When followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints trekked westward in 1847 to escape persecution, their leader, Brigham Young, put down his pack on the shores of the Great Salt Lake.
March 24, 2006 (Press Release) --
Intro
When followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints trekked westward in 1847 to escape persecution, their leader, Brigham Young, put down his pack on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. Here, he believed, was a location so remote and unwanted that the members of his faith could finally live in peace. Surveying the barren-looking wasteland, he uttered the now famous words, 'This is the right place.' Then, he began preparing plans for a new Mormon settlement. If you were a downhill skier, an ardent hiker or an avid bird-watcher, you might have agreed with Mr Young. If you had to plant crops and raise a family in this harsh environment, however, you might have had a few second thoughts about the man's sanity. Regardless, Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah and by far the largest metropolis in the state, is now a testimony to the industriousness and vision of these early settlers.
Following its foundation, the population of the city swelled quickly, aided by passing traffic heading to the California goldfields. It remained, however, almost 100% Mormon until 1869, when the transcontinental railway brought in a flood of outsiders. Today Mormons constitute about 40% of the city's population, but they can be proud to have played a major role in building a spacious, pleasant, hassle-free city that is uniquely sandwiched between a briny inland sea and a snowcapped range of 11,000ft (3300m) mountains. It's a great place for Latter-day Saints, as well as skiers, hikers, mountain bikers and just about anyone who enjoys the robustness of outdoor pursuits. With this sporting pedigree, the city was an obvious choice to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Orientation
Salt Lake City sits on the southeastern edge of the Great Salt Lake in northern Utah. It's one of a string of towns forming an urban chain at the western foot of the Wasatch Mountains.
Salt Lake City is laid out in a spacious grid with a common-sense approach to street names that run north-south and east-west in a mixture of numerical, geographical and alphabetical obviousness. The heart of downtown is Temple Square, bounded by Main St and North, West and South Temple Sts. The State Capitol is a couple of blocks to the north. The Jordan River runs just west of downtown and the University of Utah lies just east. The main cluster of lodgings downtown is five blocks south of Temple Square.
Southwest of downtown in Kearns, Oquirrh Park which was the site of the speed skating events of the 2002 Winter Olympics, in the Olympic Oval. The Delta Center - called the Salt Lake Ice Center during the Olympics - was the site of figure skating and short-track speed-skating events. Rice-Eccles Stadium, in the University of Utah campus, held the opening and closing ceremonies. All the Olympic skiing events were held at or near the Park City resorts, 25 miles (40km) southeast of Salt Lake City, with the exception of a few that were held at Ogden.
Salt Lake City International Airport is 6 miles (10km) west of downtown. Amtrak services arrive and depart from the Rio Grande Depot on the western edge of downtown, while the Greyhound terminal is just one block west of Temple Square at 160 W South Temple St.
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
When followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints trekked westward in 1847 to escape persecution, their leader, Brigham Young, put down his pack on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. Here, he believed, was a location so remote and unwanted that the members of his faith could finally live in peace. Surveying the barren-looking wasteland, he uttered the now famous words, 'This is the right place.' Then, he began preparing plans for a new Mormon settlement. If you were a downhill skier, an ardent hiker or an avid bird-watcher, you might have agreed with Mr Young. If you had to plant crops and raise a family in this harsh environment, however, you might have had a few second thoughts about the man's sanity. Regardless, Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah and by far the largest metropolis in the state, is now a testimony to the industriousness and vision of these early settlers.
Following its foundation, the population of the city swelled quickly, aided by passing traffic heading to the California goldfields. It remained, however, almost 100% Mormon until 1869, when the transcontinental railway brought in a flood of outsiders. Today Mormons constitute about 40% of the city's population, but they can be proud to have played a major role in building a spacious, pleasant, hassle-free city that is uniquely sandwiched between a briny inland sea and a snowcapped range of 11,000ft (3300m) mountains. It's a great place for Latter-day Saints, as well as skiers, hikers, mountain bikers and just about anyone who enjoys the robustness of outdoor pursuits. With this sporting pedigree, the city was an obvious choice to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Orientation
Salt Lake City sits on the southeastern edge of the Great Salt Lake in northern Utah. It's one of a string of towns forming an urban chain at the western foot of the Wasatch Mountains.
Salt Lake City is laid out in a spacious grid with a common-sense approach to street names that run north-south and east-west in a mixture of numerical, geographical and alphabetical obviousness. The heart of downtown is Temple Square, bounded by Main St and North, West and South Temple Sts. The State Capitol is a couple of blocks to the north. The Jordan River runs just west of downtown and the University of Utah lies just east. The main cluster of lodgings downtown is five blocks south of Temple Square.
Southwest of downtown in Kearns, Oquirrh Park which was the site of the speed skating events of the 2002 Winter Olympics, in the Olympic Oval. The Delta Center - called the Salt Lake Ice Center during the Olympics - was the site of figure skating and short-track speed-skating events. Rice-Eccles Stadium, in the University of Utah campus, held the opening and closing ceremonies. All the Olympic skiing events were held at or near the Park City resorts, 25 miles (40km) southeast of Salt Lake City, with the exception of a few that were held at Ogden.
Salt Lake City International Airport is 6 miles (10km) west of downtown. Amtrak services arrive and depart from the Rio Grande Depot on the western edge of downtown, while the Greyhound terminal is just one block west of Temple Square at 160 W South Temple St.
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
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