Founded by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who chose to follow Brigham Young after the murder of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the movement, Salt Lake City came into being when Young stopped the caravan of Saints at the mouth of the Valley and declared “This is the place.”

The days when it was difficult to find alcoholic beverages in Salt Lake City are long gone. Currently, there are more than 118 bars and other facilities that serve wine and various types of spirits. Most of those restaurants, clubs, and bars serve a range of options that can be found in many other parts of the country. This is in contrast to the days when it was necessary to purchase a 3.2 beer that you could only consume in your home or hotel room.

As in times past, visitors to Salt Lake City are likely to be asked two questions: “Are you LDS?” and “Do you ski?” Being able to answer in the affirmative to either one is likely to win friends quickly. Salt Lake City is considered to be one of the most accommodating and accessible ski destinations within the United States. It’s also been named one of the most accessible ski destinations in the world.

If you’re looking for snow, there’s plenty to be found in and around the Salt Lake Valley. In fact, four of the closest mountains to Salt Lake City receive most of the snow that falls on the state. For those who make the 25-mile trek to Alta, be prepared to see the results of 560 inches of snowfall that occurs there during a typical year. That constitutes the greatest amount of snowfall anywhere in Utah.

Not in the mood for these four mountains? That’s okay. There are plenty of other mountains where you’ll find space for camping, fishing, and various types of snow-based activities. The County as well as the State provide resources designed to help residents and visitors be aware of areas to avoid due to heavy snowfall or other weather-based events that may make certain areas unsafe for a time.

Many people are surprised to learn that Salt Lake City is home to one of the largest LGBTQ+ communities within the United States. In fact, the city made it to the top of the Advocate’s list of the gayest cities in the USA for the year 2012. While it dropped to the #6 slot the following year, the city still has plenty to offer in this regard.

Salt Lake City’s location in the Intermountain West doesn’t mean you can’t get great seafood. One of the culinary delights that residents and visitors alike can enjoy is sushi. Don’t be overly concerned when you see it on the menu; sushi is flown fresh into the city daily.

While beer, wine, and spirits are easy to find in Salt Lake City these days, consumption is still somewhat lower than found in other parts of the country. In fact, Utah is known as having the lowest consumption of beer of any state within the nation. Even so, you won’t have any problem finding breweries around the Valley.

Many people are surprised to learn that Salt Lake City is home to a large refugee population. Efforts by the International Rescue Committee and other advocacy groups help hundreds make homes in the Valley and become active and self-sufficient citizens.

Music and entertainment is more diverse in Salt Lake City than most would imagine. Long considered a bastion in the Intermountain West for those interested in classical music as as well as different forms of jazz, the range of clubs and other outlets offering everything from rap and hiphop to classic rock and country & western music may come as a surprise.

Some may tell you that the snow around Salt Lake City is a little different. They’re not wrong. It’s true that the powder tends to be drier than in some other areas. Why’s that? The storms that sweep over Utah, including the Valley, develop over the Pacific Ocean and then move inland. During the journey to Utah, those storms tend to lose some of the moisture as they go.