a layover in slc

As you read in our welcome post, Matt and I met in the mid-2000s in Phoenix, AZ. During our years working together at US Airways (RIP), we spent a lot of weekends exploring the western United States. Being east coast kids, this was a region of America that we hadn't thoroughly explored.

Thanks to Phoenix's west coast hub status, we were able to take advantage of our free flights and see cities that we may not have vacationed otherwise. One of our best day trips was to Salt Lake City, Utah, in the summer of 2007. Utah is beautiful. I believe it to be the prettiest of all 50 states: big blue sky, snow capped mountains, famous lakes, gorgeous city skylines, kind & beautiful people. Everything about Utah is ascetically pleasing.

Salt Lake City happens to be a hub city for Delta and because of this, some passengers have long layovers at the city's airport. The city and the LDS have created a wonderful way for travelers to pass the time, learn a bit of Mormon history, and see the beautiful sites of Temple Square. There is a free shuttle bus that will take travelers from the airport to the heart of downtown. On the drive, you are given a history lesson and recommendations on what to see in the few hours you have to spend in the city. A tour guide will then take you around to each building and historic site and share the important facts with you. Matt & I were delighted with the architecture and the landscape and fascinated by the history. Because we had more than a short layover, we toured Temple Square with our tour group and then had a few hours left to check out other parts of the city. We had lunch at Lamb's Grill Café (good food, lots of lambs), went to a farmer's market, took a quick peek at the convention center, rode the light rail to the University of Utah and then had afternoon root beer at Red Rock Brewing Co (good root beer, probably even better craft beer). I'd love to visit again and spend more time in such a unique city! Here are some of the highlights of our "layover" in Salt Lake City.