We recently had the absolute joy of attending a dear friend’s wedding in Salt Lake City. I had visited the area before, but David had only passed through while we were driving to Yellowstone a few years ago, so we decided to make a long weekend of the trip.

The Basics

As soon as we landed at the airport, I was impressed with the new terminal at the SLC airport. There were a lot of great food and shopping options and the Delta SkyClub had a great view of the runway and Wasatch mountains. The last time I visited, my friend (the one whose wedding we were in town for) picked me up, this time I decided to make use of the light rail from the airport to downtown. I love a city that prioritizes public transport options to/from the airport and the TRAX train was great– we got to our hotel in downtown for $2.50/each vs a $40+ Uber AND we didn’t have to sit through rush hour traffic.

We stayed at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center, located right in the heart of downtown. I typically prioritize a hotel that has good walkability and options for public transportation– this hotel fit the bill. The hotel was lovely, if typical of the chain, and the staff was incredibly welcoming, which set a great tone for the rest of our trip.

Dry State?

One of the things that surprised me the most about Salt Lake City is the robust beer scene. Utah has a unique and interesting history when it comes to beer. The state has a significant Mormon population, which historically has abstained from alcohol. This has made for a complex and often contentious relationship between Utah and the brewing industry. Excuse me while I beer-nerd out for a few paragraphs.

The first brewery in Utah was established in 1859 by a man named Henry W. Lawrence, who brought his brewing equipment with him from California. The brewery was located in Salt Lake City and was the only one in the state for many years. In 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed, which brought a wave of new settlers to Utah. Many of these newcomers were of European descent and had a tradition of brewing and drinking beer. They established new breweries, but these were often short-lived due to the Mormon influence in the state.

In 1890, the Mormon Church officially banned the production and consumption of alcohol, which put a real damper on the brewing industry in Utah. The state also enacted prohibition laws in 1917, which were some of the strictest in the country. The laws prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol, including beer, with more than 3.2% alcohol by weight. Despite these restrictions, some breweries managed to survive by producing low-alcohol beer. One such brewery was the Salt Lake Brewing Company, which was founded in 1896 and produced a beer called “4%.” This beer was just under the legal limit and became popular among Utahns.

In 1933, Prohibition was repealed, and Utah amended its laws to allow for the sale and consumption of beer with up to 3.2% alcohol by weight. This opened up new opportunities for breweries in the state, and many new breweries were established in the years that followed. One notable brewery that emerged during this time was the Wasatch Brewery, which was founded in Park City in 1986. Wasatch became known for its flavorful, high-quality beers and helped to put Utah on the map as a destination for craft beer enthusiasts.

In recent years, Utah has continued to liberalize its alcohol laws. In 2009, the state raised the legal limit for beer to 4% alcohol by weight, which opened up new opportunities for breweries to experiment with stronger, more flavorful beers. Today, Utah is home to a thriving craft beer scene, with dozens of breweries producing a wide variety of styles and flavors and SLC is both the state and beer capital on Utah.

During this visit, we made a point to visit a few of the local breweries, including Unita, Bewilder, and Kiitos but in the past I have also visited Wasatch and Epic. The beer was fantastic, and the staff at each brewery was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their craft.

More Than Beer

Aside from the breweries, there were plenty of other fun things to do in downtown Salt Lake City. We are suckers for a good book store and a trusty Google search let us to Ken Sanders Rare Books, a short walk from our hotel. The store had an incredible selection of rare and unique books, I even found a book on frontier doctors that mentioned my grandfather, who was a physician in Lewistown, Idaho.

We also checked out the Clark Planetarium, where we caught a laser Floyd show, something that I had always heard about people doing but never had the opportunity. It was wild and I could not recommend going to a laser show more. The show includes music by Pink Floyd accompanied by dazzling laser light effects, creating a unique audio-visual experience. The price of admission for adults is typically around $9.95USD.

Also in the downtown area, Tracy Aviary was a recommended to us by our friend and it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I’ve mentioned this before but we became avid birdwatchers during the pandemic and we are always looking for a way to both support conservation and view wildlife. Tracy Aviary is a cherished bird sanctuary located in Liberty Park, about 12 minutes from downtown SLC. The aviary features a diverse collection of over 135 bird species from around the world, making it a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers. Established in 1938, the aviary is one of the oldest and continuously operating aviaries in the United States. The cost of admission is $12.95USD for adults, a steal considering how magical the place is!

It wasn’t all beer and exploring, we did take some time to eat during our time in Salt Lake city. White Horse Spirits & Kitchen in downtown is an American Brasserie and had an amazing Croque Monsieur, plus a great selection of local beer. Also in downtown, we stumbled upon a chain shop called Cupbop. We aren’t usually big on chains but the call of quick-service Korean BBQ was too strong to be ignored. If you find yourself near a Cupbop, don’t sleep on it! The cups were completely customizable with protein, toppings, and spice level and the quality was topnotch.

Further Afield

On our last day, we carved out some time to take a day trip out to Antelope Island, which was definitely a highlight of our trip. We rented a car for the day from the airport and it look about an hour to reach the island (which is technically a peninsula when the lake is low). There is an entrance fee of $15USD per car (up to 8 people). The scenery was breathtaking, and we were able to see a variety of wildlife, including bison, pronghorn antelope, and coyotes. It was a great way to get some fresh air and take a break from the hustle and bustle (we’ll call it that) of the city. A little bummer of a note but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it: the shrinking of the Great Salt Lake has had significant impacts on Antelope Island’s ecosystem and environment. As the lake’s water levels decline, the landmass of the island increases, leading to changes in its shoreline and altering the habitats of various wildlife species. Additionally, the reduction in water availability has affected the island’s plant and animal life, posing challenges to their survival and raising concerns about the overall ecological balance of the area. With that in mind, if you are in the area, take the time to visit Antelope Island! It was a fantastic way to see some local bird and animal life and explore the Great Salt Lake.