Christine Balaz - Explorers Guide Salt Lake City, Park City, Provo & Utahs High Country Resorts: A Great Destination ()

Recommended by National Geographic Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines

A crisp and critical approach, for travelers who want to live like locals. USA Today

Great Destinations guidebooks are known for their comprehensive, critical coverage of regions of extraordinary cultural interest and natural beauty. Each title in this series is continuously updated with each printing to ensure accurate and timely information. All the books contain more than one hundred photographs and maps.

T HE A DIRONDACK B OOK

T HE A LASKA P ANHANDLE

A TLANTA

A USTIN, S AN A NTONIO & THE T EXAS H ILL C OUNTRY

B ALTIMORE, A NNAPOLIS & THE C HESAPEAKE B AY

T HE B ERKSHIRE B OOK

B IG S UR, M ONTEREY B AY & G OLD C OAST W INE C OUNTRY

C APE C ANAVERAL, C OCOA B EACH & F LORIDAS S PACE C OAST

T HE C HARLESTON, S AVANNAH & C OASTAL I SLANDS B OOK

T HE C OAST OF M AINE B OOK

C OLORADOS C LASSIC M OUNTAIN T OWNS

C OSTA R ICA: G REAT D ESTINATIONS C ENTRAL A MERICA

D OMINICAN R EPUBLIC

T HE F INGER L AKES B OOK

T HE F OUR C ORNERS R EGION

G ALVESTON, S OUTH P ADRE I SLAND & THE T EXAS G ULF C OAST

G UATEMALA: G REAT D ESTINATIONS C ENTRAL A MERICA

T HE H AMPTONS

H AWAIIS B IG I SLAND: G REAT D ESTINATIONS H AWAII

H ONOLULU & O AHU: G REAT D ESTINATIONS H AWAII

T HE J ERSEY S HORE: A TLANTIC C ITY TO C APE M AY

K AUAI: G REAT D ESTINATIONS H AWAII

L AKE TAHOE & R ENO

L AS V EGAS

L OS C ABOS & B AJA C ALIFORNIA S UR: G REAT D ESTINATIONS M EXICO

M AUI: G REAT D ESTINATIONS H AWAII

M EMPHIS AND THE D ELTA B LUES T RAIL

M ICHIGANS U PPER P ENINSULA

M ONTREAL & Q UEBEC C ITY: G REAT D ESTINATIONS C ANADA

T HE N ANTUCKET B OOK

T HE N APA & S ONOMA B OOK

N ORTH C AROLINAS O UTER B ANKS & THE C RYSTAL C OAST

N OVA S COTIA & P RINCE E DWARD I SLAND

O AXACA: G REAT D ESTINATIONS M EXICO

O REGON W INE C OUNTRY

P ALM B EACH, F ORT L AUDERDALE, M IAMI & THE F LORIDA K EYS

P ALM S PRINGS & D ESERT R ESORTS

P HILADELPHIA, B RANDYWINE V ALLEY & B UCKS C OUNTY

P HOENIX, S COTTSDALE, S EDONA & C ENTRAL A RIZONA

P LAYA DEL C ARMEN, T ULUM & THE R IVIERA M AYA: G REAT D ESTINATIONS M EXICO

S ALT L AKE C ITY, P ARK C ITY, P ROVO & U TAHS H IGH C OUNTRY R ESORTS

S AN D IEGO & T IJUANA

S AN J UAN, V IEQUES & C ULEBRA: G REAT D ESTINATIONS P UERTO R ICO

S AN M IGUEL DE A LLENDE & G UANAJUATO: G REAT D ESTINATIONS M EXICO

T HE S ANTA F E & T AOS B OOK

T HE S ARASOTA, S ANIBEL I SLAND & N APLES B OOK

T HE S EATTLE & V ANCOUVER B OOK

T HE S HENANDOAH V ALLEY B OOK

T OURING E AST C OAST W INE C OUNTRY

T UCSON

V IRGINIA B EACH, R ICHMOND & T IDEWATER V IRGINIA

W ASHINGTON, D.C., AND N ORTHERN V IRGINIA

Y ELLOWSTONE & G RAND T ETON N ATIONAL P ARKS & J ACKSON H OLE

Y OSEMITE & THE S OUTHERN S IERRA N EVADA

The authors in this series are professional travel writers who have lived for many years in the regions they describe. Honest and painstakingly critical, full of information only a local can provide, Great Destinations guidebooks give you all the practical knowledge you need to enjoy the best of each region.

At the time of the penning of this books first edition, Utah was a rapidly modernizing and exciting place to live. Today its pace of change is all that has stayed constant; infrastructural, cultural, and social improvements have all been noticeable and dynamic in just these last three years alone.

From the upscale and festive Main Street of Park City to the Mormon Tabernacle of Salt Lake City with its organ of 11,623 pipes, the climate and culture of this mountainous region range from pleasant to blustery, from raucous to reserved. One can find sanctuary in a mosque, squeeze into a local rock concert, or romp at a Utah Jazz NBA game. When it is 65 degrees in Salt Lake Valley, there might be fresh powder atop thick snowpack in the mountain resorts. In one day alone, you can literally take a bike ride in shorts and sunscreen, suit up for a midday ski, and finish with nine holes of golf. This is not an exaggeration or even a rarity.

As you explore this region, you will feel comfortable, yet intrigued. You will be amazed by the dramatic natural beauty and simultaneously challenged by the wealth of athletic pursuits and puzzled by religious juxtapositions. You will spot celebrities on the ski slopes of Park City and will enjoy the international cuisine and quaintness of old brick neighborhoods. Located at the base of some of the most impressive Rocky Mountain peaks, the greater Salt Lake region offers the perfect pairing of outdoor escapes and urban opportunities. Better still, this ideal combination is blended with convenience, accessibility, and affordability that you are unlikely to find anywhere else in the world.

From a distance, Salt Lake City, Provo, and Park City appear to be like many other western cities. Salt Lake City, with its modern skyscrapers, sits snugly against the foothills of the craggy Wasatch Range. Perched high in the mountains, Park Citys handsome Main Street is peppered with sagebrush scenery and attractive people. Provo is a cheerful university town with large, green lawns and clean boulevards. Contrary to their benign appearances, each of these cities has undergone a turbulent and formative history charged by the quest for religious freedom and clashing cultures.

Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front Jonathan Echlin

Salt Lake Library Main Branch Jonathan Echlin

Today the past is reflected by a unique and dynamic society. At once mysterious and familiar, Salt Lake Valley is a mixture of monuments to the fast-growing Mormon religion, as well as premier performance arts companies and entertainment venues. You will see the common box-store amenities of American civilization alongside uniquely stylized western boutiques. With just over 2 million residents, the Wasatch Front is home to Salt Lake International Airport and dozens of major corporate headquarters. A 30-minute drive to the east, Park City hosts the Sundance Film Festival, undeniably the most renowned independent film festival in the nation. Just 40 miles south of Salt Lake City, Provo is home to 35,000-student Brigham Young University and adjoining high-tech industries. Budding modernity and enduring history have coalesced into todays Wasatch Front.