Anything Woodworking related in Salt Lake City, LA or surrounds?

[Dominik Dudkiewicz]

Hi guys,

Coming to the states with my partner (who has a work thing) soon. Flying into LA for a few days then up to Salt Lake City, then driving back to LA over a week or so (maybe past the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Arizona Vegas, and maybe Joshua Tree.)

As a woodworker, I wonder if there is anything woodworking related I could or should see nearby? Can anyone recommend anything worth doing/seeing? Or are these areas woodworking-free zones? :).

Cheers, Dom

[Steve Mathews]

Don't know if this fits your interest but while in Vegas you might want to stop by Woodworkers Emporium, a woodworking tool supplier specializing in woodturning equipment. The husband and wife owners are super friendly and often host events and classes featuring noted woodturners. The Emporium also stocks a large selection of other woodworking tools.

[Thomas McCurnin]

Sam Maloof’s home is now a museum in Altadena, California.

[Justin Rapp]

what specific types of things are you interested in seeing? Woodworking stores, Lumber suppliers? I have not been to any of these locations, just used the web to find em. I have been to other Rockler and Woodcraft stores.

hardwood lumber supply in Salt Lake: https://www.macbeath.com/

You can go check out a woodcraft store in salt lake city: https://www.woodcraft.com/stores/salt-lake-city

Depending on your route back to LA, there are a bunch of Rockler stores in Southern California: https://www.rockler.com/retail/stores/


what specific types of things are you interested in seeing? Woodworking stores,

[David Bassett]

Gamble house in Pasadena.

Angel City Lumber (Urban Sawyers)

You have missed Lie-Nielsen at Palomar College and Angel City Lumber this year, but they'll be in Phoenix 3/20 & 21. (Sorta' maybe on your drive...?)

Cerritos College has wood working programs, maybe you can catch a short class or workshop. (Palomar too.)

I've seen Nick Offerman's Woodshop recommends LA area programs by Allied Woodshop, Side Street Projects, and Community Woodshop LA.

ETA: do you realize how far Salt Lake to LA is? My butt hurts thinking about it, but I'm old and cranky....


at the other end:

Craft Supplies USA, (aka Woodturners Catalog), is near Salt Lake. (Provo?)

[Scott Buehler]

Not a whole lot in Utah. Maybe check out Woodcraft, M&M machinery for equipment. Macbeath hardwoods has a good selection of wood... But not much other to see

[David Eisenhauer]

Might I humbly suggest that going to Utah to see woodworking stuff as opposed to spending the time at some of the most beautiful and unique national parks in the US is like going to Iowa and ordering shrimp.:) All joking aside, a swing through Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Bryce and Zion is a beautiful trip if you are into that kind of stuff. At any rate, good luck on your trip.

[David Bassett]

... is like going to Iowa and ordering shrimp.:) ....

Hey, verging way off topic, is Jazz on 6th street still there? It's been 25-30 years now, but its New Orleans style food is one my few fond memories of business trips to Austin. (These were business trips! I'm sure Austin has many charms I never experienced.) But Iowa for shrimp reminded me of Texas for Creole. :)

Oh, +1 on the National Parks!

[Eugene Dixon]

From SLC, you can drive to Provo and visit Craft Supplies. But, not on a Saturday.
The Woodcraft store in SLC is a nice visit IMHO.

[Justin Rapp]

Might I humbly suggest that going to Utah to see woodworking stuff as opposed to spending the time at some of the most beautiful and unique national parks in the US is like going to Iowa and ordering shrimp.:) All joking aside, a swing through Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Bryce and Zion is a beautiful trip if you are into that kind of stuff. At any rate, good luck on your trip.

David is absolutely correct. I was in Utah this past summer and spent ever minute I could looking at the scenery and enjoying my surroundings (Moab area). I think that's what the ride back to LA will give the OP. However while his SO is busy with work in Salt Lake City, he is just looking to burn a few hours. But people also have different interests. I went to Rockler in Orlando while I was at Disney, but it was already my 5th or 6th time there!

[Dominik Dudkiewicz]

Thanks guys, I'm just looking into the suggestions now.

Justin and David, yes, I absolutely agree that the national parks are the primary purpose of our drive from SLC to LA and we'll spend 95% of our time exploring those. I will have 4-5 days on my own (during the days) in SLC while my partner is attending a conference for work (the primary reason for the trip). I plan to hire a bike and ride around exploring during those days, but I also figured if there was something woodworking related that was really worth seeing I could do so as well. We'll also have 4 days in LA prior to the conference and then we will have from Saturday morning until Friday night to drive from SLC back to LA following the conference and we are hoping to see some national parks along the way. But if there's also something along the way, like a furniture museum or collection, or as suggested the Maloof residence or Gamble house then I'll definitely consider swinging by as well. I just didn't want to find out after the fact that there was something really cool I could have seen without really taking a heap of time that I drove straight past / missed if that makes sense.

Thanks a lot for the suggestions so far. Keep them coming and I'll keep looking them up / considering if you have any more.

Cheers,

Dom

[Justin Rapp]

Thanks guys, I'm just looking into the suggestions now.

Justin and David, yes, I absolutely agree that the national parks are the primary purpose of our drive from SLC to LA and we'll spend 95% of our time exploring those. I will have 4-5 days on my own (during the days) in SLC while my partner is attending a conference for work (the primary reason for the trip). I plan to hire a bike and ride around exploring during those days, but I also figured if there was something woodworking related that was really worth seeing I could do so as well. We'll also have 4 days in LA prior to the conference and then we will have from Saturday morning until Friday night to drive from SLC back to LA following the conference and we are hoping to see some national parks along the way. But if there's also something along the way, like a furniture museum or collection, or as suggested the Maloof residence or Gamble house then I'll definitely consider swinging by as well. I just didn't want to find out after the fact that there was something really cool I could have seen without really taking a heap of time that I drove straight past / missed if that makes sense.

Thanks a lot for the suggestions so far. Keep them coming and I'll keep looking them up / considering if you have any more.

Cheers,

Dom

What you will find on that drive is vast open space. It's about 700 miles and once you are away from a city, it's really just open landscape. Esp if you cut off the main highways to get down to the Grand Canyon. Most people who have never been out there don't understand the vastness. You could be a 3 hours drive between your current destination and your next so make sure you plan for that. With that said, there is usually not much between to see until you get near a small town, and even then, wood working related is pretty rare :)

[Jon Nuckles]

If you ski or snowboard and get there in time, some really nice ski areas are very close to Salt Lake City. Easy to go there, spend a day, and get back to SLC by evening. I believe there is even bus service.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

Back in the previous century, actually millennium, I spent a month in southern Utah camping at all five National Parks and a few State Parks as well. I used Desert Solitaire as my guide book to Arches and Canyonlands. Desert Solitaire is not your typical travel guide and Edward Abbey is definitely not your stereotypical tourist guide. Best trip I’ve ever taken. As an aside, check out Park City while you’re in SLC.

[Mark Gibney]

I'll ditto the suggestion for you to visit the Maloof residence, and then the Gamble house. I've been told there were just eight months between breaking ground for the Gamble house foundation and handing the keys over to the owners to move in, incredible to consider that when you see the work.

The Joshua trees in southern California or the Giant Sequoias on the eastern flank of the state are worth seeing if you can manage.
Have a blast!

[Rick Potter]

One thing that needs correcting.

Maloofs home and shop are in ALTA LOMA, not Altadena. Alta Loma is part of the city of Rancho Cucamonga. I-210 freeway, Carnelian exit.

Coincidently, that is one exit away from my (not famous) workshop.

[keith wootton]

another vote for the gamble house, and do not miss the j paul getty museum. best reason to visit los angeles, and it is free........

[David Bassett]

... and do not miss the j paul getty museum. best reason to visit los angeles, and it is free........

Maybe not best, but a very good one. But there are two, both worth the visit. Visit their website to get the details right, but the second, smaller, one is the Villa. It's on the coast between Santa Monica & Malibu. It has a reproduction Greek villa and houses the early sculpture & art in Getty's collection. (IIRC- something pre-Greek, Greek, and some early Roman. Art is my wife's thing, but I enjoyed it too.) The Villa requires reservations, due to limited parking & it's small size.

[Earl McLain]

Craft Supplies does have some awesome turnings on display, and i'd highly recommend The Trolley Stop (i think that's the right name) for lunch in a small town just south of Craft Supplies--great food and the town is dominated by "Harley art" as one of their designers was from there. Also--pick up an old-school folding road map of Utah and follow some secondary roads instead of I-15. Much more relaxing, but cell service gets pretty spotty--as does electricity and buildings!! But...some beautiful country!!
earl

[Arvin R Brown]

I live just north of SLC so if you want to call would be fine 801-643-5526. Woodworking here is pretty poor. IMHO Woodcraft is poor, Woodturning Supplies in Provo has turning supplies/pens, MacBeth is ok for wood. Skiing is awesome this year. All resorts have lessons as well as rentals. Historic Temple Square is undergoing major renovation so don’t know what you could see. Down in Provo is Kirkham Motorsports - builder of the best Cobra réplicas around. A lot to do in Park City. See a Jazz game if in town. In St George see if Tuachan is open and then Zions, Canyonlands, Arches - too many to mention. Go 4-wheeling in Moab. Like I said - give me a call if you want.

[Dominik Dudkiewicz]

Thanks everyone. Your input was very helpful and much appreciated. We ended up planning on spending a couple of nights in Zion National Park, a couple of nights in Bryce National Park, a night in Vegas and a final night back in LA / Pacedena on our drive from SLC to LA. Lots of nice hikes planned etc. We also bought tickets to see the Jazz play Pelicans on Friday night before we left SLC and had booked tours at the Maloof Residence as well as Gamble house as suggested, plus the initial 3 nights in Hollywood etc.

Then this morning the conference that my partner was going for was cancelled / suspended due to some flu going around and we cancelled everything (and lost a fair bit of non-refundable hotel reservations etc unfortunately).

Oh well. Not a nice feeling / outcome. Maybe some other time.

Thanks again.

Cheers,

Dom

[Justin Rapp]

Thanks everyone. Your input was very helpful and much appreciated. We ended up planning on spending a couple of nights in Zion National Park, a couple of nights in Bryce National Park, a night in Vegas and a final night back in LA / Pacedena on our drive from SLC to LA. Lots of nice hikes planned etc. We also bought tickets to see the Jazz play Pelicans on Friday night before we left SLC and had booked tours at the Maloof Residence as well as Gamble house as suggested, plus the initial 3 nights in Hollywood etc.

Then this morning the conference that my partner was going for was cancelled / suspended due to some flu going around and we cancelled everything (and lost a fair bit of non-refundable hotel reservations etc unfortunately).

Oh well. Not a nice feeling / outcome. Maybe some other time.

Thanks again.

Cheers,

Dom

Dom,

Sorry your trip was cancelled. A lot of larger conferences and other events that draw large crowds are being cancelled or postponed right now due to the Corona COVID-19 virus that is spreading. Hopefully at some point you do get a chance to go on your trip, Utah is fantastic and the sites you picked are fantastic.

[Günter VögelBerg]

As a European transplant I can tell you to be prepared to be awed by the vastness of the American West. From SLC to LA you can drive for hours and hours and barely see any kind of settlement. I think people who have never been here usually underestimate just how desolate parts of the Great Basin really are.

All of these parks are heading into the busy season. There may be restrictions on driving in the parks (they will put you on a shuttle).