Sunday, January 18, 2015

Salt Lake City, UT

My start date at work got pushed back a week, so I decided to make a last minute trip to visit my friend who's in pharmacy school at the University of Utah. I was going to visit her in Vegas during the weekend anyway, so I figured it wouldn't hurt too much to extend the trip a bit. Salt Lake City is arranged in a nice grid system, so you always know where you are, unlike some other places (looking at you, Irvine).



It was nice to return to the Rocky Mountain region again, this time to the west of them, and enjoy that crisp mountain air while hiding away in a cozy cafe to enjoy some ridiculous pancakes. Too bad the air pollution can get so bad sometimes during the winter that you aren't allowed outside because the mountains trap all the nasties.

After enduring sticker shock from SF's Bart system, I was happy to buy a cheap day pass for the Trax and hop around town.


First stop: Tracy Aviary! I actually managed to get in for free for some reason (I think they were having a promotion on that day). It was nice to watch the various birds go about their business and remember how much God cares for the birds of the air. 







The aviary is located in a large park called Liberty Park.






The amazing Lucky 13 



The U (University of Utah)

Cafe Rio: a delicious alternative to Chipotle. Here's an enchilada style burrito with barbacoa in a sweet sauce.

The second day, I went snowshoeing with my friend and one of her roommates. I thought snowshoeing was just like walking, but with better traction, so I didn't really get why my friend kept telling me to eat a big meal before going. Then I found out it is indeed just like walking... walking on sand! We hiked up a trail called Donut Falls, which is supposed to be this waterfall that flows out of a giant opening in the rock formation (the "donut"). Unfortunately it was completely snowed over so all we saw was a little stream coming out of a tiny opening on the side of the mountain. Thankfully, though, the rest of the trail was pretty easy, except for an area I later dubbed "violation hill" because of... reasons.

I also don't think I've ever seen this much snow before, so please forgive me for what may seem like an excessive amount of snow pictures. The snow was all so fluffy!!!!










Before we went snowshoeing, we read that some of the trails had avalanche risks, so we thoroughly researched survival options. What do you do if you're caught in an avalanche? Jump away (like that works...), grab onto a tree, and/or cover your nose and mouth so that you have an air pocket that allows you to breathe for 30 minutes when you're covered in snow. Oh, and you can try swimming through the snow... 

I love this picture from wikihow.


Yes, I tried a cannelĂ© because of Dominique Ansel's chapter on it. Crunchy and custardy... definitely worth the hype.  

On my last day, even though I had no intention of talking to anyone, I wandered onto Temple Square to find someplace warm, and ended up talking to two young female missionaries for an hour. They were super nice and respectful, but I was still thankful that I had Galatians fresh in my mind from last Friday. Note to self: make the Bible more readily available at all times for quick references... or memorize more verses.



City Creek Canyon