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The Last Word With Jeremy Pugh
By Enrique Limón
When it comes to fun things to do in Salt Lake City, Jeremy Pugh quite literally wrote the book. His 100 Things to Do in Salt Lake City Before You Die provides readers with the ultimate bucket list—from taking a ride on the Olympic bobsled track to floating on Weber River—and paints SLC as a "vast outdoor playground, where all Mormons, gentiles, sinners and Saints mingle and mix to make a truly unique place in the West and the world."
1. Biggest Salt Lake City misconception?
That we're square, kind of stuffy and conservative. The state of Utah's overall conservatism gets applied to Salt Lake City and I think people from out of town are surprised to find that we're such a progressive and diverse place.
2. What is your personal No. 1 SLC destination must?
I'm tempted to say Temple Square because it's so obvious, but honestly, I think the Gilgal Sculpture Garden. It's such an interesting place, and it touches on Utah history with a religious backdrop that our state has, and it's just funky and weird.
3. What about No. 2?
The Great Salt Lake. Those of us who grew up here grew up with a sort of weird bias saying, 'Oh, it stinks' or whatever ... but it's a really cool place. I really encourage Salt Lakers to go check it out—go out to Antelope Island, rent a canoe and go paddle around the lake.
4. Favorite outdoor activity?
Definitely the hiking. I'm a big skier, but I think the hiking is more egalitarian, and we're so fortunate to live A) Within shot of something like the Living Room Trail, which you can do on a lunch break, or B) Take a whole Saturday and go up on the Desolation Trail and hike all through the Wasatch on these amazing, well-maintained trails.
5. Essential dining experience?
Hires Big H. That to me is the quintessential Archie and Jughead kind of 1950s [experience]. You go in there on a Saturday night, and there's all these high school kids down there and parents taking the soccer team out for a root beer float.
6. Fry sauce: yea or nay?
Oh, I'm a yea. I'm definitely more on the ketchup side; I don't like a 50/50 mix, I'm more like a 60/40 split on the ketchup-to-mayo ratio. But yeah, I'm always going to answer yes to fry sauce.
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