Fast Facts

American Express-- The American Express office is located north of Salt Lake City in Bountiful at 150 N. Main St. (tel. 801/292-8687). It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Area Codes-- The area code is 801 in the Wasatch Valley, which includes Salt Lake City, Provo, and Ogden. Most of the rest of the state is in the 435 area code.

Business Hours-- Banks are usually open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, often until 6pm on Friday; some have hours on Saturday. Small stores are usually open Monday through Saturday, with some also open on Sunday afternoon. Most department stores, discount stores, and supermarkets are open daily until 9pm. Some supermarkets are open 24 hours a day.

Emergencies-- Dial tel. 911 for fire, police, or ambulance. No coins are needed at pay phones for 911 calls.

Internet Access-- Easy Internet access is coming quickly to Utah, with major tourist areas such as Moab and the ski resorts leading the way. You'll have more trouble in rural communities, although cybercafes are beginning to pop up even there, and most public libraries offer Internet access.

Legal Aid-- The Legal Aid Society is in Salt Lake City at 205 N. 400 West (tel. 801/328-8849; www.lasslc.org), or contact Utah Legal Services (tel. 800/662-4245 or 801/328-8891; www.andjusticeforall.org/uls).

Liquor Laws-- The legal drinking age is 21. Utah's drinking laws are a bit complex, but you can buy alcoholic beverages almost everywhere in the state. You can buy 3.2% beer (read on if you're not sure what that means) and malt coolers in supermarkets and convenience stores 7 days a week; stronger beer, wine, and hard liquor are available only at state-owned liquor stores and package agencies, which are closed Sundays and state holidays.

Buying liquor, beer, or wine by the drink is a bit more complicated. Most of the better restaurants serve alcoholic beverages with meals. Wine and liquor can be served from noon and beer can be served from 10am. In most cases, you'll have to ask for a drink -- they won't offer to serve you one. Some establishments are licensed as taverns and can sell 3.2% beer only, also beginning at 10am. There are also "private clubs," which actually aren't private at all: They're essentially bars, and may be attached to restaurants. You can either go in as a guest of a member or buy a 2-week membership, usually for $5 or so. Private clubs can serve beginning at 10am Monday through Saturday and at noon on Sunday. Alcoholic beverages cannot be sold by the drink after 1am Monday through Saturday or after midnight on Sunday.

Despite what some vendors might tell you, 3.2% beer, which is sold only in Utah, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Kansas, has less alcohol than the same brand beer sold elsewhere. According to Budweiser, 3.2% beer has about 4% alcohol by volume (which is equivalent to 3.2% alcohol by weight), whereas regular American beers have about 5% alcohol by volume.

Lost & Found-- Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. Visa's U.S. emergency number is tel. 800/847-2911 or 410/581-9994. American Express cardholders and traveler's check holders should call tel. 800/221-7282. MasterCard holders should call tel. 800/307-7309 or 636/722-7111. For other credit cards, call the toll-free number directory at tel. 800/555-1212.

If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 800/325-6000; www.westernunion.com).

Identity theft or fraud are potential complications of losing your wallet, especially if you've lost your driver's license along with your cash and credit cards. Notify the major credit-reporting bureaus immediately; placing a fraud alert on your records may protect you against liability for criminal activity. The three major U.S. bureaus are Equifax (tel. 800/766-0008; www.equifax.com), Experian (tel. 888/397-3742; www.experian.com), and TransUnion (tel. 800/680-7289; www.transunion.com). Finally, if you've lost all forms of photo ID call your airline and explain the situation; they might allow you to board the plane if you have a copy of your passport or birth certificate and a copy of the police report you've filed.

Newspapers-- The state's two largest dailies, both published in Salt Lake City, are the Salt Lake City Tribune (www.sltrib.com) and the Deseret Morning News (www.desnews.com). Several other communities have daily newspapers, and many smaller towns publish weeklies. About a dozen Utah newspapers can be found online, with links from the Internet Public Library site, www.ipl.org.

Police-- Dial tel. 911.

Smoking-- The Utah Indoor Clean Air Act prohibits smoking in any public building or office and in all enclosed places of public access. This includes restaurants but not private clubs, lounges, or taverns.

Taxes-- A combination of state and local sales taxes, from 6% to 8.5%, is added to your bill in all areas of Utah except Indian reservations. Local lodging taxes usually add an additional 3% to 6%.

Time Zone-- Utah is on Mountain Time, 1 hour ahead of the West Coast and 2 hours behind the East Coast. The state recognizes daylight saving time.

Useful Telephone Numbers -- For road conditions, callers within Utah can now reach the Travel Information Line by dialing 511. For callers outside the State, the number is 866/511-UTAH/866/511-8824. Information can also be found online at: http://commuterlink.utah.gov. The poison control hot line is tel. 800/456-7707 or 801/581-2151.