New and Happening in Utah: Summer 2017
Utah is a state of dramatic open spaces. Explore thousands of miles of trails for hiking or biking, thousands of miles of rivers for fishing, paddling or rafting and countless places to stop and savor the fresh air and blue sky surrounding you.
Utah Eclipses World Record
Antelope Island State Park has been awarded the prestigious accolade of being an International Dark Sky Park (IDSP), making Utah home to nine IDSPs – more than any other state or province on the planet. As the world’s newest astro-tourism hub, Antelope Island is far enough away from urban areas to offer a perfect vision of the heavens yet close to Salt Lake City located just under an hour’s drive northeast of Utah’s capital. Antelope Island joins a stellar list of IDSPs in Utah, including the recently designated Cedar Breaks National Monument and two of Utah’s renowned Mighty 5® national parks: Canyonlands and Capitol Reef. This summer, Dark sky offerings include: full moon mountain treks from Robert Redford’s Sundance Mountain Resort, the ‘Master Astronomer Program’ and free star parties at Cedar Breaks National Monument, and the renowned Astronomy Festival held at sprawling Bryce Canyon National Park every June. www.darksky.org/idsp/parks/antelopeisland/
New Distillery, New World
One of the most antiquated perceptions about Utah is that visitors cannot enjoy a drink while visiting the state. Not only can visitors raise a glass, but modern Utah is home to an impressive list of wineries, craft breweries and distilleries. And, the newest opening is New World Distillery. Located in Eden, Utah in the heart of the Ogden Valley, one hour north of Salt Lake City, New World Distillery prides itself on “bringing the spirits of the past alive in your glass.” Specializing in small batch “above top shelf” spirits, their current line-up of products includes the award-winning Oomaw Gin, Rabbit and Grass Blanco Agave Spirits and the soon-to-be-released, limited edition Agave Sprits Vodka. New World Distillery is a responsible user of natural resources, boasts International Dark Skies compliant lighting, solar-powered equipment and many other green processes, the details of which are shared with visitors when they tour the facility. New World Distillery is open for tours and tastings Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. www.newworlddistillery.com
Smile, Snap, Share
From pristine landscapes to sunset selfies, perfectly shot and edited pictures are what the most popular travel and adventure Instagram feeds are made of. But, for the majority of social media users, these swoon-worthy shots can be difficult and intimidating to replicate. To help alleviate the stress of planning the perfect shot, Utah has identified three (3) Insta-worthy destinations across the state, and how the average traveller can improve their photography skills to achieve the ideal snap, including photo tours available for Summer 2017:
- Location: Moab
- Best shot: Dead Horse Point State Park
- Learn the skills: Moab Photo Tours offers custom tours and workshops throughout Arches & Canyonlands National Parks, and canyon country of Moab (including Dead Horse Point State Park) for individuals, families or small groups.
- Location: Big Cottonwood Canyon
- Best shot: Lake Blanche
- Learn the skills: McMillen Fine Art Photography Workshops offers both group and private photography tours throughout Park City and surrounding areas. Private tours can be customized for any skill level from beginner to expert.
- Location: Kanab
- Best shot: Grand Staircase-Escalante
- Learn the skills: Action Photo Tours offers private, full day tours of Utah’s Grand Staircase Escalante. Fully outfitted overnight trips can also be arranged.
Summer School
With approximately 850 million visitors to museums in the U.S. each year, more people are opting for educational experiences (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) than attending all major league sporting events and theme parks combined. But, with more than 35,000 museums in the country (that’s more than every Starbucks and McDonald’s in the U.S.) where does the average traveller start? In Utah – which is home to Nolan Bushnell, the inventor of one the first arcade games, Pong, as well as the Atari game console – hundreds of museums offer points of interest throughout the state for educational explorers of all ages:
- Science: Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum (Provo) – Located at Brigham Young University, the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum features research collections of vascular and nonvascular plants, invertebrate and vertebrate animals that are maintained and made available to research scientists and educations. Free public exhibits and educational programs are also offered.
- Technology: Hill Aerospace Museum (Hill Air Force Base near Ogden) – A part of the United States Air Force Heritage Program, Hill Aerospace Museum is free to the public and exhibits more than 90 military aircrafts, missiles and aerospace vehicles. The museum also has a STEM education program housed in the Lt. General Marc C. Reynolds Aerospace Center for Education.
- Engineering: The Leonardo Museum (Salt Lake City) – The Leonardo Museum, which aims to embody the spirit of Leonardo da Vinci, is currently celebrating the brilliance and curiosity of inventors from Utah with the Innovation Showcase (AKA Made in Utah). This exhibit displays some of the amazing things created by people who grew up in Utah such as the frisbee and the Jarvik-7, an artificial heart developed at the University of Utah.
- Math: Museum of Ancient Life and Museum of Natural Curiosity (Lehi) – Geometry Playground, a year-long exhibit from San Francisco’s Exploratorium, lets visitors experience math in a whole new way at the Museum of Ancient Life and Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point. The playground is designed to engage the hands, brain and body in playful investigations of geometry.
Issued by the Utah Office of Tourism Canadian Press Office.
For more information and/or high resolution images please contact: Heather McGillivray at Canuckiwi on +1 250 888 5687 or email heather@canuckiwi.com
