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Utah Travel Headlines

Friday, October 31, 2008

Miller Motorsports Park Announces 2009 Racing Schedule

Miller Motorsports Park's 2009 racing schedule is given below, with the information coming from a park news release. Tickets are now on sale for major events and can be purchased on the park's website.

TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH (October 29, 2008) – With the 2008 racing season fading in the rear-view mirror, Miller Motorsports Park is gearing up for its fourth season of operation in 2009 with another action-packed calendar of events.

The 2009 schedule of major (bold face) and minor events, which is largely unchanged except for a couple of new events and some tweaks to existing events, is as follows:

Dates/Events

May 15-17
Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix
Presented by The Grand and Little America Hotels
Feature Race: American Le Mans Series
Support Races: Atlantic Championship, Formula BMW, Star Mazda, IMSA Challenge, IMSA Lites

May 22-24
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing

May 29-31
HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship®
Support Races: FIM Supersport World Championship®,
Summit of Speed AMA Superbike Championship

July 31 - August 1
NASCAR Camping World Series West

August 8-9
Great Salt Race
SCCA Utah Region Double National

September 4-6
Cycle Fest
Bonneville Vintage GP (AHRMA)
Pro-Am Supermoto

September 10-13
National Auto Sports Association (NASA)
National Championships

September 18-20
Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
Support Races: KONI Challenge Series, Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup, SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Championship

September 25-27
Porsche Club of America

Miller Motorsports Park’s popular locally-based series – the Miller Park Racing Association, the Masters of the Mountains Series, the Utah Supermoto Championship Series and the two karting series, the Icebreaker Kart Championship Series and the Utah Kart Championship Series – will also be back with a full slate of events in 2009.

Season tickets for the 2009 season at Miller Motorsports Park are now on sale, priced at only $295, and special three-day packages for the HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship and membership packages for the Miller Motorsports Park Club House are also available.

For more information on Miller Motorsports Park, call the track at (435) 277-RACE (7223) or visit the website at www.millermotorsportspark.com.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Photographic Journey through Native America

Faces from the Land: A Photographic Journey through Native America, is a traveling exhibition by Ben and Linda Marra that documents the proud spirit and identity of American Indian powwow dancers throughout the United States and Canada.

This extraordinary exhibition features forty of Ben Marra's large color portraits of powwow dancers. The photographs are accompanied by personal narratives written by the subjects (compiled by Linda Marra), describing the tribal significance of their regalia and dances. These striking images, paired with the text, vividly detail the magic of the powwow - a thrilling juxtaposition of ancient tradition and modern culture.

A 20-year retrospective of the Marras' work titled Faces from the Land: Twenty Years of Powwow Tradition will be published in March 2009.

See the exhibit at Salt Lake City's main public library.

Phone: (801) 524-8200

Event Hours: M-Th 9 am-9 pm, F-Sa 9 am-6 pm, Su 1-5 pm

Admission: Free

Location: The Gallery at Library Square

Address: 210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City

Monday, October 27, 2008

Where One Ski Resort Just Isn't Enough

The Independent, UK, has this new article about Utah ski resorts, focusing on the possibility of skiing multiple resorts, with many terrain options, in one ski trip. Excerpts are provided below.

For those used to skiing just one resort a season, the town of Park City is a dream come true: five years' worth of skiing holidays all within 40 minutes' drive of your condominium. And you can even choose the terrain of your preferred discipline: two of the resorts – Deer Valley and Alta – are unashamedly for skiers only.

This (Deer Valley) is one of the best places to learn to ski. Its owners liken it to a fine hotel (with all the pampering you'd expect) and group lessons are limited to just four people, so you get plenty of attention from your instructor. It certainly worked for me; by teatime I was happily snow-ploughing down my first green runs, with big plans to tackle a blue later in the week.

Finally, I visited Park City – my fifth resort in as many days – to top off the week by dropping into the steep bowl off the side of the Silverlode chair. My confidence was riding high, but I only managed a few cocky turns before hurtling head first towards an awkwardly placed tree. Fortunately, my pants acted as a rather effective brake, ensuring that I avoided the need for painkillers by a matter of inches. Good thing there was no one around to watch.

Read the entire article.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Park City Snowshoe, Dine, Ski...

The Park City area offers more than just great downhill skiing. Sir Harold Evans wrote this interesting article for Conde Nast Traveler. He describes snowshoeing to a remote yurt for a gourmet dinner before buckling on the skies.

Here are excerpts.

The yurt is limited to 32 at tables for 6 and 8. All the water and food has to be hauled in during the day by snowmobile, but it seems only natural that there is a baby grand and a pianist. Accustomed to magic by now, one takes it for granted that the meal prepared on the spot by chef Adam Findlay is original, quite first-class, and gracefully served...

There is another service on offer, going back, they say, to the 1800s. It is called ski-dating, which means a man and his fancy head into the snow strapped to the same pair of Nordic skis by fore and aft bindings. If a couple take a tumble in the snow, it is hard to disentangle and get up again, which may be a tactical advantage...

Having taken up the sport (skiing) in midlife, I had then co-written a best-selling instructional book about skiing and co-produced six ski films for television, employing the stuntman from the James Bond movies; as the years rolled by, it is entirely possible I muddled up our roles. I should have kept my mouth shut. After a couple of ski weekends with their schools, my children nagged me to lead them to speed down exciting mountains, and my reluctance mounted, not out of modesty but out of shame. Once I entered my seventies, I discovered on a solo trip to Aspen that I was not quite the limber, youthful daredevil of my stories...

I nursed one comforting bit of knowledge—that the snow in this part of the West is the alchemy of dream. Having lost much of the heavy moisture farther west, and been dried out by the deserts of Nevada and western Utah, weather systems produce snowfalls, at higher elevations, made up of stellar dendrites, light crystalline snowflakes. There is a world of difference between floating downhill in this kind of powder and fighting your way through treacherous—and humbling—surfaces of crud, porridge, or slush...

Read the entire article.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Utah Praised For Economic Strength, Lifestyle

Economist.com (a UK publication) has this interesting article under this subhead: Why Utah’s economy is soaring above its neighbours. Below are excerpts.

NOBODY knows quite how the contagion that broke out in Wall Street will affect the rest of America, nor how deep or how long the likely recession will be. What is certain is that some places will suffer more than others. So far Utah, a state best-known for Mormonism and pretty rocks, is looking unusually healthy. “We’ve got a lot to be proud of,” says Jon Huntsman, the governor. “Certainly more than many of our neighbours.”

Indeed, Utah has more to be proud of than any other state in the West. In September its unemployment rate was just 3.5%—less than half of California’s and the second-lowest rate in the region after oil- and gas-rich Wyoming. Last month the Milken Institute declared
Provo, a sprawling settlement south of Salt Lake City, America’s best-performing city for technology output and job and wage growth. Salt Lake City itself came third.

Hardly a month goes by without Utah announcing a corporate relocation or a new factory. The state has experienced a minor semiconductor boom in part because of its cheap, coal-fired power.
Ogden, until recently a decaying railway town north of Salt Lake City, has quietly become the world centre of winter sports equipment. Mike Dowse, who oversees brands such as Atomic and Salomon for Amer Sports, gives three reasons: “the mountains, the mayor and the money”.

Read the complete article.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

LA Times Describes Utah's Best Dinosaur Sites

The LA Times has this interesting article, under this headline: In Utah, a treasure-trove of dinosaurs awaits

It was published on Oct 15, 2008, just before this story about a recently discovered "dinosaur dance floor" hit the news.

Writer Hugo Martín describes Utah's best dinosaur sites. Below are excerpts.

With plans to see Utah's best dinosaur exhibits, I consulted several of its top paleontologists on the best way to make a four-day road trip across the Beehive State.

Dinosaur experts, almost giddy with excitement, told me now is the best time to visit, during an era of astounding discoveries. Thanks to improved research technology and an exploding interest in the field, paleontologists are digging up new dinosaur species around the world at a rate of 10 to 20 each year.

Utah's quarries have been at the forefront of this trend, producing such discoveries as a strange duck-billed herbivore, a new horned quadruped, plus evidence that some dinosaurs tried to fish.

So in early September, I drove the length and breadth of Utah -- 978 miles -- past red bluffs, towering hoodoos and multicolored mesas. Here are my favorite stops.

ST. GEORGE DINOSAUR DISCOVERY CENTER AT JOHNSON FARM

Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail and Copper Ridge Dinosaur Trackway (Maob)

Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry (Price)

Utah Field House of Natural History (Vernal)

BYU Earth Science Museum (Provo)

North American Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point (Lehi)

(Note: Dinosaur National Monument, near Vernal, would almost certainly have made Martin's list, had the quarry there been open. The quarry building has been declared unsafe and needs to be rebuilt. A date for the construction and reopening has yet to be announced.)

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

'Dinosaur Dance Floor' Discovered Along Utah/Arizona Border

The University of Utah has released information about a new dinosaur track site in the Coyote Buttes North area of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, located along the Utah/Arizona Border.

Below are excerpts. Read the complete report.

...The "trample surface" (or "trampled surface") has more than 1,000 and perhaps thousands of dinosaur tracks, averaging a dozen per square yard in places. The tracks once were thought to be potholes formed by erosion. The site is so dense with dinosaur tracks that it reminds geologists of a popular arcade game in which participants dance on illuminated, moving footprints."Get out there and try stepping in their footsteps, and you feel like you are playing the game ‘Dance Dance Revolution' that teenagers dance on," says Marjorie Chan, professor and chair of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah. "This kind of reminded me of that - a dinosaur dance floor - because there are so many tracks and a variety of different tracks."

(Winston) Seiler says the range of track shapes and sizes reveals at least four dinosaur species gathered at the watering hole, with the animals ranging from adults to youngsters."The different size tracks [1 inch to 20 inches long] may tell us that we are seeing mothers walking around with babies," he says.

The site - a 6-mile roundtrip hike from the nearest road - is in Arizona in the Coyote Buttes North area of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, which is part of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. The track site - about halfway between Kanab, Utah, and Page, Ariz. - is near a popular wind-sculpted sandstone attraction known as The Wave.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Exploring Lake Powell's Remote San Juan Arm

Lake Powell is perfect right now - ideal for boating, skiing, fishing and exploring.

I know because I just returned from a long weekend on the lake. My group explored the lower part Lake Powell's San Juan arm and had a great trip. I wish I could have stayed longer.

The weather was delightful, warm but not hot. The water was cool but not cold. People were skiing and wakeboarding and playing in the water.

These nice conditions should hold for at least another week. A small storm front is expected to push through tonight but not cause much commotion. Air temperatures will be cool Wednesday - you may want a jacket - but the area should warm up again for the weekend.

We launched at Bullfrog and headed directly downlake to the mouth of the San Juan - about 40 miles away. We set up camp on a sandy beach in Wilson Creek Canyon and fished and explored the lake in that area.

Smallmouth bass fishing was superb. All of the coves in Wilson Creek held fish. We caught so many we lost count. Most were small but a few were very nice as smallmouth go.

We hoped to stumble upon a striper "boil," but that didn't happen. Stripers are fierce predators that prey on small shad. During late summer and fall, groups of stripers surround and press a school the tiny shad, pinning them against canyon walls and against the water's surface. Shad literally leap from the water, stripers in hot pursuit, making the water appear to boil.

When you find a boil, you boat to within casting distance and then work shad-imitating lures through the feeding fish. Stripers often attack your lures, smacking it until you hook one. It can be fast, exciting fishing.

The San Juan arm is the most remote part of the lake. By boat, the mouth of the San Juan is about 40 miles from Bullfrog and about 57 miles from Wahweap. The San Juan arm itself runs for about 50 miles and there are no services or fuel stops anywhere along the way or at its end.

The nearest gas is at Dangling Rope Marina, located about 15 miles downlake from the mouth of the San Juan, as you head toward Wahweap.

I explored the canyons into the Neskahi area before deciding I had to turn back or risk running out of gas. Altogether, I boated about 120 miles on about 28 gallons of gas. I still had 5 gallons in reserved for emergencies.

The weather was calm throughout our trip. The water was glassy, even during the middle of the afternoon when it often becomes choppy. Had I faced a headwind, I may have needed that 5 gallon reserve and then some.

There were almost no other boats on the San Juan arm. There were a couple houseboats just inside the San Juan, and another group camped on a beach about 5 miles from where we were in Wilson Creek. When the sun went down we sat by a campfire and marveled at the quietude. Miles from the nearest humans, there was not a sight or sound to disrupt the solitude.

The entire length of Lake Powell is scenic and the San Juan arm is no exception. I think the area around Piute Canyon is particular beautiful. The lake there is rimmed by sheer rust-colored cliffs with mounds and pinnacles adding variety. It has all of the classic features I associate with Lake Powell.

During morning and evening hours, when the sun's light takes on a golden gleam, the scenery was astounding.

Why go to the trouble to explore the San Juan arm? Here are some of my reasons:
- Because it is beautiful.
- Because it offers some of the best fishing on the lake.
- Because the solitude is amazing.
- And because few people can say they have been there.

I explored the upper San Juan arm several years ago, launching a small, cartop boat at Piute Farms. Now I can honestly say I'm explored every part of the big lake.

Maybe I'm bragging, but it's a good feeling.

- Dave Webb

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Ski Utah, Even on a Budget

TheStreet.com has this interesting article about Utah ski resorts, and how to ski them even if you are on a budget. Below are excerpts.

Why Utah? The best reason to go is the snow. The ski resorts closest to Salt Lake City average 430 inches per year -- many received 700 last year (58 feet!) -- and it's almost always light, fluffy powder. Colorado, the Sierra Nevadas and even the Pacific Northwest get plenty of powder, too, but Utah's dry climate and the effect of Great Salt Lake means exceptionally dry snowflakes, containing as little as 4% water. The result? Ice, a staple for East Coast and Midwestern snow riders, is virtually nonexistent. And in February, the sun shines about 60% of days.

Access and variety also separate Utah from the rest of the country. Seven ski areas lie within 38 miles of Salt Lake City International Airport, a major hub with 800 nonstop arrivals every day. There's also the Utah Transit Authority, or UTA, a public transit system that can get you from the airport, downtown or just about anywhere else in the metro area to the lodge quickly and cheaply.

Park City, one of the truly great ski towns, offers glamour, world-class shopping and après ski activities, plus the Sundance Film Festival (Jan. 15-25, 2009, this winter, when lodging rates skyrocket). Lodging tends to be expensive, and the resorts are generally costly, with daily, midwinter lift ticket prices in the $79-to-$83 range. On-mountain and downtown dining and services also tend to be pricey.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Springdale, Park City List With America's Prettiest Towns

Forbes Traveler magazine has released a list of America's 20 prettiest towns, as selected by travel writers and affiliated professionals. You can see the full story here. Below are excerpts.

Springdale was a sleepy Mormon farm town until 1909, when President Taft designated the area Mukuntuweap National Monument (later changed to Zion National Park) and tourists started flocking to its brilliant sandstone canyons. Fifty years later, Springdale incorporated as a municipality, but its pioneer roots are still evident. "'Gateway' towns adjoining national parks can often be eyesores," says Rough Guide USA author Ward, "but Springdale is a true delight, arrayed along the Virgin River beneath the full splendor of Zion Canyon's red rocks."

Situated in the center of Utah's Wasatch Mountains, Park City's peaks keep their snowcaps long into the warm months. Dunn remembers that while on her first trip here during a March ski trip, "the whole town looked like a candy village, thanks to all the Victorian buildings. It seemed like it was on some crazy high from the sun, the snow and the altitude."

Flagstaff, AZ and Bodie CA are also on the list, which mostly includes picturesque old New England communities.

The Desert News has this story on the selections. Here are excerpts.

Springdale town manager Rick Wixom was "tickled and very pleased" to learn of his town's placement on the list of delightful locales.

"It was a total shock to us. We're pretty excited, though. It's nice to be recognized," Wixom said. "We have a lot of very concerned citizens who care how the town looks and feels."

Park City Mayor Dana Williams said the town's "prettiness" has more to do with what it hasn't built than what it has.

Dozens of brightly colored residences in "Old Town" are restored historic homes, he said.

"While (the town) has morphed over time, there has been a very strong preservation mentality," he said. "We're not doing it to be like Disneyland."

The "drop-dead gorgeous" town has also benefited from protecting 7,000 acres of open space and keeping development at the base of snow-capped peaks, Williams said.

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Monday, October 13, 2008

Utah Ski Resorts Are Best, Says Outside Magazine

Utah ski resorts score well in a new ranking by Outside Magazine.

Alta and Snowbird are the top ski resorts in North America, according to the popular magazine. Alta and Snowbird are adjacent to each other and have a cooperative lift pass system, and so they are often considered one resort in media comparisons.

Yahoo News has this report about the rankings. Below are exerpts.
"The magazine ranked the 15 best ski-and-snowboard destinations in North America based on snow quality and terrain."
"Utah topped the list with Alta and Snowbird in first place, followed by Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada, and Vail, Colo."

Snowbasin comes in at number 5.

Solitude is number 13.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Annual Suzuki 24 Hours of Moab Mountain Bike Race

One of Moab's biggest events of the year takes place this weekend and so the are will be crowded.

The annual Suzuki 24 Hours of Moab Mountain Bike Race begins Saturday and continues Sunday. It is a relay-style race held in the Behind the Rocks area.

The event is very popular and so participants registered months ago. There will be a festive atmosphere around town - plenty of related activities, food, music and entertainment. It's always a fun time to visit the area.
This year's race will be webcast on the event's website. See that action here.

After the race, Moab will start to settle into a slower, fall pace. There are still several interesting events on the calendar but they don't usually attract as many people. If you like peace and quite, you'll be able to find it in the Moab area after this weekend.

Below we list some upcoming Moab events.

The Other Half - Oct 19
The Other Half is a 13.1 mile running event that begins at Dewey Bridge on Highway 128 and winds through some of the most stunning scenery in the country to its finish at the Sorrel River Ranch. For more information call 435-259-4525 or visit www.moabhalfmarathon.org.

Moab Fall Photo Adventure - Oct 23-26
Three and half days of field and classroom instruction during the beautiful Moab fall color season. Includes digital darkroom instruction provided by an Adobe Certified Expert on Lightroom and Photoshop. Please visit www.bretedge.com for more information.

Annual Jeep Jamboree Moab - Oct 24-26
A family-oriented four-wheel-drive adventure catering to every level of expertise - from novice to veteran. Jeep Jamborees are strictly for Jeep 4x4s. For more information visit www.jeepjamboreeusa.com. (Note: This small event is not associated with the giant Moab Easter Jeep Safari in March.)

Annual Moab Folk Music Festival - Nov 6-9
An exciting gathering of accomplished artists from the national, regional and local contemporary folk music community. The Moab Folk Music Festival brings some of the finest singer/songwriter musicians in the country. For additional information visit www.moabfolkfestival.com or call 435-260-2488.

See our entertainment database for more Moab-area activities.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Utah Museum of Natural History: Bugs, Bats and Bones

The Utah Museum of Natural History has more than a million objects in its collections, but only about one percent can be displayed at any given time.

On Saturday, Oct 11, the museum will open the basement so people can see some of the items not on display. This popular annual event runs from 9:30 am to 5 pm.

There will also be other special activities, including hands-on learning centers for children.

The museum is located on the University of Utah campus, 1390 E Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Tentative Opening Dates for Ski Resorts

Considerable snow fell on mountain peaks in northern Utah last week, and more is expected later this week. It is still early - it may all melt - but it won't be long before snow starts to accumulate around our ski areas.

The ski season is rapidly approaching.

Below we list tentative opening dates for Utah ski resorts. These dates are conservative, anticipating a "normal" snow year. Snow has been better than normal the past few years, and probably will be again this year. Long-term forecasts call for our weather to be cooler and wetter than normal during late fall and early winter.

So, I dare predict some Utah resorts will open for skiing in mid-November.

Nevertheless, here are tentative opening days as provided by http://www.skiutah.com/.

Alta - Nov 21
Beaver Mtn - Tba
Brian Head - Nov 22
Brighton - Tba
The Canyons - Nov 27
Deer Valley - Dec 6
Park City Mtn - Nov 22
Powder Mtn - Nov 22
Snowbasin - Nov 27
Snowbird - Nov 22
Solitude - Nov 14
Sundance - Dec 5
Wolf Mtn - Tba

Monday, October 06, 2008

Antelope Island Bison Roundup

The public is invited to watch the annual bison roundup on Antelope Island, Oct 22-24, 8 am to 5 pm.

This information is from Utah State Parks: Antelope Island State Park is home to one of the largest and oldest publicly owned bison herds in the United States. Watch horseback riders push the bison herd forward during our annual Bison Roundup. Park staff will be on hand for questions during the Push. Best viewing of the Push is usually along the east side road heading toward the Garr Ranch. The Push will end when all of the animals are in the pasture. For more information, please contact (801) 773-2941.

The Salt Lake Tribune has this article on the roundup. Below are excerpts.

Visitors may view the riders and bison from the east-side road leading to the Fielding Garr Ranch. A complete and sweeping view of the action is available from a safe distance. Visitors are encouraged to bring binoculars for a closer view.

If necessary, helicopters will be used on Saturday, Oct. 25, to gather any stragglers and complete the roundup. The public may view the helicopter push from the east-side road and from Buffalo Point.

From Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, visitors may watch as bison are weighed, blood-tested, inoculated and scanned between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. All bison have a microchip implanted behind the ear, which serves as permanent identification and stores the animal's health history.

Friday, October 03, 2008

LDS Conference Brings Crowds To Downtown Salt Lake City

Large crowds are expected in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday and Sunday, as the LDS (Mormon) Church holds its Semi-Annual General Conference.

Public transportation services will operate at extra capacity to help shuttle people into and out of the city. Still, parking will be difficult to find and traffic will be heavy both days.

Meetings begin at 10 am and 2 pm both days. In addition, a session is scheduled for 6 pm Saturday night. Meetings are held in the Conference Center directly north of Temple Square. Most sessions can be heard live outside on the grounds at Temple Square.

Visitors are welcome to attend most sessions. Admittance to the Conference Center is by free ticket. Demand is heavy and tickets are usually gone weeks before the conference begins.

The Utah Transit Authority provides this information about public transportation

To accommodate the crowds heading downtown, UTA will operate additional TRAX vehicles service to increase capacity Thursday evening, Saturday and Sunday. FrontRunner Commuter Rail will NOT be in service on Sunday, October 5.

Saturday, October 4:
Both TRAX and FrontRunner will operate on its regular Saturday schedule with this additional service:

TRAX Light Rail: Extra northbound departures from Sandy at 8:16 a.m., 8:31 a.m., 8:46 a.m., 9:01 a.m., 11:46 a.m., 12:01 p.m., 12:46 p.m., 1:01 p.m., 3:46 p.m., 4:01 p.m., 4:46 p.m., and 5:01 p.m. Also, there will be at least two extra trains from the City Center station to Sandy following each session.

FrontRunner Commuter Rail: Extra southbound departures from Ogden on Saturday 7:53 a.m., 11:53 a.m., and 3:53 p.m.

Extra trains departing northbound from Salt Lake at 12:55 p.m., 4:44 p.m., and 8:55 p.m.

Sunday, October 5:
TRAX Light Rail:Extra northbound departures from Sandy at 7:34 a.m., 7:54 a.m., 8:14 a.m., 8:34 a.m., 12:14 p.m., 12:34 p.m., and 12:54 p.m. Also, there will be at least two extra trains from the City Center station to Sandy following each session.

FrontRunner Commuter Rail: There will be no service Sunday, Oct. 5.

TRAX service will run every 15 minutes, as scheduled, throughout the day on Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sunday. The City Center and Temple Square stations provide the closest access to the LDS Conference Center.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

St George Is Top US 'Emerging Travel Hotspot'

St George tops the list of emerging travel hotspots for 2009, according to TripAdvisor's annual travel trends survey of more than 3,000 US travelers.

Here is a report on the survey. Below are excerpts.

The primary trends identified are that travelers appear to be going lean and green by visiting national parks, hiking, and engaging in adventure activities.

TripAdvisor also unveiled its TravelCast list of emerging hotspots for 2009, and atop the list is Budoni, in Sardinia, Italy. The top emerging hotspot in the U.S. is St. George, Utah.

73% of U.S. respondents said they plan to visit a national park in 2009, up from 62% one year ago.

53% will go hiking in the coming year, up from 50% last year.

47% of those surveyed plan to engage in an adventure activity, an increase from 40% in 2008.

33% of travelers will go cycling and biking, up from 28%, and 11% of travelers are likely to participate in an extreme sports activity, compared to eight percent one year ago.
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