Bonneville Salt Flats

Ahhhh, salt. If you ever eat at a local Utahn's home, you will find that salt is one of the few spices they use here. And if you love that kind of thing, then you don't want to miss a chance to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Okay, so the Salt Flats are a cool thing to see even if you aren't that big on pepper's best friend. And the Flats are made of more than just sodium chloride (common table salt). It's one of the flattest, most barren places on Earth and one of the most unique natural features in Utah. The Salt Flats were formed when ancient Lake Bonneville dried up. [insert history lesson here...] As water from the lake evaporated, salt deposits were left in many areas - the largest being 30,000 acres near the Utah-Nevada border.

Visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats is completely free and accessible to the public. The most impressive spot to view the Flats is along I-80 (about a 90 minute drive from Salt Lake City). You'll find a rest stop on the north side of the freeway about 10 miles east of Wendover. At the rest stop, you can walk out onto the salty soil and when you are done you can wash off your shoes at the water station.

A few tips we learned from our visit to the Salt Flats:
Keep your shoes on.
Just trust us on this one. Not only is the salt a mess to clean up, it really is uncomfortable to walk on. You'll take about ten steps on the soil and want to put your shoes back on. But wait, now your feet are covered in white dust, and you REEEEALLY don't want to put your shoes on because then your feet will get sweaty, and the salt will itch, so on and so forth...
Like I said, trust us on this one and keep your shoes on.


Bring your sunglasses (and maybe sunscreen too).
Salt is white. Have you ever had that thing that happens when a bright light flashes and you try to close your eyes, but you're too late, and now you have that annoying spot in your vision that just won't go away? Okay well take that experience and multiply it by 1000 and you have an idea of just how BRIGHT and BLINDING the Salt Flats are. You do not want to be caught without your sunglasses, especially on a summer day. Unless you like that spot thing that stays in your vision even after the bright thing is gone...
Oh and don't forget sunscreen. Remember, Utah is a desert. Temps can reach over 100 degrees F in the summer.

Don't drive on the Salt Flats, especially when they're wet.
We didn't do this but we will still include it as a tip for visiting the Salt Flats. You may have heard of the Salt Flats as one of the  "fastest places on Earth", where you can drive your car for miles and push it to max speed. This is partially true... the Bonneville Speedway is located near Wendover and is solely used for motor sports. Unless you are trained driver, don't drive out onto the flats. Even though most of it looks like a hard surface, much of the area is a thin salt crust over soft mud. It easily breaks under the weight of a vehicle. When wet, the surface turns to salt water that is highly corrosive and can "short-out" the electrical system in your vehicle.


Fun fact about the Bonneville Salt Flats
When you look out at the flats, you can't see where they end because of the curvature of the Earth! Visit and see for yourself.

J Dawgs

Yet another Utah County original! Simply put, J Dawgs is delicious and cheap to boot. Being a UVU undergrad student, I had heard much about J Dawgs. I was found a disgrace among my "Utah County friends" when they found out I had never experienced the supposed bliss that comes along with each bite of a beloved J Dawg. But I have a confession... I don't like hotdogs. My dislike is not because they taste bad (I mean, really, nothing beats a dog at a baseball game), it's because once upon a time someone told me what hotdogs are made of and each time I attempt a bite I gag a bit just thinking about it. I know, mental. I never tried J Dawgs because I felt like there was no way a hotdog could be that good.

You guys, they are that good. Due to my skepticism, my sister and I ordered one to share. After one bite, I wanted my own.
Upon entering J Dawgs you might find yourself looking high and low to find a menu (as I did). I will save you from the obvious "first-timer" confusion and tell you the menu is one poster with three choices:

Once you choose your dawg, it is cut with the company's trademarked criss-cross scoring and grilled to absolute perfection. Why the scoring you ask? Oh, that's to capture more of the sweet, tangy, highly addictive Special Sauce! Unfortunately, J Dawgs will not give you the secret family recipe for the Special Sauce but they will let you buy a bottle to take home for just $10 (and you likely will).

Your dawg is nestled into a soft, fresh, lightly buttered and toasted bun that is made daily at a local bakery. Dress your dawg with just a handful of the best topping options, and VOILA! You have yourself a J Dawg!

You may choose to purchase a drink and Tim's Cascade Kettle chips for a few bucks more.
I don't know if anything more will convince you to get up and out to get a dawg, but you must. Insider's note: ask for Special Sauce on side; you get a bit more and can save some for later or just pour it all on. 

Provo, Utah:
858 North 700 East
Provo, UT 84606   

Orem, Utah:
287 E. University Parkway
Orem, Utah 84058

Bell Canyon to First Waterfall

You will often hear this hike referred to as Bell Canyon, Bells Canyon, or Bell's Canyon. Word on the street is they are all the very same hike. The canyon is located on the east side of the valley above Sandy City. The hike has two trailheads that meet each other at the lower reservoir. The Boulders Trailhead begins off Wasatch Blvd. and is short and steep. The Granite Trailhead is off Little Cottonwood Road and is longer but not as steep.

This is an absolutely stunning hike that runs past a scenic reservoir and continues up Bell Canyon to a beautiful waterfall. At the waterfall you can sit on a flat granite ridge and enjoy the spectacular views of the Salt Lake Valley. This hike is just over 4 miles round trip. To get to the first waterfall and back took us approximately 4 hours (this included plenty of stops and a decent break at the waterfall). Those looking for a more strenuous hike may continue to an upper reservoir and to a number of accessible peak trails. We had heard that it was common to see wildlife among this trail but were still totally shocked to see many wild birds AND come within feet of three foxes! Here are a few of the lovely sites you'll see on your hike:

Bell Canyon to the First Waterfall is not a walk in the park... I won't tell you it is. It is moderately difficult but worth the trip! As a very new hiker I can tell you that if I can do it, you can too! And you will love it.
Because Bell Canyon is a watershed area, dogs are not permitted.

Granite Trailhead

Boulders Trailhead

JCW's - The Burger Boys

JCW's has 3 locations in Utah County. We went to the location in Lehi, which is very conveniently located off the first I-15 exit in Utah County. They offer an excellent family setting with 5 TVs with various sports programs playing. The seating is largely booth diner style with homage to the local universities on the walls all around. The kitchen is nice and open to see your burgers sizzle to perfection.

When you come to JCW's come hungry! And don't expect to pay much; at about $10 per person they offer quality burgers and shakes with fries or onion rings on the side. I am traditionally a fan of the pastrami burger, but noticed the JCW triple cheeseburger and knew I had to indulge! This thing is gigantic!

The burger is cooked to juicy perfection. You can actually taste the charbroiled edges which include the perfect amount of carbon deliciousness to accent your burger experience. The cheese to burger ratio is a constant concern for me, but JCW's hits it right on the head; each bite leaves you completely satisfied with the cheese, lettuce, grilled onion, and burger ratios.

The burgers rock, however that is not the only reason you will keep coming back to JCW's; their shakes are ridiculous! Marlena and I got the "mini" size, which is a full 16 oz of iced cream perfection. I got the raspberry cheesecake shake while Marlena got the key lime pie shake. Much to our complete and utter satisfaction there were chunks of delicious pie crust in the freaking shakes!

 

Check out JCW's for lunch and dinner Monday-Thursday 10am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-midnight, you will not be disappointed! You can look at their menu on their website here. 

American Fork (801) 492-1762 580 East State Road American Fork, Utah 84003

Lehi (801) 341-6680 3605 Thanksgiving Way Lehi, Utah 84043

Provo (801) 374-5297 396 West 2230 North Provo, UT 84604