One of my favorite things to do while in Utah is visit Salt Lake City. The city is incredibly beautiful and most things are free. SLC is set on a hill, and there are tons of historic buildings and houses, plus new modern buildings that give it a very metropolitan air with a feeling that things move at a slower pace.
The best part for me is that it’s not just a big city with commerce dominating the landscape. It is chock full of Pioneer History. Of course, all that pioneer history is intermixed with LDS Church history since the pioneers were Mormon, but that makes it all the more interesting.
The following shots were taken from the 26th floor observation deck in the Church Administration building. The views of the Valley are breath taking. Free, free, free.
The Capitol Building
This is the newly built Conference Center that covers a full square block and has the holding capacity for about a gazillion people.
Salt Lake City also houses THE best pioneer museum (PIONEER MEMORIAL MUSEUM on Capitol Hill) I’ve ever seen. If you are in the area, you must browse around. Admission is free and they sell the best bag of honey taffy ever, for a mere buck. There are 5 floors of artifacts; pianos, medical equipment, navigation and transportation equipment, clothing, everyday implements, photos, toys, Indian artifacts. The list is endless. They even have a stuffed two headed lamb. My kids loved it, and I wasn’t able to spend enough time there.
Salt Lake City is incredibly clean, and you can always count on manicured grounds and amazing flower beds.
In the middle of all this sits the Salt Lake Temple. It’s so beautiful and my children always love seeing “the castle”. The grounds are truly peaceful. The adjacent buildings are great to explore, too. If you are into music, The Tabernacle is a must see.
Don’t forget to stop at the Family History Center and see how fun searching for your ancestors can be, and get an idea of the immense scope of the operation. The Lion House tour is fun if you don’t have little twin destructo’s, and the Joseph Smith Building is worth a walk around. It used to be the Hotel Utah and boasts some pretty splendid architecture.
About Angie
I love Temple Square!
It’s been almost 4 yrs since I have been there. But we took our YW from our ward to the Confence center for the YW General Broadcast it was so very cool! The CC is so freaking huge. And I love your picture of it. It shows how really HUGE it is!
Great shots of your cute family. You always take the best pics.
Now I need to get my family down to SLC. Maybe in the fall.
What beautiful flowers, and that pioneer museum sounds fascinating. I have to ask though, what on earth is the story behind the two-headed lamb?
It looks like the weather really cooperated too!!
The flowers are beautiful. I love the descriptions you gave of everything also.
Those views are gorgeous! Looks like a really fun time.
Very fun! Love all the pics! I love Salt Lake. We haven’t been to Temple Square since Christmas-time. Definitely time to visit again. There is so much to do as a family that is FREE! Throw in a ride on TRAX and my kids are in heaven!
now i want to go on a mini vaca to salt lake…
very beautiful!!
Love all the pictures! Makes me wish we were going “home” to Utah this summer. This summer our mini vacation is just stuff here around Worcester. Not very exciting but guess that’s what you do when a baby is on the way!
Wow, those photos are amazing! And free admission with $1 candy, can’t beat that! Looks like a great vacation.
Thank you.
And now I don’t need to go there. Beautiful photos…and you are lookin hot Mama!!
So how come we didn’t get a visit while you were here? It would’ve been nice to meet you, finally.
Very nice travelogue. I enjoy travelogues because I’m a travel nut. I really need to hone back in on USA destinations. I’ve been travelling the world for years now.
Looks like so much fun. I have never been to Salt Lake City, or Utah for that matter. Looks like your kids had a blast. I love family vacations!
We lived in St. George for almost 3 years and never got up there. Great pics!
What wonderful times you had. Thank you for the reminder about the pioneer museum I went there as a teen and have never forgotten it. I found that so interesting. Did you twins do okay (I am scared to take mine alone).
Alan helped work on the conference center when it was being built so that building and everything about it means alot to us!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful trip!
♡ Great pictures! I love visiting SL too! I love how even the top view of the conference center is beautiful!!
It looks like you had a great vacation! I just wish we could have met up!
You made hometown seem cool. Not an easy task. I still gawk at the mountains since returning home from our 10 year sojourn back East.
I LOVE Salt Lake. It has been 10 yrs since I have been there. I miss it.
Wow…so beautiful. And your family pics are so great. I’m so happy you all had such a great time.
Hey! Glad to see your family in my neck of the woods! Sounds like a you had a nice vacation!
I’ve never been to Utah, but Salt Lake City looks gorgeous! I love the flower beds and how neat and clean it all is. Beautiful buildings, especially the “castle.”
Thanks for sharing!
looks like a fun time and seeing all those places.
Okay, how come we didn’t know you were going to be in town. I would have loved to have met up with you downtown. I would have loved to have seen my uncle Scotty too since it seems like we never do family stuff since Grandma died. I am glad you had a good trip. YOu better call next time.
Looks like you had a great trip. Thanks for the reminder about what a beautiful state I live in. I guess we take it for granted sometimes!
I stopped there on the way to Wyoming when I was in college, and I still tell people about the temple lit up at night. Just so beautiful….it really is a lovly city.