Thursday evenings starting at 8PM the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has practice. The public is welcome free of charge.
http://mormontabernaclechoir.org/faq#7

There is a fantastic used bookstore downtown - but I can't remember the name! I know it's on a big street where the streetcar tracks run.

Not much of a Mormon choir fan, but thanks. The city seems rather boring from what all I read about it.

There are plenty of bars and brewpubs.

actually, sandi, having been there I have to agree - we were impressed by the used book store and really, couldn't find anything else of any interest. Maybe you want to start on your family tree?

Oh honestly!

Sandi - I live in Park City and work in Salt Lake. When are you coming?

For starters I would recommend the Red Butte Gardens - beautiful botanical gardens on the eastern edge of Research Park (where I work), near the University of Utah campus.

I can give you a very long list of fun things to do and gorgeous hikes or drives. Depends on when you are coming and if your free time will only be in the evenings?

My boss is from Detroit and NY and has lived here for 7 years now. He and his family love it. He likes our brew pubs: Red Rock and Squatters.

We have some huge, beautiful city parks (Pioneer Park) with a Saturday Farmer's Market and a Sunday drum circle at Liberty Park.

Name a sport. You can do it here. If you find Salt Lake boring, then I will just keep my mouth shut....

If you want a restaurant list I can provide a long one.

PS - the used bookstore mentioned is probably Ken Sanders Antiquarium at 268 South and 200 East.

I'll second Red Butte if you are interested in horticulture. Actually you might enjoy the gardens at Temple Square, though this time of year they aren't quite as beautiful as spring and summer.

Memorial Grove and heading into City Creek canyon is a nice place for an early evening walk.

You should definitely check out the canyons. Head up to Snowbird or Solitude one evening for dinner.

And don't say it is boring until AFTER you've been here, and then only if you stayed in your hotel room and didn't give it a chance.

In downtown SLC there is a new outdoor shopping center which is amazing called City Creek. Even if you are not looking to shop, there are many beautiful fountains and designs and the whole top of the outside stores close for colder weather. The Temple is right downtown and is so beautiful filled with beautiful flowers and during the winter, all of their trees are covered in lights.

Check out the Kings English bookstore in the 15th and 15th neighborhood--not used books but a great local bookstore.

For a horticulturist--Red Butte Gardens is a must see. Truly awesome. If you want large, really manicured gardens--Thanksgiving Point in Lehi is a good one. There are also some really cool xericscape idea gardens throughout the city--I am sure if you googled them, they would come up.

The new Museum of Natural History at the U (right next to Red Butte Gardens) has some amazing exhibits on plant/animal species in the Great Salt Lake, the high desert, and alpine regions.

Depending on what time of year you are here and when you get out of meetings, you could do some great hikes in the canyons. Gilgal Gardens is an awesome, odd place to visit (near downtown)

I live here and I love it and I am NEVER bored. There is always something to do if you are outdoorsy or sports oriented. Dayle gives great restaurant recommends! A new one that is good is Finca (Spanish tapas). Frida's Bistro is amazing Mexican inspired cuisine--really good. Pago in the 9th and 9th neighborhood has great locally sourced food. There are many, many others.

Let us know when you are coming and what kinds of food you like and when your meetings get out for the day.

StantonHyde,
Have you tried Sea Salt yet? Excellent!

Dayle:

That's interesting. I have had several people tell me Sea Salt was awful and they are foodies so I never tried it. But if you are saying it is good, I may have to give it a try--I always agree with your recommendations We tried Finca last night. Oh my--it was just like eating in Spain when we were there last year. Heavy on the meat and oil. light on the veggies--very good food but heavy.

StantonHyde,
Since I discovered it, I've taken or sent several friends and co-workers there and they have all loved it. One girl who is a real "foodie" and was visiting from Florida on corp travel, just raved.

I was there last month with a friend visiting from Canada and we ordered a pizza that neither of us cared for. I sounded good, but the combination just didn't work for us. Everything else we've had there has been great!

I enjoyed Gracie's for their crab mac n cheese near downtown. I think they have live music on the weekends. A great local bar is Dick n Dixie's. I love walking through the Avenues, a beautiful residential neighborhood just north of downtown. There is a casual Tibetan restaurant there on the corner of E and 4th. They have free local publications that list the restaurants and activities. There are many farmer's markets and concerts.

Hi ncounty! How are you? Are you here enjoying the fall colors?

Hi Dayle! I'm doing great and keeping busy. I am not there; in socal still. Just wanted to chime in on SLC on the rare thread I come across on it, lol. How are the colors?...at peak yet?

ohhh-we tried Plum Alley last night--YUMMMYYYYYYY!!! Basically Asian tapas--excellent flavors and a great price too.

Tried some High West Prairie Bourbon--sublime.

Also take a drive up to Snowbird/Alta - or to Park City/Deer Valley - and you might even consider staying at one of those for a night or two after your business trip ends.

And if you are driving to Park City - pull off at Rose Sachs Gardens - which a friend of mine built in honor of his mother. Just a pristine little place. You might call ahead and see if they will give you a tour, as it's normally for weddings or business events.

http://loulandfalls.com/

Here are some better pics of the Rose Garden. Have enjoyed some fun hikes around there, but don't think it's open to the public? http://tinyurl.com/8fc5lx8

You know, I am not Mormon (far from it) but the Mormons put on a pretty good show at Temple Square. The visitor centers (there are two) are interesting, with lots of interactive exhibits. The Joseph Smith building has a beautiful interior, plus there's a great sandwich shop there with homemade fixin's, called Nauvoo Cafe. Brigham Young's home is worth a visit too. Then there is a place east of town called "This is the Place" (!) that is a sort of living history museum; lots of old buildings and cabins and docents in pioneer garb...some of them pretend it is still 1840 (or whatever) and it's kind of fun.

We had dinner at the PF Chang's downtown, and stayed at a very nice Hilton Garden Inn, also downtown.

azzure,

I've always thought that the gardens at Temple Square really rival those at Disneyland - and that's saying something. The buildings and how and when they were built are quite impressive, as well as beautiful.

It's an easy place to walk through and just spend as much time as you want. And, it just as easy to say "no thank you" to the rest if that's what you want.

However, it seems sandi is not pursuing her thread. Too bad. But that's OK, Utah is growing too much anyway!

I did not pursue my thread because the rest of the comments were made after I left for SLC.