Overview
Introduction
Kutahya, Turkey, like Iznik, is a town famous for its painted tiles, examples of which can be seen all around you.
Kutahya is 220 mi/355 km southeast of Istanbul and a pleasant place to pass a day. It has few foreign visitors, but there's a lively bazaar and several museums, including one full of tiles.
It is also a good base for a day trip to the nearby Roman ruins of Aizanoi in the village of Cavdarhisar. The ruins of the Temple of Zeus are most conspicuous, but be sure to look for the remains of a circular market building with Roman prices inscribed on the walls.
Overview
Introduction
There are many places in Utah that can seem as much like another world as another state. From massive rock arches to oddly shaped pillars to sheer river gorges, it's a land that has been bent by weather and time into strange, fantastic shapes.
Accordingly, many visitors to Utah will do anything—hike, bicycle, paddle, rock climb, ski or snowboard—to experience the natural wildness the state has to offer. If these kinds of adventurous activities are for you, you'll find Utah one of the premier destinations in the U.S.
There also are plenty of less arduous ways to get the lay of the land. The many national parks have well-maintained roads and moderate hiking trails that will let you take in the natural splendor without breaking much of a sweat. Or you could gaze at the red-rock canyons from the comfort of a houseboat on Lake Powell. Whatever method you choose, plan on being outside: This is a place where the most significant sights are made of sky and stone, built by wind and water rather than humans.
Geography
Much of Utah's appeal comes from its geologic and geographic wonders. The Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateau lie in the eastern and southern parts of the state, with the Colorado and Green rivers and the San Rafael Swell (an immense uplift of stone) adding to the rugged appearance of the area. To the north lies the Basin and Range region, which includes the Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake.
History
Humans, in fact, didn't arrive in the area until about 15,000 years ago (the equivalent of about 10 minutes in the life of a rock). Between AD 500 and AD 1200, Utah was inhabited by two principal groups, the Fremont (in the central part of the state) and the Anasazi (whose territory covered the Four Corners area of present-day Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado). After both peoples came to somewhat mysterious ends, the nomadic Ute, Shoshone and Paiute occupied most of the Great Basin desert, which includes a large region of Utah. Extraordinarily adaptable to the harsh environment, they were hunters and gatherers who depended primarily on the seasonal harvests of wild plants, supplementing their diet with hunting, fishing and trapping. The Navajo also moved into what would become the southeastern part of the state.
Franciscan missionaries arrived in 1776. The area wasn't truly settled by those of European descent, however, until Brigham Young led the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as Mormons) to the Salt Lake Valley. Seeking a haven from the often violent religious intolerance they had experienced in the East, these pioneers established Salt Lake City in July 1847. Settlements spread throughout the region, which was soon christened the Territory of Deseret.
The isolation the pioneers sought was short-lived. The U.S. acquired the region from Mexico in 1848, and the Territory of Utah was created in 1850. The completion of the transcontinental railroad (the final golden spike was driven at Utah's Promontory Summit in May 1869) brought many new settlers to Utah. Even though Utah petitioned to join the Union five times, it was only in 1896, after polygamy was banned, that the territory was admitted.
In the past century, Utah's natural beauty has led to the establishment of national parks, monuments and recreation areas. As a result, tourism has become a driving economic force in the state.
Snapshot
Utah's main attractions include world-class skiing, spectacular desert and mountain scenery, mountain biking, river rafting, Salt Lake City, Mormon history, hiking, the Great Salt Lake, Monument Valley, dinosaur fossils, Lake Powell and many national parks—including Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches and Zion.
Utah will especially appeal to those travelers who enjoy the outdoors. Snow sports, fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, mountain biking, rock climbing, golf and scenic driving are popular pastimes. Travelers seeking the diverse pleasures of a major city or lively nightlife may find the state less to their liking. Though Salt Lake City is by no means a dull or small town, it's more sedate than many cities of its size.
Potpourri
You may have seen arches and spires, but until you visit Goblin Valley State Park, you probably haven't seen rock formations that resemble trolls.
Vernal has a bank built of bricks delivered one by one via parcel post—the postal rate was cheaper than the railroad freight charges.
True to its name, the geological formations at Kodachrome Basin State Park near Cannonville are brightly colored. Be sure to take along a camera.
Hardy travelers with lots of time might want to follow the Old Pony Express Trail, which goes between Salt Lake City and the Nevada border. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is essential.
In 1993, antelopes were returned to Antelope Island State Park in the Great Salt Lake. About 30 pronghorn antelope, which last inhabited the island in 1933, were resettled there. Later, they were joined by elk and bison. The island also has 16 mi/26 km of trails for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders.
The sport of white-water river running began in Utah.
Nearly 80% of Utah's land is controlled by the government for public use. The Bureau of Land Management and the National Forest Service have extensive holdings and oversee recreation areas, trails, scenic drives, campsites and more.
The Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base between Ogden and Roy has an SR-71 Blackbird plane, the fastest ever built.
The town of Beaver has a historical park honoring its most famous native: Philo T. Farnsworth, the father of television.
In 1879, a group of 250 Mormons set out to found a new settlement in southeastern Utah, a trip they expected to last six weeks. Six months later, they ended their wandering after an arduous journey that forced them to carve a road down a near-vertical cliff. The place of their descent is Hole-in-the-Rock on Lake Powell, and part of their route can be followed on the Hole-in-the-Rock Road through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
