fav things about SLC

1. Gardens of all kinds everywhere. So much grows here! Tomatoes, zucchini, squash, arugula, cabbage, broccoli, cucumber, grapes. It's wonderful. Also all the fruit trees! Peaches, apricots, plums, apples, pears. 

2. Solar panels. Totally normal and everywhere. 

3. The mountains are right here. 

4. Wildlife. Not just mustangs, but also pronghorns, elk, moose, deer, quail, fish, ducks...

5. Bookstores: Central Book Exchange is my favorite so far. I bought a copy of Heidi Julavits' The Folded Clock: A Diary the other day on my second visit. I hadn't read any of her work before, but remember her name from working in the Graduate Writing Department at Columbia. 

6. Farm to table restaurants, craft beer, coffee shop culture. Still tons of places I want to check out. Hands down my favorite coffee shop is Alchemy. I discovered it while still in Brooklyn, and it has not disappointed. 

7.  So many hiking trails. I've been up Emigration Canyon, but there are other places still to explore. Looking forward to checking out the Jordan River Parkway Trail. There's really not a shortage of outdoor activities here. 

8.  This place: NHMU Rio Tinto Center. Such an amazing cultural space designed by Ennead Architects. 

9.  Yard Waste. They collect it. When I was living in Queens years ago, it was announced one neighborhood in the City would pilot a compost collecting program. Not sure what happened, but it wasn't implemented in my Brooklyn neighborhood before I departed NYC. 

10. Everyone has dogs! We've been so lucky autumn has been hanging on. Last weekend I went with a cousin and her dogs to Parley's Nature Park. I was told it's a dog park, but it's more like a great place to go walking with off leash dogs. They love it--multiple water features and lots of great smells. Not the same as hiking in the woods, but it's still great. I'd only ever been to dog parks where people sit around while the dogs play. That's boring! It's fun to watch the dogs have a joyful time, but more fun to walk while watching dogs. 

I'm certain this list will grow. It's a wonderful place full of new experiences.