On the move to Utah!
Salt Lake City was founded in 1847 by a group of Mormon pioneers. They immediately started planting crops to insure their survival. When frost, drought and crickets threatened to completely demolish their planted food supply the Mormon's grew thankful for the seagulls, which ate the crickets and allowed for enough food to be saved that they settlers made it through the winter. The seagull is now the state bird. Keep your eyes peeled on the drive in your Salt Lake City rental car and you just might spot this revered bird.
Rice-Eccles Stadium
As far as stadiums with a view go, it doesn't get much better than this! Any of the 45,017 seats will allow attendees a look at Salt Lake Valley and the surrounding mountains. In 2002, this was the site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games. As well as hosting musical guests like U2 and The Rolling Stones, this stadium is home of the University of Utah Utes football team. Fans regularly pack the stands to over capacity. Get there early, up to 1.5 hours, to be sure you are not one of the Ute fans left standing outside!
Family Search Center
Whether you are an old pro or are looking to delve in for the first time this free resource for genealogy is a great place to get started on tracing your family lineage! Salt Lake City claims to be the Genealogy Capitol of the World, and with resources like this is just might be! Pull up a chair here and take a free course to learn research skills for using genealogy records and websites - 180 computers are allotted for your research needs and volunteer staff are at hand to help explain the available resources. If you're a little further along in the process of tracking your lineage head to the nearby Family History Library, the largest library of its kind in the world. Records of over 110 countries and classes are available for groups and individuals looking to know if their distant relatives came from castles in Whales or caves in Sweden. Maybe you're really royalty and just don't know it yet!
Lofty Peaks Adventures
If you're looking for some adrenaline-inducing fun rent an All Terrain Vehicle or snowmobile and explore the forests and mountains around Salt Lake City. If you're looking for something with more structure and less navigation take a guided tour and learn about the area while earning that wind-in-your-hair feeling. Goggles and helmets are provided and anyone driving must be over age 16. Some tours even offer lunch. After all, you'll work up quite the appetite!