Part 2 of my whole Utah Solo Road Trip!
Leaving from Las Vegas around noon, I arrived in Salt Lake City about 9pm. It was supposed to be a shorter drive but it snowed and I panicked and I drove REALLY slow.
I checked in at Salt Lake Plaza Hotel at Temple Square because Temple Square is their main square and I want to be close to as much places as I could so I can just walk around the area.
Day 3
9am: Ensign Peak
Ensign Peak is a quick 20-minute hike out and back. I decided to go to Ensign Peak to see the view of the city from up the hill but it was foggy when I got there and I can already see that the visibility is really low so I decided to drive around on my way back to the hotel to see snow-covered neighborhoods. Salt Lake City was really pretty.
12nn: Lunch
I met with a friend and her family to get lunch. However, it was a Sunday and because of religious reasons, most of the establishments, even the mall, is closed on Sundays. I did not know that so you have to remember that so you can plan your trip accordingly. We drove around looking for a place to eat and found El Dorado Seafood where they serve mexican food. The restaurant is primarily spanish speaking and it was okay coz my friend can speak spanish but I’m pretty sure they can speak english too.
3pm: Antelope Island State Park
The drive to Antelope Island State Park from Salt Lake City is about 2 hours. There you can see bisons, sheep, deers, and many more animals in the wild, just walking in the mountains, sometimes close to the roads. You can choose to explore the island in your car, on a bicycle, or even on foot! There are many trails that give a good view of the island from the high mountains to the sandy beach areas. There’s so much to do and see inside the park so if you can, spend at least a day exploring the place.
7pm: Mill Creek
Mill Creek is nearby Mt Olympus, where some celebrities build they’re homes in Utah. It was very snowy when we got there and there’s a private residence by the parking lot that has a pond with ducks swimming in it. The place was so pretty, especially for someone like me who’s from a tropical country and then moved to LA, which also does not experience snow.
On the way back to the hotel, I stopped by at Best Buy to get more memory cards for my cameras. They close at 8pm but their curbside pickup is open until 9. If you have any electronic needs like I did, make sure you take care of them while you’re in Salt Lake City because there are no more electronic shops in the towns near the national parks. I saw some but they only sell 16GB memory cards so if you need more than that, purchase them here in SLC.
Day 4
10am: Woodward Park City
Woodward Park City is a ski resort but they also have snow tubing and an indoor trampoline park for those who can’t ski, like me! Haha. I have never been snow tubing before so I decided that’s what I’m gonna do there. They have 2-hour time slot tickets for the snow tubing area but they also have all-day passes for those who have the time and can’t get enough of the amazing ride.
12nn: Park City Main Street
Park City Main Street is well, the main street at Park City. Haha. It is where you’d see countless shops and restaurants and on one end, a cable ride up to a ski resort up the mountain. I was already craving for asian food so I walked along the whole street and saw Baan Thai Cuisine and Bar which is a Thai restaurant and decided to have lunch there and then drove to Moab afterwards.
7pm: Moab
Moab is supposedly just a 4-hour drive from Park City, but because I took several rest stops, I arrived at 7pm. I booked an astronomy tour for 8pm but it was cancelled because of cloudy skies so I had the night to explore the town before my first National Park tomorrow.
9pm: Dinner
I walked along the road looking for a place to eat. There are many good restaurants in the area to have dinner but without a reservation, the waiting time is really long. I saw another restaurant across the street but can’t seem to find a pedestrian crossing. They are few and far apart in this town, and with vehicles driving super fast in the poorly-lit roads, I didn’t wanna risk jaywalking. When I finally found a crossing, I saw this restaurant Moab Grill and they’re food is unexpectedly good. I ordered a pasta and for a grill place, I wasn’t really expecting so much but it was good.
After dinner, I walked back to my hotel to rest for my first National Park the next day, Canyonlands!
Stay tuned for that!
