Utah Trip Recap | What We Did, Ate, Stayed, Etc

Utah family trip - things to do in Utah with kids — BYU Paleontology Museum

Why We Went

We mainly went to visit Salt Lake because it was within driving distance of Andrew’s parents in Montana. We haven’t gone on vacation since before Covid started and (mainly me) were desperate to get out of town and our usual routine. Since we were already scheduled to go to my in-laws for a long weekend, we tacked this trip on the end of that one.

Where We Stayed

We ended up staying at this Airbnb near downtown Salt Lake. It wasn’t my first or even second choice but we were too slow with those so ended up here. It wasn’t a bad spot by any means. It was very clean and in a convenient area with a good host. It was fine, just wasn’t my first choice.

What We Did

Here are the activities that we checked off our list:

Ogden Train Station – we stayed in Ogden our first night and this was perfect for our pint-sized train enthusiast. Only bummer that we didn’t manage to get him on the commuter train into SLC as we also had to move our car.

Utah Capitol Building – Gorgeous classical architecture and a great view of the city. We didn’t go inside but they offer tours as well.

City Creek Mall – It’s just an over-the-top mall but I’d never seen it so I wanted to take in the spectacle. They have free parking and are centrally located downtown which is helpful.

Temple Square – The main attraction in downtown SLC is currently a giant construction site. There used to be more to see but it will be under construction for a couple more years I think.

Salt Lake City Public Library – This was a fun stop for Ted as they have a giant kid’s section that is located away from the rest of the library so you don’t have to worry about keeping them quiet. Huge selection and a beautiful facility. If we were locals, I bet this would be a regular stop for us.

Liberty Park – We just wandered around (with hot drinks) and enjoyed the park but there are things to do within the park as well. The carnival toys were all closed up for the season. This park is also home to the Tracy Aviary and Botanical Gardens.

Gardner Village (Train Shoppe) – I only stopped here because there is a store called the Train Shoppe which has all sorts of train toys and train rides but it ended up being a good time all around. It’s a small little shopping area that was decked out for Halloween and so after train rides, we went and checked out all the displays.

BYU Museum of Palaeontology (free) – This was probably the highlight of the trip for Ted. Right across the street from the BYU football stadium is this little free Palaeontology museum that has tons of full-size dinosaur replicas. Ted went through probably five times, loving it each and every time. Totally a hole in the wall but I was really impressed and glad we made the trip down to Provo to check it out.

Provo City Temple – We ate lunch across the street from the Provo City Center Temple and so wandered over to check it out afterward. I love seeing the different architecture from the standard LDS temple building as this one is a historic building (it is actually a partial replica as the original burned down in 2010 but they saved the exterior).

Alpine Loop – Possibly the highlight of the trip for me was driving Alpine Loop back from Provo. We were there at just the perfect time of year and time of day to get the Utah mountains in all their glory. Take it slow and enjoy all the views from the pullouts. There were tons of people along the route doing the same and were more than happy to snap a couple of pictures for us.

Sundance – The first stop along the Alpine Loop is Sundance Mountain Resort. There are restaurants and lift rides (closed when we were there). Ted and I walked around and enjoyed the fall foliage. It was so peaceful and just a nice place to hang out for a couple of hours.

Tibble Fork Reservoir – This is on the north end of the Alpine Loop and an easy add on to your scenic drive. We stopped here to get out and have a snack at one of the picnic tables but we saw people paddling out on the reservoir.

Timpanogos Cave national monument – Andrew wanted to do this hike but with a pregnant wife and toddler in tow, it would have been a giant undertaking, and weren’t prepared. Instead, we went to the visitors center and did the nature walk along the other side of the road.

Scenic drive/ Cascade Springs/Herber Valley – We went on another scenic drive with Andrew and ended up in the Herber Valley. It was another beautiful drive that started on Alpine Loop but pretty early on veered off to the north. There were plenty of pullouts along the way and easy hikes/nature walks that Ted and I could do easily. My favorite was Cascade Springs.

Ensign Peak – Another little hike that we did on our way out of town. We didn’t go all the way to the top but only to the lower viewpoint. It was a great view of the entire city and easy enough for a preggo and toddler to do unassisted.

Kid-Friendly Hikes and Scenic Drives we never got to:

Little Cottonwood Canyon
Bridal Veil Falls (drove past it but didn’t stop)
Donut Falls
Bell Canyon

Other activities we never got to:

Herber Valley Railroad
Heritage Park
This is the Place State Park
Natural History Museum
Thanksgiving Point
Living Planet Aquarium
Park City Olympic Village

utah things to do with kids — Along Alpine Loop

Where We Ate

Salt Lake Coffee Roasters – Andrew said it was great coffee. We went back several times for his morning coffee.

Spitz Mediterranean – I think the food tasted so good because we were all so hungry. Not a bad spot if you’re in downtown SLC and need a place with lots of vegetarian options.

Sweet Tooth Fairy (Orem) – I wasn’t planning on stopping here but I happened to drive by and stopped on an impulse. I’ve heard a ton about the Sweet Tooth Fairy from Instagram.

Guru (Provo) – I had the veggie burrito and it was better than most. Heavy on the veggies and light on the cheesy extras. The sweet potato fries were also 10/10

Veggie House – 100% vegan restaurant. It was pretty good. We got takeout for dinner one night and had leftovers for lunch the next day.

Other restaurants I had on my list but we never got to (you can also see all the reader recommendations here):