Salt Lake City

The Charity: SPLORE
The Guy: Tim Stemple
This is like the best charity yet… it combines my two favorite things: Special Education kids, and unpredictable, often dangerous outdoors. Ages 5- 90, with a variety of special needs. Great program.

Top Five things to do in SLC (Salt Lake City) (I did a version of all these things):

Five: Go to Smith’s grocery store
Four: Eat at Himalayan Kitchen Lunch Buffet (Reminiscent of Nawab for the wm folks)
Three: Gilga Park
Two: Mormon Temple
One: Sam Wellers Bookstore (Gallivan Plaza)

Things I passed on: Red Butte state park, “This is the place” State Park, check out the architecture near the city/county and library buildings, gateway mall, salt flats/salt lake.
Good places to stay: I had a gorgeous couch at Jarrod Branch’s Apartment.

SLC’s Ratings. On a scale from 1 to Boston: 6
SLC has Mormons.
SLC doesn’t have religious freedom.

Okay I guess SLC also has mountains, good weather, beautiful women, and some interesting history/stuff going on. However, it is still a young city and it doesn’t have water.



The story: SLC airport = free wireless. Holler. I arrive. I blog for a couple hours. I eventually meet up with Mr. Jarrod Branch, after meeting quite possibly the best bus driver in the world- he was very odd, but the most helpful person I think I’ve ever encountered. I forget his name, might have been John, but he’s got long hair- so if you’re on bus 550 from SLC airport and you see John- just thank him. Anyways, Jarrod and Tyler were kind of enough to host me and give me a layout for my day- in fact Jarrod had the idea that I should promote my blog the next morning on a syndicated radio show. So I set off to x96 station, and wouldn’t you know it, they are in the studio recording but the office doesn’t open until 10:30- so I can’t go get on the show. No worries though, so I just walked to Gigla park where I straddled Joseph Smith Sphynx and checked out the park. Very tranquil, despite the religious overtones. From there made my way to Sam Wellers bookstore, which was very similar to Powell’s bookstore in Portland, only a little less in every way. Then I checked out the great state of Utah’s capital building, which looks very similar to every other capital, except there was no security check to get in, and I saw a total of like 5 people the entire time I was there: 2 tourists, 2 working the gift shop, and 1 person who may have worked there. I wonder if it was a Mormon holiday? Anyways, off to Splore to check the place out- VERY cool. Then I went to temple square which was impressive. I’ll say this for the Mormon’s, they have marketing down. I walked into temple square and there was a group of mostly attractive 19 year olds who offered to give me a tour. I accepted. I listened to them, and they seemed very “devout”. In any case, the temple is impressive, the tabernacle choir was recording, but that seemed cool too, and their art was beautiful albeit over the top. If it seems like I’m poking fun at the “Church of Latter Day Saints” it is because I am. However, I will say that every Mormon I met was kind, helpful, and I’ve even met some parishioners who otherwise seem to be rational. In any case after getting lunch at Himalaya Kitchen, I made my way to the airport and skipped town. Operation See Salt Lake, complete.