9 Reasons to Visit Utah in the Fall

I AM OBSESSED WITH FALLLLLLLL! Seriously, I wish everyday was fall. The clothes, the weather, the leaves – I seriously can’t get enough. I think Cody has probably heard me say over 1000 times “BABE!! Look at the tree woooowww isn’t is so beautiful!” Haha it’s basically become a joke in our family. Any tree Cody will point to it and be like wow look at that tree! Or wow look at that rock! Whenever we travel and meet new people and talk about Utah, everyone’s first response is “I hear it’s beautiful in the winter!” Usually it’s skiing, snow, the Sundance Film Festival, etc. Don’t get me wrong – I love Utah in the winter, but I am a total cold wimp! You might be surprised (unless you’ve witnessed a Utah autumn for yourself!) but I think Utah in the fall is even better – and not just because I’m a cold weather scrooge. Here are 6 reasons why:

He was so excited for hot cocoa

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These two kill me! If you guys follow me on Snapchat you probably saw a few cute snaps of Mio in the Audi. At 120 lbs, he has a hard time fitting in most tight spaces so he’s never really been a fan of car rides but he loved the Audi! There was so much space in the back he could stand up straight and even lay down all the day. It also had the longest sunroof that extended all the way back towards the cargo space – he was obsessed with watching it open and close!

1. Family-friendly. Utah is super family-oriented so you will never run out of family activities. Pumpkin patches are our tradition and there are soooo many really different ones in Utah! From picture-perfect greenhouse pumpkin patches, to a full blown farm complete with baby piglets to a tried and true pumpkin patch with acres of pumpkins still on the vine ready to be picked – there’s even one with a teepee. I think if I keep this up I’ll have hit every pumpkin patch in Utah soon. 🙂 Whatever your style, there are plenty of options.

The baby pigs were seriously the cutest!! They would eat right out of your hand! Slash they also nip at your clothes! I was surprised pigs literally try to eat everything!

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2. Mountains, mountains, mountains. There are so many different canyons right here in Salt Lake that you could spend a day up every one of them and still want to see more. They are all so beautiful and actually really unique! I love the panoramic sunroof in the Q7 – it’s seriously HUGE. It really allows you to see so much more of the mountain view and get a full feel of your views. Fall is one of the best times to hike, too. If you wait until winter the snowfall makes the trails slippery and it’s hard for the kids to walk. During fall you can venture anywhere and it’s easier (and safer!) to explore or go off-trail to capture those really cool Insta shots ;). Plus the leaves changing color up the canyon are even better closer up.

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3. Which brings me to the foliage. It’s crazy how long the leaves changing colors lasts here! This year the leaves started changing up in August in the mountains and it feels like they are just starting to change down in the valley this month so you get a solid month of the leaves changing colors. I once planned a trip to Oregon specifically to catch the colorful leaves on a hike and we missed it! It’s such a small window sometimes for fall, but in Utah you can always find those leaves changing somewhere. I have a real obsession with the leaves changing colors. Cody teases me about it, but I really do take the long way home or detour randomly just to find those amazing fall colors

4. Apple picking! Utah has grown so quickly, but it used to be full of orchards everywhere. There are so many cool spots to go apple-picking with the kids, and what’s a better souvenir than something you pick yourself? We haven’t gone yet but it’s been at the top of my fall to-do list all season!

5. College football: With two pretty big schools just an hour apart, college football season is like a cult here. The stadiums with a mountain backdrop make for such a cool view and atmosphere while you’re cheering with some hot chocolate and foam fingers in hand.

6. Fall line up: Utah has some of the best outdoor concert venues I’ve been to, from a cool view of the city at USANA to a close-up view of the Salt Lake at Saltair, There’s something about that crisp fall air while enjoying an outdoor concert that makes the atmosphere that much better.

7. You can splurge or save: Since winter is considered more of the busy season, fall is a great time to visit without having to worry about the high price tags and “no vacancy” signs. There is such a variety of hotels/resorts and restaurants/eateries that you can find pretty much anything you are looking for at any budget.

8. Instagram-worthy everything: Seriously, from the food to the family activities to the sunrise and sunsets over the mountains, everything in Utah is insta-worthy. It’s a must-see!

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9. It’s all just a short drive away: 80% of Utah’s population lives in a solid 1.5 stretch along the Wasatch mountains, so every activity or sight you could ever want or imagine is never more than a few minutes away – whether it’s nightlife, a mountain trail, or just good food. We loved borrowing the new Audi Q7 so we could fit all three kids and Mio and still have leftover room to staycation comfortably while we explored more of our own backyard.

Mio’s face here!!! Look at his smile lol!

The technology in the Q7 was so cool – it senses so much on the road which makes it sooo easy to drive. And with the Q7’s full suite of driver assistance systems, it feels so much safer on the road.

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What are your favorite activities to do in Utah?

XX, Christine

*In collaboration with Audi.