Attagirl! Women’s History & Highlights
Celebrating women's history in the state of Utah.
It's been more than 150 years since the first woman to vote in the country cast her ballot in Salt Lake City. From the Native American tribes to pioneers, women have been shaking things up and leading progress and change in Utah for centuries.
According to Better Days, a Salt Lake City-based group working to popularize women’s history in the state, Salt Lake City has more standing suffrage sites than Seneca Falls, New York — home of the Women’s Rights National Historical Park.
This itinerary is perfect for a girls’ trip, a solo-adventure or a family vacation focused on educational experiences. It pairs history and time for reflection with active adventure, beautiful scenery and Instagrammable locations.
Salt Lake City: Home of the First Vote
8 Miles
Spend the day in Salt Lake City educating yourself on the history of women’s suffrage efforts in Utah and across the country. In Salt Lake City, a 23 year-old school teacher named Seraph Young cast the first vote by a woman under an equal suffrage law in the United States. In Salt Lake City, you can visit the building where this historic vote took place, and an abundance of additional historical sites, as well as exhibits, performances and community events, which have been planned to celebrate these important voting rights anniversaries. Enhance your journey with local women-owned businesses and restaurants. (Check out the Utah Women-Owned Business Directory for a listing of women-owned businesses.)
Take the Suffrage Walking Tour for notable suffrage sites around Salt Lake City. National suffragists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton spoke at the tabernacle on Temple Square. From state and city buildings to the still-standing homes of local women’s rights activists, many Salt Lake City locations call visitors to consider this area’s rich women’s history.
From traditional family mole recipes to Alpine-style cheese artisans up north, Utah’s female tastemakers are leading the charge for great eating and drinking in the state and beyond. Pick a woman-owned restaurant in the Salt Lake area for your meal — or meals — this day, or get inspiration for other restaurants around the state.
Overnight in Salt Lake City
Moab: Steeped in Story
240 Miles
After your time in Salt Lake City, you’ll have gleaned some new insights and thoughts on the powerful women who came before you, and the difference-makers still at work today. Now it’s time to take to the outdoors where Utah’s wild lands will help you resolve or refocus what’s important to you. Setting out towards Moab, find a friend, an adventure guide or go it alone on hiking trails, rivers and scenic byways. (Read: The Best Time to Visit Moab)
Stop by a local Moab bookstore and acquaint yourself with the writings of Ellen Meloy and Amy Irvine. Irvine’s collection of essays "Desert Cabal," is in direct conversation with famous Utah writer Edward Abbey’s "Desert Solitaire." Arches National Park is where both Abbey and Irvine worked as National Park Service Rangers, making it the perfect location to visit if you want to dive into the landscapes that informed the writing of both books, and their differing conclusions.
Spend the day experiencing Arches National Park, whether on the scenic drive or on the hiking trail. There’s no shortage of great hikes to fit your schedule and skill level. For a unique experience, reserve a tour through the Fiery Furnace. This twisting labyrinth of brilliant red rock fissures and spines is so intricate it is highly recommended to find your way through with a guide. With a permit from the visitor center, experienced explorers can enter without a guide.
In Moab, stop by woman-owned business Moab Made. Started by Rebecca McAllister in 2016, this shop is dedicated to distributing products created by the local artisan community. Products include art, jewelry, apparel, body products and more. Situated right on Moab's Main Street, stop in to pick up a token from your time in Moab, or a souvenir for one of your galentines back home.
Overnight in Moab at a hotel or glamping location.
Chasing Thelma and Louise
150 Miles
Explore the lesser-visited gems outside of the Moab-area national parks. This is a great day to book a guided excursion such as a mountain biking adventure or a river rafting trip on the Green River (Read: Bridesmaids Gone Boating). For views that rival the Grand Canyon and excellent mountain bike trails, stop at Dead Horse Point State Park.
Read this account of one writer’s active day on Moab’s slickrock trails. If you’d like to try a guided mountain biking experience, give a woman-owned business a try, such as Ashley Kornblatt’s Western Spirit Cycling or Kirstin Peterson’s Rim Tours.
Many visitors find Dead Horse Point State Park to be even more captivating than the views at the Grand Canyon. A visitor center and art gallery provide a wonderful introduction to the park’s geology and key features visible from the overlooks. There are also mountain biking trails and reservable yurts. Plus, Fossil Point that sits just below Dead Horse Point State Park is featured in one of the most iconic scenes from "Thelma & Louise" starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis.
When you're hungry: Cinda Culton set out to make an ideal place for a girlfriends’ lunch featuring scratch-made products. Thus, Sweet Cravings Bakery and Bistro was born. Located on Moab’s Main Street, customer favorites include tres leche, macaroons and raspberry white chocolate scones. Culton’s team makes all pies, cakes and other baked goods from scratch. Looking for something more savory? Try the Kokopelli sandwich or the strawberry chicken salad and wrap.
In the evening, get on the road to Capitol Reef National Park and overnight in Torrey or try glamping at Capitol Reef Resort.
Capitol Reef: Cider Cheers and Glamping
20 Miles
Capitol Reef National Park splashes color for a hundred miles from its northern to southern boundaries. Though Capitol Reef has some stunning backcountry, this quick trip stays closer to the main roads. Explore rock art petroglyphs in the midst of Capitol Reef's red rocks that tell the story of the early indigenous people, the Fremont culture. After a day exploring, return to town to try out one of the newest woman-owned businesses in Utah, Etta Place Hard Cider.
The front country hikes in Capitol Reef National Park lead to amazing rock formations and panoramic views of Southeastern Utah. Hickman Bridge is a short out-and-back (about 2 miles). The Rim Overlook and/or Navajo Knobs add 2.3 and 4.7 miles (one-way), respectively, for an elevated 360º panoramic view of Capitol Reef’s tilted landscapes.
Etta Place Cider is named after legendary partner to Hole-in-the-Wall gang leader Sundance the Kid, Etta Place. It’s owned and operated by Anne Torrence, who has been growing heritage apple varieties in her Torrey orchard since 2012. Stop by for a drink!
If you have ever dreamed of glamping in a teepee, you’ll be happy to know that you can make that dream a reality by staying at Capitol Reef Resort. Located in Torrey, about seven miles from the Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center, Capitol Reef Resort offers a wide variety of stays from glamping in teepees and Conestoga wagons to hotel rooms and cabins.
Overnight at a hotel in Torrey or glamp at Capitol Reef Resort for a charming Instagram shot.
Heritage Highways 89: In the Path of Frontierswomen
215 Miles
After several days of outdoor exploration, this day invites you to connect with the historical and current inhabitants of a couple small Utah towns.
First, take a walk back in time and learn about Capitol Reef’s early pioneer life at the Gifford Homestead, and read up about the lives of Capitol Reef’s early female residents. March through November, don’t forget to treat yourself to a freshly-baked pie at the homestead— your taste buds will thank you. And in the spring, the blooming historic orchards of Capitol Reef splash mesmerizing colors against the sandstone backdrops. Come harvest, happy visitors wander unlocked orchards and sample ripe fruit in season. There’s a self-pay and bagging station to carry out ripe fruit for a nominal fee.
Afterwards, take the scenic route back to Salt Lake City along Utah’s Heritage Highway 89. In Ephraim, stop by Granary Arts for rotating exhibits by Utah artists. The gallery is housed in an old granary once managed by early pioneer women. Then continue on to nearby Spring City for lunch at Das Café (Read: Utah’s Taste of Germany), located on Spring City’s quaint and artsy main street. Pop into Horseshoe Mountain Pottery to meet potter Joe Bennion, where he sells his goods and his wife’s, Lee Udall Bennion, Mom’s Stuff natural piñon salves.
Overnight in Sanpete Valley or continue on to Salt Lake City.
