|
|
Nov. 3, 2006
Utah: it's not just for Mormons
The midwestern state is also home to Zion National Park, Chabad
Plaza and pastrami.
DAVE GORDON
You'd never think that in the middle of Mormon country, you'd find
anything Jewish. And you'd mostly be right. "Mostly" being
the operative word. When my wife and I decided we were going to
make a three-day stop in Utah on our cross-country road trip, we
didn't expect we'd be able to find pastrami on rye, let alone anything
glatt kosher – and served to us by, no less, a Jewish Chinese
woman.
Salt Lake City's Kosher on the Go is the only kosher deli in Utah.
Actually, the only kosher anything in Utah. Oddly, Salt Lake
Weekly rated it "Best Kosher Deli of 2005."
When you think of fun and excitement, I'm sure that for most, Utah
doesn't register on the radar. Except for Utahns, perhaps. But tucked
away snugly between Nevada and Colorado, the state is more than
the place where the 2002 winter Olympics took place. It's host to
countless breathtaking nature sites, and Wild West-type activities
galore.
So how could we not begin our touring without stocking up on bagels,
smoked salmon and chunks of corned beef? Kosher on the Go, run by
a Chabad couple out of their home, offers lunch and dinner menus,
salads and ready-to-go Shabbat meals.
If you want to attend services, one of a handful of shuls in Utah
is at Chabad Plaza in Salt Lake City, which occupies the size of
roughly four store-lengths for its chapel, Talmud Torah and banquet
hall.
The major Mormon temple is also a sight to see. Temple Square, from
which all of the streets emanate geographically, makes navigating
relatively simple. All streets are in straight lines in compass-friendly
directions. Temple Square is, of course Mormon-central, the headquarters
for the Latter-Day Saints. You need not know what Mormonism is to
appreciate the temple's palatial architecture, which spans several
blocks and is impressive to take in. Plus, just walking down the
streets, there are great views of the mountains.
When going out for the night in Utah to a restaurant or bar, be
cognizant of the wacky alcohol rules, where bars need people to
buy "drinking licences." Essentially, it's an extra cost
for the day to enjoy drinking, and it's only applicable in select
areas. Then again, you're probably not going to Utah to party. Sin
City is a few hours away, if it's drunken revelry you're looking
for.
A few hours' drive from Salt Lake City, a gorgeous getaway for the
day is Quail Creek State Park. The beach has gorgeous crystal blue
clear waters, soft sands and a great view of the mountains. There's
sailing and motorboating, too. In an hour, I caught six baby bass
while wading in cool, shoulder-deep waters. Quail Creek State Park
provides excellent year-round camping, picnicking, boating and trout
and bass fishing in southwest Utah, at the Arizona/Nevada border.
Just be aware, the Utah Department of Transportation recently renumbered
exits and mileposts along portions of Interstate 15, Interstate
70, Interstate 80 and US 89.
While on the road, check out what nature has to offer, which is
plenty. Utah boasts five national parks: Zion National Park, Bryce
Canyon, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Capitol
Reef National Park. Utah also has bragging rights to the largest
natural stone bridge in the world, Rainbow Bridge, at 290 feet high
and 275 feet long, and the largest concentration of natural stone
arches at Arches Park, in Moab. You'll need at least a week to take
them all in, and it's a hiker's dream. The brochures don't even
come close to representing how incredibly picturesque the view is.
I'd recommend any one of the trails for day-hikes, just to see the
rock formations, untouched landscapes and valleys. Most of Utah
lies on a plateau higher than 4,000 feet above sea level, and reaches
peaks of up to 13,000 feet.
For an all-western adventure, call up Ruby's Inn. They offer trail
rides, rodeos, chuckwagon dinners and hiking. And what would the
west be without ranches? J/L Ranch is in a remote area surrounded
by Ashley National Forest and Ute Indian Reservation, and offers
log cabin rentals. Some of the activities provided include fishing,
bird watching, hiking trails, Alpine mountain scenery and nearby
access to mountain biking, golfing, river rafting, boating and Dinosaurland
Quarry. But bring plenty of water. Utah is said to be one of the
driest states in America.
If you've ever seen the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid, you may be interested in going to Grafton, where some of
the movie was shot. This southwestern Utah ghost town was settled
in 1859. As a natural corollary, one of the most famous film festivals
in the world, the Sundance Film Festival, takes place each January
at Park City. By no coincidence, the festival was founded by Butch
star Robert Redford a quarter-century ago.
While it's easy to sense from the surroundings a dominant Wild West
theme, there were signs that Jewishness wasn't as foreign as I had
thought it would be. It was oddly comforting as a Jew to see biblical
place names in Utah like Zion and Moab and, in light of those two,
I had to do a double-take when I saw "Heber" on the map.
Then again, I wouldn't expect much different, as I munched on umba,
halva and kishke in the middle of Salt Lake City.
Dave Gordon is a freelance writer whose work can be found
in the Baltimore Sun, Toronto Sun and National Post,
among many others.
^TOP
|
|
