Shooting Star Saloon
Huntsville

Open since 1897, the Shooting Star is the oldest saloon still in business in Utah. The decor is what you'd expect from a century-old watering hole, with dark-paneled walls, moose and elk trophies, and even a stuffed and mounted St. Bernard's head. Look up and you'll see a ceiling covered with dollar bills from past visitors. The key to enjoying yourself here is to keep in mind that it's a bar, not a restaurant. "If you want some pub-grub with your beer, this is the place to go." They only serve burgers, "of which the triple-decker Star burger, featuring a split knockwurst on top, is famous." Another favorite at this cash-only spot is the double bacon-cheese.

The Oaks Restaurant
Ogden

It took an entire team of mules and horses to move the Oaks Restaurant about a mile from its original location in Ogden Canyon in 1933. Purchased by the Rounkles in 1981, it's the oldest continually run business, serving "just about anything you can think of." The "best seat is a table outside under the trees right along the bank of the Weber River" where you'll "spot hummingbirds flitting around," and "hear the sound of the water rushing by." Pick up a Weber Pathway trail map at the Oaks and walk off the famous fruit-filled Canyon Cakes or one of the restaurant's inventive sandwiches like the BMD supreme. It's a "casual eatery" that lures visitors with the "enchanting atmosphere of the tall trees and beautiful canyon walls." Read more.

Wasatch Wildflower Festival
Salt Lake City Area

Years ago, "some crazy Alta locals decided they needed an excuse to have a block party." As organizations like the U.S. Forest Service and businesses in the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon started coming together, "a festival was born." This festival "not only celebrates the wildflowers, but it also shows people how to take care of them and preserve the land around them." The flowers bloom in July and August, but they peak at the end of July in time for the festival. It's the "perfect opportunity to take a stroll through wildflower meadows." More rugged hikers can opt for a wildflower and geology hike, and families can listen to live music or work on arts-and-crafts projects. Read more.

Ruth's Diner
Salt Lake City

After a few years as a cabaret singer, Ruth opened a hamburger joint in 1930. Today it's the second-oldest restaurant in Utah--although it was relocated up Emigration Canyon in 1949 by way of the Salt Lake trolley car. Now all it takes is a 10-minute drive from Salt Lake City to make it to this "very charming" roadside diner with a "lovely patio." Comfort food is the house specialty. Breakfast is served until 4pm, and Ruth's signature mile-high biscuits accompany both breakfast and lunch orders. Although Ruth passed away at age 94, loyal customer and new owner Dan swears he won't change a thing--including the recipe of Ruth's award-winning brownie sundae. Read more.

Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve
Salt Lake City

You don't have to be a bird watcher to enjoy a day at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve, a 4,000-acre wetlands region that's home to thousands of birds migrating between Canada and South America. This is the lake's largest nesting spot for white-faced ibis and "over 250 types of birds are known to frequent the area." With a relatively new visitor center including a 30-foot observation tower, mile-long boardwalk loop, and open-air pavilion, it's also a great place to learn about birds in a "serene and secluded atmosphere." The center also showcases art, fun facts, and even poems providing information about the lake system, wetland habitats, and wildlife. Read more.