All Our Favorite Spots in Provo Utah
A Perfect Day in Provo Utah
The perfect Utah day doesn’t have to involve powder snow or a national park, although those places are rad as well!
But today, my itinerary was happy, and slow. It was built around bookstores, good food, and time with my favorite people.
From a tiny bakery in Midway to a late‑night showing of “Wicked: Part Two” this Saturday felt like a love letter to Utah’s local spots and the people who make them special.
Today was the kind of day that makes you fall in love with Utah all over again.
Morning: Sourdough in Midway
The day started in Midway at the aptly named Midway Bakery, a cozy spot on Center Street that locals flock to for fresh sourdough loaves and seasonal pastries.
They have the most amazing cinnamon rolls, but warning, they are huge! I usually split one when I go there. Today I slipped in early to snag a loaf of their sourdough. It was still warm in my hands as I carried it to the check out area.
The crust was so perfect, crisp and delicious. My car smelled like a European bakery on the drive down the canyon. What a great smell!
With my bread secured, I headed down Provo canyon. There was no snow on the ground, only up in the Wasatch Mountains, so it was easy driving.
I was headed toward Provo, into Utah County, already mentally planning which bookstore shelves Kenzie and I would lose ourselves in first.
Those slow solo drives, my Stanley mug, full of Diet Coke in hand and a fresh loaf in the passenger seat, always feel like a deep breath before a really full, really good day.
Bookish afternoon in Provo
Kenzie and I met up in Provo and made a beeline for the indie bookstores that give downtown its quiet magic.
Planted in Pages
Planted in Pages is tucked inside a historic home, filled with moody wallpaper, cozy corners, and shelves that mix new reads with plants.
A trip to Planted in Pages feels more like a friend’s living room than a traditional shop. We wandered room to room pointing out titles to each other, picking up beautiful books with delicious end pages. I picked up a few treasures.
Check out my finding a book called “Pride and Prejudice in Space” – have you seen this?
Check out my video on this book:
Pioneer Book
From there we stopped by Pioneer Book, one of Provo’s long‑standing bookstores. Most of the books are resold, so finding the books you are after also feels like a treasure hunt. There’s something grounding about flipping through well‑loved pages and knowing these stories have already lived other lives in other homes before coming to yours.
Shopping and snacks: Beehive, Swig, sushi
Next on the list was Beehive Bazaar, the seasonal marketplace that gathers local makers, artists, and creatives under one roof. The booths were overflowing with handmade textiles, art prints, pottery, jewelry, and whimsical holiday décor, each table reflecting a different slice of Utah creativity.
Kenzie and I pointed out ornaments and prints we loved, picked up a few gifts, and admired how many women‑owned small businesses were represented in that one cheerful space. I found a really cute Christmas wreath made of vintage ornaments. It was a one of a kind treasure.
No Provo day is complete without a soda stop, so we drove over to Swig, the Utah‑famous soda shop known for its “dirty” sodas and oversized cookies.
We ordered our go‑to drinks. If you know us, Diet Coke with lime for me and something fun and fruity for Kenzie. We laughed in the car as we compared flavor combos and decided that Swig might actually be a love language.
Ate a late lunch/dinner we made a togo order at Five Sushi Brothers. Five Sushi Brothers is a local favorite that started as a late‑night sushi delivery spot and now serves affordable rolls from its Provo location on Freedom Boulevard. We shared a spread of creative rolls and watched YouTube for a laugh in my Tesla.
Evening: Wicked, popcorn, and good company
After our sushi, Kenzie headed off to spend the evening with her friends, and I shifted into round two. I met up with my friend (who’s also my cousin), and we treated ourselves to the biggest bucket of popcorn the theater offered before settling in to watch the second half of “Wicked: Part Two.”
We are both fans of musical theater, so sharing this movie with her was extra special. We traded handfuls of popcorn, and let ourselves be carried away by the music, story and the art direction. I felt like seeing the costuming and the set designs were really special. I found myself singing along to the soundtrack the whole drive back to Midway.
Here is my Review/Thoughts on Wicked 2 :
End of an Amazing Day
Driving up the canyon, with my refill of my bucket of popcorn, it hit me how full the day had been: good bread, good books, good food, and, more than anything, great people. It wasn’t flashy or rushed; it was simply Utah at its best—local, cozy, and connected.
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If days like this make you want to explore more of what Utah has to offer, tiny historic‑home bookstores, seasonal art markets and late‑night sushi spots, then please follow along. Expect more perfect‑day itineraries, hidden‑gem shops, seasonal events, and can’t miss eats from Provo, Salt Lake, and beyond so you always know what’s going on in Utah right now.
Video of My Perfect Day in Provo
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About the Author
Katri is a certified tennis junkie, wife, mother, brand curator, book lover, sports lover, and enthusiast for living life. She shares her way of living through content creation and curation across multiple brands including Katrii.com and Tennisyellow.com. Katri lives by the mantra, “Do whatever it takes to keep things fun.” katri@katrii.com
Love all,
Katri
