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It is impossible to visit Salt Lake City without being aware of it's home as the spiritual centre of the Church of Latter Day Saints. W N Temple, as its name suggests, is one of the best kept thoroughfares in the state, and bisects the heart of '1 Mormon Central', with the impressive granite edifice of the temple itself dominating. The domed tabernacle is also impressive, home of the renowned choir, and permanent visitor centres exist to give the casual visitor an insight into the history and mission of the church. I am told that temple square is a sight to behold at christmas time - will let you know in January when i get back!

I challenged my brother in law to take me somewhere to show me the best of the scenery in salt lake. Being a keen driver, he took me in his jeep to show me perhaps the most impressive driving road i have ever experienced - Red Butte Canyon rd. There are side trails along its length where we saw some of the best views i have ever seen in the country - as well as varieties of wild flower i have never seen before. Whilst roadside facilites were few and far between, we made up for this threefold by seeing three seperate groups (Herds? Flocks?) of wild turkies! This day trip only took us five or six hours, but fills up five whole pages of my travel diary! Higly recommended.

Whilst Holladay boulevard is essentially just a broad piece of blacktop, curving through metropolitan Holladay some miles southeast of downtown Salt Lake City, it is a good example of the leafy charm of the area which offers splendid view of the mountains, and occasional glimpses of the valley below. We might never have come down here, save for a reccomendation to Franck's restaurant on this stretch of road, offering immaculate service and an intimate atmosphere, as well as the best fish i have ever tasted.

With its elevated position, high above the main town, this it truly where Salt Lake City meets the Hills. The home of my wife's Maternal Grandparents, this charming, tree lined residential affords views of the entire Salt Lake valley. On a clear day, just being there is exhilerating enough - the relaxed, intimate neighborhood atmosphere being a perfect springboard to walks in some of God's finest scenic walks. I feel blessed to have stayed here.

My wife's mother and father live in a quaint victorian style brick built house (d. 1899) on this street, which is a charming slice of suburban america. Handy for catching a Little League game at Herman Frank park, or a stroll around the Pond at Liberty Park, both just a stones throw away. A tremendous sense of community pervades, like most of the rest of Salt Lake City.

We rented our car from a big chain located on this street when we visited. The street is dominated by the automobile - rental chains, auto dealerships and gas stations prevail. Having a quiet bite and a cooling soda at a mexican place on the east side, my Mormon hosts disapprovingly confided much of the diffuse 'gay quarter' of the city can be found on this strip, with two of the ciy's few gay bars here.

My wife amanda's best friend Mary lives on this street, and had the pleasure of staying with her family for two nights in 2006. It is in the area of Taylorsville, and is a pleasant residential street full of friendly families. In the summer it was fun to watch the local kids horsing around in the street until about 7pm, when evryone simultaneously diseppeared indoors and a mysterious calm descended.

Cutting through the busy heart of the city, this thriving street has an array of retail, commercial and food outlets along its bustling length. Home to the Clark Planetarium where we spent a pleasant afternoon floating through a 3d universe and watching Nemo on Imax. Had lunch at the California Pizza place, excellent service and tremendous ice cream!

W 200 S is the home of Gateway Mall, one of the more impressive retail temples I have visited in the US. It has a Grand Hall lovingly restored from the old Pacific Union depot, in which our friend Gloria's daughter is holding her wedding reception next May! It also has a fine range of shops - I managed to ge a leather jacket in the Abercrombie and Fitch sale for $150! It also has many restaurants, but we dined at the Olive Garden, also on W 200 S nearby, which serves an excellent range of a la carte mediterranean specialties. Excellent.

Pierpont avenue is a mixed use street, with a pleasant combination of cafes, restaraunts, and residential buildings. It has a pleasant bohemiam feel to it - it is possible to spend a pleasant half hour wandering between the small galleries which front some of the artist studio spaces on the south side, before heading east down towards Gateway and getting yourself the best value lunch in the city - Gourmet soup and a roll at Big City Soups.