Here's what's new in Utah since the publication of Frommer's Utah, 6th Edition.
Salt Lake City
In February, a new Homewood Suites by Hilton (423 W. 300 South; tel. 801/363-6700; www.homewoodsuitessaltlakecity.com) opened in the rapidly evolving Gateway development on the west side of downtown. The all-suite property is within easy walking distance of shopping and a cinema complex. Rooms feature DVD players, full kitchen, and a separate living room; there is also a seasonal outdoor pool and a complimentary hot breakfast buffet. Double rates are $159 to $229, with much lower rates on weekends.
The Salt Lake City dining scene has come a long way in the last few years, with a number of exciting new restaurants, including Takashi(18 W. Market St.; tel. 801/519-9595). This Japanese restaurant, with excellent sushi and hot entrees such as roasted Muscovy duck breast with sautéed pears, has moderate prices and is open for lunch and dinner. San Francisco-based Butterfly Restaurant opened a second location at The Depot (400 W. South Temple; tel. 801/456-2800; see below) in the burgeoning Gateway district on the west side of downtown. Like the Bay Area original, the kitchen dishes up excellent Asian fusion fare.
Visitors to Salt Lake City can save money with the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass, which provides up to five admissions to local attractions within a three-day period. Cost is $31 adults, $22 children 3 to 12, and $26 seniors 65 and older, and you can choose from among a dozen attractions, including Clark Planetarium, Red Butte Garden, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, and Utah Olympic Park. The passes are available online at www.saltlakecvb.com or in person at the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau's information center in the Salt Palace Convention Center, 90 S. West Temple (tel. 800/541-4955 or 801/521-2822).
Sports fans have more to cheer about with the arrival of the Utah Blaze (tel. 801/257-3111; www.utahblaze.com), an American Conference team of the Arena Football League. The Blaze play at Delta Center, 301 W. South Temple. The big news for motor racing fans is the opening of the state-of-the-art Miller Motorsports Park, located in the community of Tooele, about 30 miles west of Salt Lake City (tel. 801/563-4250; www.millermotorsportspark.com). This brand-new racing facility, which opened in spring of 2006, has a 4.5-mile road course with several configurations plus a kart track, and will host a variety of road racing events.
A new state-of-the-art venue from United Concerts and the owners of the Park City Mountain Resort, The Depot (400 W. South Temple, tel. 801/456-2800; www.depotslc.com) opened at the end of January 2006, located in the historic Union Pacific train depot. Performers in the first months of operation included national touring acts such as Dwight Yoakam, Isaac Hayes, and Reverend Horton Heat.
The Northern Wasatch Front: Utah's Old West
Treehouse Children's Museum, which now calls itself simply Treehouse Museum (tel. 801/394-9663; www.treehousemuseum.org), is making its long-awaited move to new, permanent quarters in the summer of 2006. The new address is 347 22nd St., Ogden, which is one block north and one block west of the old location.
The Southern Wasatch Front: World-Class Skiing & More
Good news for skiers who want it all. Salt Lake City and the Cottonwood Canyon resorts have created the new Ski Salt Lake Super Pass (tel. 877/752-4386; www.saltlakecvb.com), which can be used at all four resorts and also includes local transportation on city buses, ski buses, and light rail.
Utah's Dixie & The Colorful Southwest Corner
The second location of the Gun Barrel Steak & Game House (1091 N. Bluff St., suite 1400; tel. 435/652-0550) opened in St. George near the end of 2005. (The original is in Jackson, Wyoming.) Specializing in mesquite-grilled elk, buffalo, trout, and salmon, the restaurant has a rich atmosphere with many local touches, such as trim and tabletops fashioned from the trestle wood from the railroad that once circled the Great Salt Lake.
Kanab
The picturesque community of Kanab threw itself into the national spotlight early in 2006 when the city council unanimously passed a non-binding resolution that endorses what it calls a "natural family," defines marriage between a man and woman as "ordained of God," and sees homes as "open to a full quiver of children." Critics say the resolution is anti-gay and critical of single people and even married couples who choose to not have children, while proponents say the purpose of the resolution is to affirm marriage and family and show that Kanab is a good, wholesome place to live. Early reports indicate that some potential visitors to the tourist community planned to stay away to protest the resolution, but it is also expected that others may specifically choose Kanab as a vacation destination because they approve of the sentiments expressed in the resolution.
Zion National Park
Proposed road work in the vicinity of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, which provides access to the park from the east, may cause delays this fall. The work is designed to improve safety near the east and west entrances to the tunnel, and will include improvements to the roadway as well as vehicle pullouts and a parking area. Assuming the project gets final approval, the construction will begin in September 2006 and take up to three months.
The Zion Canyon Field Institute (tel. 800/635-3959 or 435/772-3264; www.zionpark.org) has announced its 2006 programs, which include a good choice of one- and two-day workshops and classes ranging from a moonlight hike to hands-on photo workshops and programs on butterflies or geology. Fees for one-day programs range from $30 to $80.
Bryce Canyon National Park
The interesting little community of Escalante, which provides lodging and other services for those visiting Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, has several new bed and breakfast inns. The upscale Slot Canyons Inn (3680 W. Utah 12, Escalante; tel. 866/889-8375 or 435/826-4901; www.slotcanyonsinn.com) opens in May 2006 with eight very attractive rooms and a large historic cabin, and rates from $109 to $299 double. Also new is the comfortably luxurious Canyons Bed & Breakfast (corner of Main St. and 100 East at 15 S. 100 East, Escalante, 866/526-9667 or 435/826-4747; www.canyonsbnb.com). It's open from mid-March through mid-November and offers three attractive guest rooms with rates from $95 to $105 double.
Lake Powell & Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
The cost of visiting spectacularly beautiful Lake Powell has gone up, but it's still a bargain. Effective March 1, 2006, the price of a one-week vehicle entrance pass, which includes everyone in a private vehicle, has increased from $10 to $15. Cost of the recreation area's annual pass has gone from $20 to $30. For information, contact Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (tel. 928/608-6200; www.nps.gov/glca).
From Moab To Arches & Canyonlands National Parks
This exceedingly popular tourist destination always seems crowded in summer, when it is sometimes difficult to find lodging, so we're happy to report that Moab now has a very attractive La Quinta Inn (815 S. Main St.; tel. 435/259-8700; www.laquintamoab.com), which is pet friendly and has easy access to a very pleasant paved walking path.
In late 2005, National Park Service officials announced that at least for the near future they were shelving an in-depth study of transportation issues in Arches National Park, which had included consideration of a possible shuttle bus to reduce traffic congestion. Instead, they said, they would do a less involved study on ways to reduce traffic congestion, and are looking at ways to disperse visitation and encourage organized tours. Among local companies that are working with the park service to offer guided park tours is Adrift Adventures (378 N. Main St.; tel. 800/874-4483 or 435/259-8594; www.adrift.net), which offers half-day bus tours of the park at $40 per person.
Do you have comments or questions regarding this column? Click over to our Utah Message Boards today to have your say.