See This, Skip That: Salt Lake City

— -- Salt Lake City is a gateway to the West -– a centrally located destination where ski buffs flock in winter and where travelers, year round, come for food, art and a growing arts scene.

Utah’s most populous city was founded in the mid-19th century by religious leaders who cultivated the area in earnest. Today, though, thanks to billions of dollars in infrastructure investment in recent years,the city is just as well-known for the very unique travel experiences it offers. Here are a few of our favorites.

Skip the Car, Rent an Electric BikeElectric bikes are a great way to get around downtown Salt Lake City. The power is in the throttle, perfect if you’re not in the mood to pedal, or if you have an injury but still want to enjoy car-free transportation. The folks at Good Day Bicycles rent electric bikes by the hour, half day, full day or week, and options vary from cruisers to mountain bikes to tricycles -- even folding bikes. They also lead city tours by electric bicycles. And when you do get the urge to give your leg muscles a workout, just turn off the battery.

Take the Walking Tour, Get SpookedYou’ve got several walking tour options in Salt Lake City, but none is likely to make your skin crawl like Grimm Ghost Tours. Their 1 1/2 hour excursion, offered most of the year, visits sites that are purportedly haunted, from historic mansions and county buildings to what is the largest municipal cemetery in the U.S. Guests even get to try out ghost-hunting equipment. For a more intimate experience, and access inside many of these allegedly spooky dwellings, ask about joining one of their paranormal investigations.

Skip the Group, Spend Some “Me” TimeSalt Lake is known as the Genealogy Capital of the World, and for good reason. The Family History Library houses 2 1/2 million rolls of microfilmed family record and hundreds of thousandsof microfiche, books and periodicals aimed at helping individuals uncover their family roots. More than 200 computers are available to access millions of genealogy records from dozens ofcountries. Founded in the late 1800s, this is the largest library of its kind in the world and is located at Temple Square.