Please help me plan what to see in Utah!

[GH85Carrera]

In early July which is less than two months away I will be loading up my 1985 911 and driving with my wife on vacation. Last year we drove to Savannah GA. This year we are heading to Salt Lake City, UT from Oklahoma City. I sure hope it is cooler in UT than Savannah, GA was last August.

In the past we have driven to the Grand Canyon both north & south rim, Brice Canyon, Zion National Park, Mexican Hat, Monument Valley, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, San Diego, Crater Lake OR, Rocky Mountain National park and many other parks in these United States.

I would like to hear suggestions on what to see that is not horribly out of the way. Most likely the first day of travel will be the horrible drive north on I-35 to Salina, KS then west through a very desolate part of the country, west Kansas and east Colorado. My wife has said she wants to see the Dinosaur National Monument Park. That is in far northeast UT and we may have to route up that way on the way to SLC. That would take us back through Rocky Mountain National Park but that is a beautiful place to visit.

I am thinking press on the first day to Denver CO area which is 690 miles. Then from there through the Rocky Mountain National Park and on to Dinosaur National Monument Park. Spend the night in that area and spend some time there then on into SLC.

Are there some other places we should see along the way? Should we go a different route?

[GH85Carrera]

Here is a quick view of the route.

1,267 mi one way.

[mikeferg75]

So I assume after SLC you will drop down to and come back on 70?

Moab, and Arches are not far off 70.

Also, Colorado National Monument is a nice detour drive in Grand Junction, From there I would drop in to Gateway CO go to the car museum and then take 50 back towards Salida. Then north to denver on 285.

[tabs]

For a Steak Dinner the Buck Horn Exchange in Denver..Also the White House for a Fried Chicken Dinner...The Wynkoop Pub down by the Stadium is nice local hangout. In Denver check out the Unsinkable Molly Brown House...Where ever I go I like to check out historic homes...

In SLC..the Bee Hive House of Brigham Young..Petrified Forest in AZ

DE Chelly Canyon in the 4 corners area of Navajo Land is quite nice (take the tour through the canyon and see the Anasazi ruins) . I would have said Brice Canyon and Zion but ya have been there an do that. In CA an over looked park is Lassen Volcanic Park, on the Coast the Red Woods especially camping down on the beach...Oregon Caves is quite kool... I stopped in Wilcox. AZ and saw where Wyatt Warps younger brother was killed in 1906 and talked to the General Store owners about how Geronimo used to buy candy there. Or a drive over the White Mountains in AZ is nice.

[tabs]

DE Chelley Canyon from the Rim...they filmed the movie MCKennas Gold in the Canyon back in the 1960's.

[sammyg2]

My favorite place near SLC when I was growing up (not counting the ski slopes) was big cottonwood canyon, specifically a park called "the spruces".
Loved that place.

Looks like the huggers have managed to put a whole bunch of restrictions on it since then:

Know Before You Go
•This is a watershed area; visitors will be fined for bringing domestic pets or livestock into the area
•This campground has first-come, first-served sites
•A fee for extra vehicles will be collected at the campground
•Swimming and wading is not allowed due to culinary watershed restrictions
•Off-road vehicles are not allowed in the canyon
•Click here for more info about the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest


This facility is operated by American Land & Leisure. We appreciate hearing from you. Comment cards are available from campground hosts or online at americanll.com.
Getting There:
SPRUCES
HIGHWAY 190
WASATCH UT

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
40.64056, -111.63583
40°38'26"N, 111°38'9"W

From I-215, take the 6200 South exit and travel a mile east to Wasatch Blvd. Take Wasatch Blvd a mile south to junction with Big Cottonwood Canyon/Highway 190. Make a left at the junction and travel up Big Cottonwood Canyon 9.7 miles to the campground.

Phone Park for More Information:
Information: (435)649-7534

[nynor]

my house is in utah.

mirror lake highway is beautiful and not too far from SLC.

market street grill (there are a few of them in town) has really good food. a bit spendy, but good.

the best BBQ is pat's.

best beer selection is at the bayou. you can skip that, though, and go straight to epic and get some very very good beer. again, my house.

my .02, skip the beehive house. very overrated. sorry tabs.

there are some other good restaurants, if that is what you are after.

B to C to D is an interesting choice, on your map. longer than taking either I80 or I70. more scenic, however.

july in utah is often ~100F. not nearly the humidity of savannah, however. it is still bloody hot when it is 103F outside.

i guess you better check out temple square. it wouldn't be a trip to SLC without that. from there you should head over to the tavernacle: The Tavernacle Social Club - Utah's Premiere Dueling Piano Bar! .

d.

[GH85Carrera]

No matter how nice a place is we will NOT be camping. Just a day visit and some pictures. We spent a week in Flagstaff AZ. There are lots of places around there that are wonderful.

[lukeh]

I loved Zion National Park and will be back there in 10 days.

[GH85Carrera]

The week in SLC only has two nights open for meals. The rest of the time we eat with the club. We will have some lunches open. I am planning on coming to your house for a home brew!

[nynor]

i better get on that.

[craigster59]

I've only been there for filming so not a lot of time to sightsee. Fuggles and Squatters have some good food and beer.

[nynor]

fuggles has been gone a long time. unfortunately. i played pool there many an evening.

[RWebb]

depending on where in Utah you are willing to go:


San Rafael Swell

Slickrock Trail - Mtn. Bike Trail near Moab

Little Sahara Sand Dunes

Grand Gulch

[p911dad]

+1 on Mikeferg75's suggested route and stops along the way. Grand Junction makes a good overnight.

[GH85Carrera]

Randy, we will have two people with 10 days of clothes (some dress up crap) packed into the 911. My wife is even less into biking than I am. We will do some walking but no hiking or backpacking.

This is the most but not all of the luggage from last year's trip.



All of that came out of my 911!

We are looking for pretty places to see.

[RWebb]

the only urban things I know of in SLC are to tour the temple (the outer regions, that is)

[sammyg2]

You might wanna try your luck fishing in the great salt lake .........

Totally serial, the best thing in Utah IMO is just driving around and checking out the small towns. Some of em are really, really cool. Bountiful comes to mind.
Clean, suburban, white steeple churches, kinda makes ya get all nostalgic like for the good ole days.
At least that's what happens to me when I cruuuuuise through there.

I really like cedar city too but that's quite spell south of where yer going.

[mjohnson]

I'd take more of a straight line through KS. I-70 has low speed limits and you can nearly beat that on the backroads - even including slowing below the speed limits in every small town. Overnight in Pueblo or Co Springs then again NW off the interstates to Summit County or Eagle. Up CO-9 from Silverthorne or CO-131 from Eagle (?) up towards Steamboat Springs and on from there.


[hates interstates!]

[nynor]

again, for beautiful places, close to SLC, mirror lake highway can't be beat. and it is a FUN road to drive in a porsche.