Utah is one of the most majestic, awe-inspiring states and has been such an unexpected joy in my life - if you had told me 10 years ago that I'd be spending a significant part of my life in Utah I never would've believed you lol. Exploring Utah over the past 4-5 years has changed me - I have developed such a deep appreciation for the deserts and canyon lands that I used to vehemently dislike thanks to the Beehive State! Our 45th state is packed full of burnt orange cliffs and slot canyons, deep green rivers, towering multicolored mountains and hoodoos, unlimited arches and natural bridges, well preserved dinosaur footprints, and an insane amount of petroglyphs and pictographs dating back many thousands of years. I thoroughly enjoyed combing through my Utah photo collection from the past several years and I hope my pics will give you a sense of the vast land of adventure this state holds! When my son got out of the marines, he announced he was moving to Salt Lake City to go to college with his marine "brothers" - at the time I was absolutely devastated bc I thought he'd always live with me forever until the end of days (as I'm sure all mothers do LOL) - but he went off to make a life for himself with his newfound military bros (how dare he??!!!) His decision ended up being such a wonderful turn of events in all our lives - not only did it open up a whole new world of outdoor adventures and American history to explore, but it also brought so many wonderful people into our lives and given us a whole new branch of our family!! His military bros are the most fantastic people and their families have all become part of our family! The outdoor activities and wildlife are unparalleled- and the people are the kindest I've ever encountered. My son has utterly thrived in Utah and excelled at "The U" in his engineering major. This state will forever hold a special place in my heart! It's a hidden gem and I hope it stays that way - but I don't think it will bc apparently it's one of the fastest growing state in the US waaaa!! So I highly recommend visiting - but also please don't so it won't change LOL!! read more

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Just Go (#10) We've visited the Great State of Utah many times over the years. This is an updated review. We love Utah because they have some of the most beautiful National Parks, which I mentioned extensively in my original review. We even revisited Bryce Canyon during Covid year (2020)... it was a great place to social distance ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Aside from these iconic national parks we also found some national monuments, landmarks and small towns to visit including Virgin Town. If passing by don't forget to stop at the Buffalo Trading Company and try their awesome buffalo burgers... and did you know that there is a real UP House located in the southwestern City of Herriman? You won't find Carl, Ellie and Russell here, though. This house isn't cartoon. Old Irontown (Cedar City) - located in the southern part of Utah Old Irontown is said to be the very first ghost town in Utah. What we found was an off-the-beaten trail that led to the historical part of Old Irontown and a charcoal kiln was one of the landmarks in the ghost town... no ghosts, just a bunch of fire ants! Yikes! Park City Historic Main Street - I was charmed by this popular historic mountain town. Lots of shops and restaurants, bars and breweries, entertainment, galleries, and nearby hotel and lodging. It was once a silver town and hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002. Reminded me of Virginia City in NV. Bonneville Salt Flats (Wendover) - this was cool! We drove here in 2020... can't practice anymore social distancing than being here at the Salt Flats. We drove a mile out from the west rest stop area and checked out this densely packed salt bed. I had no idea that Southern Utah was once a dinosaur stomping ground (no pun intended) and that inside the St George Dinosaur Discovery Site @ Johnson Farm is the original intact track surface. Thank you Great State of Utah... so much natural beauty! Review #1348 updated read more

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5 stars for the state of Utah!! Traveled to or through Utah many times over the years. The good citizens of this fine state have been wonderful each visit we've made. There is one primary reason that I've given Utah 5 stars. My wife and I absolutely Love The National Parks in this state. They have a total of 5 nationals parks, and we've been blessed to visit 4 of them. Arches National Park and Zion National Park are my absolute favorites!! Never tire of visiting these jewels of Mother Nature!!! read more

Utah has been a great state to visit so far. Great roads, park systems, the national parks are incredible. However, be aware that A LOT is closed on Sundays, including restaurants (I'm looking at you, Vernal) and tourist shops. (At least the national parks are open). So plan ahead if you're passing though somewhere on a Sunday that you can get decent food, don't assume restaurants will be open. Also, no wine/liquor available to buy unless you buy it at special stores (grocery stores are beer/cider only). Super annoying, and I'm not a big drinker, I just like a glass of wine now and again. If you like to eat late, European style, again be sure restaurants will be open - most close by 8-9 pm. We eat early, so it's not a big deal for us, but I'd be really sad if I hiked all day, only to prepare for dinner at 9 and find all restaurants were closed. (I don't know about Salt Lake City, but we visited smaller cities all over the state: Wendover, Vernal, Torrey, Bryce Canyon City, and found it pretty much the same.) On a good note, most tourist stores/museums open right at 9 am, so some of the things we missed because they were closed on Sunday we were able to catch right away Monday morning before we left town. Definitely seems like an early to rise, early to bed kind of place. That's good to know so you can plan ahead if that's not your usual schedule. The exception for us was Bryce Canyon City. Almost everything there stays open until 10 pm, even the grocery store and gift shop parts of the big hotel. Perhaps that's true near Zion or Arches, but it wasn't true in the various towns I listed earlier. read more

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[REVIEW FROM THE ROAD] Dear Utah - You are such a pleasant state to drive through... SITREP Driving trip from our Las Vegas leg took us threw Arizona on I-15, and now we are enjoying many stops along the way! SO FAR... * Saw Rainy Weather in Hurricane * Enjoyed the Kanarraville Rest Stop * Staying the Night in Beaver; and, * Had dinner at Arshels NICEST SURPRISE Finding out that we can jam along the Interstate at 80 MPH! Woo-Hoooo! REALITY CHECK Even though this is a very tiring, hard working moving-truck trip, your infrastructure has provided us with a lot of the amenities that help us decompress on this trek. SALT LAKE CITY Tomorrow I visit your fair city of Salt Lake City. I may have to write a review update by the end of the day. THE LOWDOWN. Thank you for your charitable, pleasant spirit. :) read more

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