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  • Once a paradise for native hunter gatherers,

  • then a safe haven for pioneers seeking religious freedom,

  • today Salt Lake City is a sparkling metropolis,

  • offering some of the wildest outdoor adventures in the USA.

  • Salt Lake City is just a four-hour flight from New York

  • and a 2-hour flight from L.A.

  • Cradled in a basin beneath the Wasatch Mountains,

  • Utah's capital is just a stone's throw

  • from the shining shores of Great Salt Lake.

  • Beneath its gleaming skyline,

  • Salt Lake City is one of America's great pioneering stories.

  • And there's no better place to turn back the pages,

  • than at the Church History Museum.

  • When Mormon founder, Joseph Smith, met his untimely end in Illinois,

  • his followers headed Westward in search of a place free from persecution.

  • Led by the iron-willed Brigham Young, known to many as theAmerican Moses,”

  • they found their promised land, Salt Lake Valley, in 1847.

  • Young wasted no time in breaking ground on a patch of desert he christened,

  • Temple Square, and as the number of faithful has expanded, so too has the square.

  • The square's premiere monument, Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to complete.

  • Now, after a century, the craftsmen

  • and stonemasons are returning to carry out a 4-year renovation,

  • ensuring that the temple stands for generations to come.

  • Today, Temple Square is not only the city's heart,

  • but the world centre of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.

  • Set aside at least a day to explore this astonishing 35-acre spiritual complex,

  • which is often calledThe Mormon Vatican.”

  • Take the Pioneer History Walking Tour,

  • which explores Temple Square's most historic monuments and buildings.

  • Stop by the Beehive House, Brigham Young's former residence,

  • and the neighbouring Lion House,

  • once home to some of his 55 wives and their children.

  • Up to five million visitors come to Temple Square each year,

  • and for many, the highlight is Salt Lake Tabernacle.

  • Time your visit with a concert or rehearsal

  • and feel the thunder of the organ's eleven thousand pipes, then close your eyes

  • and be wonderstruck by the heavenly strains of the Tabernacle Choir.

  • Finish your day in Temple Square in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

  • After exploring the lavish gold interiors, head to the top floor,

  • sit back and enjoy a meal backdropped by some of the city's finest views.

  • For all its history and faith,

  • Salt Lake City also knows how to loosen its collar.

  • For a change of pace, head downtown to City Creek Centre,

  • a world-class shopping and dining precinct.

  • Then, hang out in the hip streets of Sugar House,

  • the epicentre of Salt Lake City's creativity and diversity.

  • This neighbourhood overflows with pioneering restaurants,

  • street art, and craft breweries, so set aside a least a day to explore.

  • When it's time to relax, roll out a picnic blanket in the city's living room,

  • Liberty Park, an 80-acre estate

  • that regularly comes alive with events and festivals.

  • Nearby, walk the grounds of the Utah State Capitol,

  • a landmark which has been presiding over Utah's legislative

  • and civic life for over a century.

  • For sweeping views of the capitol building, and the rest of the city,

  • hike to the top of Ensign Peak.

  • From this lofty position, gaze out at the sprawling state capital,

  • framed by powder dusted mountains,

  • a cloud-marbled sky and the golden shores of Great Salt Lake.

  • If your hiking boots are itching for more,

  • take the short drive to the foothills of the Wasatch mountains

  • where you'll find Red Butte Garden and Arboretum.

  • This vibrant oasis offers over 5 miles of hiking trails and 11 themed sections,

  • including medicinal and fragrance gardens.

  • To the southeast of the city is Big Cottonwood Canyon.

  • Spend a day exploring this dramatic alpine wilderness,

  • carved by restless glaciers,

  • wandering rivers and tectonic plates

  • which have been shifting for billions of years.

  • Follow the crisp cool air even higher, into the welcoming embrace of Park City.

  • Once a silver mining town,

  • today Park City is one of America's top winter destinations,

  • boasting two world class ski resorts, and Utah Olympic Park.

  • To Salt Lake City's northeast, the landscape changes again

  • and suburban streets melt away into arid Utah wilderness.

  • It's here that you'll find the city's namesake,

  • the largest saltwater lake in the U.S.; Great Salt Lake.

  • Despite being nicknamed America's Dead Sea,

  • there's no lack of wildlife around Great Salt Lake,

  • especially on its largest island.

  • Visit the untouched prairie wilderness of Antelope Island where bison,

  • bighorn sheep, antelope and mule deer roam freely, on the city's doorstep.

  • When those Mormon pioneers first rolled their wagons into this broad,

  • secluded valley and beheld such natural wonders,

  • it's easy to see why they knew they'd found their promised land.

  • And today, you too can enjoy the fruits of their vision and labour.

  • What began as a refuge from religious persecution

  • has bloomed into a destination where faith and diversity,

  • tradition and creativity, nature and architecture, all go hand in hand.

  • And whatever our beliefs, we can all say amen to that.

Once a paradise for native hunter gatherers,

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