Escaping the Everyday

It’s confirmed, we’ve completely fallen for Salt Lake City last weekend! Although it was a brief visit, we managed to pack in as much as possible.

If you’ve ever visited Nashville, you might find its suburbs quite like those in Salt Lake City. Surrounded by trees and rolling hills, the houses are nestled closely together, a common characteristic of suburban areas within a city.

The city was also surprisingly clean and much less crowded and chaotic than we had anticipated.

One of the things we loved about Salt Lake City is not only do you get to experience the city life, but you also get the Rocky Mountains within a 30-minute drive.

I believe one aspect we miss in Bozeman is the variety of events, activities, and sports. Nevertheless, let’s dive into our adventures! You won’t believe how much we crammed into a weekend!

The Other Side Donuts

It’s surprising, but Bozeman doesn’t really have donut shops, so the first thing Jake wanted to do was grab a donut!

Overall, I definitely think we would need to visit this shop again to really determine how good their donuts are. I will say the BEST donut shop out there is East Park Donuts in Nashville, TN. I don’t think we’ve found a donut shop to date that is better. I personally love it because they have delicious gluten free donuts.

City Creek Center

Spanning two city blocks, City Creek Center is a one-of-a-kind shopping and dining destination in the heart of Salt Lake City. The area has a diverse range of retail stores, from local boutiques to luxury brands, and dining options that vary from quick bites to upscale sit-down experiences.

We also discovered that it’s a dog-friendly center, but only certain stores allow your dog inside. It was a fun and unique experience.

There’s also a bunch of events that are held for the public around City Creek Center. There’s one event being held this weekend called Paw Palooza: Howl-O-Ween that’s a trick or treating event for dogs which we would have 100% gone to. Can you imagine seeing Cassie in a Halloween costume?! They also will have a Halloween-themed photo wall, catering, pet drawings, music, and more!

Boston Bruins vs. Utah Hockey Club

What an experience! Not only were we excited to see the Bruins play again, we also got to check out the Delta Center. It was a really nice venue, but you could tell it was not built for hockey.

Rumors have it they’ll be making changes over the next couple years to make the experience better for all. It may be surprising, but there are seats where a third of the ice is not visible. Luckily, we were in an area that did not have an obstructive view.

I was also surprised at how cheap everything was too. I got a water for 2 dollars when I normally spend 8 dollars on a bottle of water at TD Garden.

Experiencing the enthusiasm of Utah’s fans for their new hockey team was pretty awesome. Their passion was evident, as if they had been supporters of the team for many years.

Although we were disappointed that the Bruins lost in overtime, we still had a fantastic time! I mentioned to Jake before the game that I wanted to buy a Utah Hockey Club shirt, as it’s their inaugural year, which is an exciting thing to witness. However, just one minute into the game, I told Jake that I could never wear or support another team. My heart belongs to the Bruins… forever and always!

Hall Pass

A delightful local food hall offers a variety of options including seafood, a bar, BBQ, gyros, ice cream, fried chicken, and more!

When Jake and I chose to visit Hall Pass, we were expecting a traditional restaurant, but it turned out to be a high-quality, upscale food court unlike any you’d find at a mall. We opted for BBQ, and to our surprise, it was some of the best we’ve ever had. Often, BBQ can be overly greasy, but this was not the case here.

Hog & Tradition BBQ

Spilled Milk

Spilled Milk Ice Cream & Cereal Bar was founded in 2019 by Marvin Phillip and his wife Sara to deliver a joyful and memorable experience for all.

They experiment with various cereals and flavors in their ice cream. I was hesitant to try something new, so I opted for a twist with rainbow sprinkles—a favorite of mine, a choice I knew I wouldn’t regret.

Jake ordered an Oreo and raspberry shake that he loved! However, it was so thick that he couldn’t sip it through a straw and had to eat it with a spoon instead.

It would definitely be a place we’d return to in order to try other flavors, and I’d be a bit more adventurous and try something else, especially because they offer some gluten-free cereal options!

Lindley Dog Park

Of course, we had to check out a local dog park for Cassie. This is not a fenced in dog park so definitely something to take into consideration when choosing a dog park. Cassie’s recall has been so reliable, and she’s been staying close without running off, that we can now take her to parks like these without worrying about her running away or ignoring our calls.

Cassie had some dogs to play with, and we also played fetch with her ball. It’s a game we enjoy because it tires her out, ensuring she rests for a bit.

She’s a good girl that could run and play 24/7. It was also the perfect temperature for her as it wasn’t too hot.

Slackwater Pizzeria

Slackwater has served up artisan pizzas and broadened beer vocabularies in Utah since 2011.

I couldn’t believe how many gluten free beer options there were on the menu! Most restaurants we visit don’t usually offer gluten-free beer options. I had my heart set on the Pumpkin Ale, but they had run out. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me!

That concludes our trip to Salt Lake City! Apologies for the delayed post; we were gearing up for Boston the weekend on the 25th, and it’s been a hectic time with work and trip preparations.

I’m excited about reuniting with family members I haven’t seen in quite a while! Although it’s only been since March, it truly feels like a forever.