Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

Real Salt Lake knocked off Chivas USA with a 3-2 score last week to launch themselves into the final round of the Western Conference playoff. Real will face off against the New York Red Bull

s this Saturday for the Western Conference Championship. This is huge for Real Salt Lake. Only a month after the inaugural game at Rio Tinto Stadium, Real will be hosting the second-biggest match in Major League Soccer.

I bought my tickets today with my sister and got in on a sweet family-discount price. Tickets were going fast while she was at the door, so I imagine they’ll continue to sell until the place is packed. Come cheer on Real Salt Lake on this historic run to the MlS finals.

In fact, a wonderful plan for Saturday just came to me: Skiing during the day, MLS Conference Final during the night. That’s a good day in Salt Lake.

HERE is an article with more information on the game and ticket sales for Saturday’s game.

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You know it! November is here and we had a late change of the colors. I have been trying to get some great shots of the trees turning around downtown, but I was just one day too late!

But can you complain too much? 

I am still going to get those tree pictures I was planning on, but just with a little snow now. 

We live in the student housing up at the U of U and I woke up to my three year old screaming that she wanted to put her skis on and throw snowballs at me. Well, we did both and she and I skied around our front yard!

For everyone out there, mark on your todo list: Get your first tracks… even if they are just in front of your house.

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I was invited to work with the Salt Lake blog and show everyone the beauty of our fair city, and I am excited. Being an art student up at the Univeristy of Utah, I have found an eye for the beauty this city displays everywhere; naturally and man-made around every corner downtown. 

Though I am no where near 50 years old, I do love shooting with my 50mm lens (unless someone wants to donate 2000$ to get me the 80mm lens…) and most shots you will find I take will be with that lens. 

Todays pic comes from the Discovery Gateway. My daughter went for her birthday this week and sometimes I have more fun than she does at this place! 

Front entrance to the childs museum.

This is a place that is great for all ages, and getting a pass is not a bad deal at all.

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Shawn and I hopped on the town cruiser bikes and took advantage of what could be one of the last few days of warm weather in Salt Lake City. We didn’t have any specific place in mind for lunch so we just rode around downtown, enjoying the sunshine and the autumn leaves.

After a long loop of downtown were were passing by Thai Lotus on 212 East 500 South and after a couple of glances we knew it was time to pull in to check it out. Neither of us had been there before so we went into it with no real expectation. more

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To an avid skier the mountains may look a bit scary right now without snow but soon the blanket of white will arrive and all will be well.  In the meantime there are still many reasons to head up into the mountains to visit Salt Lake’s resorts of Snowbird, Alta, Brighton and Solitude.

One of those is the Scary Aerie Halloween Dinner hosted at the Aerie Restaurant which is on the 10th floor of the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird.

A week from this Friday on Halloween night, the Aerie will be hosting a ghoulishly themed dinner that looks like it could be straight up treat with little trick.

For $39 per person this looks well worth a visit to the mountains. more

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When I was in Spain I got to know a number of Gitanos (Gypsy’s) who were an energetic people, full of life and culture.

Despite this, the Spaniards often called the Gitanos “Mestizo”, meaning that they were a mix of cultures and nationalities rather than “true” Spaniards. For the most part it didn’t ruin their spirits.

In this same open attitude and one of acceptance, Utah artist Ruby Chacon along with her husband, Terry Hurst have opened Mestizo Coffee House, embracing the diversity and yes, the mixing of cultures that exists in the Salt Lake Valley and in particular, the West side.

Salt Lake Magazine had a nice write up about Ruby and Terry’s vision. It’s worth checking out as is Mestizo located at 631 W. North Temple.

–via Salt Lake Magazine

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Aside from a storm or two, the autumn weather in Salt Lake has been more than enjoyable with average to above average temperatures and of course, the typical abundance of sunshine.  So when a buddy sent me an invite to lunch with “the geeks” at Happy Sumo, I couldn’t pass it up.

Located in the southern end of the Gateway Center, Happy Sumo sits among over a dozen of restaurants and eateries but comes in as the only sushi option. But just because it’s the only option on this end of the Gateway Center, doesn’t mean it doesn’t measure up as it was “Voted Best Sushi” by City Weekly Magazine.

I opted to walk to Sumo from the Salt Palace Convention Center main entrance and it took just over 10 minutes.  The train ride back was not much shorter after waiting for the train to arrive so either option is available if you’re coming from downtown.

Thanks to the sunny afternoon we (all 15 of us) were able to be seated on the patio out front to enjoy the sun and the sushi.

Sumo for Lunch

Like nearly every sushi restaurant Happy Sumo has its specialty rolls. One that we sampled as a group was the Playboy Roll (pictured below) which is Tempura shrimp, avacado and cucumbers topped with tuna sashimi, Sumo sauce (it has a bit of picante to it), eel sauce and tabiko. Writing out the ingredients makes me hungry for another, it was that tasty.

I personally ordered up a trio for lunch: the Wasatch Roll, Unagi Nigiri (freshwater eel) and Kappa Maki which is cucumber roll. more

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