"A Day in Salt Lake City" Salt Lake City by VdV

My Mom, in her quest to visit all 50 U.S. states, came with me for a quick trip to Utah. One day in Salt Lake City, and one day in Park City.

Salt Lake City is a great place for a visit. We did the Gray Line City Tour (yes, touristy, but our Tour Guide was really terrific--very knowledgeable, patient, and overall nice guy.)

Our itinerary:
* Driving tour of downtown Salt Lake City, then up to University of Utah campus, for a view of the city.

* Brief stop at Heritage Village, with other great views of the city; just took a quick peek in, but looks like a good place to spend a few hours to learn about Mormom history and culture.

* Headed back down to downtown area, and spent most of the rest of the tour in Temple Square.

* Attended the daily organ recital, held in the Temple Square Conference Center Theatre....absolutely magnificent.

* Had lunch at The Lion House, one of Brigham Young's residences; food was actually quite good! We had pot roast and mashed potatoes, with freshly baked rolls.

* Went to the 26th floor of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints main administration building for more panoramic views of the city.

* Walked around the gardens a bit, saw at least two newly married couples posing for pictures in the gardens.

Later in the evening, my Mom and I drove to the Gateway Center, a mall with a good outdoor ambience.

We stayed at the Salt Lake City Center Marriott--a very convenient location with all the luxuries (e.g., marble bathrooms) one could want.

• Pros:Interesting history, very manageable to city highlights in a day or two
• Cons:Hot in the summer, although not humid
• In a nutshell:Good place to visit to learn about some interesting U.S. western history