Road Trip to Utah State Travel Guide
In this Utah State Travel Guide I will share with you what actives to do, where to go to eat, and some amazing places you can stay at! Most of the activities are in the great outdoors as this blog post was created during a May road trip with really great weather! Don’t forget, wear sunscreen when you are outside!
What to do in Utah
One of my favorite outdoor sceneries is the desert and red rock formations. Utah delivered on all of this and more! It has quickly become one of my favorite states that I have ever visited. Here are some of the activities that we did and wanted to share, let me know if you have thought about doing any of these in the comments below.
Goblin Valley State Park
Globlin Valley State Park was the highlight of my Utah trip for me! I was super excited to checkout this amazing landscape and walk around. There is a $20 fee for a day pass for the park, but it is well worth it. These rock structures are definitely a sight to see. When you get to this part of the park, there is a huge covered picnic table area and then stairs to go down to see these rock formations. It was very windy this day, so I would suggest making sure you have some sort of cloth to cover your moth from sand storms.
Moab
Alex and I spent the day driving towards the Arches National Park, but just decided to check out the view points along the road side so that we didn’t hit as many crowds since it was a Saturday. It was an amazing experience and fun to randomly stop along the road at different view points! We saw a few bike trails and camping grounds along the way.
Mystic Hot Springs
Mystic Hot Springs is located in a little town in UT. It was well worth the 2 hour soak pass. Highly suggest bringing sunscreen, towels, and tennis shoes as you will have to walk up a few rocks to get to some of the rock formation hot tubs. We purchased 2 hour soaking passes for $25. Check out Mystic Hot Springs here.
Antelope Island State Park
Antelope Island State Park is about an hour and half away from Salt Lake City where we were staying at. The park was $25 to get access to the park. We had no idea there were going to be wild buffalo on the island, and were super excited to see them and take some photos! We went down to the beach area where you can walk a little over half a mile on sand and rocks. I suggest wearing hiking boots down to the water and bringing a towel/chair. As I always mention, bring a lot of sunscreen as you will want to apply it before you go down to the beach and after you come out of the salt water. This is only other salt lake in the world, other than the dead sea.
Where to Eat in Utah
On this road trip we stopped by quite a few different types of restaurants including American comfort food, spots with a breath-taking view, the first food hall in Utah, modern design and fancy food, to cozy coffee shops.
Zax
Zax has a wonderful upstairs outside deck to dine at and grab some home style comfort food. They offer burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, pasta, steaks, and seafood. When it is hot outside they have a mist system that will keep you cool while you eat. They are located very close to the Hyatt Place Moab on a very cute main street with lots of gift shops. They are located at 96 South Main Moab, UT 84532.
What was ordered:
- Appetizer:
- Spinach Artichoke Dip – Served piping hot topped with diced tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Choice of: tortilla chips, baked or fried pita. Served with celery and carrots
- Deep Fried Cauliflower – Drizzled with chili jalapeno ranch
- Entrees:
- Grilled Rib Eye Steak – 12 oz. hand-trimmed Black Canyon Angus beef, perfectly marbled & grilled to perfection
- Surf and Turf – 6 oz. flat iron with shrimp, finished with chipotle cream sauce
- Dessert:
- Baked Apple Turnover – Warm cinnamon apple turnover in a crispy, crunchy shell served with vanilla ice cream
For more information about this restaurant visit:
Cliffside Restaurant
To date, Cliffside Restaurant, has been the best restaurant I have been to. Alex said the same thing. The view, the food, and the service were beyond this world. I would definitely drive here for a weekend just for this place! I highly recommend figuring out what time sunset is for the day you are visiting and making a reservation so that you catch it while eating. This is a memorable meal experience you will be talking about for your entire life. They are located at 511 S. Tech Ridge Drive St. George, UT 84770.
What was ordered:
- Drinks:
- Cliffside house lemon-lime aid – Their house specialty
- Cliffside Sparkling Spritzer – house pinot grigio with a splash of Cliffside house lemon-lime ade, club soda, fruit flavoring, topped with fresh berries
- Appetizer:
- Road Island Style Calamari – Corn meal crusted calamari, garlic aioli, and spiced cherry peppers
- Entrees:
- Chili-glazed Salmon – Glazed, pan roasted salmon with mango salsa, coconut rice pilaf, sauteed seasonal vegetable, and lemon butter sauce
- Cliffside Burger – 8 oz Char-grilled butcher’s choice, melted white cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, fried onions, crispy hand-cut fries, & Cliffside fry sauce
- Dessert:
- Ultimate Carrot Cake – With golden raisins, classic cream cheese frosting, orange crème anglaise, and candied pecans
For more information about this restaurant visit:
- Cliffside Restaurant Website
- Facebook for Cliffside Restaurant
- Instagram for Cliffside Restaurant
- Trip Advisor for Cliffside Restaurant
- Twitter for Cliffside Restaurant
- Yelp for Cliffside Restaurant
HallPass
HallPass is Utah’s first food hall. I love establishments like HallPass that are set up as a cafeteria with multiple dining options. It’s a great place to bring friends who can’t agree on what type of food that they want to eat. Everyone can find something they will enjoy here! At the time we went, they had 6 venders: SkinnyFATS, Blaze of Thunder, Beer Zombies Draft Room, CodSpeed, Graffiti Bao, and Colossal Lobster.
What was ordered:
- Beer Zombies Draft
- Dozen Chicken Wings – Fried crispy tossed in choice of sauce, served with ranch. Sauces: General Tso’s, Buffalo
- Graffiti Burger – 1/4 lb smashed onion burger, American cheese, pickles, secret sauce, pickled peppers, gem lettuce, pickled peppers
- Crispy Chili Garlic Fries
- Graffiti Bao
- Braised Beef Short Rub Boa Buns – yuzu salsa verde, pickled red onion, and carrots
- Thai Beef Samoasa – mint creme raiche, bibb lettuce, pickled carrots
- Szechuan Chicken Dumplings – crispy chili garlic crunch, cilantro
- Colossal Lobster
- Connecticut Lobster Roll – brown garlic butter
For more information about this restaurant visit:
Strap Tank Brewery
Strap Tank Brewery in Springfield was a cute restaurant with a barn style theme. They have multiple dining rooms for indoor seating and there is also a outdoor patio seating area. The steak was cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth. We really enjoyed the food here and highly recommend it if you are in the area. It was about 40 minutes outside of Salt Lake City where we were staying at. We loved that they make their own sodas too!
What was ordered:
- Drinks:
- Strap Tank Brewery Crafted Soda Pineapple
- Strap Tank Brewery Crafted Soda Orange Cream
- Appetizer:
- Coconut Shrimp – served with orange marmalade sauce
- Fried Pickles – served with buffalo ranch
- Entrees:
- 6oz Filet Mignon – Creekstone Farms filet topped with compound butter served with loaded baked potato and seasonal vegetables
- Prime Rib Dip – sliced prime rib, swiss cheese, creamy horseradish sauce, and au jus. Served on hoagie roll
- Dessert:
- Crème Brulee
- Peach Cobbler
For more information about this restaurant visit:
- Strap Tank Brewery
- Instagram for Strap Tank Brewery
- Facebook for Strap Tank Brewery
- Twitter for Strap Tank Brewery
Habitat Coffeehouse
Habitat coffeeshop is located on the second floor of 366 State St, Salt Lake City, UT, 84101, and has the best breakfast food and creative coffee drinks I have ever had. Everything was a 10/10 for taste and presentation. I would come back to Utah just for this coffeeshop and a weekend getaway! It was a wide open space with lots of different seating options including barstool chairs at the window, pillows, regular table and chairs, and couches with coffee tables. Be sure to check out their website for events that are going on at the coffeehouse.
What was ordered:
- Coffee:
- Smore Frappuccino
- Cotton Candy Coffee
- Entrees:
- Avocado Toast – white bread toast, dressing habitat, poached egg, feta cheese, tomato cherry, dried fruits, lemon juice
- Breakfast Sandwich – white bread, mixed cheese, rustic potatoes, ham. You can add on egg, ham, turkey, or bacon.
- Salmon Bruschetta – white bread toast, brie cheese, mixed salad, salmon, dressing habitat, Balsamic, home sauce
For more information about this coffeehouse visit:
Blue Sky – Yuta
Yuta Blue Sky restaurant is one of many establishments on the Auberge Resorts Collection. You can stay in three different housing options including the Sky Lodge, Earth Suites, or the Creek Houses which are just for couple getaways. Sky Lodge and Earth Suites are kid and pet friendly. Alex and I stopped by for their lunch which is available by reservation for locals and anyone staying at the resort.
What was ordered:
- Drinks
- I got the Ponytail Mocktail – a non-alcoholic take on our house thief classic with blackberries, ginger beer, and lime
- Alex got the Gracie’s Gin & Tonic – Refreshing notes of rhubarb, strawberry, and citrus balanced with Tanqueray 10 and fever tree tonic
- Appetizer:
- Crab & Avocado Roll – chilled green gazpacho, red pepper, pickled ramps
- Buttermilk Fried Oysters – coconut-red curry cause, radish, pickled shallots
- Entrees:
- Grass-fed Wasatch Flank Steak – polenta, spinach, baby leeks, dill mustard
- Blue Sky Burger – double patty short rib blend, comeback sauce LTO, french fries
For more information about this restaurant visit:
- Website for The Lodge at Blue Sky
- Instagram for The Lodge at Blue Sky
- Facebook for The Lodge at Blue Sky
- Twitter for The Lodge at Blue Sky
- Pinterest for The Lodge at Blue Sky
Where to Stay in Utah
Best Utah Hotels
Need somewhere to stay while you are visiting Utah? Keep reading on this Utah State Travel Guide below…
Hyatt Place Moab
The Hyatt Place Moab is conveniently located on a main street in Moab near gas stations, a cute downtown area with lots of souvenir stores, restaurants and a few minutes away from the Arches National Park. There is the main hotel with 4 floors of rooms and in the back area of the property is their Casitas. We stayed in one of these tiny home/apartment style condos. Our casita had two rooms with three queen size beds, a sizeable living room, a kitchen with a big fridge, and two bathrooms.
Amenities at The Hyatt Place Moab include a gorgeous pool and hot tub area (shown above), gym, coffee and drink bar, as well as a restaurant where they serve free breakfast every morning from 6am to 10am. Their breakfasts vary from day to day. The first morning we had breakfast tacos and the second morning we were there we had breakfast bowls with eggs, sausage, and potatoes. Daily you can find a variety of fresh fruits, yogurts, cereals, coffee, orange juice boxes, milk, oatmeal, and packaged fruit cups.
Check The Hyatt Place Moab out and book your stay using one of the links below:
- Hyatt Place Moab Website
- Instagram for Hyatt Place Moab
- Facebook for Hyatt
- Twitter for Hyatt
- LinkedIn for Hyatt
- YouTube for Hyatt
The Dwelling
The Dwellings is located at 452 South State Street La Verkin, Utah 84745 and overlooks a breath taking view. These tiny homes are the perfect get away. They are located about 2 hours from the grand canyon and about 40 minutes from Zion National park. The home we stayed in had a full kitchen including a stove, microwave, full fridge, sink, water kettle, coffee maker and dishwasher. It was fully stocked with utensils, plates, cups, and pots and pans. Outside you will find a charcoal grill, lounge chairs, and a breakfast high top table perfect for drinking coffee at in the morning.
Inside the #10 home that Alex and I stayed at, will find a comfy living room, bar stool chairs at the kitchen island, a tiny coffee high top table, one bathroom, a bedroom with a queen size bed, and upstairs loft with two bunk beds with four twin size mattresses.
Check them out and book your stay using one of the links below:
Sheraton Park City
The Sheraton Park City hotel is a great spot to stay when visiting Park City. We stayed in a double queen room with a glass shower. They have an amazing restaurant that we got breakfast. In the morning there is hot made to order omelets and pancakes. You can also grab cereal, yogurt, milk, and an assortment of other breakfast snacks. Outside you will find lounge areas including a few fire pits on the property.
Check them out and book your stay using one of the links below:
- Website for Sheraton Park City
- Instagram for Sheraton Park City
- Facebook for Sheraton Park City
- Twitter for Sheraton Park City
- YouTube for Sheraton Park City
I hope you enjoyed this Utah State Travel Guide. Let me know in the comments below which Utah activity was your favorite and is on your destination list!
Want to check out more of my adventures? Go to my travel blog posts here.