WITS 2024 Salt Lake City: Women in Travel Summit, Part 3

Friday, April 12 was the first real day of WITS (the tours I'd done the day before were technically pre-WITS), but I didn't have anything scheduled until 1:30 pm. I used the morning to check on the Salt Lake City Urban Adventure Quest. 

I've mentioned before that we've done beta testing for UAQ; we've also done checks on Quests where construction or other closures (like COVID) have made it impossible to find certain answers. With all the construction at Temple Square, the folks at UAQ had temporarily taken down the SLC Quest, so I offered to see which questions were currently impossible and which had become accessible. 

Steve, Trevor, and I did the Quest during our 2017 trip to Salt Lake City so I remembered where some of the answers were. Right off the bat, I saw a problem. Construction barriers in front of Union Pacific Depot made it impossible to find the first answer. 

The Quest is well-designed though - I just pushed a button to skip that question and I went on to the next. The Quest took me through Temple Square, where there were a total of 4 impossible questions. But I did get a closer look at the areas under renovation as well as the completed areas, with their gorgeous spring flowers. 

 

  

Then I walked up, up, up the hill to the Capitol. It's so pretty there. 

Beehives, everywhere you look!

I finished the Quest and sent in my feedback. They plan to revamp the SLC Quest in the next few months to replace the 5 questions that can't currently be solved. 

For lunch, I chose J. Dawgs, a beloved place with 9 Utah locations. 

I've never seen this before. When you come in the front door, you immediately pass by a sink before going to the counter to order. Love it!

Once you're at the counter, it doesn't take long to decide what to order, as your only choices are Polish vs. beef dawg. You can add fries and a drink. I chose beef, with no condiments except their Special Sauce. It was fantastic. I definitely recommend a visit. 

I headed back to the Marriott for the Opening Session. The panel discussion was very informative. 

We took a group photo after this session. I'm about four people in from the left, wearing purple. 

Then I attended a session about publishing a travel memoir. That is something I'm strongly considering and this session was outstanding. 

I am very interested in reading each of the speakers' memoirs (affiliate links below): 

  

During the next session block, I spent my time in the Media Marketplace. Here, we could chat with representatives from Destination Management Organizations, travel services, and others to discuss collaborations. One of the destinations represented would be the next host of WITS, so we were all trying to figure out which one it would be!

  

Next, we loaded onto buses and headed to the fabulous Natural History Museum of Utah for a welcome party. 

  

What a party! Oh my gosh. It exceeded my expectations 30 times over. For three hours, we had wonderful food and drinks, excellent music, and free access to the museum. I hardly knew what to do first. 

Since we were on the first bus, we decided to hit the bar and the food before everyone else showed up and the lines got long. It was a great decision. 

  

  

Everything was amazing and the weather on the patio was perfect for eating and mingling. I met so many interesting women, like Kelly, the Points and Miles Doc.  

Those of us who arrived first finished eating while the others were standing in long lines, so we took the opportunity to check out the museum while it was empty. First, we passed by this. 

I didn't need/want a 360° video of myself, but if I had, this would have been the time to get it. It was mobbed for the rest of the night. 

Having the museum to ourselves was fantastic. The Natural History Museum of Utah is an incredible museum. The displays are beautiful, pristine, and arranged very logically. They're packed with interesting information. 

I loved the hands-on activities sprinkled throughout the museum. 

I really enjoyed the special exhibit about Jane Goodall. It will be on display through May 27. 

Back in the lobby, the party was going strong. 

Dessert was ice cream bars by Normal Ice Cream. Yum! I enjoyed mine on the patio, watching the sunset. 

All too soon, it was time to load up the buses and return to the hotel. 

We'd be back on the buses bright and early the next morning. I'll tell you all about that tomorrow.