When I relocated to Utah back in 2009, I never expected to fall in love with Salt Lake City. I figured I would spend a few years working at my job, get itchy feet, and move away again. What I didn’t anticipate was how Salt Lake City would reach out and wrap its arms around my heart.
Salt Lake City is special.
Few other cities have affected me as deeply as Salt Lake City. Bucharest is a labyrinth of secret passageways, prophetic street art, dripping with a hard-fought revolutionary history. Berlin immediately felt like my home-away-from-home, where I was able to speak the local language and be responded to like a local. New Orleans has the smells, sounds, and rhythm that pumps life through my veins.
But Salt Lake City is different.
The essence of the city serpentines through the air, cutting through the inversion like a recently-freed toddler in a diaper. The can-do pioneer spirit hangs in the air, making you feel like anything is possible.
Here are the 7 reasons why I fell in LOVE with Salt Lake City.
The Mountains
For those of you who might not know, Salt Lake City sits in a valley with towering mountain ranges on all sides. In fact, about 85% of all Utahns live within 15 minutes of the Wasatch mountain range, part of the impressive Rocky Mountains.
One of my favorite things to do in the fall in Salt Lake City is to drive up one of the canyons, leaving civilization completely behind.
During the fall, the rolling hills become a palate of reds, yellows, and orange. Springtime and early summer find the mountains covered in potent and vibrant wildflowers, attracting some of the biggest wildlife around.
Mountain roads follow the streams and rivers, winding tight corners and presenting a new view every turn.
I currently live at the base of the mountains and can honestly say that I’ve never gotten tired of seeing them every morning when I wake up.
The mountains of Salt Lake City offer so many thing: trails to wander, hills to climb, resorts to visit, vistas to summit, waterfalls to walk behind, open space for mountain bikes and ATVs, and every outdoorsy thing you can think of. I’m not much of a camper, but you can believe the campsites are epic!
The Red Iguana
Restaurants come and go, but I’m convinced that The Red Iguana will live on forever. When I was first introduced to The Red Iguana, I have to admit that I was skeptical. I grew up in Southern California and grew up eating some of the best Mexican food in the US.
I get it. I was a snob to think that Utah couldn’t produce great Mexican food. I had (well, still have) higher standards that the common Utahn when it comes to Mexican food and wasn’t convinced when I was recommended The Red Iguana.
It took me a while before I gave it a shot. And it wasn’t until I watched an episode of “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” on Food Network where The Red Iguana was featured. I learned that their claim to fame was mole, a traditional sauce used in Mexican cuisine, and not some Americanized version of a burrito. Seemed legit in my opinion.
So, I gave it a shot.
And my life was changed. Well, not really. But I learned that I needed to give Salt Lake City the benefit of the doubt with everything else.
Now whenever I host out-of-town guests, need a place to celebrate, or offer a dining recommendation to anyone, The Red Iguana is the first thing that comes out of my mouth. The Red Iguana is the BEST Mexican restaurant in Salt Lake City. It’s the best in Utah, and a delicious reason to fall in love with Salt Lake City.
Address: 736 W North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84116
I can honestly say that I’ve tried about half of the menu, which is no small feat. Thankfully, most of that comes from picking off of my friends’ plates and passing dishes around. My personal favorite dishes: Cochinita Pibil (a slow-roasted pork dish) and the Tacos Don Ramon.
Warning: their salsa is addicting. Pace yourself when seated. Don’t stuff your belly with salsa and chips before your entree arrives!
Sunrises and Sunsets
If you’ve been following this website for any amount of time, chances are you know that I’m a sucker for sunrises. I’ve driven for hours in the dark to catch epic sunrises at Monument Valley, the Haleakala Crater, and a few other places around the world.
There’s something magical about the beginning and ending of the days, centered around the sun. Watching the sky slowly change from inky black to pink and red as the sun creeps up, a bright spot looming on the horizon.
What makes a good sunrise? What makes a good sunset? Clouds and a skyline.
Now, we can talk for hours about air quality, air particles, light refraction, etc. But I don’t want to, and quite frankly, it doesn’t change anything for me.
Salt Lake City has a beautiful skyline, complete with mountains on all sides. Watching the sun rays peeking out over the summits of the mountains makes me smile every day. I’m always finding ways to drive on higher ground to catch the sunset over the valley.
It wasn’t until I came to Salt Lake City that I fully understood the meaning behind the lyrics from America the Beautiful: “purple mountain’s majesty.”
When the sky is full of clouds, the sunsets are spectacular. The clouds look like they’re on fire as they swirl around in the atmosphere.
If you’re visiting Salt Lake City, make sure to check out a sunrise and sunset!
Family-Friendly
Salt Lake City is probably the most family-friendly capital city in the United States, and I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that so many local families are larger than average.
Salt Lake City has done a great job at accommodating the constant influx of children and families. It’s so common to see families everywhere you go, so restaurants, shopping centers, movie theaters, etc. have created added facilities to accommodate children.
History
I studied history at University, so it comes as no small wonder that I tend to gravitate towards places with a unique history.
Quick overview on the settlement of Utah: Salt Lake City and Utah as a whole was founded by people looking for religious freedom during a time when life was hard and the west was truly wild.
When the settlers first arrived in the valley, the area was still technically part of Mexico. A treaty was signed in 1848, which ceded the territory to the United States. Then in 1850 the “State of Deseret” became the Utah Territory.
(Deseret means honeybee, which explains why the symbol of Utah is the beehive.)
And the city still breathes history from the original homes and mansions along South Temple, museums strewn across the city, and monuments near the city center.
Service-forward Mentality
One thing that made me fall in love with Salt Lake City and its residents (and Utah as a whole) was the service-forward mentality that abounds everywhere. From teenage boys working on their Eagle Scout Projects, to youth groups looking for service opportunities, and families who look out for their neighbors, there definitely is no shortage of people looking to make the world a better place.
Personal example: every time I’ve moved within Salt Lake City, there’s been no shortage of people waiting to help me lug my stuff up three flights of stairs, load up the U-haul, or people bringing meals when I had no clue which box had my dishes.
Different Seasons
As someone who grew up in an area that didn’t necessarily experience all four seasons, I can honestly say that my first true winter was exciting. I would run outside to just stand in the snow, try to catch snowflakes in my hands and on my tongue, and take as many pictures as I could.
Have you ever been to Salt Lake City before? Can you think of any other reasons to fall in love with Salt Lake City that I should have included?
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