UTAH

My parents moved to the Salt Lake City area in 2006 and over the years I’ve been lucky enough to explore different areas of it’s vast natural beauty. Since I was just there for a quick visit a few weekends ago (which was mostly spent catching up on sleep) I thought it would be fun to compile a photo journal of some of my Utah highlights from present to past (see gradual use of heavy IG filters and borders).
And oh yeah, my husband and I got engaged there!

SALT LAKE CITY

Believe it or not, I don’t have a ton of photos of actual Salt Lake. Need to work on that. But my parents do live in beautiful area right outside of the city.

SALT FLATS

2019 - The Salt Flats were on my bucket list. Though they were flooded when we went. It was still like being on a different planet.

BRYCE CANYON

In 2016, Danny and I drove to Bryce. Another out of planet experience - the hoodoo’s were nothing like I have ever seen before. We took a horseback ride deep into the canyon (first and last time on a horse) and then after we picnic’d, Danny proposed, and then we hiked the nearby Slot Canyons. Truly a beautiful place.

ZION

2015 we visited Zion. Tower red faces looking down into the canyons. We woke up early and hiked Angel’s Landing. The entire hike took about 6 hours. If you’re scared of heights, steep drops, or just crowds - this is not the hike for you.

And..
Here is Danny and I at Sundance in Park City in 2011.

Okay - that is all for now. Thank you!

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LAKE TAHOE, NEVADA

Went to Lake Tahoe for a few days for work and sometimes there are no words so this is the first post to the photo journal category. Enjoy!

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PHOENIX, ARIZONA

A few weeks back I left the soggy lands of Portland to travel to red plains of Phoenix, AZ for a few days for work. Though my time there was primarily spent working, I did manage to take a day to do a little exploring and R&R.

Knowing little about Phoenix and being solo, I wanted to do something on foot that wouldn’t just involve going out to eat only. Being a big admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright, I was very excited to remember that he had designed a building at ASU’s campus in Tempe, which was only a thirty minute light rail ride from my hotel.

From photos I have seen I knew what I was looking for, but when I finally came across it while walking the campus it was nothing like I had ever seen before, even for FLW. It looked like a giant copper cake from mars! Adorned with beautiful scalloped edges and layers, it glowed in the early desert sun. The doors were locked so I couldn’t venture in, but I could only imagine the burnt orange carpet that ran through it.

Another favorite was the H.B. Farmer Education Building. Again with the monotone burnt orange edges with the softness of the globe light and and pops of greenery. This building was definitely a blast from the past that hopefully never gets a modern renovation. As I left the campus I wondered if the students appreciated the architecture and it’s history. Probably not. But hopefully one day some will.

Since I was going to be in town for four nights I wanted to stay at a hotel that was a little outside of the general Downtown area and that stayed more alive post business hours. I booked my stay at the Found:Re, a boutique hotel in the Arts District. The layout and decor of the rooms reminded me a lot of the Ace DTLA with it’s floating bed and interactive shower.
My room had a nice view of the street and some restaurants so even though I could be up in my room binging on HGTV I didn’t feel isolated.

After my walk through ASU did a little self-care poolside with a vibrant cocktail. I actually cannot remember the last time I actually laid out and did nothing by a pool. And I forgot how relaxing it was. Must do again soon!

Being my last night there and making the most of my one day off like a vacation, I took myself out to dinner (rather than ordering room service) down to the hotel’s restaurant Match. So I confidently ordered myself the ribs and enjoyed a night out solo - something I do not do often. Best part, no one talked to me. Maybe it was the ribs. Either way, it was just how I wanted my evening to go.

Though Phoenix is still not on my top 10 destinations to visit, I was pleasantly surprised with what it had to offer during my short and busy stay. Until next time…

Also tbh, I meant to post this weeks ago but life. Enjoy!

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