Salt Lake City: the Perfect Holiday Destination

2014/06/22

Salt Lake City – photo by Garrett on Flickr CC

Salt Lake City: the Perfect Holiday Destination

If you’re planning an exciting city vacation in the United States, several major options spring to mind – NYC, of course, Washington DC and Chicago, for starters. However, one great destination that many people don’t readily consider is Salt Lake City. Located in the south-western state of Utah, Salt Lake City offers a variety of fascinating attractions with something for everyone.

If you do decide to visit Salt Lake City after learning all it has on offer below, then consider joining an organized tour offered by overland companies like Dragoman. Such tours allow you to explore several North American cities within the same trip.

Now let’s take a look at all of Salt Lake City’s many charms:

For starters, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts is the premier visual arts museum in the state, boasting a collection of over 18,000 individual objects spanning 5,000 years of creativity. The museum continuously presents new exhibits on top of their permanent collections.

If you’re travelling with younger members of the family, the Discovery Gateway, based in Gateway Mall in the city center, is worth exploring. Boasting over 60,000 square feet of interactive displays, it will keep the little ones busy for hours.

City Creek Center Shopping Mall – Salt Lake City

Besides world-class museums, Salt Lake City has always been known for is shopping. Historically it hosted the very first department store in the whole United States. Today it has everything a shopping lover could want.

City Creek Center is the premier shopping and dining destination in the city. In fact, it recently received an award for “Best Retail Development in the Americas”. It boasts some seriously stylish mod-cons, such as a fully-retractable glass roof, hourly fountain shows, waterfalls and even a sparkling creek running through the centre.

There are also a number of malls for those who prefer their retail therapy a bit more mainstream, but the city also has many specialist and individual shops. O.C. Tanner, for instance, is a legendary jeweller known for their classic collection of diamonds, gemstones and watches.

For thrill-seekers and outdoor-lovers, Utah is an absolute playground, making Salt Lake City the ideal base. The region boasts a wide range of habitats ranging from alpine mountains to deserts.

Arches National Park

It plays host to 15 different national parks. All are within a day’s drive of the city, have camp-grounds and other types of accommodation. Several of the parks boast gorgeous rock canyons which are perfect for hiking and biking.

Those who love fishing and wildlife viewing will find a host of options nearby. There are numerous river and outdoor expeditions as well as several guest ranches. During winter, visitors can do everything from snowboarding to skiing.

Salt Lake City is also a stellar destination for less adventurous animal lovers. The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium is well worth exploring. More or less every type of marine animal can be seen here, including sharks, rays, seahorses, jellyfish, octopus, eels, piranhas and even a rescued green sea turtle.

The Hogle Zoo is also outstanding, featuring a huge variety of animals including polar bears, grizzlies, sea lions, seals, river otters and bald eagles.

For dinosaur enthusiasts, Thanksgiving Point is perfect. The Gardens and Museum of Ancient Life is a Jurassic lover’s dream. Over 60 complete skeletons are on display, making it the largest dinosaur exhibit in the world. Thanksgiving Point is also home to the largest man-made waterfall in the western hemisphere.

Last, but absolutely no means least, Salt Lake City is a great place for food. It offers a wide array of different dining options. The classic American options are there, of course, but it’s also easy to dine on everything from a Brazilian-style steak to world class seafood.

(* For more information about this post, please check out this page *)

——————————————————————————————————————————–