Utah
Photo: Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, courtesy
Frank Mendonca/Moab Area Travel Council
Utah Trivia         Famous Utahans     Utah State Parks

Being strategically placed in the center of the American west, Utah has a colorful past full of explorers, trail blazers, Native Americans, mountain men, trappers, miners, settlers, Mormons--and was the birthplace of the outlaw Butch Cassidy.
  Just as colorful, are it’s five National Parks, seven National Monuments, two National Recreation areas, and six National Forests. The extreme diversity of the landscape made it a favorite place for movie makers--over 700 hundred films and television series have been shot in Utah--including Gunsmoke, the Lone Ranger, Wagon Master, The Vanishing American, the Outlaw Josey Wales and Touched By An Angel, just to name a few. This seems fitting since the famous Sundance Film Festivals are held in Park City every year and the inventor of the vacuum tube for television, Philo T. Farnsworth, was born in Utah.
  Culture & History: Dinosaurs once roamed Utah and today the state has two of the largest dinosaur graveyards in North America, the Dinosaur National Monument and the Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry--so if you are looking for a Jurassic vacation, Utah is definitely the spot. Not only are there remnants of the dinosaur age, but ten thousand year old flint points, scrapers and knives were left behind by primitive hunters.
  The Anasazi, or “Ancient Ones” were the first stationary residents in Utah, farming corn in the valleys almost 2000 years ago. In the early 1900 century the main tribes in Utah were the Utah, Paiute (Water Ute) and the Shoshone.
  There were a smattering of Spaniards and New Mexicans exploring Utah in the 18th century, looking for a short-cut or water route to the western coast. However, it wasn’t until the late 1800s, when the Mormons (seeking a place they could practice polygamy without disturbance) discovered Utah, that the territory really became a place to settle. Hundreds of Mormons from all over the world migrated to Utah and within three years they had a newspaper, a theatre, and a territorial government. By 1900 the Mormons had founded nearly 500 settlements in Utah.
  Entertainment & Shopping: In Utah you can find everything from the “one-horse” towns to the busy metropolitan cities, like Salt Lake City. With the world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Utah Symphony and Opera, and Ballet West and the Capitol Theatre--to the nightclub scene--Utah offers fine entertainment of all kinds. A favorite is Historic 25th Street in Ogden, now a thriving art community. Shopping is the ultimate at the Gateway Center, one of the many malls, or at the historic Trolley Square in Salt Lake City.
  Food & Wine: From pubs, bistros, coffee houses, restaurants and bars, there is a variety of cuisine available in the cities and ski resorts alike. Since tourism is Utah’s number one private sector industry, the hospitality industry is diligent and accommodating to their guests--be they film buffs, skiers, or family vacationers.
  Nature & Adventure: Twisting canyons; massive domes; geologic columns, windows and pillars; soaring cliffs; stone arches and pinnacles--all set against the Colorado and Green Rivers or the alpine backdrop of the La Sal Mountains--make exploring Utah an unforgettable adventure. Whether you wish to see dinosaur bones left in a sandstone wall; catch a glimpse of a mountain lion, big horn sheep, mountain goat or moose--you can travel the 27 scenic byways; downhill ski the slopes; cycle through steep alpine trails; kayak the rivers or hike the back country. Utah’s Lake Powell has more shoreline than the US West Coast and offers all water sports.
  Sports: Golf courses abound with stunning views of snow-capped mountains--and it is a known fact that the balls go further due to the high altitudes. There are 11 Olympic venues open for public use. Utah is sports-loving and the spirit of the Olympics lives on in the Utah’s Olympic Cauldron Park as it does in it’s people.