A lot of the time, because most of us have lived in Utah our whole lives, we don’t really see it as anything special. Since it doesn’t have white sandy beaches, swaying palm trees, or coral reefs, we often assume that Utah is just boring and has nothing interesting or exciting to offer. In truth, Utah has one of the highest tourist rates out of the fifty states. In 2012, Utah’s annual tourism rate actually broke its personal record breaking number of tourists at 23.5 million visitors, according to Deseret News. Some of the most popular things about Utah are its breathtaking national parks including Zion’s National Park, Bryce National Park, and Arches National Park. We live within a few hours of these breathtaking landmarks, yet we rarely take advantage of them. People from all different ethnic backgrounds come to Utah just to visit these unique places.

Even if people aren’t interesting in hiking or river rafting, there are still numerous other places or activities available in Utah that can cater to their needs and provide entertainment for people who enjoy more relaxed activities. This is the Place Monument is available for any history buff, and Hogle Zoo provides a wide range of wildlife for animal lovers. For the science enthusiasts, there is the Clark Planetarium downtown, which provides entertaining shows and even has star gazing. Shopaholics have no limits pursuing their interests, as City Creek, the Gateway, and even the newly opened Traverse Mountain Complex can satisfy any need to spend a little cash. Utah is also known worldwide for its beautiful white ski slopes in Park City Utah. The 2002 Olympics were held there and received world wide publicity. The Olympic Oval, located in Kearns, is also a world-wide famous ice-skating rink. Olympic champions have trained and raced there.

There are even lots of activities that can be done without having to travel far. Right here in South Jordan there are numerous activities that can be done instead of sitting on a couch in the living room. Places like Mulligans, The Living Planet Aquarium, or even Megaplex theaters in the District can provide cheap and fun activities for a date, or even just for a friends’ night out. There is really no excuse for staying inside all day long because there are so many amazing things that Utah has to offer. We live in a place full of opportunity, and we need to take advantage of it.