What you got for me, SLC?

New city means new adventures!  I was really worried that Salt Lake City would be a barren wasteland of strip malls.  The image I’ve always had in my head about Utah is what I’ve seen from the freeway between SLC and Provo.  Dire.

It’s taken some doing and some tips from local friends, but I have found some killer spots.  Here’s my must-do list.

1. Dancing Crane.  673 Simpson Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84106

This is like all of Berkeley in one shop.  There’s everything from Peruvian bags to Buddhas to Tibetan prayer flags.  It also has a musical instrument corner where the kids are allowed to test drive every weird instrument known to man.  Run by nice hippies and it felt like home a little bit.

We LOVED this place.  Definitely will be revisiting.  Also has a little vegan sandwich shop.  Yuck, but maybe good lemonade or something.

2.  Oh Mai 3425 S. State St.

Thanks, Circe and Anna for introducing me to this one.  Oh Mai is Vietnamese sandwiches.  They are delicious and so exotic tasting.  Make sure to tell them to hold the jalapenos bc they are too hot.  It’s next door to a Persian market so if you are shopping for a hijab, this is the place to grab one. 

My kids and Circe’s kids: Xanthe, Ptolemy and Tizzy.  Circe is now my sister in pink. 

3.  The SLC Library.

Gorgeous building, great glass elevators.  Sweet kid’s department including a variety of little themed reading rooms.  Our favorite was the Superman’s lair.  They’re always doing some sort of kid’s reading contest.  Only drawback was that I couldn’t ditch my kids in the kid area, I had to supervise them so I couldn’t get my own books.  Another drawback: INSUFFICIENTLY MARKED MEN’S ROOM.  For the first time in my life I made that fatal error and barged into the men’s room.  I’m scarred for life.  Hush said it’s a known hobo bathing spot so I guess I count myself lucky that it wasn’t that bad. 

But anyway.  It’s a cool place and their Shakespeare section isn’t embarrassing.  We will likely log many hours at this library.

4.  The Rodeo! 

Hush scored us free tickets to see the rodeo at that huge stadium where the Jazz play and it was so exciting!  I think I may have been to a low rent rodeo at some point in my life, but this was the real deal Holyfield.  Huge Brahma Bulls and people getting nearly trampled.  Bulls charging and nearly horn-spearing the stupid rodeo clowns.  The only drawback was the calf roping and getting dragged off to McDonalds.  It was too scary for Mimi.  She has sworn of beef for the time being.

Didn’t get any good animal pictures, but look at Mimi’s expression.  Of course we wore our cowboy boots.

5. Nature and stuff!

Yeah yeah yeah, mountains.  Don’t try to sell Utah to me using mountains.  We all have mountains.  Not impressed. 

But the mountains are a good activity on a Saturday.  Lil’ or Big Cottonwood Canyon is I think where MY BOYFRIEND WHO I LOVE Hush took us to climb this weekend.  Even though it was blazing hot we found a nice shady area that reminded me a little of Rock City on Mt. Diablo (except pleasant and not scorching hot and windy).

Kids acting out the first vision in a grove.  Silas, playing Jesus, had some very bossy instructions for Joseph Smith.

Mimi’s developing her climbing skills.  They both have their own little shoes and a harness.  Not Silas because he’s too little.

6.  Churchy type activities!

Also not a huge selling point for Utah for me, but I’ve amended my attitude.  Temple Square is old news to me, but I keep finding new buildings to wander through and stuff to learn about and teach the kids.  We wandered into a movie about Joseph Smith and it was air conditioned and pleasant (though there were dead babies in the movie, so I give it a D.)  This is triple whammy parenting:  teaching history while getting everybody outside with a religion cherry on top.

Jude at the pulpit of some church building.

Side view of Jude at the pulpit of some church building.

I’m thinking this was the Joseph Smith building maybe?  I dunno.  They all run together.

7.  Pools and Water Parks!

Nobody has pools in this stupid state!  What’s the deal?  We spend at least a few days a week searching out water activities around the area.  The waterslides are too overwhelming and expensive, but I’ve found some lovely splash pads and community pools that stay open until 8 (because it’s still so damn hot even all through the night).

Hush and Mimi developed an extreme dolphin ride.

8.  Now for my NUMBER ONE found place of awesomeness:  DECADES.  627 S State St 

So Decades is a vintage shop.  You walk in and it doesn’t look like much because they have the men’s stuff in the front.  Then you wander to the back room and HOLY MOLY SPARKLES AND FUR.  It’s like the place was made just for me!  Fabulous clothing from every decade is just packed into this place, and it’s well organized!  The racks look like a rack of clothes from when my mother was in high school.  I can’t encourage a visit here enough, it’s a great place for a girl date.  Think the prom scene from Grease meets Hello Dolly!  ‘Mille I am dying to take you and mom here.

They don’t let you take pictures so I don’t have proof, but you really need to see this place for yourself.  Also the people who work there are total snobs and barely tolerate children.  I let mine hide in a corner with their ipads. 

 

Ok, that’s my list thus far.  What am I missing that I need to experience?