[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by AntonioR

1. When does warm weather is consistently a feature of Salt Lake City?
I want to visit when the trees are nice and green, and the weather is warm enough to walk around without a jacket.

While Salt Lake City has four distinct seasons, spring seems to be the most unpredictable one. In other words, we often go from winter to summer almost overnight (with just a few spring-like days along the way. I'd say the weather is probably the most consistently warm -- but not sweltering -- either in June or in September.

2. When is there a greater risk of inversions? Are they bad enough to ruin photos of the city?

December through February seem to be the worst months. Unless you are coming to Salt Lake City for the nearby winter sports, I would strongly suggest you stay away during the winter months.

3. What are the safe areas of the city and in what general area of the city are they located? By safe, I mean safe enough that I can walk with a DSLR camera on hand and not feel the need to constantly hide it or look over my shoulders.

With very few exceptions, you should feel safe pretty much everywhere in Salt Lake City during the daytime, and the only places I'd advise you to stay away from at night are places where you wouldn't likely be going anyway.

4. What is there in terms of cultural attractions such as museums, distinctive architectural buildings, cultural centers and such? I'm a big history buff and I enjoy architecture/distinctive buildings, art (especially distinctive local art), and any cultural aspects that is unique to the places I visit. Also any really nice or interesting parks, avenues/streets would be great suggestions. What are the main monuments that identify Salt Lake City?

Rather than list out everything here in this thread, I'll just provide you with a link to a thread I started a long time ago for the purpose of answering this very question.

5. Which restaurants would you recommend as places a visitor must eat at least once during their visit? It can be a place that features whatever plates are distinctively of Utah or national/international fare, as long that its good is fine. If Utah has a distinctive cuisine, what plates do you think a visitor must try?

I'm going to have to give this one some thought. In years past, Salt Lake City hasn't been known at all for its cuisine. This is starting to change, though. I'm sure you'll get a number of good suggestions before I even have time to get back to you.

6. What natural attractions are at most within an hour of the city?

The Cottonwood Canyons are about a half hour from downtown Salt Lake City, and Antelope Island is about a 45-minute drive. Those two would be my main suggestions.

Is there a place similar to Zion National Park near Salt Lake City?

Unfortunately no, but a four-and-a-half to five hour drive will get you to either Zion or any of our other four spectacular national parks. If there is any way for you to stay long enough to see a couple of them, I can promise you that you will not regret it.