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Show Just Stuff X ff by Jan jfix w Can you imagine how the pioneers must have felt as they stood at the mouth of Immigration Canyon and heard brother Brigham proclaim "This is the place?" They had been battling the heat of the sun, the wind, the rain, the cold; the past few weeks had been no Joy ride. It had been a struggle to survive. Several had left treasured items behind in Illinois. Some had buried loved ones along the way. And here they were, standing above a sagebrush covered flat, a salt-filled lake and desolate looking valley. This was where they were to make their home. In their faith, they accepted brother Brigham's word. They fought the sagebrush, the salt, the heat. They battled the crickets and locusts. They built their homes, made roads, planted their crops. It was rough, but they stuck it out. That was 135 years ago, when the first pioneers came to Utah (the first ones actually arrived on July 19, but Brigham Young made his famous statement on the 24th!) They took the land that no one else wanted, the land no one else would take! But today Utah is more than a state with "weird" liquor laws it's a land of variety, You can see ' , , just about any type of scenery you want, from the red rocks of southern Utah to the lush forests of the Uintahs. We have mountains that compare with the Alps and deserts similar to the Sahara. We don't have an ocean, but if it's salt water you want, the Great Salt Lake cannot be beat. Utah is famous for her winter snow and skiing facilities, the red sandstone cliffs and crystal-blue watersihof Lake Powell, and the great fishing avialable in her many lakes and streams. Our little Utah has a lot to offer culturally, too, from the featherlight footwork of the ballet to the symphonic sounds of Utah's own symphony. We have the world renown Tabernacle Choir and the Shakespearean Festival. There's the Festival of the American West, the Arts Festival and Festival of the American Arts. Utah offers plays at Pioneer Memorial Theatre or at several summer stock productions and we also have facilities to attract such companies as "Annie.' Utah has gone from "the land nobody wanted," to a state with a little of everything, Sure hope this summer you can get out and see a little of the beauty, right here in your own back yard! |