Salt Lake City Travel Guide
For details of what to do and see in Salt Lake City check out our Salt Lake City guide to car hire in Salt Lake City.
|
|
 |
|||
|
||||
Founded by the Mormon leader Brigham Young as a place where his Church of Latter Day Saints could thrive away from persecution, Salt Lake City was born on the shores of the Great Salt Lake on July 24th 1846, and had a completely Mormon population for around 23 years it when it was opened up to the rest of America by being attached to the railway.
Amongst the many attractions of Utah's capital city, the first that any visitor will notice is the imposing Mormon Temple that dominates not only the skyline, but also the day-to-day lives of much of the population. While on the surface, you might not think that a state in which alcohol and caffeine are not available, and where dancing is frowned upon would be anything other than a staid and uptight place to visit, the truth about Utah, and Salt Lake City in particular is very different.
Contrary to popular wisdom, which conjectures that a religious town cannot be a fun town, Salt Lake City actually manages to combine the two, and in fact, the city, and surrounding area is something of a sporting paradise, with plenty of activities on offer in the great outdoors, and the city hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002.
You can get cheap deals on flights and accommodation in Salt Lake City throughout the year, and this unique city offers an entirely different slant on the American dream to anywhere else in the country, and is well worth visiting as part of a longer holiday exploring the USA.
The most impressive area of Salt Lake City is the historic area around the main temple, where a number of stunning buildings crowd your senses as they vie for attention. The breathtaking Mormon Temple is an incredible piece of architecture - although unless you are a member of the Church yourself, you will not be allowed to enter. The Capitol Building can be toured if you book in advance, and there is also an excellent civic museum in the same area.
One thing that no visitor to Salt Lake City should miss out on is the famous Tabernacle, where the Mormon Choir regularly performs beautiful music to large crowds. One of the most accomplished choral groups in the world, the Tabernacle Choir perform on a Sunday morning, but you can also visit practices on a Tuesday. The acoustics of the hall are so perfect that you can literally hear a pin drop on stage from the back rows, as the guide will no doubt demonstrate.
