I’m really excited to interview Ben Luthi of Thrifty Wanderer about Salt Lake City, Utah. Ben’s tips for the best things to do in Salt Lake City are awesome because he grew up in the area and loves to hike the nearby hills and trails.
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Capitol Building. Photo courtesy of rmartins759 on Pixabay
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is most commonly known for the Mormons who live in the city. And you can see their imprint on Salt Lake City, especially in Temple Square, which offers 35 acres of rich history, gorgeous gardens, and impressive architecture. For history buffs, you can visit Bringham Young’s home (Beehive House) and the Gilgal Sculpture Garden, which has numerous sculptures relating to Mormon theology. However, you don’t have to be a Mormon to appreciate the beauty of the square, the interesting history, and how clean the city streets are.
The city is so much more than just religion. Over the past decade, local liquor laws have changed and there’s now a budding craft brew and distillery scene in town. Ben really enjoys hiking, and there are so many options, including Ensign Peak, Little Cottonwood Canyon, and Donut Falls.
Salt Lake City is also a jumping-off point for the incredible ski slopes in the Utah mountains. Park City is known as a spot for the rich & famous, while I’ve enjoyed snowboarding at Solitude Mountain and Snowbasin. I have an IKON Pass, so I’m looking forward to exploring more of the ski slopes near Salt Lake City during my next visit.
We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Visit Salt Lake, the local convention and visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.
If you’d like to learn how to travel for free using airline miles and hotel points, check out my free 7-day email course.
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Getting around Salt Lake City
The local airport is Salt Lake City International Airpot (SLC), which is about a 10-minute drive to downtown.
Ben says that, even if you’re staying downtown, it’s a good idea to rent a car. For the best offers, visit Avis, Budget, or Hertz.
Uber and Lyft are excellent ways to get around. And I’ve personally found the downtown area very walkable.
When you only need a car for a couple of hours, you can rent by the hour with Zipcar. Join now to get $25 loaded into your account.
Book Mural off of Main Street
Places we talked about on the podcast
Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Ben Luthi about Salt Lake City, Utah. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.
- Red dots = best places to eat in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Green dots = best things to do in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Yellow dots = best places to stay in Salt Lake City, Utah
Who is Ben Luthi?
Ben Luthi is a freelance money and travel writer, whose work has appeared in several major publications, including The New York Times, Fox Business, Time, Marketwatch, U.S. News & World Report, and more.
He has partnered with two other freelance writing experts to launch the Freelance Writer Academy. This course teaches aspiring writers how to become a freelancer, find clients, and build their business the right way. Ben also runs the travel blog The Thrifty Wanderer and co-hosts the Just One More Trip podcast.
Below are links to some of Ben’s articles and podcast episodes:
- Is Hotel Elite Status Actually Worth It?
- How to Find the Right Credit Card for Your Next Vacation
- Travel Smart with Shoulder Season
You can connect with Ben on his website or on social media on Twitter or Instagram.
Gilgal Sculpture Garden and Joseph Smith Sphinx sculpture
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Donut Falls hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon
Stay tuned for our next episode
Listen to the next episode when Julia Menez of GeoBreezeTravel shares the best things to do in Jersey City, NJ. In this episode, Julia and I talk about the waterfront, visiting Ellis Island, and how to find the best spa treatments. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.
What’s your favorite part of Salt Lake City? Send us a Tweet, let us know in the comment section below, or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!
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Related episodes
To learn more about Utah, please listen to our other episodes:
paul lanyi
can’t wait to listen to this! been to SLC probably 50x, but mostly in the 90s and 00’s. SLC is a gorgeous place.
Lee
Thanks, Paul. I learned a lot of fun tips from Ben. Next time I visit for snowboarding, I’m going to plan an extra day or two to explore.