Day Four of our West Coast Road Trip: Salt Lake City & High School Musical Memories

SALT LAKE CITY, UT

HEY STRANGERS!

Hello, fellow adventurers! Jake and Georgia back with another exciting chapter of our West Coast road trip. Day Four greeted us in Salt Lake City, Utah, yet another new state for us to explore. With no rush today, we decided to take it easy, dedicating our morning to editing a vlog and sipping coffee.

Since our day wasn’t packed with plans, we set off to explore Salt Lake City and let adventure find us. Our first stop was the City Creek Centre mall for some casual window shopping and a chance to soak in the local vibe.

Next up, we ventured to Temple Square, the heart of the city and home to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While we might not be experts on the Mormon faith, we couldn’t help but be captivated by the sheer beauty of their temple, churches, and surrounding architecture.

Although much of Temple Square was undergoing extensive renovations, we still enjoyed strolling through the open areas. Across the street, we climbed to the rooftop garden of the convention center to take in panoramic views of the city.

Our next destination took us up to Utah’s Capitol Hill, where we couldn’t resist snapping photos with the magnificent Capitol building as our backdrop. With hungry stomachs, we returned to City Creek for a delicious lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.

But the highlight of our day was our visit to a place that holds a special spot in our hearts: East High. If you lived through the mid-2000s, you’ll remember it as the iconic setting of the High School Musical film franchise!

Despite being an operating school, East High welcomes fans and visitors, offering information and instructions on their website. We followed their guidelines, getting buzzed in at the entrance and receiving a High School Musical map of the school, highlighting key spots featured in the films.

We were starstruck with every step we took, standing in front of iconic locations like Sharpay’s pink lockers, the “Stick to the Status Quo” common area, Ms. Darbus’ hall room, and more. While some areas were locked, such as the locker rooms, we gladly respected the students’ space. Students were rehearsing for a show in the theatre (perhaps and fall musicAl) and a volley ball tournament was taking place in the gym so we simply snook a quick peak and left them to it.

Our inner child was on cloud nine, and we couldn’t help but reminisce about our childhoods shaped by these films. East High truly felt like a magical place.

Reluctantly bidding farewell to East High, we hit the road, traveling south through Utah to St. George to visit the nearby Zion National Park.

Our desert hotel welcomed us late in the night, and we were utterly blown away by our room. Some of you may recognize this hotel as Lava Springs from High School Musical 2! The Inn at Entrada, a real country club in southern Utah, was a splurge we couldn’t resist. But we’ll save more on that for tomorrow!

For live updates from our journey, be sure to check out our Instagram stories. The adventure continues, and we can’t wait to share more with you!