salted caramel brownie and my husband loves their homemade Oreos. They have locations in Orem and West Jordan.
Cubby’s: We love this Utah chain! We usually get their salads, and split a half-and-half order of fries (not listed on the menu, but ask for it and they’ll know exactly what you’re requesting—it’s an order of half rosemary, half sweet potato fries). And don’t miss their chipotle fry sauce! We also like to split one of their chocolate homemade Oreos for dessert.
R&R BBQ: I was never really into barbeque before R&R, but I live for it now. We get the kids meals and I actually feel like they’re pretty close to some of the adult size portions on the menu but you pay a lot less.
Café Zupas: Yummy soup, salad and sandwiches. I was surprised by how much I missed this chain when we moved out of Utah.
Pizza Nono: Our favorite pizza in Utah! Order ahead of time online for the best experience. We split one pizza between two people and save room for dessert at Dolcetti Gelato across the street.
Dolcetti Gelato: Cross the street for dessert after Pizza Nono! They rotate through flavors seasonally, but some of our favorites are the Biscotti, Honeycomb, and their plain vanilla pairs with anything! You can get up to two flavors in any size cup.
Bombay House: The best Indian Food in Utah. There are locations in Salt Lake, West Jordan, and Provo. The portions are big enough to split one order between two people: our order is pretty basic, but so good! We get the Chicken Tikka Masala (medium spice level, the dish comes with rice) and an order of garlic nan.