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All About Salt Lake City
Settled by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1847, Salt Lake City's center is dominated by Temple Square, the Mormon Tabernacle and religious monuments. These affiliations have given the city an undeserved reputation as a stodgy, uptight town, but it's home to several good brewpubs. Fine art museums and performing arts centers pepper the downtown. Thanks to the city's location between the Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake, outdoor enthusiasts find no end of active pursuits, from mountain biking and kayaking to skiing.
Things to Do
The heart of Salt Lake City is Temple Square, 10 acres of Mormon religious buildings, monuments and gardens. After you've explored the lush flower beds and religious statuary you can take a guided tour of the square or slip into the Visitor's Center to learn about the Mormon faith. Bordering the square are the Salt Lake Art Center, with contemporary paintings, sculpture and photography, and the Family History Library, popular with genealogists.
Nightlife and Entertainment
One of the world's great choral groups, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs free public rehearsals and weekend concerts when they're in town. The choir is accompanied by a massive organ with over 11,000 pipes. Free half-hour recitals are offered daily, allowing visitors a chance to hear the organ's powerful sound. Afterward, let your hair down at one of Salt Lake City's acclaimed brew pubs: the Red Rock Brewing Company and Squatters Pub.
Restaurants and Dining
You can find great seafood in the desert? Yes, thanks to the Market Street Grill, regarded as Salt Lake City's best seafood restaurant, flying in the day's catch from around the world. Mouth-watering steaks are the theme at Spencer's for Steaks and Chops. You'll pay a few dollars to join this "club" (it's a way around Salt Lake City's alcohol restrictions), but once in you can sip wine and dine on savory filets in an elegant, richly-paneled dining room.
Active Pursuits
Hiking, skiing, mountain biking, kayaking -- few cities offer more active pursuits than Salt Lake City. Head to the Great Salt Lake for unforgettable kayaking, the hazy Wasatch Mountains and a buffalo herd in the background. The water's high salt content creates delicate formations on the lake's floor and flora and fauna found nowhere else. In winter, the Wasatch-Cache National Forest offers some of Utah's fluffiest powder for skiing and snowboarding.
Published by Frommer's © 2012, Whatsonwhen Ltd
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