Utah

(My theme is places I have visited or lived)

The first time I visited Utah was in the mid 90’s. A close friend was a lighting salesman and had to set up a display in Salt Lake City. He wanted some help and company so he asked me to go with him for a quick weekend trip from our home in the Seattle area. It was a fun trip and I enjoyed the time with my friend. It was fun to see Utah. It was so beautiful.

The next time we saw Utah was in 2009 when we traveled to Illinois to visit or daughter. We drove through Utah on I84 until we hit I80 East into Evanston, WY. Again it was so beautiful.

The third time we visited Utah was when we traveled the same route in order to visit our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter a second time in Illinois.

Utah is a state in the western United States. It became the 45th state admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896. Utah is the 13th-largest, the 31st-most populous, and the 10th-least-densely populated of the 50 United States. Utah has a population of nearly 3 million (Census estimate for July 1, 2015), approximately 80% of whom live along the Wasatch Front, centering on the state capital Salt Lake City. Utah is bordered by Colorado to the east, Wyoming to the northeast, Idaho to the north, Arizona to the south, and Nevada to the west. It also touches a corner of New Mexico in the southeast.

Approximately 62% of Utahns are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS (Mormons), which greatly influences Utah culture and daily life (although only 41.6% are active members of the faith). The LDS Church's world headquarters is located in Salt Lake City. Utah is the only state with a majority population belonging to a single church.

The state is a center of transportation, education, information technology and research, government services, mining, and a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation. In 2013, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Utah had the second fastest-growing population of any state.St. George was the fastest–growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000 to 2005. Utah also has the 14th highest median average income and the least income inequality of any U.S. state. A 2012 Gallup national survey found Utah overall to be the "best state to live in" based on 13 forward-looking measurements including various economic, lifestyle, and health-related outlook metrics.