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SLC Roadtrip - Part 2
Our Stay in Salt Lake City

Mark D Larsen

November 12, 2025

In Part 1 for this roadtrip, I detailed our drive to Salt Lake City. Part 2 describes our visit to the area:

NOTE: You can click on the following photos to enlarge them and the movies to play them.

After charging Rocinante, we went to the Mumbai House Indian restaurant for dinner. We’d dined there previously and really liked it.

The dishes were tasty, although I then spent that night tossing and turning with heartburn from the hot and spicy food. I fear that aging is catching up with me.

Moxie was delighted to check into our motel room. She really enjoys these roadtrip adventures.

After Tamara's doctor's appointment at the University of Utah medical center, we decided to drive up into the mountains, even though the usual fall colors had faded. Here we are driving by Mount Olympus where I had delivered mail as a postal carrier many decades ago.

We decided to drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Snowbird ski resort where we had spend our honeymoon night over 31 years ago.

A view of the side of the canyon.

Another view with different rock colors.

Here you can see the gondola cables at Snowbird.

We stopped to take photos of the area.

This is the lodge where we had spent our honeymoon.

We were all happy to stretch our legs.

Tamara then took this reciprocal photo.

A view of the opposite side of the canyon at Snowbird.

We then continued climbing the canyon to reach the top where Alta ski resort is located.

When we reached the top, our energy efficiency was only 1.9 miles-per-kWh.

Some of the ski slopes at Alta. You can see Rocinante at this same spot in the photo at the top of the page.

Another view of the ski resort.

A wide angle view of those ski slopes.

We then turned around and drove back down the canyon.

When we reached the bottom, regenerative braking on the descent had boosted our efficiency from 1.9 to 3.2 miles-per-kWh.

We then decided to climb up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Tamara wasn’t sure if she had been in this canyon before, but the drive jogged her memory.

Tamara took this video as we kept climbing.

A view of a higher peak in the canyon.

Another view of the terrain up ahead on the highway.

Tamara was so impressed with this canyon that she wanted to keep recording a video of our ascent to Brighton ski resort.

Here is the lodge at Brighton.

Rocinante was one of the only vehicles in the parking lot, since the ski season hadn't opened yet.

Our efficiency had again dropped, this time to 2.5 miles-per-kWh, not as low as in the previous canyon because this climb wasn't a steep.

We started driving back down.

The sun was starting to set in the west.

When we reached the bottom, the efficiency had again risen to 3.6 miles-per-kWh because of all the regenerative braking.

We then decided to drive up the next canyon, Millcreek, to have dinner at the quaint, rustic restaurant, "Log Haven," where I had dined on many Prom Nights while in high school. Alas… the restaurant was hosting a special event and was too packed to accept more customers. Phooey.

The sunset was growing more intense as we drove back down Milcreek Canyon.

Still more intense farther down.

And even more intense.

With a resplendent sky as we arrived back in Salt Lake Valley.

We returned to our motel room to freshen up, and then decided to drive to another quaint —but very expensive— restaurant, "La Caille."

Here is the entrance to the restaurant.

The restaurant is located in a small vineyard near the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

I had a truly delicious French Onion soup as an appetizer.

Tamara opted for a beet salad.

We toasted our day of touring the canyons.

Tamara ordered a Lobster Risotto, but ironically this time her dinner did not set well with her during the night.

I ordered a Filet Mignon, which was done to perfection, as well it should have been, given the prices we paid for dinner that night.

There is a huge outdoor fireplace just outside the front door of the restaurant.

And here is a view looking back at the facilities when we left to drive back to our motel.

It was too short of a visit to show more of my hometown to Tamara, but we needed to drive home to the next day, as I detail in Part 3 of this roadtrip.

After charging Rocinante, we went to the Mumbai House Indian restaurant for dinner. We’d dined there previously and really liked it.	The dishes were tasty, although I then spent that night tossing and turning with heartburn from the hot and spicy food. I fear that aging is catching up with me.
Moxie was delighted to check into our motel room. She really enjoys these roadtrip adventures.	After Tamara's doctor's appointment at the University of Utah medical center, we decided to drive up into the mountains, even though the usual fall colors had faded. Here we are driving by Mount Olympus where I had delivered mail as a postal carrier many decades ago.
We decided to drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Snowbird ski resort where we had spend our honeymoon night over 31 years ago.
A view of the side of the canyon.	Another view with different rock colors.
Here you can see the gondola cables at Snowbird.	We stopped to take photos of the area.
This is the lodge where we had spent our honeymoon.	We were all happy to stretch our legs.
Tamara then took this reciprocal photo.	A view of the opposite side of the canyon at Snowbird.
We then continued climbing the canyon to reach the top where Alta ski resort is located.
When we reached the top, our energy efficiency was only 1.9 miles-per-kWh.	Some of the ski slopes at Alta. You can see Rocinante at this same spot in the photo at the top of the page.
Another view of the ski resort.	A wide angle view of those ski slopes.
We then turned around and drove back down the canyon.
When we reached the bottom, regenerative braking on the descent had boosted our efficiency from 1.9 to 3.2 miles-per-kWh.	We then decided to climb up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Tamara wasn’t sure if she had been in this canyon before, but the drive jogged her memory.
Tamara took this video as we kept climbing.
A view of a higher peak in the canyon.	Another view of the terrain up ahead on the highway.
Tamara was so impressed with this canyon that she wanted to keep recording a video of our ascent to Brighton ski resort.
Here is the lodge at Brighton.	Rocinante was one of the only vehicles in the parking lot, since the ski season hadn't opened yet.
Our efficiency had again dropped, this time to 2.5 miles-per-kWh, not as low as in the previous canyon because this climb wasn't a steep.	We started driving back down.
The sun was starting to set in the west.	When we reached the bottom, the efficiency had again risen to 3.6 miles-per-kWh because of all the regenerative braking.
We then decided to drive up the next canyon, Millcreek, to have dinner at the quaint, rustic restaurant, "Log Haven," where I had dined on many Prom Nights while in high school. Alas… the restaurant was hosting a special event and was too packed to accept more customers. Phooey.
The sunset was growing more intense as we drove back down Milcreek Canyon.	Still more intense farther down.
And even more intense.	With a resplendent sky as we arrived back in Salt Lake Valley.
We returned to our motel room to freshen up, and then decided to drive to another quaint —but very expensive— restaurant, "La Caille."	Here is the entrance to the restaurant.
The restaurant is located in a small vineyard near the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon.	I had a truly delicious French Onion soup as an appetizer.
Tamara opted for a beet salad.	We toasted our day of touring the canyons.
Tamara ordered a Lobster Risotto, but ironically this time her dinner did not set well with her during the night.	I ordered a Filet Mignon, which was done to perfection, as well it should have been, given the prices we paid for dinner that night.
There is a huge outdoor fireplace just outside the front door of the restaurant.	And here is a view looking back at the facilities when we left to drive back to our motel.