According to MMGY Global, between 2015 and 2016 the percentage of Americans going road tripping nearly doubled. From 22% to 39%. Domestic vacations have increased by 14 million, with Americans now spending $5 billion on leisure travel. Overseas vacations have declined. Speaking to farmers market vendors, I learned they cancelled their European vacation plans due to their … [Read more...]
Helper, Utah: a Diverse and Artistic Community
In 1881, the historic town of Helper, Utah, was born as a result of the arrival of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. The town got its name from the fleet of ‘helper’ engines that were stationed at the mouth of Price Canyon, ready and waiting to assist the trains on their way to Soldier Summit. With the steep grade of the canyon, the steam engines were unable to climb t … [Read more...]
Moab’s Moonflower Community Cooperative
Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, has come a long way from the years it spent in a building made of old ammo boxes in the early 80’s. Back then it was called Life Stream, but was referred to locally as “The health food store.” The store and co-op originally opened in 1975 and was organized by longtime resident Conrad Sorensen. For years it was run on a volunteer workf … [Read more...]
Sweetwater Kitchen Blossoms With Farm-To Table Dining in Boulder, Utah
It’s tough to find good food when road-tripping small towns in Utah. This isn’t the case in the UK or France, where small towns can offer better food than big cities, because everything is farm fresh and better attention is paid to detail. But in Utah, despite all the farms, just about every town has a local greasy-spoon joint, with copious piles of hash browns, eggs, sau … [Read more...]
Museum Display Documents Life on Utah’s Rails
When you think of miners and railroaders, you don’t typically think of artists or historians. But a trip to the Western Mining and Railroad Museum in Helper, Utah, will change that. Last year, the museum added a large gallery of photos that document life on Utah’s rails from the late 1800s to the 1940s. The photos were made by miners and rail workers. As such, they offer an ins … [Read more...]
Moab’s Back of Beyond Books Proves that Indie Book Sellers Can Still Make It
“There are two ways to die in the desert,” says Andy Nettell; “thirst and drowning.” He is repeating one of his recent summaries of a favorite book called The Secret Life of Water, by Craig Childs. Nettell is without a doubt a book lover and enthusiast, and his joy of books is contagious. Books are losing ground to electronic media, and independent bookstores are falling by t … [Read more...]
Enjoy Life. Eat Pie. The Sunglow Cafe—a Small-Town Diner Serves up a Twist on Homemade Tradition
Amble into the Sunglow Café in Bicknell (pop. 322), and you’ll think you’ve walked onto a movie set and into a world both familiar, but different. Mustard colored walls echo the sandstone outside. Large, teal painted arrows on the walls are reminiscent of ancient Native American symbols seeming to guide you on the path to wisdom. Inside this modern day Kiva a few miles ou … [Read more...]
Bluff, Utah benefits from U of U Architectural Design Program
Few professions in the construction industry practice as many different skills as architects. In addition to exercising creativity they must also understand engineering, building codes, properties of different building materials, and perhaps most importantly, listen closely to their clients to parse out exactly what is being asked for. For the past 12 years, the Design … [Read more...]
Blacksmith of Eden Ragnar Forge
Aaron Richardson makes his living as a blacksmith in Eden, Utah. Says Aaron, “I’ve been a blacksmith for about 15 years. I actually got started when I was 14 and my family visited a blacksmith shop. He was making knives and playing with fire. I thought it was a cool and started working with him.” The blacksmith’s name was Brent Elder, and he practiced his craft in Salt Lake City … [Read more...]
Happy Endings Filmed In Utah
From 2001: A Space Odyssey to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Utah’s scenery and locales figure prominently in hundreds of movies. According to Marshall Moore, director of the Utah Film Commission, the comment he hears most is, “Really?” when telling someone that a familiar film is wholly or partly filmed in Utah. The diverse landscapes and panoramas stand in for the old w … [Read more...]