Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with utah

Help me be a busy bee in the Beehive State

dunadan17 — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:32:21 -0800

Looking for fun places to go on and off the beaten path in Utah and the Arizona Strip. I crowdsourced my last big road trip (link) and was thrilled with the results. So I turn to you again, o wise hivemind, to help me plan a drive through Utah and the strip of Arizona north of the Colorado. I'll be driving from greater L.A. as far as Salt Lake City, but I want to take my time and explore the area. Monument Valley is the only thing that's a non-negotiable stop on the way (but I am eager to hear opinions on the best way to experience it). Basically, I want to conform my route to what's amazing and unique, rather than limit what I see because it's not "on the way."

I know about the many amazing national parks, but if you have an insider tip for me on a unique way of experiencing one of them, I'd love to hear it. I realize some suggestions could be affected by when I go, but I haven't figured that part out yet. It won't be for a few months, so probably summer or early fall.

I'd like to hear about great restaurants, museums, art, natural beauty, history and anything that I wouldn't be able to experience elsewhere. Bonus points for stuff involving John Wesley Powell, Western films (especially John Ford) or interesting Mormon history. Thanks!

What are the specific requirements for ordination Utah?

luciddream928 — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 13:20:00 -0800

There are plenty of websites that ordain laypersons as ministers, but we want to a.) Find a legitimate ordination website, and b.) make sure that we can do this in Utah in Grand County. We would like a relative to marry us and she is not currently ordained. We're getting married! Yay! We are residents of another state planning on a wedding in Grand County, Utah, at a national park. According to the this website for ordination, we need someone who qualifies as one of the following: "minister, rabbi, or priest of any religious denomination who are in regular communion with any religious society." This is the line that we are confused by. We can't find how the county clerk's office determines this qualification. And if I call to ask, they might just deny it outright.

Has anyone had any experience with ordination of a layperson in Utah?
Or advice for ascertaining the legitimacy of an ordination website?

Property Management in Utah

birdlips — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:01:25 -0800

what is a good property management companies in Utah? I know this question is very specific to an area and might therefore be hard to get answers but I am trying to find a good property management company that deals with residential properties in the Salt Lake City area. I can easily do a Google search but I was hoping for some personal experience.

Thanks!

Where should I live and teach?

amodelcitizen — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 20:34:56 -0800

Where should I live: Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, or Utah? Or beyond? I'm teaching overseas at the moment. I'd like to return to the US and continue teaching. It seems like the most efficient, affordable route I've discovered is though the ABCTE program. (http://www.abcte.org/teach) I'm about ready to take the plunge on doing the program (although other suggestions are welcome), but I'm not sure what state to choose to live in.

ABCTE is recognized in 11 states, and out of those, I think I'm interested in Utah, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire. I've been to both PA and Utah, but not to New Hampshire, although I've been around New Hampshire and I like that area.

So, if you have experiences in these places, where should I live?

Lifestyle wise, things that are important to me are:

- Great art and theatre. I've been living remote for over five years now, and I miss going to plays and museums more than anything. I really want to be close to a good artistic center.
- Walkable. I'd prefer not to have a car.
- Affordable, safe place downtown. I guess this goes with being walkable. I'd like to live in an accessible area that's near a lot of things and public transport to get to work.
- Climate is not a huge issue. I've lived in super hot states, and I've lived in very cold states, and I can do either pretty easily. I love to ski, but I like going to the beach, and all of the things in between, basically.

Work wise, I'm not sure. I've only worked at one US elementary school. It was low-income, and a fairly small student population but with large classes. It was OK, but I didn't love it.

Thanks for any advice on this.

Finding a lost camera?

anotherthink — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 16:41:17 -0800

What other avenues should I be pursuing to find the camera we lost on our honeymoon in Utah? My husband and I lost our camera on a long honeymoon road trip... by process of elimination, we're pretty sure it's on the road overlooking the Spiral Jetty in the Salt Lake in Utah. It's been about a month, but this is a pretty remote location, so it's totally possible that it's still there... we've tried Craigslist in Utah where we offered a reward to try to get people to go out and look for it, but no dice, partly because it's so out-of-the-way to get there at all. I've also checked ifoundyourcamera.net with no luck. We're now back home in Massachusetts, but we'd really like to get all our honeymoon pictures back!!

Any suggestions on other things I can try, or ways I could get in touch with someone who would want to make the trek to the Jetty?

SEA -> JAC by Air and Land

bbuda — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 09:33:12 -0800

What's the most scenic way to make a combined flight / drive to Jackson, Wyoming from Seattle? Three of us from Seattle are headed to Jackson in late September for a wedding. It's going to be a weekend trip, two or at most three days, so we don't want to spend too much time traveling.

The flight options are unappealing - very expensive and multiple layovers or short connections. Driving from Seattle is a bit too far for just a weekend trip - something like 13 hours each way.

So the option I've been considering is to fly somewhere nearby and then drive the rest of the way. There are direct and relatively inexpensive flights to Boise (least expensive), Salt Lake City, and Bozeman (most expensive), where we could rent a car and then make a four to six hour drive to Jackson.

Is this a realistic plan? And if so, which of these drives are the best in terms of ease, safety, and scenery? Knowing nothing about the area, it seems like coming down from Bozeman gives us a good chunk of Yellowstone and Grand Teton, but if the drives from Boise or SLC are just as pretty and save us some money, we'd go for one of those.

Wedding officiant in Utah?

longhaultrucker — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 21:33:54 -0800

We're planning a very small wedding in Salt Lake City. Can anyone recommend an officiant in the area?

Plant or weed identification time.

lbo — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:26:34 -0800

What is this plant (or weed) growing in my back yard? It has multiple, thick stems with tiny thorns, green leaves that turn light green/reddish as the plant gets bigger, and a big root system with roots that are woody and slightly rubbery. It does not have any tendrils or flowers and left to grow, it begins to resemble a small tree. I have six of these plants (or weeds?) growing in my backyard. They have appeared each of the three summers I've lived in my home--I started with just three and three more have appeared in the same areas. So I have two distinct locations with three of these things.

I have checked standard weed and plant identification sites and had no luck. No other posts on here appear to have similar items.

I let one grow last year and it got about a foot high. It resembled a tree and had no flowers. I finally dug it up and it had a relatively big root system with light colored, woody and slightly rubbery roots. The plant/weed in that location came back but grows much more slowly than it did last year. They show up in the late spring/early summer (late May or June here). You can't simply yank them up.

The leaves are either green or greenish-red, but they tended towards a mix of light green/red as they got bigger. The stem is light green with reddish, very fine thorns on it. As you can see from the pictures below, there are multiple stems and the leaves have teeth.

I live in the Salt Lake City area which may help with identification.

picture of leaves
picture of stem

I did not plant anything in these locations and there's nothing unique about their locations: one patch is near a wooden fence but the other is in the middle of the yard.

What should we see and where should we stay between Salmon, ID and Salt Lake City for a few days this fall?

Perplexity — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:30:15 -0800

What should we see and where should we stay between Salmon, ID and Salt Lake City for a few days this fall? Looking for some vacation planning help -- we're taking a rafting trip that ends in Salmon, ID (~160 miles NE of Boise, near the Montana border). We'll leave there Sunday morning, and fly out of Salt Lake City Tuesday morning. What should we see and where should we stay in between?

What's Sun Valley / Ketchum like? Is Craters of the Moon a must-see? Are there nice places north of SLC in Utah?

We'll be driving a rental car, and looking for relatively low-intensity activity after the preceding 6 days of rafting/camping. Thanks for any tips!

Where should I go camping in Southern Utah?

biograd08 — Sat, 12 May 2012 23:37:24 -0800

We are new to Utah and planning a camping trip to the southern part of the state. We're trying to decide which parks/attractions to hit in our small time frame. This could be our first and last trip to do this, since we don't think we'll be living here much longer and have limited vacation time to take at work. My fiance and I want to do 2, possibly three nights and 2.5-3.5 days not including the drive (from SLC) for this trip. The main options we've considered are:

1. Moab- with trips to Arches, Canyonlands, maybe dead horse point.
2. Zion, Escalante?

We talked about doing both these options combined somehow, but we dont want to spend all our time driving unless it was really worth it. Which of these places (and are there different ones we should consider?) should we choose?

We are planning to camp rustic, and our priorities would be to see some amazing vistas, go for some nice hikes, see wildlife, and make some nice memories. If anyone who has been to all these areas and can offer a recommendation it would really help!
If there are fun activities- whether it be kayaking, horse-back riding etc. that you would recommend, that would also be appreciated.

Thank you!

Should I take California or Utah to get to Texas?

mokin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:11:56 -0800

Oregon to Texas Roadtrip: which is the better route, down through California/AZ/NM or through Utah/NM? My wife and I are moving from Portand, OR to Central Texas. We're planning on driving down the second week of April.

Google Maps suggests going through Utah and New Mexico. This route is a little faster and shorter, but more complicated.

AAA TripTik suggests going through California. This route is a little bit longer, but it seems to be easier. Instead of taking many smaller highways with lots of exchanges and exits, you basically take I-5 S and I-10 E for much of the trip.

Other factors:
* The Utah/NM route goes through Roswell, which appeals to me.

* AAA TripTik says there's a road advisory for the entire state of Arizona because "traffic laws are being enforced to an unusually strict degree by local and/or state law enforcement." This advisory is dated from "Feb 2009 to 'until further notice,'" so I don't know how accurate that information is.

* My wife and I are taking this trip with our 4 year old son and three cats in a Honda Fit loaded with luggage and possessions. We're not planning on doing a lot of sightseeing.

Does anyone have any experience driving either of these routes, or something similar to them? Is it worth the extra time/distance to drive through California?

Beyond the Salt Lake

Miko — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:02:22 -0800

3-4 days free in Utah; what fun adventures can I have? So this idea didn't pan out just because I acted on the idea too late and there are no available reservations. I'll be in Salt Lake City Oct 3-6 for a conference, and would like to take a few additional days beforehand for a fun travel/outdoor experience.

What would you recommend? I enjoy hiking and would love to do some more National Park discovery. I won't be able to carry camping equipment, though, so will need to stay in hotels or lodges.

I also enjoy historic sites, museums, Native history/culture, live music, walking around interesting neighborhoods/towns, art, eating local/regional food - by that I mean both locally grown and local specialities - and unique local events.

Thanks for any tips! I'm looking forward to taking some time to experience a little Utah since it may be the only time I'll have a few days to spend there.

The Great American Road Trip

hamandcheese — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:38:57 -0800

Two Canadians road-trippin' in the USA in May. A few questions. Itinerary suggestions welcome. Okay, so the Mrs. and I are heading down to Vegas for a business workshop May 15. We're heading out from Northern Alberta, Canada, driving our small car. We are photographers and plan on stopping as needed for landscape photos and other Americana. We're also planning to bring camping gear and mixing up camping with (cheap?) hotel stays.

The workshop will eat up most of a week, but we've added her vacation time on to the end, so we have an additional two weeks to road trip around the Southwest before heading back. We definitely want to see the Grande Canyon, but that's about it for sure.

We're really, really flexible in what we're going to do. Making it out to LA or SoCal would be cool, as would dipping more into Arizona, New Mexico, or even Mexico. We also considered looping back up the West Coast through California and Oregon. Like I said, we're totally flexible at this point. Here's a prelim map of one possible itinerary.

We're a little concerned that it will still be very early in the season (ie. winter) and this may limit what we can get up to. Also, we're into epic landscapes, natural and archaeological history, delicious food, and things like that.

So, our questions:

- Where would YOU go on a trip like this?
- What kind of things should we not miss? (museums, national parks, quirky roadside attractions, greasy spoon diners?)
- Can anyone recommend some bitchin' camping or awesome hotels we should check out?
- Any other road-trippin' tips or suggestions?

Thanks!

SLC to Grand Canyon, Doable?

Miko — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:02:13 -0800

I'm going to Salt Lake City next year for a conference. Please help me figure out whether my idea to tack on a trip to the Grand Canyon in just a few extra days is feasible, sensible, brilliant, or not so smart. I have a lifelong dream of hiking down the Grand Canyon to Phantom Ranch and back. I don't get out West that often, and since work is paying my airfare, this might be a nice opportunity to piggyback a personal trip on a work trip.

But it looks like the Canyon is about 10 hours' drive away from SLC. Is there a sensible way to do this trip and not spend one or two full days in a rental car getting to the Canyon and back? I am open to flying in/out of different cities than SLC. I can take as many as 5 extra days and I think I'll need three nights at least for the Canyon trip - two nights to bookend the trip and one night in the canyon.

I'm not worried about the Canyon part itself - I'm a hiker, have the right gear, have done research on it, etc. It's more the trip-planning part I need help with.

If you have suggestions about other things that might be a more comfortable outdoorsy side trip, if not a lfielong dream, I'm interested in those too. I've spent a few days at Zion before so would not place the highest priority on going back there.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Road trip itinerary from Spokane to SLC?

Pruitt-Igoe — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:18:36 -0800

My wife and I will be driving from Spokane to Salt Lake City soon and were wondering how we should space out our trip, and what there is to see/do/eat along the way. We're planning on leaving Spokane the morning of the 6th, and we have to be in SLC for a concert the evening of the 9th. (and then unfortunately we have to power back home to Calgary on the 10th). Should we drive straight to salt lake (or close by) on the 6th and spend a few days around there, or stop along the way and spend 1 day in salt lake?

We like national parks, hikes, museums, art, scenic drives, tasty food (price range does not matter) and wine. Given the short schedule we probably wouldn't want to drive too far out of our way. I'm open to suggestions!

Picky eater

slipperywhenwet — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 08:39:37 -0800

I'm flying down to Salt Lake City as part of the installation team for an interactive sculpture that's going into the Leonardo. We'll be there about three weeks. I'm generally vegan at home and vegetarian/ vegan out of the house. We'll be staying in a condo with a kitchen, on Cloverspring Lane, in Cottonwood Heights. The Leonardo is 209 East 500 South.

Any vegitarian/vegan resources in/around those areas? Help! Also helpful: good places to get produce/snacks, etc. Don't know how much time I'll have to cook down there.

Arizona or Bust!

jennstra — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:25:05 -0800

Leaving tomorrow for Scottsdale. We are driving from Seattle, through Utah. We'll have at least one night in Zion, visit Bryce....and hopefully a night in Sedona. (Skipping the Grand Canyon, went there last year) Any suggestions on things we ought not miss? I love fun restaurants, food trucks, roadside attractions. Thanks for your help!

Can we skip the renewal in Utah and register it in Oregon?

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:27:29 -0800

My partner and I are moving to Oregon at the end of the month from out of state (utah) and we are very poor. Our car's registration ended last month (July 2011). Since Oregon says we have to register our vehicle within 30 days of moving there, I want to wait till we get to Oregon to do our car's registration. We wont really doing any driving before the end of the month (we both walk to work and the grocery store), I can't see any problems with this, besides possibly getting a ticket on the drive to Oregon. Are we likely to run into problems registering our car in Oregon if our registration from Utah is expired? Thanks!

Road Trippin' questions. Driving from Denver, CO to Blue River, OR, down through California and back to CO. Here's the link to my tentative map.

no bueno — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 07:35:59 -0800

Road Trippin' questions. Driving from Denver, CO to Blue River, OR, down through California and back to CO. Here's the link to my tentative map. Looking for the best places to stop along the route and any general road trip advice you wonderful mefiers might have to offer. Conditions that might matter. We have two St. Bernard puppies (80lbs). We have up to a month to spend so going off the route doesn't matter all that much. I've been on plenty of road trips up to 22hrs straight through and know enough about working on my vehicle and have lived in the mountains so I'm prepared for mountain safety. We could change the route to stay on 70 through Colorado instead of heading straight up to Wyoming and down 80 but we've seen Colorado. Staying with friends and family, most of which are dog friendly. Any etiquette tips? Gifts we should bring them? Just cash? Dinner?

Best camp sites in Zion/Bryce

jcrcarter — Wed, 18 May 2011 10:06:07 -0800

What are the most awesomely beautiful camp sites in Zion and Bryce in late May? Also where's the cheapest place to buy supplies? We have 9 nights and not much to do other than hike, read, talk/not talk, and gaze at stars. Where should we pitch camp?

We don't have reservations. We're willing to hike in, we're willing to pay for hotel rooms if it doesn't work out, and we're willing to go try different area parks/attractions if you tell us about them. I want to spend more time in nature and less time in the car.

I'm looking for the most beautiful campsite(s) you lovely folks have ever seen - values include silence, vistas, flowers, access to trail heads, water sources, and relative ease of access.

Also appreciated - tips on where to buy supplies, and thoughts other adventures/on canyoning guides.

Merci Bien!

Looking for an Optometrist in Salt Lake City or South Jordan, Utah.

msbutah — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:01:16 -0800

Help me find an Optometrist in Salt Lake City or South Jordan, Utah. It's way past due for me to get my eyes checked as it's been 4 years since my last one. My provider search from my insurance came up with over 75 hits in the valley, so I need help finding a new one. We changed insurance so my previous optometrist is no longer available to me. I live in South Jordan and work downtown, so any place that you like between the two is good with me. Closer to home or work is better as I usually ride the train between the two, but I do have a car so anywhere in the valley (within reason) is good. I'm not really high maintenance when it comes to doctors but I want some recommendations for people you have used and liked. I've had a few terrible ones and I think that's what's fueled my reluctance to go back in.
Bonus question - should I try and get records from my previous optometrist or are they not worth it due to their age? I haven't had any problems with my eyes. All my exams are simply adjustments (slightly worse) to my prescription. So I don't know if it's worth getting them or if I should just start over with the new place.

Bonus if you can tell me where to find giant sock puppts in Vegas dancing to 'How Do You Like Me Now?'

unannihilated — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:35:04 -0800

I'm doing Denver-Utah-Vegas later this week. Suggestions on food/sights/activities? I'm going on a trip out West to Colorado/Utah/Nevada later this week. The basic itinerary is planned.

Basically:
Day 1 - Denver
Day 2 - driving
Day 3 - Bryce Canyon
Day 4 - driving
Day 5 - Vegas

Any suggestions on cool places to eat, quick side trips or things to do while we're in X location? We're women in our late 20s, urban and vaguely hipster type - food and craft beer is good, nerdiness like history or science is good, cool outdoors stuff at the intermediate level is good. This is the first time I've been west of the Mississippi. I'm accompanying a friend on part of a drive to San Diego and my return plane ticket is already bought, so we can't deviate too much on route. Also, she's seen Utah before, but not been to Denver or Vegas before.

I've read through the archives on this topic, but since the most recent thing was over a year ago, I thought I would ask again. Thanks!

Favorite trails in Utah's National Parks?

ztdavis — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:49:40 -0800

What are your favorite trails in Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park? Day loops are preferred, but if you think something is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING please don't hesitate to suggest it.

I am travelling out to Utah soon and will be hitting up arches and canyonlands for a day or two each without much of an agenda at this point.

Also:
Any restaurants that we must stop at in southeastern/eastern Utah? Any ruins / sights / cultural points of interest that are must see nearby? Any campgrounds that get wholehearted recommendations?

Thanks!

Letting the bard babysit?

a22lamia — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:53:55 -0800

Have you used child care at the Utah Shakespearean Festival? Would you feel comfortable dropping your 2.5 year old there for an 8 o'clock show? Our boss has invited us to two nights at the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Both of the plays are at 8:00. We really want to go but are hesitant to because it will involve dropping our 2.5 year old off at the childcare two nights in a row pretty much at his bedtime.

Have you used the childcare there for a similarly aged child? What was your experience like?

Utah Filter: Life in the valley

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:47:13 -0800

I'm moving to Orem, Utah in a few weeks. What are some of the "nicer" neighborhoods? Details: I'm a nervous driver and would prefer access to public transportation (I know this is a a big constraint), female, single, am not LDS, not from the US, and am from a visible minority (I mention the last since I notice a distinct lack of heterogeneity even among my future colleagues).

I am looking for rentals. However, online listings seem to be mostly for students and I want to avoid predominantly student housing. I can't find many townhouses or condos, and not many individual listings. There are several listings for professionally managed apartment complexes and all these seem to have negative reviews (even after factoring in the mostly negative tone of apartment reviews in general). My colleagues are helpful, but they live outside Orem and commute, which I would be willing to do except for the driving thing...

I've seen some very useful posts about this area, but not specifically about renting. Anonymous since I don't want my future co-workers to know about my misgivings.