Things to Do in Salt Lake City

Some seek Pilates for weight loss or a toned body, and others for stress relief and overall wellbeing. But Erica Lukes was drawn to the mat to recover from a horseback-riding injury in the early '90s. As her pain subsided and her range of motion returned through her practice, she became compelled to help others reap the benefits of the core-strengthening workout, earning her certification as a Pilates instructor, and eventually helming Total Body Pilates. Now, she guides students of all fitness levels through Pilates, ballet barre, and Zumba classes to achieve their fitness and wellness goals. She helps them to build long, lean muscles through mat- and machine-based Pilates, in which students work on a special machine consisting of ropes and pulleys designed to add extra resistance to each movement, resulting in the lithe limbs and toned muscles of a gym cat, the natural predator of the ubiquitous gym rat.

The Utah Museum of Fine Arts lives in the Marcia & John Price Museum Building, a space that is itself a masterwork of blending volumes and light. Inside, the facility houses a permanent collection of more than 18,000 works of art, ranging from antiquity—such as a sarcophagus from the 26th Dynasty of Egypt—to modern day, including paintings by John Singer Sargent and photographs by Ansel Adams. The museum staff constantly rotates special exhibitions, covering diverse topics such as automobile design, Native American history, and modern art.

The clatter of victimized pins echoes across Orchard Lanes's 18-lane alley and family-fun center. Unless there is a league on the floor, Orchard Lanes's staffers are happy to bring down the lights for glow-in-the-dark bowling at a customer’s request during any of its daily open-bowling hours. For special occasions, party packages are available to equip revelers with the necessary pizza, ice cream, and goody bags, and Orchard Lanes has even played host to a wedding. A computerized scoring system logs each player’s achievements, and between frames, a stop at the full-service snack bar yields pizza and soda to refuel sphere-tossing muscles. The center is also home to billiards tables and an arcade that, like the fairest time-out corners, has a redemption center.

A true polymath, Leonardo da Vinci was never content learning a single subject at a time. Leonardo’s expertise is renowned, as he honed his mind as an artist, scientist, inventor, and mutant ninja. In this same spirit, The Leonardo, his namesake museum, explores the ways that science, technology, art, and creativity connect. Each day, its exhibits bustle with activity as visitors examine thought-provoking installations, experiment with hands-on activities, and participate in ever-changing workshops.

The Dynamic Performance of Nature exhibit, for example, is a giant sine curve made of solar-powered LEDs that stretches the length of room. It flashes and changes its color in response to real-world factors such as solar radiation, humidity, and pollution. Artists, inventors, and other innovative thinkers work within the Lab@Leo, where they help museum guests make creative projects out of different materials. Some of the museum's other exhibits include I.D.: What Makes You, You?, which explores our genetic origins, and Render, where visitors can create their own short animated films.

Each of Salt Lake City Bikram Yoga's instructors have completed Bikram Choudhury's intensive nine-week training course with the goal of sharing the celebrated yogi's 26-pose practice with others. Between the punchy orange hues and wall-spanning mirrors, the hardwood-floored studio is filled with hot and humid air to help even the tightest muscles sink deeply into therapeutic stretches while detoxifying the body. The sweat-inducing practice accommodates students of all experience levels, fostering an inclusive space for beginners and experts alike to bolster their strength and flexibility. Post perspiration, yogis can refresh in the shower facilities and nurture their souls at the complimentary spirit-animal watering station.