Hey guys, I posted my recent last month experience driving from LA to SLC stopping in Vegas to over night. Brief summary is the run to Vegas is about 5 hrs from West LA, probably 4 hrs from Ontario Millls Mall. Road is excellent, AM travel no problem. Weather should be great. Grabbing something to eat at the Mad Greek in Baker is worth it. Also can get gas there too, tallest outdoor barometer fame. All parking on the strip and the hotels is free. No matter what you drive in, there are no parking fees. Venetian as I remember had a parking terrace that did not bottom out on the vipers. Saw the Beatles LOVE Cirque de Soleil show at the Mirage, well worth it if you have the time. The Country Club Grill at the Golf Course at the back of the Wynn Resort next to the Ferrari Dealership, has excellent steaks and superb views, not overly crowded, and no Keno Girls.
Ride to SLC is a different animal. Spectacular scenery, long stretches of nothingness. Mesquite is about 90 miles from Vegas. Last chance for gas until St. George. We left about around 8:30 made Cedar City around 11:30 AM. Lots of fast food places in Cedar City. Choices for dining then drop off dramatically from Cedar City to Lehi, Utah. You enter the Great Basin National Park and the Capitol Reef Monument areas. Not much going on except probably no less than 7 UT HWY Patrol, positioned about every 50 or so miles to American Fork, Utah. Would suggest radar detectors and avoid going more than 75-80 MPH. Utah Hwy Patrol have at least 2 white Shelby GT Mustang patrol cars working this stretch. Take a picture of one if you see it for me! Utah Highway Patrol have less of a sense of humor than their California Hwy Patrol counter parts. They are generally not a funny group of guys and you can be sure they will be notified that a Viper Convention is coming to SLC. They hide behind the exit ramps or on top of them. Ride to SLC seems about twice as long as the ride to Vegas from LA. Beautiful country, generally not a sole around except on the freeway. Roads are in good condition. Can't really remember a bad section. Be sure to notice all the small white church steeples all over the countryside.
So after about 4.5 hours in the middle of now-where, you then come upon the cities south of Provo, Ut. The traffic begins to increase dramatically until to get to just south of Provo then you hit traffic worse than West LA at 5 PM. Tremendous boom in housing without concommitent increase in highway access and alternative routes leading to a horrendous traffic stalemate. But this lasts only about 15-20 miles. Continue on I-15 for about 25 miles, stop and go traffic until you are over the "Point of the Mountains". Look to the right as you enter the SLC Valley and see "Widowmaker Hill" major motorcycle hill climbing track. Heading north on I-15 is not as bad as heading south, which is completely stopped. Stay on I-15 all the way into SLC. Take the 6th South Exit and proceed directly East to Main Street (about 4-5 blocks), take a left and you are at the Grand Hotel, Little America is across the street. SLC is easy to naviate, streets are set up on a square block plan. Dining is found all over the city. Better dining is found on 2nd and 3rd South streets between West Temple and 4th West Streets.
Should be a spectacular weekend baring any rain or snow. Mormon Church has their semi-annual conference going on at the same time so the city should be pretty crowded. Miller Motor Speedway is about 25 miles west of the Grand Hotel off of I-80. I-80 ends at the west end of the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. To get to I-15 north, take the 5th south freeway entrance to I-15 north. This is the street on the north side of the Grand Hotel. Take a left, one way traffic going west and head to the I-15, stay in the right lanes. Once entering I-15 you want to take the I-80 Airport exit (I believe exit 308) stay in the right two lanes. This is the first exit off the I-15 after entering it from 5th south. Stay in the left lanes once you are on I-80 and it is a straight line to the Great Salt Lake. Go past the south end of the Great Salt Lake and you will see signs directing you to the Milller Motor Sports Park.
There are some scenic drives around Salt Lake City. The run to Park City is nice, short, about 20 miles on I-80. Exit on the Park City ramp at the outlet stores. 8 miles into PC. PC has about 135 restaurants, the No Name Saloon, lots shops. Lance needs to get a pair of cowboy boots at the Western store on Main Street.
There is also a run up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Snow Bird Resort. Spectacular views, it will be cool to cold at these mountain resorts, so bring warm clothing. Nights will be cool to cold depending on weather fronts. Generally when the Mormon Church has their semi and annual conferences the weather is excellent in SLC. But can be snowing the next day leaving SLC. Rare to have any major weather south of Provo that time of year.
I-15 south in the AM from SLC is not a problem with traffic heading back to So California.
So that is my short summary of the drive.
Have a great time
You will have a great time in PC and SLC. Don't worry about the liquor laws, they are basically like anywhere else.
