Salt Lake, St. George Make 'Best Cities' Lists

Utah's positive lifestyle is well know, and is often attributed to our outstanding recreational opportunities. But there are many reasons people enjoy living and playing in our state. Here's a sample of articles I noticed online today that show some of the perks of the Salt Lake and St. George areas.

10 Best Cities for New Graduates, as ranked by collegerecruiter.com:

1. Salt Lake City—Below-average living costs, above-average pay and a population teeming with twentysomethings make Salt Lake an excellent starting-out city. The overall unemployment rate, at 5% and far below the nation’s average, adds to the area’s appeal.

Best U.S. Hiking Cities, ranked by National Geographic:

Salt Lake City, Utah - With 10,000-foot peaks within 20 minutes, Salt Lake City may very well be the easiest major American city to get out of, which is why it attracts a large population of outdoor-minded folk.

Best Big Cities for Jobs for 2013:

Forbes magazine announced that Salt Lake City ranked No. 3 for “Best Big Cities for Jobs for 2013" with 4 percent employment growth last year. This year, the state’s capital city is ranked No. 16 overall economically.

The 10 Best Cities For Exercise:

Salt Lake City was named to the list of cities with the most gyms and fitness centers in America.

Top Cities For Job-Seeking College Grads, ranked by Forbes:

No. 1 St. George, Utah. Average Annual Salary: $60,781

Not bad, for one afternoon. Come see why for yourself.

- Dave Webb

Cowboy Legends Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival

A historic ranch on Antelope Island will be the setting for cowboy poetry and Western music during the 9th Annual Cowboy Legends Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival, which will be held May 24-27, 2013.

Antelope Island State Park provided the information below:

You are invited to step back through 133 years of Utah history on historic Fielding Garr Ranch on Antelope Island just northwest of Salt Lake City.

• The Best in Western Music & Cowboy Poetry
• Kid's Activities
• Cowboy Mercantile Trading Post
• Take a Ride in a Historical Wagon, Carriage or Buggy
• Bring Your Horses and Stay the Weekend
• Food Vendors
• Various Local Product Vendors
• 3 Performance Stages with Various Performers
• Open Mic Stage ( So you think you can Sing? )
• Dinner Shows
• Camping - South of the Ranch

Directions

The Fielding Garr Ranch is Located on the East Side of

Antelope Island State Park.

Exit 335 off of I-15,

Then Head West on Antelope Drive (1700 South)

At The Gate House you will Travel 8.8 Miles West

on the Causeway

Then Turn Slight Left at the Fork.

Then in 0.6 Miles you will Turn Left again

On the Ranch Road.

You Will Travel 10.6 Miles South

to the Entrance to the Ranch.

(Link to Google Map)

This is a Not for Profit Event in Support of Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Join The Utah State Parks Scavenger Hunt

Now's the perfect time to visit the numerous state parks in Utah. And now there is extra incentive. Our parks are sponsoring a scavenger hunt that includes prizes.

Utah State Parks provided the information below.

State of Adventure Scavenger Hunt

Grab your camera and a few friends and join us for the statewide Utah State Parks State of Adventure Scavenger Hunt.

Beginning Saturday, June 1 register on the Utah State Parks Facebook page and download the list of tasks. Visit as many state parks as you can and complete each of the challenges. As you check off each one, upload your photos to Facebook and be automatically registered to win prizes. The more state parks you see, the more chances to win. Contest ends August 31. Visit www.facebook.com/utahstateparks to enter.

Utah's Seasonal Roads Begin Opening For Season

Some of Utah's high country roads, that close during winter because of deep snow, are now open and others will open during the next few weeks.

The Utah Department of Transportation reports these roads are now open:

• SR 35 Wolf Creek Pass - Francis to Hanna
• SR 39 Monte Cristo - East of Ogden
• SR 65 East Canyon - Northeast of Salt Lake City
• SR 224 Guardsman Pass - Park City to Midway

We now have anticipated opening dates for these roads:

• SR 92 American Fork/Alpine Loop – should open Friday, May 24
• SR 148 Cedar Breaks - east of Cedar City – should open mid-June
• SR-153 Mt. Holly Junction Road - Puffer Lake to Junction – should open mid-June

We do not yet have anticipated dates for these roads:

• SR 150 Mirror Lake Highway
• R 190 Guardsman Pass - Big Cottonwood Canyon to Park City

Wildflowers In Southern Utah

Cactus flower in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve

Wildflowers are now in full bloom in low-elevation desert ares in southern Utah.

I hiked in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and enjoyed seeing a wide variety of flowers, including those shown in my photos here.

The Reserve encompasses much of the red rock areas you can see as you drive I-15 south toward St. George. I hiked in the Babylon area, which is southeast of the town of Leeds. We drove the Babylon Road through deep sand to Sand Cove and then wandered around the red rock fins and other formations in the area. It is a fun area, very scenic.

We hiked the Arch Trail from Sand Cove down to the Virgin River. The trail passes a photogenic little arch, as you can see from my photo.

In nearby Zion National Park, wildflowers are also coming on strong. The next few weeks will bring the peak of the flower season. The park has this page about viewing wildflowers.

The wildflower season starts later at higher elevations. Cedar Breaks National Monument, located in the tops of the mountains east of Cedar City, is one of the great places in this region to view wildflowers. There the season usually peaks in mid-July.

Cedar Breaks sponsors a Wildflower Festival that begins on July 6 and continue through July 21, 2013.

In northern Utah mountain areas the blooms peak in mid or late July. Popular viewing areas near Salt Lake can be found at the top of the Cottonwood Canyons (where some of our famous ski resorts are located). The Alpine Loop, which circles around the east side of Mt. Timpanogos, is also a famous area for flowers.

- Dave Webb

Zion Park Seeks Artist-in-Residence For 2014

Here's a gig that would be quite enjoyable: Artist-in-Residence at Zion National Park.

The park will soon be accepting applications for that position. Here are details:

Zion National Park will begin accepting applications for the 2014 Artist-in-Residence program on May 26, 2013. Applications must be postmarked by July 19, 2013 and received by July 24, 2013.Four artists will be selected for two spring and two fall residency slots. Artist selections will be made and announced in October. All visual (painters, photographers, sculptures, etc.), performing (drama, dance, music, composers, etc.) and literary artists are welcome to apply.

The Zion National Park Artist-in-Residence program offers professional artists the opportunity to live and work in the majestic desert environment of southern Utah for a period of one month. This call for artists applies to four sessions: February 3-March 4, 2014, April 1-30, 2014, September 1-30, 2014, and October 16-November 14, 2014.

The works completed under this program will contribute to the public understanding and appreciation of Zion National Park and should reflect the National Park Service's mission to preserve and protect the park's cultural and natural resources.

During the Residency period the artist will be expected to present two public programs, tailored to the individual's medium, interest, and experience. One will take place at Zion National Park and the other at Southern Utah University as part of their Art Insights program.

Zion National Park will work in conjunction with faculty and staff at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, UT to select artists who will work in Zion for the four-week residency period. Selected artists will be given a rent-free, furnished house inside the park.

For complete details about this program and to download application materials, visit www.NPS.gov/Zion. For more information contact: 435-772-0184 or email zion_artist_in_residence@nps.gov.

Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways

Travel + Leisure has published this article featuring what it calls "Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways." Salt Lake City is #6 on the list.

The magazine gave this synopsis of its criteria: "Affordable hotel rates, free museums, and plentiful barbecue and beer make these cities a bargain for travelers."

Here's what the magazine has to say about SLC:

"While the Utah city dropped four spots in the survey’s affordability category this year, readers still found it to be family-friendly, peaceful, and pleasantly spic-and-span. Like a lot of reasonably priced cities, Salt Lake offers a discount pass on its tourist board website: Connect Pass easily pays for itself by bundling a long list of free meals and attractions, such as tours of Olympic Park or admission to the Natural History Museum of Utah and the Hogle Zoo."