Utah
From World travel guide
Utah, located in the western United States, is well known for its year round outdoor activities including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, boating, water skiing, horseback riding, camping, and rock climbing. The capital city of Salt Lake City has a number of unique modern and historical sites to visit.
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Regions
Cities
- Cedar City – college town home to Southern Utah University and the annual Utah Shakespearean Festival
- Kanab – southern recreational center
- Logan – fast growing, semi-rural town located in northern Utah, in the Cache Valley, with plenty of nearby recreational activities and many college students.
- Moab – touristy town in southeast, location in the center of a major recreational area that includes Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Dead Horse Point State Park
- Ogden
- Orem – large suburb north of Provo
- Price – small town with many local dinosaur attractions and ancient Indian sites.
- Provo – located in Utah Valley south of Salt Lake City, home to Brigham Young University (BYU)
- Park City – mountain resort city at center of large winter sports area; many events for the 2002 Winter Olympics took place near here
- Saint George – fast-growing retirement haven in southwest corner of state with plenty of leisurely recreational activities akin to Mesquite, Nevada
- Salt Lake City – largest city and capital of state. Also center of LDS culture, with Temple Square serving as focal point of downtown, although only about 45% of population is Mormon (compared to about 65% for the state as a whole). Also site of 2002 Winter Olympics and the University of Utah
- Sandy – large bedroom community to Salt Lake City
- West Jordan – large suburb of Salt Lake City with rapidly-growing population
- West Valley City – second-largest city in state and largest suburb of Salt Lake City
Other Destinations
- Arches National Park – largest concentration of natural arches in the world, just northeast of Moab, as well as other strange sandstone formations, such as pinncales, cliffs, mesas, and gorges
- Bear Lake – popular water sports and summer resort area surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery northeast of Logan
- Bonneville Salt Flats – flat area of rock-hard white salt in western part of state in Great Salt Lake Desert where numerous landspeed records have been set
- Bryce Canyon National Park – heavily-forested mountainout area with large natural amphitheater and other strange sandstone formations
- Canyonlands National Park – large, spectacular wilderness of sandstone cliffs, narrow gorges, canyons, plateaus, bluffs, and other strange and beautiful formations east of Moab
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Cedar Breaks National Monument – large natural amphitheater northeast of Cedar City in forested, mountainous area
- Dead Horse Point State Park – spectacular gorge southwest of Moab where the Colorado River winds through a major bedrock of sandstone
- Dinosaur Park National Monument – area featuring a major excavation site for dinosaur bones as well as spectacular scenery and Native American rock art
- Flaming Gorge – reservoir north of Vernal, popular for water sports, located in the eastern Uintas
- Four Corners – only place where four states meet, located at southeast corner with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico
- Goblin Valley – desert valley with strange formations of sandstone in south-central portion of state
- Great Salt Lake – shallow, salty lake in northwestern portion of state northwest of Salt Lake City
- Lake Powell – part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a reservoir that is a popular area for water sports near the border with Arizona in the south
- Monument Valley – famous desert valley along border with Arizona in southeast
- Rainbow Bridge – largest natural arch in the world, located in southeast Utah far south of Moab and east of Blanding
- Uinta Mountains – large east-west range of the Rocky Mountains through northeast portion of state with spectacular mountain climbing and pristine, serene wilderness
- Utah Lake – popular water sports and fishing lake located west of Provo
- Wasatch Mountains – mountain range running through center of state north-south with gorgeous mountain scenery, excellent summer recreational activities, and multiple world-famous ski areas; vibrant fall colors that rival that of New England
- Zion National Park – popular area of sandstone cliffs, gorges, gullies, bluffs, plateaus, mesas, and other strange and colorful formations
Itineraries
Understand
Dixie refers to the low-lying area in the southwest corner of the state. It contains the city of Saint George, and the climate is more closely-related to the southwestern deserts than it is to the rest of the state, with low annual precipitation, hot, dry summers, and mild winters with infrequent snowfall. Early settlers were able to grow cotton in the area, hence the name Dixie (a name for the cotton belt of the southern U.S.).
The Wasatch Front is the heavily-populated region of basins and valleys located between the Wasatch Mountains on the east and on the west by the Great Salt Lake (to the north) and the Oquirrh Mountains (to the south). 3/4 of Utah's population lies in this portion of the state, which stretches from Brigham City in the north to Santaquin in the south. Ogden, Salt Lake City, Sandy, Orem, and Provo are located on the Wasatch Front.
The benches are the higher slopes along the Wasatch Front. Residential development on the Wasatch Front typically extends high onto the slopes of the Wasatch Mountains in some areas. Homes here are generally more affluent, as they provide spectacular views of the surrounding areas, and the benches receive more precipitation and much more snow than the valley floors.
When to visit
Utah has four distinct seasons and widely-variable climate zones. The southern valleys, especially the southwest, are hot in the summer, with temperatures often exceeding 100°. This temperature may also be reached occasionally in the north. Temperatures in the mountains are typically mild in the summer, great for camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities, with temperatures in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. In the north, temperatures are in the 80's and 90's. Only occasional scattered, but powerful, thunderstorms relieve the heat during summer, although it is dry heat, making it more bearable than it otherwise would be. Winter can be cold in the north, and especially in the mountains and high mountain valleys, although tempeartures below 0° are rare except in the higher valleys. Below freezing temperatures are expected in the north, but usually only occur overnight in the southern valleys. Spring and fall see mild temperatures that is perfectly suited for outdoor and recreational activities, with temperatures in the 70's and 80's in the south and the 50's, 60's, and 70's in the north. By this time, temperatures may be cold in the mountains.
Precipitation-wise, only about 5-10 inches of rain falls throughout most of the state, although totals reach 15-20 inches along the Wasatch Front and up to 50 inches in the mountains. Snowfall is rare in the southern valleys, averaging no more than 10 inches a year, but is common throughout the rest of the state. The Wasatch Front sees 40-80 inches while the mountains receive 200-500 inches. First significant snowfall in the mountains usually occurs in October in usually sometime in late November or December in the valleys, while last significant snowfall in the mountains occurs in May in the mountains (although snow may stick around into July), while the last significant snowfall in the valleys can usually be expected in March or, sometimes, early April. Rain in summer is often accompanied by scattered but powerful thunderstorms. Wildfires and flash floods are common problems from May-September.
Fall colors are spectacular in the mountains of Utah, and reach their peak in September. Fall colors in the valley peak in October. The gorgeous fall colors in the mountains rival those found in New England, and are sometimes accompanied by early fall snow, creating a splash of red, yellow, and orange mixed with the soft white of snow.
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Do
Eat
Utah liquor laws
Utah's liquor laws are known as one of the more peculiar things about the state. Liquor is sold only in state-owned stores and generally costs more than in other states. Near-beer (3.2% alcohol, as opposed to the standard 4-5%) replaces the usual brew, which is available in stores and restaurants. "Full strength" beer is available in bars and liquor stores. Also, state law prohibits the serving of more than one ounce (shot) of alcohol as the primary liquor in a mixed drink. Secondary alcoholic flavorings may then be added to a mixed drink as the recipe requires. While this can be circumvented with the purchase of a "sidecar" ( a separate shot of liquor ).
Although liquor laws in Utah are more strict, they are not impossible. There are several kinds of establishments to know about:
- Private club. Sometimes seen with the tag "for members only" added to the end. Don't let this intimidate you. This is code for a full service bar serving hard drinks as well as beer. There is a small temporary "membership" fee required at these locations, but anyone can be a member and this is analogous to a cover charge. Most only run a few dollars, and most members can then bring "guests".
- Tavern. A tavern is a bar that serves only beer and requires no "membership".
- Restaurants. Many restaurants serve beer as well as hard liquor. No "membership" is required, but you must order food.
Stay safe
External links
Dmoz:North_America/United_States/Utah WikiPedia:Utah de:Utah
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