Mammoth Lakes or Salt Lake City?

We are going snowboarding over winter break this year and i was wondering which you felt has the best snow/slopes? I went to The Canyons at Salt Lake 3 years ago and loved it, so i'm not sure if i want to go there or some place else. I don't do any of the terrain parks so that's not really in the picture. Can you drive to Mammoth? ( I live in Arizona ) My parents are stuck on driving to wherever we go, and if Mammoth is only accessible by plane, then it's out of the picture. Also, does Mammoth have a lot to do besides snowboarding? Shops, restaurants, ect.