August Utah Trip!

It seems like it is starting to be a tradition to go to Utah for the first day of school! We spent five days this trip! We were able to try some new spots and hit all of our favorite spots too. The weather was perfect for outdoor outings. We spent a lot of time with family and friends as well! That makes Utah the best, but the hiking and food helps too! Here are all the fun things we were able to do while we were in Utah! 

Where we stayed: 

Little America Hotel was our home away from home this trip! The rooms were really clean and had lots of character. The hotel lobby, food, and amenities were well kept and had good variety. We got breakfast from the Coffee Shop at the Little America. I got the French toast and it was so good! My husband got a tea from there a few times and said they were good. The view from our room was spectacular. We felt like this was a good spot to rest and would definitely stay there again! 

Breakfast Spots: 

Kneader's: Our favorite breakfast spot is at Kneader's. They have all you can eat French toast all day long! They use their Chunky Cinnamon bread that comes with cinnamon swirl and an icing. The bread is great by it's self, but even better in a French toast version. We love their cinnamon rolls, breakfast sandwiches, smoothies and desserts! We went for breakfast and dinner on our trip! 

The Coffee Shop at The Little America: We grabbed breakfast at our hotel one of the mornings. We almost did the breakfast buffet, but we weren't hungry enough for a buffet meal. I have gone there for lunch at the buffet and felt like they have really good food options. I got the French toast and my husband got eggs, oatmeal and bacon. It was a great breakfast for a hotel breakfast! 

Lehi Bakery: We grabbed donuts at Lehi Bakery for a treat, but the best time to go is first thing in the morning. They do sale out quickly sometimes, but they did have a good amount when we went in the afternoon that day! I finally tried their famous square glazed donuts. The donuts are soft and fluffy with good flavor. I love their peanut butter frosted donuts too! 

Root's Co: We stopped by a new coffee shop in downtown called Root's Co. It is right next to our favorite cookie shop called Ruby Snaps. I got an asiago cheese bagel for breakfast. It is made locally and tasted really fresh. My husband liked the coffee he got from there as well! 

Beans and Brews: I got my first pumpkin drink of this season at Beans and Brews this trip. I love their Pumpkin Cream Frappuccino's. The flavor is just right and their whipped cream is the best! This is one of the coffee shops we stop at every time we are in Utah! They have a storefront in the airport too, so we usually get one for the plane ride too! 

Waffle Love: Another must go for us is Waffle Love. They are Belgium waffles with any topping you can think of. I love the Biscoff spread with whipped cream and bananas, but you really can't go wrong with any of the flavors. They have the best pumpkin whipped cream during the fall season too! Any of the storefronts are adorable and a great place to stop anytime of the day. 

Roxberry: Our favorite smoothie spot in Utah is Roxberry! We stopped there a couple times during our trip. I love the Peachy Keen and Ocean Breeze smoothies. My husband has had almost every smoothie off the menu and loves them all! This trip we stopped at the City Creek location and got French toast from Kneaders and a smoothie from Roxberry! The perfect combination! We love a smoothie for breakfast or any time of the day for a snack! 

Some of our other favorite Utah breakfast spots that we didn't make it to this trip are: Penny Anne's, The Park Cafe, and The Original Pancake House.   

Lunch & Dinner Spots: 

Capriotti's: One of our favorite sandwich shops in Utah is Capriottis! They have unique sandwiches and lots of yummy options. My favorite is the Capistrami and my husband always gets the hot Bobbie. They have cold or hot sandwiches and lots of toppings to pick from. Their breading is so soft and goes well with the sandwich options. This is a great stop for lunch or dinner. 

Slackwater Pizzeria: This was a new spot for me this Utah trip. Slackwater has pizza and pasta. The restaurant was cute and well kept. I got the hot honey pepperoni pizza with the garlic sauce instead of marinara. It was cooked well with a good amount of toppings. I had never had hot honey before, but it wasn't super strong and the pizza tasted yummy! I liked the crust on their pizzas as well. We also got their little donuts for dessert and those were super good too! 

Moochie's: Another spot in Utah we try to go to every time we are in town is Moochie's. The best cheesesteaks in Utah! The original downtown location is my favorite, but they do have a couple of locations now. The cheesesteak with onions, peppers and mushrooms is the tastiest. My husband likes the chicken cheesesteaks there too! 

Red Iguana: A Utah original is Red Iguana! There is usually a wait anytime you go here, but it is so worth the wait. We went early on a Thursday and didn't wait too long. I get the shredded beef enchiladas with rice and beans. Their enchilada sauce is a little thicker and has the perfect spiciness. The chips and salsa is really good there too! 

Taco Time: I know, a weird one to put on this list for Utah! We don't have Taco Time in Kentucky and I was craving crisp bean and cheese burrito. I grew up getting these along with the pumpkin filled ones too! So good! I also got a bag of crusto's because cinnamon sugar anything is just a must! 

Desserts & Treats: 

Leatherby's: If you want a fun, yummy and overly sized ice cream spot then Leatherby's is for you! They have food there as well, but we always go for the ice cream and French fries. I love the Gretchen's Golden Nugget, ice cream cones, Sundaes and banana splits. This is a great spot for a lot of people and they have the best ice cream toppings and options. 

Fiiz: My family is a on a drink kick lately, so we went a few times while we were in town! Fiiz is one of my favorite spots. I got the Peach flavored water with coconut cream and vanilla. I asked for a tad bit extra flavoring because their drink flavors aren't as strong as other soda shops. I love their hot chocolates here too! 

Sweet Hazel Desserts: This was a new treat spot for us while we were in town! My mom had tried their cakes at a farmers market in town, so we stopped by their storefront to give them a try. They had lots of individual cake flavors to pick from. We got the Better than Anything cake which was a Tres Leche type cake. It was a bit too soggy for my liking, but the flavors were good. The storefront has a chalkboard that you can write on, which ended up being the highlight of this dessert stop! 

Gourmandise: We can't go to Utah without stopping by Gourmandise! My husband's go-to is always the Strawberry ring, which I ended up getting on this trip as well. I have tried almost every dessert they have and really like them all. They have really good cake slices, tarts and the brownie is awesome. The vibe of the restaurant is moody and super fun. We usually pick ours up to go, but you can dine in as well! 

Normal Ice Cream: We stopped by Normal Ice Cream in Salt Lake for an ice cream cone. They do switch their flavors monthly, but when we went we had Toasted Milk and Chocolate Milk mixed with a Confetti hard shell topping. I got the "normal" size and it was huge! The ice cream is really soft and creamy and has good flavor. They have unique flavors and fun toppings. 

Old Grist Mill: We drove up to Logan to see family and stopped by Old Grist Mill for some pumpkin bread. This was my first time going to the storefront, but I have had their pumpkin bread before. It doesn't top Kneader's Pumpkin bread, but they didn't have it on the shelves yet while in town. This is a great second choice though! You can get the bread with or without chocolate chips. It is a good size loaf and is really moist and has good flavor. 

Swig: Another famous soda shop in Utah is Swig. We stopped here as well a few times! I love their Strawberry Breeze water. It comes with chunks of strawberries and has coconut cream and vanilla along with the strawberry flavoring. You can't go wrong with any of the soda shops in Utah, but this one is a favorite. 

Activities: 

Ensign Peak: We hiked Ensign Peak a few times on our five day trip! It is a quick hike up to a beautiful view of the whole Salt Lake valley. We went for sunrise in the mornings and just soaked in the views and peace. We love to hike and then go grab breakfast or a smoothie afterwards. It is the perfect date in nature and free to do! It is good exercise too! 

Butterfield Canyon: We did a photoshoot in Butterfield Canyon while we were in town! I had never been in this canyon, but it was beautiful! There were hiking trails and you can drive through the whole canyon. We saw deer and the leaves were starting to change colors for the fall season. I wish we'd known about this spot while we lived in Utah! The pictures turned out so cute with the scenery in the background. 

Logan Drive: We drove to Logan to see family this trip. Logan has a special place in my heart! It is about an hour and a half from Salt Lake. You get the farm/country land right there in Utah. We always go to the cheese factory, Angie's Diner, Zeppes Italian Ice, Charlie's Ice Cream and so much more. Main street is adorable and they have a lot of nice walking areas and parks. 

Value Vault Store: My mom had found a new store in Taylorsville, Utah called Value Vault. It seemed like it was a secondhand store of main brands like Target and Kohl's items. They had a lot of beauty products, holiday decor, clothes, and some house items. It was fun to go walk around to see what they had. You could be there for hours! 

Seagull Book: Sadly, Seagull Book is closing! This was our last trip and it makes my heart so sad! I love Seagull Book. They have the best deals on cards, gospel books, clothes and so much more. We did find some good sales on dresses and books. This was always a go to while we were in Utah! We will have to be on the lookout for a new favorite shop! 

City Creek Mall: It isn't a Utah trip with out going to City Creek. Being downtown in general is a must while in town, but it is fun to stop by the mall. We would hike and then stop at the Kneaders and Roxberry in the food court. This is a fun mall to just walk and they do have some good shops too! We drove by the temple grounds and the temple renovations are coming along! 

Picnic Dinner: I have never done a candle light dinner picnic style before, but my cute friend through a little party while we were in town! She had the table set up with candles, flowers, and the fanciest dinnerware. We had pasta and salad and lots of Trader Joe's treats. It was the coolest vibe and so fun to see old friends! I highly recommend a picnic dinner in your social life! 

What are your favorite Utah things to do and eat or in your own state?