Things to do / Travel Guide
Good news for your pockets and pocketbooks, northern Utah (and Salt Lake City) is as affordable as U.S. regions come. Northern Utahns stand out for their sensitivity to social welfare and the main attractions in the area reflect this principle. In fact, the overwhelming majority of Mormon-related or Mormon-sponsored attractions, museums, and activities are free to the public. In other words, both affluent and frugal travelers will enjoy the region.
Lodging Costs in Northern Utah
Northern Utah's luxury apartment rentals and ski condos generally start at around $400 a night (for six bedrooms and four bathrooms) during the off-season months and can go up to $600 during the peak winter ski season. You can enjoy budget motels and less-expensive bed and breakfast establishments (B&Bs) for under $100, but for high-end inns and luxury hotels, prices start at around $150-$200 a night. And you can hang your hat for a pittance at northern Utah's campgrounds and youth hostels, ranging from about $5-$30 a night.
Dining Costs in Northern Utah
In northern Utah you can fill your belly with fine foods and not choke on the cost. Numerous restaurants offer filling meals for under $10. White-tablecloth gourmet affairs with outstanding views of alpine scenery usually start at around $25 per person. Restaurants in downtown Salt Lake City and on the East Side tend to be the priciest. Nearer to Temple Square you will find slightly less expensive restaurants.
In good old university-town Provo you can usually secure a meal for under $10 and mid-range eateries usually charge a little more for an entrée. For a cheap, fast-food meal in Provo, stick close to Brigham Young University and University Avenue.
The majority of Park City's Main Street restaurants offer upscale dining with meals starting at around $25, and there are also several mid-range restaurants on Main Street offering solid meals at reasonable prices.
Dining at a ski resort is generally pricey. Alta's dining prices are more down-to-earth than those of the posh restaurants in Snowbird and The Canyons. Deer Valley's restaurants are consistently given top marks among the best ski resorts at which to dine in the country and the price tags reflect their prestige. Most ski resort areas have at least one nice restaurant with an all-you-can-eat buffet affair, which costs around $20, and offers a wide selection (and unlimited quantities) of various dishes.
Transportation Costs in Northern Utah
Gas prices in northern Utah are cheaper than other West Coast and East Coast cities like Los Angeles and New York City. Also, you will often find better gas prices in Salt Lake City than you will in smaller communities like Provo, Ogden, and Logan.
The cost of public transportation in all of northern Utah's communities is standard. Salt Lake City's Downtown Token system is wonderful. Participating Salt Lake City merchants give their customers a token for a purchase between $1 and $20, good for a one-way fare on the UTA buses and TRAX light-rail. The Downtown Token also provides discounts for participating downtown parking lots. Park City has a free citywide bus system that runs just about everywhere in the city from 7 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. daily.
Attractions, Activities, and Entertainment in Northern Utah
When they are not free (and many are), admission passes to historic homes, art galleries, botanical gardens, Olympics-related attractions, and others generally cost about $5-$10. Admission to state parks and recreation areas (including Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and Antelope Island State Park) generally costs under $10 per vehicle, per day. If you plan stop off at many of the Salt Lake City attractions, a great money-saver is to buy a Connect Pass. The pass allows you to visit the Clark Planetarium (for an IMAX and Star Show), Children's Museum, Red Butte Garden, This Is the Place Heritage Park, Utah's Hogle Zoo, Thanksgiving Point Gardens, Utah Olympic Park as well as a wide variety of other museums and art galleries for under $20 per day. Visit as many attractions as you can cram into a day and you will end up saving a bucket-load of bucks. The Connect Pass can be purchased either online or at the Salt Lake Visitors Center, located at 90 South West Temple in downtown Salt Lake City. Ticket prices for top-notch entertainment, shows, concerts, and performances often start at around $25 per person. Travelers should also take into consideration that the Mormon Church's policy prohibiting alcohol has led to unique liquor laws - one must become a “member” of a bar selling liquor (usually less than $5 for a couple of weeks) in order to enter. This rule does not apply to beer bars or restaurants serving alcohol.
Free Attractions, Activities, and Entertainment in Northern Utah
If you really want to take a low-budget trip in northern Utah, know that there are a plenty of attractions that are free to visit in Salt Lake City. Among these gratis attractions are the Gilgal Sculpture Garden, the Salt Lake Arts Center, the Beehive House, Madeleine Cathedral, Kearns Mansion, and the Union Pacific Building. Admission to the Wheeler Historic Farm is also free, but there is a small charge for special events and activities.
In terms of free entertainment opportunities, hang out in the Gallivan Center downtown and you may just catch a free lunchtime or evening concert. Without opening your wallet, you can search the world's largest number of family genealogical records at the Family History Library as well as at the computer bank in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.
The large majority of Mormon-related attractions, museums, and activities are free to the public. The Mormon Church offers free tours of Historic Temple Square (in about 30 different languages), leaving from the flagpole in the center of the plaza every few minutes, and you can hear the world-class Tabernacle Choir for free if you attend one of their Thursday night rehearsals from 8:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. or the Sunday morning network broadcast that begins promptly at 9:15 a.m. in the Tabernacle at the Historic Temple Square. Also in the Tabernacle, organ recitals are given from Monday-Saturday at noon and 2 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
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