Northern Utah: Moguls, Mining, and Mormon Territory

Trying to find a travel book about Northern Utah? Good luck. The red rocks and stalagmite-like cliffs of the state's southern reaches have cornered the market. Aside from a pittance of pages mentioning Salt Lake City's Mormon histories or the famed powder that packs the ski resorts each year, the upper third of the state seems fated to be remembered only in the one-line listings of "Other Attractions" tacked in the back of travel guides.

In other words, perfect road trip material.

As the home of the 2002 Winter Olympics (and the only major airport in the state), Salt Lake City is a natural starting point. Check out the most popular stops: the Tabernacle on Temple Square in city center, with its distinctive dome roof; the Lion House, once home to city founder Brigham Young and some of his 55 wives; and the Family History Library, where more than one billion names on record make completing the family tree a breeze. Even the city's unbelievably wide streets are a reminder of Salt Lake's religious roots – Young predicted a surge in the city's growth and ordered the streets to be as wide as eight oxen. Good thing, too – Utah consistently has more children per capita than any other state.

Once you've figured out the street numbering system – streets are numbered in hundreds relative to their position from the city's center – head to the corner of 9th and 9th (900 East 900 South) for a bite to eat and some window shopping. Coffee Garden's lattes have left the Starbucks across the street empty.

Or maybe you'd like to try a Crown Burger (piled high with pastrami, it's a local favorite) or the famed Mexican fare at the Red Iguana.

At Sam Weller's, the city's favorite bookstore, you'll get a chance to digest your dinner and a fine selection of literature. And walking through the flower petals strewn on the sidewalk by the Twigs Flower Company guarantees a smile.

When you're ready for more active, scenic pursuits, head north to the Great Salt Lake. Trade your vehicle in for a horse (just for the afternoon) rented from R & G Horse and Wagon, and trot around Antelope Island, a hilly, 15-mile-long island anchored along the eastern edge of the Great Salt Lake. Horseback tours leave from the Fielding Garr Ranch and take you past some of the nearly 600 bison that roam free of fences. Horned sheep, mule deer, and hundreds of varieties of birds proliferate here, too.

If you've never dreamed of being a cowpoke, take a stroll around the lake. Locals flock here in the summertime to float in the world's most salty body of water, and there are decent beaches all around the island.