Summer In Salt Lake City
Claire Conrad
Brighton Ski Resort
In the summer, there's a great 4 mile hike to three beautiful alpine lakes (Mary, Martha, and Catherine) above Brighton Ski Resort, at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. A well-marked trail leads to them, running through wildflower-filled meadows and lush forest, under craggy mountain peaks. It's very scenic and not at all crowded.
Salt Lake City public library
This is one of the most beautiful libraries I've ever seen. The architecture is stunning - it's a huge glass building with glass elevators to transport you between floors. The natural light floods the whole space, which is expansive and clean, with plenty of space to work and read. My favorite part is the bee hives! They live outside but are up against a window, so you can watch them in action. They're maintained by a local Boy Scout troop and sometimes the library offers "hive-side chats" with updates and interesting information about bees.
Bruges Waffles & Frites
This hole-in-the-wall Belgian waffle house is Salt Lake City's best kept secret. Made with pearl sugar from Belgium, these waffles are truly to die for. The crème fraîche is made in-house (I like to pair it with mixed berries), and the Speculoos (also from Belgium) is the best I've ever had. Choose your toppings wisely, but know that you really can't go wrong!