*While our accommodation and some of our experiences were provided to us complementary, these opinions are our own.
Earlier this month, we found ourselves in Salt Lake City, Utah and wanted to explore some areas we had not been to. On our last trip to Utah, we learned how much fun ski resorts can be and wanted to check out a new spot. That took us to Ogden, which is about 40 minutes north of Salt Lake City, and 30 minutes outside of the Snowbasin ski resort.
Ogden
One great thing about Ogden is the downtown area is walkable and full of restaurants, shops, historic buildings and things to do.
While we visited, we stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites which is located within walking distance of many of the things we wanted to see and do. Our room was large and had a jacuzzi tub in it with a view of the mountains and surrounding areas. Before taking off for our adventures each day, we would fuel up with the hotel’s impressive complementary breakfast which included freshly pressed juices, waffles, fruit, eggs, bacon, bagels and more.
Ogden’s Summer Farmers Market
We were in town over a weekend which allowed us to visit the Historic 25th Street during the summer Farmer’s Market. The street is lined with historic buildings making for a nice walk in its own. The Farmers Market was full of all types of vendors, including food vendors that made us regret eating such a good breakfast at our hotel, artist, farmers and other businesses from the community. It was one of the more full and lively farmers markets we’ve been to.
Farmers Market facing east 
Farmers Market facing Union Station
Peaches 
Paranormal Booth 
Historic 25th Street Sign
When we were not browsing local fares at the market, we enjoyed feeling transformed into the past by the historic buildings, and learning about the history from plaques and information presented along the street.
Union Station
At the end of the street we found historic locomotives and Union Station, a museum that reminds residents and visitors of the influence the railroad had in making Ogden bustling a transportation and manufacturing hub.
Weber County Fair
After visiting the farmer’s market, we made our way to the Weber County Fair, located about 5 miles north of Ogden. We thought it was the perfect size with plenty of shows, delicious food, and normal sized crowds. We are accustomed to sweating bullets in large crowds at County fairs in Texas, so we were pleasantly surprised by the Weber County Fair.
More to do in Ogden
Also around town are many other attractions like the Salomon Center which has facilities to rock climb, indoor ski dive and even surf on a Flowrider. Depending on your timing you may be able to catch a show at the Egyptian Theater or a Ogden Raptors baseball game.
Visiting Snowbasin
We had a great time in the city, but couldn’t wait to get up into the mountains. The Wasatch front is such a beautiful range of mountains and are definitely worth a visit. It may be impossible to find such a large mountain range so accessible to big cities anywhere else.
We made our way up to Snowbasin and took the gondola to the lodge. The gondola is open on weekends in the summer, which allows for beautiful views of the valley and access to some fun hiking trails. (We went up a second time for a friend’s wedding – the Snowbasin Resort is a beautiful venue if you’re in the market!) We were so content to be up in the mountains where the temperature was about 20 degrees cooler than in the valley.
The day we went to Snowbasin the mountain with full of music and delicious smells from the Blues, Brews & BBQ event that happens on Sunday afternoons during the summer.
We took the gondola up and after a short hike up until we had an amazing view of valley on both sides. The temperature was a perfect 67°F and there was still some snow on the ground. There are tons of hikes and mountain biking trails you can take on depending on your skill level. Next time we will have to rent bikes so we can come down the mountain and enjoy the outdoors in a different way.
We are glad we spend some time in the Ogden area. It felt like a perfect place to spend some time away from Salt Lake City in a city that felt both new and old at the same time.