In early September, Eileen and I traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah for a special reunion. We gathered with family we hadnât seen, some for 15 years to celebrate a 60th birthday. Since it was a special occasion, we decided to stay a few extra days and sightsee. Boy were we glad we did!
The flight out was uneventful except for it being a full flight and we were at the âback of the bus.â We flew into the SLC airport and thatâs when everything started going sideways. I used Indeed.com to book our car rental and hotel. When we arrived at the rental location, they said they could not find our reservation and couldnât honor the rate quoted. We eventually got a car but paid a higher rate. On to the next issue, our hotel. When we arrived at the hotel quoted by Indeed, it was there but we didnât have a reservation. It was for a different hotel, fortunately, it was right next door but was being remodeled. We moved everything there, and got a room, again at a higher rate. Finally settled, we were ready to start our next adventure.
Time for that first drink of the day, but no! We quickly found out, actually reminded, that most of the area is dry. The Mormon community frowns on it and makes the liquor licenses so expensive, that most establishments canât afford them. After a quick change, we drove out to meet the family for burgers and beer. As we drove, we got a better look at the mountain ranges. Salt Lake lies in a mountain valley almost a mile above sea level. The Wasatch Mountains form the border east and north of the city with the Oquirrh Mountains to the west. Beautiful indeed!
When we returned to the hotel, we crashed as we knew the following day would be busy. The ârealâ party was held in the mountains at Nunns Park, about an hour away. As happens at most parties, we talked, ate, drank, and played games. It was a great celebration! We were also able to explore more and drove to the Bridal Veil Falls area.
Bridal Veil is a 607-foot-tall, double cataract or multi-step waterfall with pools at the bottom of each step. It is visible from the highway but there is an area where you can park and walk up to the base of the falls. A semi-trail leads up to the 2nd level of the falls but we were told the trail is steep, not maintained, and potentially dangerous so we just observed from the base. After numerous pictures, we called it a day.
The following day was Sunday and we discovered another area anomaly, most restaurants were closed. The only places open were coffee shops. They had a very limited menu and closed early. By 5 p.m., the streets were shuttered.
On Monday, we decided to visit the Mount Timpanogos area. Itâs the highest mountain in the Wasatch range, peaking at over 11,000 feet. The only way to reach the summit is to hike, which we skipped, but there is a cave you can explore. A scenic highway loops around Mount Timpanogos and we decided to take it up to the cave area and learn about the potential experience. Just as an FYI: most mountain areas are not handicap accessible. The falls, yes, but the mountains, no.
Hereâs where we hit our next obstacle. The hike up to the cave! Itâs âonlyâ a mile and a half up to the cave from the parking lot, but it is considered strenuous as it is steep with many switchbacks. You are warned about rock falls and potential other dangers, especially rattlesnakes. We didnât encounter either, but we also didnât make it to the top. After about an hour of hiking, we realized we were out of shape, our implants were screaming âstop.â and while we had water with us, we were getting hot and tired. Calling a retreat, we headed back down. If we had reached the cave, it would have been another half-mile of walking inside. For fit travelers, it is estimated to take a minimum of five hours to see the cave. Time to find some food.
We then learned about another unique event in the area, what we would typically call âsiesta.â If a restaurant is open in the morning, they close sometime around noon and donât reopen until five or later. We had planned on eating at the âBlack Sheepâ restaurant, but it hadnât reopened, so we went across the street to an open Mexican restaurant. Everyone we spoke with in all the restaurants was friendly and fun. Students worked at the park services desk while others served as restaurant wait staff. Surprisingly, most were from out of state. There were several from the Chicago area and one from right down the street in Elgin.
Mike and Eileen Giltner at Bear Claw Lookout in Sundance. (Photo provided)
The following day we decided to try the east side of the mountain, specifically via the Sundance Resort and Ski area. We drove back into the mountains and parked. Sundance runs a shuttle service from various parking lots to the main lodge. Oops. Eileenâs phone was dead. The people at the restaurant said they could charge it. So we left her phone and explored the resort. There was a lot of construction taking place for a new lodge and a number of the shops were closed, but we got the basics of the area. Lodging is scattered around the lodge in independent buildings and no, Robert Redford wasnât there. After about an hour of charging, we gathered the phone and headed up the local mountains to the top of Sundance. Didnât want to miss taking any pictures! The Bear Claw Cabin at 8,200 feet is the highest point in the resort and is reached by a series of chair lifts. Once there you have a 360-degree visual of the surrounding area. You also have access to food and drink to replenish yourself. Several people started their downhill hike from there. We took the chairlift back down, took the shuttle back to our car, and then downhill to the hotel.
The next day we checked out and decided to venture into Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, the temple square with the Mormon Tabernacle was under heavy construction. We couldnât find where we would have started a tour even if we had wanted to! Change of plans. We headed to the Great Salt Lake, the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere and the eighth largest in the world. We drove to the park and were told it was $10 just to see the lake up close, which we could see already, so we declined and drove out to Black Rock.
What is Black Rock? Basically, it is a huge rock that rolled down the mountain and sits at the edge of the lake. Local tribes felt it was sacred and early settlers used it as a landmark for westward travel. It is now a protected landmark.
Time to head to the airport. We used American Taxi to and from OâHare. Both drivers were from Ukraine. The weather in Utah was pleasant, no rain but it did warm up in the afternoon. Overall, great to see family and also the mountains. Our daughter went up to Park City for river rafting. With little rain, said it was more of a paddle but still fun. She also went to Lava Hot Springs. The spring’s temperature ranges from approximately 102Ë F to 112Ë F degrees, and it is a welcome treat for sore or aching muscles. We didnât go but will keep it in mind for our next visit. We were once again reminded to be flexible when traveling.
