My FAVORITE Parts of Utah (just in case you ever want to visit) + Weekend Happenings!

Let’s start off by catching up with what we were up to this last weekend!

Saturday morning started off by joining my friend on her last training run leading up to her ultra in less than two weeks.  I did 10 miles and the trails were clear as can be for 99% of the run which made us happy.

I was reminded during the run that it’s time to bring my handheld water bottle again for my runs that are over an hour.  It was only about 55 degrees out but just the slight raise in temperature made me so much thirstier than normal.

My friend has the same hydration vest that I do and seeing her refill her bottles brought back many ultra training memories!

During Skye’s nap (with a babysitter:) we went to Sundance to get in a few runs together.

And then we picked up Skye and took her to her current favorite place—> A duck pond at BYU.  After the pond we walked around BYU campus with the kids.  Andrew and I were both at students at BYU at the same time… I wonder if we ever walked past each other or anything there?!

Our Sunday was extremely low key with church, laziness on the couch and having my family over for dinner.

Here’s how training looked last week.  I’m working on building a good base, adding in some shorter speed and getting on the trails!

Monday:  10.5 miles @ 7:57 average

Tuesday:  9.17 miles @ 8:16 average

Wednesday: 7.17 miles @ 7:17 average with 3 miles of speed changes in the middle that averaged 6:15 (speed changes = 100m FAST, 100m float ((not an easy pace but also not a hard pace)) on repeat for 3 miles).

Thursday: 10 miles @ 8:27 average

Friday:  8 miles @ 8:51 average

Saturday:  10 miles on the trails with 1400 ft of climbing @ 9:50 average

Sunday:  Off!

54.84 miles of running and two weight lifting sessions on Wednesday and Saturday. I like doing weights after my harder runs for the week because I know I have a few days of easy running next because I am always a little sore after weights.

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I’ve had a few requests for a post about Utah and where to go!  I really do have a very deep love for Utah and hope you all make it out to visit one day.

I wrote about my favorite things to eat and see in Salt Lake City HERE and St. George HERE so let’s chat about my other favorite areas!

*Sundance.  I really think that Sundance is my favorite place in the world to go with Andrew and the kids.  Andrew’s and my 60 year goal plan is to own a cabin there (our definition of cabin there = a shed haha;).  Everything about it is magical.  The skiing is great, the mountain biking is amazing (according to Andrew), trail running is a blast there and you feel like you are hours away from the real world even though it’s about a 15 minute drive.  You can stay at the Sundance lodging (I never have but I want to) and my favorite restaurant in Utah is there= The Foundry Grill.  The Tree Room is also delicious and they have a great deli at the base and nachos at the top of back mountain that we love.

Really you can’t go too wrong with any skiing in Utah… Deer Valley, Alta and Brighton are my other favorite spots before I had kids but now I just cannot beat the 15 minute drive for a few hours of skiing at Sundance.

*I might be alone in this opinion but I think Bryce Canyon > Zion.  Both are insanely gorgeous but I love that Bryce is a little less busy and it feels like you are on mars there.  In both parks you can find hikes that are kid friendly but Zion has more insanely intense hikes if you are going without kids.  Angels Landing is a very popular hike in Zion and I’ve done it about 10 times but I don’t think I ever will again because for some reason my anxiety of heights has increased 300% recently.  It is a stunning hike but pretty scary once you get to the chains part.

I have never stayed in any hotels when going to these National Parks because I either lived close enough to just drive or camp but we’ve also used an Airbnb (my preferred choice with kids so I’m not stressed about them waking up anybody else).   We stayed at this one one time and absolutely loved it.  We had great trail running and it was about a 30 minute drive to all of the beautiful parks.

There is a Zion Half Marathon in February and a Bryce Canyon Half in July and I’ve heard both are INCREDIBLE.  They are definitely on my list to run so let’s all meet there and do them.

Another area that we love near Zion and Bryce Canyon are the Coral Sand Dunes.  Our kids wanted to explore there for hours!

*I’ve only been to Lake Powell one time but every bit of it was amazing.  So many friends of mine go there yearly and are so so obsessed with it so it’s definitely a must if you can ever make it there!

*Park City.  I think that any time of year is a good time to visit Park City even though it’s usually busiest during the skiing months.  We love to stay at the Marriott’s MountainSide Resort because the pools/hot tubs, s’mores fire pit, kid’s activities, great gym and the location is awesome.  We will be doing a staycation there this summer for a weekend and I can’t wait.

Our favorite restaurants in Park City are the Bridge Cafe (for the best pancakes you will ever eat), Burgers & Barley, Fireside Dining (the most amazing food experience I’ve ever been to), Baja Cantina, El Chubasco (for the salsa bar:), Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Riverhorse Provisions.  If you want the best, most detailed list of the best food in Park City, check out my friend Brooke’s list!

You can hike there, ski, go on the alpine slides, shop at the outlet malls, go to the cutest Main Street you will ever see, zipline, dog sledding, horseback ride, mountain bike, cross-country ski, visit the Olympic Park (and try out bobsledding!), sign up for the Park City Trail Series and drive a few minutes to get to Jordanelle Reservoir for lake activities.

The running in Park City is unreal.  There are miles and miles and miles of trails (dirt or paved) and the scenery is stunning… no wonder a lot of the elites go to Park City for altitude training!

*Midway is an underrated piece of Utah in my opinion.  If you come during the winter you have to see the ice castles there.  Go to Soldier Hollow for the tubing and stay at the Zermatt Resort.  You feel tucked away into such a gorgeous area surrounded by trees, mountains and cabins.  Midway gets a lot of snow but the running there is great too and one of my FAVORITE runs ever starts near Midway (park at the Soldier Hollow Trailhead-located east of Soldier Hollow and then you run a rolling trail next to the Deer Creek Reservoir. I see sponsored athletes post from this trail during the summer a lot because it is just so amazing).  Make sure to eat at Suss Cookie Company, Midway Mercantile and Back 40 Ranch House Grill!

*Utah County musts:

Hike the Y Trail, BYU Art Museum (and it’s a gorgeous campus to explore), Riverwoods outdoor shopping center, Provo Farmer’s Market, Buffalo Peak hike, Stewart Falls hike, Battle Creek Falls hike, Mount Timpanogos hike, Thanksgiving Point, snowshoeing, bike the alpine loop… basically be outside the whole time:)

AF Canyon—> Tibble Fork Reservoir for paddle boarding, a sand beach and gorgeous hiking.  Our favorite hike in this canyon is called Cecret Lake.

Provo Canyon—> My favorite paved trail on the planet.  You will run next to stunning waterfalls (Bridal Veil Falls) and next to the Provo River the entire way.  It is so peaceful and scenic.

Running in Utah County:  Murdock Canal Trail, Provo Canyon Trail (that goes all the way to Utah Lake from the canyon), Squaw Peak trail, Bonneville Shoreline Trail (I do this one ALL the time), Slate Canyon and Indian Road.

Food in Utah County that you have to eat= Seven Brothers Burgers, La Jolla, Communal, 180 Tacos, Maria Bonita, Silver Dish Thai Cuisine, Joe’s Cafe, Kneader’s (for Breakfast), Spitz, Marley’s, Oteo, Black Sheep Cafe, Provo Bakery for Donuts, Brooker’s Ice Cream and Art City Trolley!

My top 10 FAVORITE Utah races!

*The St. George Marathon (you knew that)!  First weekend in October.. I’ll meet you there:)

*Provo City Half Marathon and that is usually the first weekend in May.  It’s a smallish race that is organized like a big race and you get to run in my favorite place in the world to run= Provo Canyon.

*Hobble Creek Half Marathon.  This race brings a lot of fast runners and the rolling course is challenging but gorgeous.  This is my coach’s race and it is a MUST if you are ever in town in August.

*Utah Valley Half and Full Marathon!  I prefer the half with this race but both are insanely gorgeous.  The course support is unreal and you usually get really great weather for it in June (although one year it was really hot for me and one year it was snowing at the start of the marathon;).

*Top of Utah Marathon.  I have only done this course once but it was absolutely amazing.  You have a gradual down the first half of the race and then the second half is flat.  It is held in September each year which usually means you are going to get really nice weather in Northern Utah and it is a smaller race with great course support.

*Snow Canyon Half Marathon in early November.  It includes my favorite part of the St. George Marathon—> SNOW CANYON.

*AF Canyon Half Marathon is amazing.  It’s in June, it’s very fast and the canyon is stunning.

*Ogden Half Marathon and it is in May.  The course is stunning and fun but you never know what type of weather you are going to get.

*Antelope Island has a bunch of awesome trail races throughout the year and I did the 50 miler in March.  The island is AMAZING.  I couldn’t believe the views and the buffalo were all very nice to me;)

*Salt Lake City Half and Marathon.  I like their half more than their full but I think the course has changed since I last did it.  This race is in April and you get to see SLC the best way possible—> your running shoes.  I love where the course ends and usually the weather is pretty great (it’s just training through the winter that is tough) but there is a stretch of the marathon on a highway that does get boring.

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Utah residents or people who have visited Utah—> Tell me your favorites!  I know there is SO much more to this state that I haven’t explored yet so I’d love the comments to include more information too!

Fear of heights?  Yes or no and has it changed over the years?

-13 years ago I went sky diving, now I am afraid to look out the windows on an airplane (but somehow ski lifts don’t bother me).

Let me know if you have ANY questions about these different areas etc!!

What is your favorite place about the area that you live in?  Or what is your favorite part of the state/country that you live in?