Y’all. The SNAP! Conference was AH-MAY-ZING and my little Utah vacation was fantastic! I had such a great time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. I learned so much new stuff about blogging that it was like drinking from a fire hose. I’m still trying to process and collect what I learned – including that my mind is WAY more scattered than most bloggers.
This was my first trip to Utah, though, so I really had no idea what to expect. I absolutely fell in love with this state. Honestly, I’d love to go back sometime and take a little Utah vacation with my family. If you’ve never been to Utah, here are some things that I learned while I was there.
Five Things You Should Know Before Your Utah Vacation
1. Utah is ridiculously gorgeous. Seriously. As we were flying into Salt Lake City, I was chatting with some friends on the plane. I turned to look out the window and a sound like, “OH EM GEE LOOK LOOK MOUNTAINS SNOW GAH!” came out of my mouth. It was super spastic and all of the Utah residents around me busted out laughing. I’m a Texas girl, so me getting to see mountains was like a kid in a candy shop.
Driving down the interstate from Salt Lake to Lehi for the conference, I just couldn’t quit saying how much I loved it. I’m pretty sure my friends Beckie, Melissa and Jamie were so glad to get out of the car once we arrived. The conference was at Thanksgiving Point and took place during their annual tulip festival. So, we literally had gorgeous scenery from the top of the sky down to the ground.
As we were driving back to the airport on Sunday, there were scads of paragliders drifting around the mountains as a group of race cyclists passed them on the road below. It was seriously a moment that needs to be in some Utah vacation guide.
2. The altitude is FOR. REAL. As a Texas girl who is used living around 500 feet above sea level, the change to 5,000 feet in Lehi really got to me. The first two days there, I felt like I couldn’t possibly drink enough water. I’m sure the other bloggers who didn’t know me just thought I was weird, but I really wanted to just dive into the giant punchbowl of ice water that was in each conference room.
Once I felt like I wasn’t going to die of dehydration, my feet, hands and face started to swell. By day 3 of the conference, my cute flats and heels I had taken on the trip would no longer fit onto my feet and my wedding band was leaving a red mark around my finger. Thank goodness I had taken my pair of Chucks with me on the trip, because I would have otherwise been barefoot.
It turns out that high altitudes effect people in different ways. I’ve only been to the mountains once in my life many years ago (a youth group ski trip to Colorado when I was in middle school), so I didn’t even think about how the altitude might affect me. I’m a beach vacation girl! I’ll have to remember this when I go back to Utah so I can be more prepared.
3. Utah does Mexican food WAY different than Texas does it. Apparently everyone in the state is obsessed with this chain of restaurants called Cafe Rio. If you aren’t in the western states that have Cafe Rio, think Chipotle with cheese and better sauces. We actually went twice, and I got the same thing both times – a Sweet Pork Barbacoa burrito and a Mexican Coke. It was phenomenal.
We don’t have a Cafe Rio anywhere in Texas (I’d drive several hours for one of these burritos, y’all), so I looked online to see if I could find a copycat recipe. This one from Cooking Classy looks great, so I think I’ll give it a try. I’ll just make my burrito “enchilada style,” per Cafe Rio and add some sauce and cheese on the top.
4. Utahns love them some fry sauce. What is fry sauce you ask? Yeah, I had no idea either. Some of the Utah bloggers kidnapped us at midnight, stuffed about 8 of us into a Nissan Altima, and drove us to a fast food joint called JCWs. There, they bought a few tins of cheese covered french fries (I seriously think all fast food in Utah must be served in round, foil tins) and a metric ton of fry sauce.
Fry sauce is a Utah thing. The “ultimate fry sauce” that we ate seemed like a combination of mayonaise, ketchup and something with a tiny kick (maybe hot sauce or bbq sauce). I tried one or two fries, as much as I could handle at midnight when I was exhausted. It was pretty good, but I’m not sure I could eat it very often. But, if you are on a Utah vacation, you might should try it so that a local doesn’t kidnap you, too!
5. My friends that live inside my computer are “real” friends. Okay, maybe this one isn’t Utah centric. As a member of the blogging community for a little over five years now, I’ve really gotten to know many of the girls who are in my DIY/Home Decor niche. We text, email, chat and talk on the phone. Many of them I have met at various conferences and events over the years or when I visited their hometown and they visited mine. However, there were many I consider dear friends who I had never actually met.
I didn’t take my big camera with me to SNAP and my phone spent about 75% of its time there being nearly out of battery…so, I don’t have a million pictures to share with you. This was the first time I was able to FINALLY meet some of my favorite gals – Brittany, Sandra, Mandi, Brooke, Shelly, Jen, Wendy, and Ana. I also met two new gals that I’m seriously in love with – Heidi and Rayan – and got to hang with tons of old friends (too many to name, but you know who you are).
Okay, I do have a picture. We’re so pretty.
Back row: Mandi, Heather, Me, and Sandra
Front row: Brittany, Stacey, and Brooke
Going to SNAP in Utah was an awesome experience. Even more awesome was that my kids were so excited to see me when I got home. Zack was really excited about the swag I brought back for them, and even wrote me a thank you note before he went to bed. Two year old Emma just kept saying, “You’re my mama!” and touching my face.
I was really happy to see their little faces, too.
Hey, I am a Utah local and am so glad to see you enjoyed my state. My next door neighbor went to the SNAP conference and was telling me about it.
Cafe Rio is the bomb. I try to eat there once every other week. Glad to see that a Texan likes it as well. Whenever I leave Utah I always stop at a Cafe Rio on my way back into the state. The saddest thing about living in Salt Lake is that our Cafe Rio’s aren’t open on Sunday.
Oh, and the secret ingredient in fry sauce is pickle juice. At least it is at the place I eat at in Salt Lake.
Pickle juice! I guess that makes sense – I think Thousand Island has pickles in it (maybe?) and they are really similar.
I’m a transplanted Utahn. Moved there when I was 15, moved out when I was 27, and go back regularly since all of my and my husbands’ families are still there. I LOVE Utah, and I LOVE the mountains.
Fry Sauce is awesome! My sweet, 4 year old daughter who has never lived in Utah discovered that during an extended trip there last summer. Apparently we’ve been depriving her because once she discovered that tasty sauce, she literally dipped her ENTIRE meal in it, including her ice-cream cone! She was a solid mass of fry sauce from forehead to chin. I still laugh just thinking about it!
Oh, and, 8 years of living in flat, humid Kansas since moving out of Utah have made me super sensitive to the altitude now, too. Every time I go back, I have to be very careful to drink a lot of water because I will get altitude sickness if I don’t. 🙁
Yes! I’ll remember next time to drink lots of water BEFORE I go. I think that will help.
It was so fun to meet you, I’m glad you enjoyed your stay in Utah. I did not know that Cafe Rio was a Utah thing. What the heck? I can never move.
That last photo is serious awesomesauce, and it’s a good thing I wasn’t drinking, or something would have shot out of my nose. Hilarious!!
Girl! It was SO fun. I wish we would have had more time to spend together. Next time for sure!
that’s interesting about the swelling of your feet! It was fun to chat on the plane, hope we can meet up sometime locally!
I’m a transplant Utahan been here 14 years and love it. Yes the winters can be rough but you get used to it. Glad you enjoyed Cafe Rio there is a blog called six sisters stuff they have recipes for Cafe Rio. The fry sauce thing though just isn’t for me but glad you tried it. Next time you come with you family take them into the Canyons there are great hikes for all and the views breath taking. Glad you had a great time and come back
Oh, man! I totally have to check out their blog now.
Huh! The fry sauce sounds cool! I live in the bayou and our restaurants do something similar, they usually have house chips (literally homemade chips) with a dipping sauce similar to a spicy Italian dressing.
Oooh, that sounds yummy!
Utah is on my destination list. When there I guess I will have to survey Cafe RIO!
Land Surveyors Perth
I love your blog. You have inspired me before, but mostly for home dec stuff. Now you’ve inspired me in a caloric way. I live in AZ and have never heard on Cafe Rio. (Let it be known that we have amazing Mexican food here in AZ) Your description of the pork burrito made me so hungry. I went to their website and found that there is a location about 4 miles from me. Yummmmmm. I can smell it already. I’m just trying to figure out how fast I can get there. My hips thank you!!
HAHAHA! It’s my role in life to make sure everyone has as many “curves” as I do. 🙂
Did you go to Cafe Rio?
Hi fellow Texan! Can’t wait to make it up to Utah one day. Every landscape photo I’ve seen is breathtaking.
Sounds like you had fun! I have yet to go to a conference, I have only been blogging since January.
I live in Arizona and we do have Cafe Rio and I love it. Have spent a lot of time in Utah and I am a fry sauce lover! Glad you enjoyed your visit so much!
Although I live in Utah now, I didn’t grow up here – but my dad did! So he would make us homemade fry sauce all the time. I was so dumb founded when none of my friends knew what fry sauce was, lol. It’s some good stuff. Glad you enjoyed Utah!
Holy crap, the bottom picture is killing me! We have a place up here in the D/FW that sounds a lot like Cafe Rio, called Costa Vida. Do y’all have those in Austin?
No, we don’t! I’m actually heading up to Arlington today, though. I should check and see if there’s one there.
I work in Arlington! You should come see me 🙂 There is not a Costa Vida in Arlington – only Colleyville that I know of (near Southlake/Grapevine/North Richland Hills). I work at the James Avery in Arlington 🙂
Dear L, I am so very glad that you were able to enjoy your trip out (and I’ve got a Cafe Rio pork recipe if you need one). HOWEVER, I am totally bummed I didn’t get the chance to spend more time with you. Heck, I would have been excited to spend any time with you.
Thank you so much for coming!
xoxo
I know! I heart you and I wish we could have visited. Oh dare you be so busy putting on a conference! 😉 We actually have a lot in common – I used to work in politics, too!
It was a great time! I am still recuperating!
It was absolutely stunning and I loved the fry sauce. I was a total newbie but it was delicious. xoxo
It was so great to meet you in person! I loved your painting class too. Now you just need to come visit Arizona!
Love ya Linz!
I’ve always wanted to try real fry sauce. I always mix mayo and ketchup for fry dipping. I have since I was a teenager. My husband interned in Utah in college and told me all about fry sauce and I’ve been wanting to try it ever since!
FUN! What about those berries? I want to call them huckleberries, but i might have made that up, ha! Were they delicious?
Yes! They were huckleberries – and VERY sweet.
I actually live in Utah and you got it spot on. I’m not originally from here. My grandparents live near Tyler, Texas and my mom grew up in Texas and my Dad in Arizona. We moved here via the Army between 10th and 11th grade. Then I married a Utahan and I’m staying. You reminded me of all the Utah things I love and have come to take for granted. My husband cannot eat fries with ketchup – it has to be fry sauce. Each restaurant makes it their own way. I can’t eat mayo so I’m stuck with ketchup. Thanksgiving Point is gorgeous and the Ancient Life Museum is a great place for children (of all ages). BUT YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE BEST PARTS OF UTAH yet. I live up north in a place called Cache Valley. If you visit, you have to go to Tony Grove and hike around the lake (it’s family friendly and there are usually moose). And there is Dinosaur National Park near Vernal, Timpanogos Cave, Canyonlands, Arches, Zions, and Bryce Canyon. Oh and the Uintah Mountains by Mirror Lake – a must if you want to see mountains that will knock your socks off. If you come to Utah your children really need to participate in the Junior Ranger Program. It means lots of learning and hours of quiet driving time. Here are the state programs: http://stateparks.utah.gov/parks And here is the link to all the National Parks in Utah: http://www.nps.gov/state/ut/index.htm?program=parks
I know! That’s what everyone says – I need to go further north. I will, I will!
I love you! I am glad you love my home state. I had so much fun with you at SNAP!
Love you! Miss you!
It was so fun to meet you, now I am glad I grabbed you a big ‘ol drink! haha, I didn’t realize about the altitude..I have lived in Utah my entire life….I LOVED reading about it from your perspective! Such a great experience.
HAHA! Yes, that big drink definitely helped a ton! It was awesome sitting next to you. You are awesome!
It was so good to finally meet you. Sorry about the kidnapping and the cramped car situation…:) I blame that on Mandi! Glad you had a great time at Snap!
Ha! Yes, let’s blame Mandi. 🙂 It was so good to meet you, too – you’re just as gorgeous and perfectly put together in person as I always imagined. I heart you!
Hugs! It was fabulous to get to know you IRL, and to be lucky enough to spend so much time hanging out with you gals! Loved it, and can’t wait to do the same at Haven!
Sounds like a nice place to visit actually.
Snap was my first time to Utah too and I fell in love with Cafe Rio. I managed to squeeze in two trips while I was there and so psyched to find they had just opened one up near my house in Virginia. So…of course, I dragged the family there for dinner the day my flight got in 🙂