Thanks to the influx of resettlement professionals and an above-average birth rate, Utah is considered the youngest state in America. That youthful energy shatters the reputation of Salt Lake City, a capital city that has long been dismissed as sleepy and old-fashioned. City-minded, green-minded locals are reviving once-derelict industrial districts while outdoor transplants move in to take advantage of the city’s enviable location just minutes from the mountains. Last year, Salt Lake City International Airport unveiled a completely redesigned terminal. As part of a $ 4 billion redevelopment program, it will be the country’s first major hub replacement in the 21st century. So spend a weekend in the new salt lake.
day 1
Wake up to the Kimpton Hotel Monaco, housed in the 1923 Continental Bank Building, ideally located in the city center. Start with a short walk to Eva’s bakery for coffee and a selection of French pastries.
To see how close Salt Lake City is to the great outdoors, lace up your hiking boots and head up the hill to the Utah State Capitol. After a tour of the rotunda to see the historic murals and a bronze statue of TV inventor Philo T. Farnsworth, head to the adjacent Memory Grove Park, which is filled with memorials to Utah’s veterans. The park is also the gateway to City Creek Canyon, which preserves its relative wilderness to protect the precious waters that flow through this semi-arid region. Hike up the canyon’s paved path where you can spot deer, falcon hunts, and even a rare moose or lynx.
Back in town, grab a bite to eat at Laziz Kitchen, a modern Lebanese cafe that sometimes has drag brunch. Try the James Beard Award semi-finalist Moudi Sbiety’s small plates like muhammara, falafel and salmon ceviche.
Horseback riding in Antelope Island State Park on the Great Salt Lake’s largest island
Courtesy of the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation
In the afternoon, explore the burgeoning granary built around the warehouses and silos that housed the grain that early settlers grew in the surrounding valley. At RubySnap Biscuits, get a Judy (an orange-flavored biscuit with cream cheese frosting) whose Rosie the Riveter vibe and biscuits are named after the creator’s real and fictional heroines.
Head on over to Randy’s Records to browse the stacks of vinyl before heading to Thyme and Place, a store that specializes in tiny exotic plants.
Make reservations for dinner at the SLC Eatery, where a nondescript facade hides delicacies like kurobuta pork thighs with pumpkin seed-based pipián sauce and a rolling dim sum-like cart of appetizers. End the day with a drink at Water Witch – the wet anchor of the Granary District and home to Salt Lake’s most discerning bar crew. Call your ghost and the wizards behind the bar will come with a custom tip.
day 2
Today, make your way to the eastern foothills above the University of Utah and explore two of Salt Lake’s smaller canyons. Take a 20-minute drive into Emigration Canyon for breakfast on the tree-shaded terrace at Ruth’s Diner, with the sounds of the babbling Emigration Creek in the background. Order Ruth’s “famous mile-high” cookies with homemade jam, then head to Red Butte Garden, a sprawling park known for its native plants.
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