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Cityscape – Salt Lake

By Geanie M. Roake

Salt Lake City, Utah is known for its mountains, its Mormons, and more recently as a movie set, but it was during the 2002 Winter Olympics that the world got a glimpse into the heart of this fascinating place. The citizens threw themselves into welcoming the world, and what resulted was a 16-day love affair between the people of Salt Lake and their invited guests. Volunteers did everything from driving tour buses, to manning first aid stations, and when the call went out for local homeowners to offer rooms and hospitality to complete strangers - strangers who spoke every language from Finnish to Farsi - the response far exceeded the demand.

Salt Lake is a big city with a small town feel. While attracting national attention for it’s cultural and sporting events, the atmosphere is warm and easygoing. Some would even say Salt Lake is a bit old fashioned. Due to the influence of numerous religious groups, this is a conservative community, with strongly held values that emphasize faith and family. In the 2004 Princeton Review list of “Best Party Schools”, nearby Brigham Young University did not make the top twenty.  In fact out of 357 institutions reviewed, it came in dead last, falling into the “party has left the building” category. This was just fine with most Utah residents, along with the fact that BYU actually did quite well in a similar poll by the same organization. In the review’s list of “Stone Cold Sober Schools”, the university placed number one. 

Despite it’s squeaky-clean reputation, Salt Lake struggles with the usual share of crime, and social problems. Also a concern is the complex undercurrent that exists between members of the dominate religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - otherwise known as Mormons - and other members of the community who must deal with a lopsided political scene. The Mormons, a large segment of the population, tend to be republican, which leaves the opposing parties rather shorthanded. While frustrations over the uneven representation can result in an occasional clash, the overall feeling here is one of a close-knit group who genuinely like one another, and bend over backwards to get along.

Like its namesake, the city of Salt Lake is often a contradiction of terms. The citizens  revere their handcart pioneers, while taking pride in the area’s contributions to aerospace technology. They are a conservative lot with a liberal mayor, extremely health conscious, but famously fond of Jell-O, and while known for its thrift and industry, Utah recently acknowledged one of the nation’s highest bankruptcy rates.  Some of the most striking contradictions though can be seen in the landscape.

Salt Lake City is situated in a desert, but this particular desert is sprinkled with pristine lakes and snow-topped mountains. Where else could you water ski, snow ski, mountain bike and golf all in the same day, all within a 75- mile radius?  

When Brigham Young led the pioneers to this valley in 1847, it was little more than an empty wasteland. He showed great foresight in bringing his followers here and declaring “This is the place”.

This is certainly true today if you’re looking for breathtaking scenery, unusual tourist haunts and weather that ranges from snow storms to heat waves. Salt Lake is proud of its Mormon Tabernacle choir, and is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Ballet West. Add to that, symphony, opera, theatre and any number of fine dining establishments, and you have the makings of a great time.  So whether you’re in the mood for a day in the mountains, or a night on the town, Salt Lake is definitely  “the place” to be.

When visiting Salt Lake, be sure to see:

Temple Square
50 W North Temple
Enjoy the beauty and serenity of historic Temple Square. The complimentary tour of the gardens and buildings is available in 40 languages. From there you can hop a shuttle bus and travel to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Welfare Square or the Humanitarian Center for a free tour of either facility.

The Beehive House
67 E South Temple  
240-2671
Tour Brigham Young’s home, complete with pioneer furnishings. Next door is another pioneer home, the Lion House, with an attached restaurant featuring Mormon pioneer recipes.

Cathedral of the Madeline
331 E South Temple
This majestic Gothic Revival cathedral was renovated in 1990.  With it’s Romanesque façade, stained glass windows and gargoyles peering from on high it is a must see.  Services are held daily, and visitors can call ahead to schedule an hour-long tour.

Clark Planetarium
The Gateway
110 S 400 W  
456-STAR
This state of the art planetarium features a 206 seat star theatre, and a five-story IMAX theatre, along with 10,000 square feet of exhibit space.

Capitol Theatre
50 W 200 South
This historic building, which was once a Vaudeville house is now home to Ballet West and the Utah Opera Company. It also hosts touring Broadway shows.

Fort Douglas Military Museum
32 Potter St    
581-1710
Uniforms weapons, vehicles and models showing the history of the fort and of Utah’s military.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Conference Center
Join the tabernacle Choir for a half hour program entitled Music and the Spoken Word,
every Sunday at 9:15 A.M. Rehearsals each Thursday at 8:p.m. open to public.

Hogle Zoo
2600 E Sunnyside Ave 
582-1631
Established in 1931, this is the home of over 1,100 animals, 250 different species.

This Is The Place Heritage Park
2601 Sunnyside Ave 
582-1847
This living history museum recreates a typical pioneer village. Volunteers dress the part and demonstrate skills and crafts of the era, from fiddle playing to wool carding. 

Red butte Garden and Arboretum
300 Wakara Way, University Of Utah 
581-4747
A 1,500-acre arboretum with over 9,000 specimens of trees and shrubs from around the world. Miles of hiking trails, acres of gardens, and a visitor’s center.

Great Salt Lake State Park
Exit 104 from 1-80 west of Salt Lake City
250-1898
The Great Salt Lake is 75 miles long, 38 miles wide, and 3 to five times saltier than the ocean. The park features a marina and picnic areas.

Salt Lake Day Hikes
Nearby canyons provide a wealth of hiking opportunities minutes from downtown:

Great Salt Lake Overlands Preserve
Silver Lake/ Lake Solitude
Ensign Peak
Salt Lake Overlook/Desolation Trail
Elbow Fork to terrace Picnic Area
Whit Pine Overlook and Lake

Within an hour’s drive of downtown are seven major ski and snowboard resorts, three cross-country sites as well as the 2002 Olympic park with the only ski jumping facility in the nation.

For more information see www.visitsaltlake.com

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