If you’re not a local, or even if you are and you don’t want to worry about bringing a car, you’ll be glad to know Salt Lake City has great public transportation as well as Uber and Lyft options. If you are coming from the Salt Lake International airport, hop on the Trax green line rail and ride it all the way to the Gallivan stop. Walk around to the west side of the block and you’ll be at the Hilton—SLIG’s home.
There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance, but if you’d like to pick up some groceries for the week just hop back on the Trax at the Gallivan stop and head north to the City Center stop. Then walk a block and a half east to the Harmon’s grocery store where you can stock up on snacks or prepared foods.
When your classes end for the day and you want to spend time at the Family History Library, SLIG provides shuttles from the Hilton to the library and back again. If you’d rather walk you can head straight north three blocks from the Hilton—about 3/8 of a mile.
If you’d like to explore downtown Salt Lake City, Temple Square, or the City Creek mall, the Trax rail is free in that area. UTA has a website with maps and schedules to help you plan.
The Temple Square stop will deposit you near the Family History Library, Symphony Hall, the LDS Church History Museum, and Temple Square of course. You can attend live broadcasts of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Sunday mornings, or tour the grounds. The State Archives are very nearby, as well as other excellent research repositories and historic landmarks.
If you forgot to bring a warm coat, or you realize your California winter coat is just too wimpy, City Creek or Gateway mall can save you! And I can always make time for a little shopping…
On Granny's Trail 
Yep, we are cousins, all right. In your first SLIG post, you mentioned the importance of chocolate. In this one, you note the wisdom of some shopping. I didn’t know that Salt Lake City had developed rail transit since I was last there, some 30 years ago. Maybe it’s time for a new visit! If you have time, do some shopping at Ken Sanders Rare Books. Not sure where the shop is from downtown, but I’ve shopped with him at the Antiquarian Book Fair here in St. Paul – would love to go to his shop. Great historical stuff, especially western historical stuff.