Last weekend, we spent the weekend in Utah because it was a state we had never been to before. I never really had a great reason to go, so I figured we would just make it happen and go on a random weekend. Honestly, I am really glad we went in the summer because we were able to do an amazing hike and see some really beautiful sights!
We landed in SLC around 1 PM on Friday and headed straight to our hotel. We rented a car because we were going to be spending some time in Park City as well. We stayed at the Residence Inn in downtown SLC because it was inexpensive and conveniently located to many restaurants and attractions.
We first walked over to Temple Square where the big, beautiful church is located. It was actually a little crowded around the temple with a few different wedding parties taking pictures! The church was absolutely stunning to see in person, so I would recommend a brief stop here when in SLC.
After walking around Temple Square, we went to grab a late lunch/early dinner at the Red Iguana Mexican restaurant. Everyone had told us to eat here and this place was highly rated on Yelp, so I figured we needed to try it out. We only had to wait a few minutes since we went well before the dinner rush.
Overall, I wasn’t blown away by the restaurant, but it wasn’t bad! I think we have pretty high standards for Mexican food since we live in Texas. Note: The margaritas are very small because they can only serve singles in Utah.
After eating our huge meals, we decided to check out one of the breweries. I was actually shocked at how many different options there were for breweries in SLC! I was thinking there would be little to no drinking because of the Mormon influence, but I was wrong.
We ended up at Red Rock Brewing and we both ordered the double IPA. It was really good, but extremely heavy! Another interesting alcohol law in Utah is that draft beer has to be 4% alcohol by volume or less. So, if you order an IPA, you really need to make sure you are ordering it in a bottle vs. on draft.
We wanted to sit outside since it was so nice out, so we decided to migrate over to Squatters Pub to grab an outdoor seat. We continued our drinking frenzy there for the remainder of the night and it was super relaxing. I think we got a little carried away because the weather was so perfect. Luckily, our hotel was only a block away, so it was an easy walk back. We only stayed out until about 10 PM because we knew we wanted to get up early to hike in the morning.
On Saturday morning, we woke up early and started our hike at Lake Blanche around 8 AM. We had heard that this hike was somewhat challenging, but we were okay with it. I knew the view was going to be worth it! It took us about 2 hours to reach the top and we were moving relatively quickly. We didn’t take too many breaks, but we did have to stop and catch our breath a few times.
The view this time of year was absolutely breathtaking! I loved that there was still a little bit of snow left on the peaks – it was unlike anything I have ever seen before. We spent a little bit of time at the top to just relax and take in the scenery. The weather could not have been any better.
The way down was interesting to say the least. I fell multiple times due to the slick gravel and rocks. My first fall was really bad, and I landed right on my tailbone. I was fighting back a few tears, but I got up and kept going. It took us about an hour and a half to get down since we were going extra slow. I’m still glad we did it, but I would purchase a better pair of hiking shoes next time!
After the hike, we drove into Park City and grabbed some lunch. We were starving after the challenging climb, so we opted for some comfort food. We ended up stumbling upon this place called The Spur, and it was actually really good! Their menu had a lot of different offerings and it was all delicious.
Once we finished lunch, we drove to the hotel to check-in and get showered. We opted for a fancier hotel in Park City because we really wanted to relax and have more of a resort feel. We stayed at Hotel Park City which is an Autograph Collection hotel. We actually got upgraded to a bigger room since it wasn’t too crowded this time of year. It was so nice to have our own private hot tub on the balcony.
After getting ready, we went back into town to explore the rest of Historic Park City. There are so many cute little shops and boutiques on Main Street! I seriously could have gone crazy and bought everything. I did end up getting 2 new dresses from a local boutique, but I restrained myself from any other unnecessary purchases.
Once we explored enough of Main Street, we walked over to High West Distillery to grab a quick cocktail. Alex is a huge fan of whiskey, so I knew this place would be right up his alley. This establishment is very historic and the building itself has been around Park City for quite some time. It was a really nice place to stop in for a quick drink.
For dinner, we went over to Shabu on Main Street. This place was AMAZING, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone. They had a wide variety of sushi, asian fusion dishes and everything in-between. My favorite part was the hot rock dish where you got to cook your own wagyu beef on a hot rock. It was so unique!
After dinner, we headed back to our hotel so we could enjoy some time in the hot tub. We opened a bottle of wine and just relaxed for a couple hours – it was such a nice setting having the mountains in the background! It was the perfect night.
On Sunday morning, we woke up and had coffee on the patio. We were trying to enjoy the crisp air while we could. It was very relaxing, and I wish I could do this every morning.
We ended up grabbing some breakfast downtown a couple of hours later. We stumbled upon this trendy place called Harvest. Alex ordered his first-ever avocado toast, and I think he enjoyed every bite! It was a really cute restaurant and a great place to grab breakfast or lunch.
After brunch, we went back to the hotel to shower and grab our belongings. Our plans were to go back to downtown Park City and walk around, but there was no parking available. Instead, we drove over to the St. Regis in Deer Valley.
I had heard this resort was beautiful, so I figured it would be worth a quick stop. It is located up on a hill, so you actually have to take a tram car up to the actual hotel. It was a fun little ride! Once we got to the top, we decided to grab a drink at the bar/restaurant. They had a huge outdoor patio with fire pits and heaters, so it was very comfortable and relaxing. This was a definitely a great way to kill a couple of hours.
After leaving the St. Regis, we went back into downtown Park City and walked around for a couple more hours. There was a big farmers market taking place, so it was interesting to see all the different vendors. I was shocked as to how many people came out for the farmers market! It seemed like the whole town was there.
We decided to make our way back to Salt Lake City for one final meal before heading to the airport that night. I had heard good things about this pizza place downtown, so we decided to check it out. Settebello was the name of the restaurant we tried, and it was so good. We split a pizza and a bottle of wine before our trip back home, and it was perfect!
After grabbing one last dinner, we made our way to airport and headed back home. It was the perfect amount of time for our little trip!
I am happy with what we did, but if I had to do it over again, I think I would do two full nights in Park City. I loved our resort over there and it was so relaxing. I also think we would have enjoyed the night life in Park City more. Salt Lake City didn’t have enough excitement for us I guess, so Park City ended up being our favorite city of the two.
Have y’all ever been to Utah? What did you think? What was your favorite hike and/or favorite city? I would love to know!
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