There are some things so uniquely Utah that pretty much everyone who has lived here for very long is just about guaranteed to do them. How many of these things have you already done?
- Visit the Great Salt Lake.
Jared Eberhardt/flickr You probably did it as a kid, and you probably didn’t visit again until you took your own kids.
- Debate which is a superior topping for funeral potatoes - cornflakes or potato chips.
Carrie A./Yelp And of course, during your lifetime in Utah, you’ll eat funeral potatoes. Though you probably won’t be at a funeral.
- Visit Temple Square.
Manish Prabhune/flickr Out of town visitors always want to see this iconic place, and the grounds are beautiful (especially during Christmas). Even if you aren’t Mormon, odds are that you’ve found yourself here at least once.
- Try skiing or snowboarding.
Steven Isaacson/flickr Some will fall in love. Others will book knee surgery for the following week.
- …and end up on a ski run that exceeds your ability.
Cormac Heron/flickr What happens next determines your amount of bravery…or stupidity.
- Say hello to Utah’s oldest residents.
Jimmy Thomas/flickr Or what’s left of them…the quarry at Dinosaur National Monument is something too cool to miss.
- Hold onto a rope that’s attached to a fast-moving boat.
Kevin/flickr Whether you’re on waterskis, a wakeboard or an inflatable tube…you want to hold on tight!
- Complain that the hike is steep and that you’re hot and sweaty all the way up to Timpanogos Cave.
Andres Rodriguez/flickr At least the chipmunks are entertaining - and the view is gorgeous!
- …and then shiver inside the cave while simultaneously marveling at the formations.
Andres Rodriguez/flickr And of course, you love the part where they turn the light off so you can see just how dark it is inside.
- Try to convert someone…
Victor Solanoy/flickr …to the joys of fry sauce. Though some folks here spend time trying to convert people to other things, too.
- Ride the roller coaster at Lagoon.
Lagoon Amusement Park/Facebook The original coaster was built in 1921 and is one of the few wooden roller coasters left in the West.
- Get stuck in the snow while driving.
Alex Proimos/flickr Or worse…slide off the road while driving.
- Go to a Utah Jazz game.
Phil Whitehouse/flickr If you’ve been a Utahn for more than 20 years, you remember those halcyon days of Stockton-to-Malone…back when the Jazz were really good.
- Go camping in the high Uintas.
Todd Slagter/flickr Some go car camping, others backpack in for miles. Either way, you’re surrounded by some beautiful scenery, and the clean, fresh air is filled with the scent of pine.
- Go fishing.
slashvee/flickr Utah’s lakes, rivers and streams are perfect for fishing.
- Eat a half-raw fish that you caught and tried to cook over a campfire.
Todd Slagter/flickr Hopefully, you’re smart enough to bring some beef jerky and a couple granola bars.
- See Delicate Arch up close.
Keith/flickr Sure, it looks nice on the license plate. But up close…it’s simply stunning.
Have you already checked all these things off your list? If so, take a look at the 23 Utah places we think you should go during 2017.
Jared Eberhardt/flickr
You probably did it as a kid, and you probably didn’t visit again until you took your own kids.
Carrie A./Yelp
And of course, during your lifetime in Utah, you’ll eat funeral potatoes. Though you probably won’t be at a funeral.
Manish Prabhune/flickr
Out of town visitors always want to see this iconic place, and the grounds are beautiful (especially during Christmas). Even if you aren’t Mormon, odds are that you’ve found yourself here at least once.
Steven Isaacson/flickr
Some will fall in love. Others will book knee surgery for the following week.
Cormac Heron/flickr
What happens next determines your amount of bravery…or stupidity.
Jimmy Thomas/flickr
Or what’s left of them…the quarry at Dinosaur National Monument is something too cool to miss.
Kevin/flickr
Whether you’re on waterskis, a wakeboard or an inflatable tube…you want to hold on tight!
Andres Rodriguez/flickr
At least the chipmunks are entertaining - and the view is gorgeous!
And of course, you love the part where they turn the light off so you can see just how dark it is inside.
Victor Solanoy/flickr
…to the joys of fry sauce. Though some folks here spend time trying to convert people to other things, too.
Lagoon Amusement Park/Facebook
The original coaster was built in 1921 and is one of the few wooden roller coasters left in the West.
Alex Proimos/flickr
Or worse…slide off the road while driving.
Phil Whitehouse/flickr
If you’ve been a Utahn for more than 20 years, you remember those halcyon days of Stockton-to-Malone…back when the Jazz were really good.
Todd Slagter/flickr
Some go car camping, others backpack in for miles. Either way, you’re surrounded by some beautiful scenery, and the clean, fresh air is filled with the scent of pine.
slashvee/flickr
Utah’s lakes, rivers and streams are perfect for fishing.
Hopefully, you’re smart enough to bring some beef jerky and a couple granola bars.
Keith/flickr
Sure, it looks nice on the license plate. But up close…it’s simply stunning.
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