Salt Lake City is an ideal
place to spend a few days with the family and relax in a pleasant, small
city atmosphere. Located amid the towering mountains of the Wasatch Front,
Salt Lake City offers beautiful scenery and world-class sporting
opportunities. Almost one million people call Salt Lake City and the
surrounding areas home, a strong testament to the attractions of this
special city.
Salt Lake City is probably
best known as the world headquarters of the Mormon Church. A majority of the
citizens of Utah are Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints),
many of them descendents of original settlers of the Utah territory. The
Church's prominence has led the people of Salt Lake City to erect several
stunning monuments to their faith and the to the trials of the original
settlers. The Mormon Temple was erected in 1893 after 40 years of hard work
by expert craftsmen. Only confirmed Mormons are allowed to enter, but the
public may tour Temple Square and enjoy its many monuments. The Mormon
Tabernacle was designed with acoustics that enable a listener seated in the
last row to hear a nail drop from the lectern at the front. It is here that
the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs. Visitors interested in
their families' roots may use the facilities of the Family History Library,
the largest library of genealogical information in the world.
Outside the city, Utah's
beautiful landscape and unique geological features continually amaze
visitors. The Great Salt Lake is the second saltiest body of water in the
world, and it has been mysteriously refilling itself in recent years,
leading to an explosion of life in and around the lake. The Timpanogos Cave
National Monument leads to several miles of exciting and interesting
underground sights. The center of the caverns opens up to display a vast
array of dazzling white crystals.
Salt Lake City's greatest
outdoor venue continues to be its mountains. The Wasatch Mountains offer
some of the best skiing in the world and are one reason why Olympic
officials chose Salt Lake City to host the winter Olympics in 2002. For
years, travelers tended to overlook this serenely beautiful, sunlit,
historic city, but this is no longer true. The whole world seems to be
coming to Salt Lake City, and the city and its people are ready.
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