Utah has so many things to see and do that it takes even native Utahns many years to even scratch the surface. Some things are Utah traditions for pretty much everyone. Here are 10 of those things.
- Visited Temple Square to See the Christmas lights
Micah Sheldon/flickr It doesn’t matter if you’re Mormon or not; the Christmas lights at Temple Square are pretty impressive. People from all over the state make the pilgrimage at least once; lucky visitors take the time to ice skate at Gallivan, too.
- Took a Family Vacation to Vernal
Jimmy Thomas/flickr Is there a child in the state who hasn’t yet seen Dinosaur National Monument? Kids love dinosaurs and Vernal is within a six hour drive for any Utahn. It’s a fun-filled, educational family vacation. If for some reason you haven’t yet gone, there’s still time!
- Hiked to Timpanogos Cave
jim mullhaupt/flickr Schools take field trips to Timpanogos; families hike it at least once while their kids are growing up. The hike, with its steep, sun-exposed switchbacks, is hot, hot, hot in the summer. But the cave is nice and cool.
- Enjoyed Fry Sauce
Jimmy Emerson DVM/flickr True Utahns grew up on the stuff, starting with the Arctic Circle “C” Box as kids and graduating to Crown Burgers and fries as adults.
- Attended a Family Reunion at Lagoon
Lagoon/Facebook It’s a pretty good place for a family reunion. If your family is REALLY cool, you all had matching t-shirts.
- Attempted Skiing
andym801/flickr Whether you tried to ski at one of Utah’s resorts, or got roped into attempting waterskiing on a Utah lake, pretty much every Utahn has tried one form of skiing or the other.
- Spun Your Car Around 360 Degrees on Black Ice
denebola2025/flickr Driving during Utah’s winters can be really dangerous and ice is especially scary. Even if you have a great big SUV, once you hit ice, all bets are off and your car careens around, bouncing off guardrails and other cars like a pinball. If you haven’t yet experienced that heart-stopping event, maybe you’re one of those guys who heads for the closest LDS church parking lot after a storm and does donuts on the ice…on purpose.
- Took a selfie at Delicate Arch
daveynin/flickr It’s on the license plate for a reason; Delicate Arch is stunning.
- Attended or Participated in a Dance Recital
Danielle Christiansen/flickr So you think you can dance? Lots of young Utahns do! We have thousands of little dancers, from age 2 to 22 living in this state. Odds are, you’ve either been a dancer or you’re related to one. Proud dads sit in the audience at the local high school auditorium to see their four-year-olds dance to the latest Disney movie soundtrack, bored big brothers are told that they’re going to support their sister (or else), even aunts and uncles come out to clap for little dancing stars.
- Watched a Utah Jazz or Real Salt Lake Game
Sam Klein We only have two professional sports teams in Utah and fans go out of their way to catch games. Remember the Stockton-to-Malone years? That was probably Utah’s basketball heyday, but fans still pay big bucks to sit in Energy Solutions Arena. Real Salt Lake fills Rio Tinto Stadium to capacity all season. Utah fans who live too far away to attend in person cheer for their Utah teams while watching on TV.
Have you checked all of these off your to do list?
Micah Sheldon/flickr
It doesn’t matter if you’re Mormon or not; the Christmas lights at Temple Square are pretty impressive. People from all over the state make the pilgrimage at least once; lucky visitors take the time to ice skate at Gallivan, too.
Jimmy Thomas/flickr
Is there a child in the state who hasn’t yet seen Dinosaur National Monument? Kids love dinosaurs and Vernal is within a six hour drive for any Utahn. It’s a fun-filled, educational family vacation. If for some reason you haven’t yet gone, there’s still time!
jim mullhaupt/flickr
Schools take field trips to Timpanogos; families hike it at least once while their kids are growing up. The hike, with its steep, sun-exposed switchbacks, is hot, hot, hot in the summer. But the cave is nice and cool.
Jimmy Emerson DVM/flickr
True Utahns grew up on the stuff, starting with the Arctic Circle “C” Box as kids and graduating to Crown Burgers and fries as adults.
Lagoon/Facebook
It’s a pretty good place for a family reunion. If your family is REALLY cool, you all had matching t-shirts.
andym801/flickr
Whether you tried to ski at one of Utah’s resorts, or got roped into attempting waterskiing on a Utah lake, pretty much every Utahn has tried one form of skiing or the other.
denebola2025/flickr
Driving during Utah’s winters can be really dangerous and ice is especially scary. Even if you have a great big SUV, once you hit ice, all bets are off and your car careens around, bouncing off guardrails and other cars like a pinball. If you haven’t yet experienced that heart-stopping event, maybe you’re one of those guys who heads for the closest LDS church parking lot after a storm and does donuts on the ice…on purpose.
daveynin/flickr
It’s on the license plate for a reason; Delicate Arch is stunning.
Danielle Christiansen/flickr
So you think you can dance? Lots of young Utahns do! We have thousands of little dancers, from age 2 to 22 living in this state. Odds are, you’ve either been a dancer or you’re related to one. Proud dads sit in the audience at the local high school auditorium to see their four-year-olds dance to the latest Disney movie soundtrack, bored big brothers are told that they’re going to support their sister (or else), even aunts and uncles come out to clap for little dancing stars.
Sam Klein
We only have two professional sports teams in Utah and fans go out of their way to catch games. Remember the Stockton-to-Malone years? That was probably Utah’s basketball heyday, but fans still pay big bucks to sit in Energy Solutions Arena. Real Salt Lake fills Rio Tinto Stadium to capacity all season. Utah fans who live too far away to attend in person cheer for their Utah teams while watching on TV.
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