Posted in Utah
November 14, 2015
15 Things People Miss The Most About Utah When They Leave
Most Utahns can’t imagine ever leaving this beautiful state. It’s where family is. The place that feels like home. Sometimes, leaving Utah is unavoidable. Job transfers, school and family circumstances mean packing up and leaving Utah. Here’s what people miss about our amazing state when they leave.
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Sure, people in other parts of the country are friendly and polite. But not like Utahns. We have a special brand of charm that’s hard to replicate.
Our state has a high percentage of college graduates. Which means that if you’re partial to folks who speak with correct grammar, are up-to-date on current events, and quick to pick up what you're laying down, this is the perfect place. When you move, you find that the rest of the world has more average IQs.
Move back East and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything even closely resembling the beauty you’ll find in Utah’s Arches, Bryce or Zion National Parks. People come from all over the world to visit our national parks.
Try asking someone in the midwest to point you to the nearest mountains, and you’ll be astonished by what they show you. You call those hills MOUNTAINS? Here, our mountains are real — show me an 11,000-foot peak in the Wasatch Range. THAT’s a mountain!
Our mountains and red-rock country offer tons of recreational opportunities. Other states have plenty of hiking, skiing, biking, etc., but you often have to drive for hours from major cities to the Great Outdoors. Not the case in Utah. You can eat lunch in downtown Salt Lake and be on a ski slope 30 minutes after finishing your burger.
Speaking of burgers...there are lots of really great burger joints throughout Utah, but one of the most popular is Crown Burger. Maybe it’s the pastrami; maybe it’s the fry sauce. One thing’s for sure...you won’t find anything like it in another state.
Our MLS soccer team is pretty great. When you visit another city’s team, you won’t get to sing the “Believe” song every time a goal is scored.
Some people might miss the Jazz more than others; for some fickle fans it kind of depends on what kind of season they’re having. Die-hard fans definitely miss seeing the Utah Jazz play at the Vivint Smart Home Arena (that’s the Delta Center if you’re old-school).
The first time I visited San Francisco, I was very charmed by its quaint, pastel row houses and views of the Bay. But...the sidewalks were full of trash, and the city itself was overall much dirtier than Salt Lake. Even Utah’s largest cities are pristine compared to many other spots in the country.
If you haven’t traveled much outside this state, you might not be aware that other places aren’t so kid-friendly. Try taking a toddler into a downtown restaurant during the lunch rush in the business district of a major city elsewhere and you’ll be stunned at the hostility you might face from the staff (and other patrons). Kid-centric activities abound in Utah, and are less plentiful in other places.
In some cities, you’ll pay at least $100 for a ticket to the symphony. In Utah, you can catch a performance of the world-class Utah Symphony for as little as $15. Productions at Ballet West, Pioneer Theater Company and Utah Opera are also affordable.
While our largest professional ballet, symphony, opera and acting companies are in Salt Lake, you’ll find high-quality amateur venues all over the state. Almost every Utah resident is within an hour of great entertainment. Why? Utahns are incredibly talented dancers, singers, musicians and actors! If you’re looking to partake of free or inexpensive arts productions, you can find them here in Utah...and the quality is superior.
Utah’s crime rate is amongst the lowest in the nation. People here feel safe letting their kids play in the yard, go for a bike ride and walk home from school.
Sometimes spring and fall are brief, but Utah does experience all four seasons. Many states don’t.
If you ski or snowboard, you’ll really miss Utah’s powdery snow. You might be able to ski at some cool resorts, but it won’t quite be the same. Even if you don’t ski, Utah turns into a real winter wonderland when it snows. You can enjoy our snow from the warmth of your house, while sipping cocoa.
Utah is a great place to live. Don’t ever leave! But if you do, you’ll probably miss at least these 15 things (and likely even more). Have you ever left Utah? What did YOU miss? Tell us about it!
