WC Travels:Why Clay Travels: USA TRAVEL GUIDE, “SOUTHWEST” UTAH

UTAH: THE BEEHIVE STATE

BY CLAY LARROY

We lead such busy lives working, going to school, taking children to different activities that often we do not stop and talk to our children. We usually do not have time to sit around the dinner table and ask our children what they did today. Family vacations are so important, as it gives us a way to connect with each other in a stress free relaxed environment. Families that take vacations together build memories that will last a lifetime. Family vacations and travel can be the most rewarding experience. When you want to plan your vacation contact me!

PROVO, "HAPPY VALLEY"

About Provo

Currently estimated at 122,451 people, Provo is the third largest city in Utah and is located about 43 miles (69 km) south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south. Provo is also the principal city in the Provo-Orem metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 540,820 residents. It is the second largest metro area in the state behind Salt Lake City.

The city is home to Brigham Young University, one of the largest private higher education institutions in the United States, which is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Provo is also home to the largest Missionary Training Center for the church. The city is a key operational center for Novell and has been a focus area for technology development in Utah. The city is also home to the Peaks Ice Arena, which served as a venue for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002.
In 2009 Provo was listed in Where to Retire magazine as an "enticing city for new careers", Provo was also listed in National Geographic Adventure Magazine's "where to live and play" as a cultural hub.

BYU Earth Science Museum

Located on the BYU campus, this fascinating museum offers patrons several glances at the mystery and history of the natural world. From the Jurassic Period to the Ice Age, the museum's extensive collection spans thousands of years and includes the fossilized remains of dinosaurs, mammals, and ancient sea life.
BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures

Located in BYU's historic Allen Hall, a beautiful red brick building with parapet walls, this unique museum boasts cultural artifacts hailing from all corners of the earth. In particular, the museum's collection tells the stories of the prehistoric and Native American peoples via myriad informative displays, and exhibits that include pottery shards, complete vessels, and other pieces of socio-historical significance. Significant exhibition space is also given to ancient Israeli, Polynesian, and Syrian cultures as well.
John Hutchings Museum of Natural History

life-long scholar and scientist, John Hutchings collected countless geological, historical, and anthropological odds and ends throughout his life. In fact, at its height, his collection included everything from Butch Cassidy's shotgun to dinosaur bones. In the 1950s, when the collection grew too large for his home, Hutchings donated a large portion of his collection to the town of Lehi.
Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum

Located on the BYU campus near the Marriott Center, the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum is a facility dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the biological sciences. Housed within the museum are a variety of specimens and exhibits, including those focusing on insects, plants, fish, mammals, and birds from around the world. Best of all, the museum is a family-friendly environment that offers everything from live reptile shows to a hands-on playroom.
Museum of Art at BYU

Brigham Young University's famous museum of art, one of the largest in the western United States, contains an impressive collection of paintings, pottery, and sculpture from around the world, including pieces by everyone from Rembrandt and Monet to Americans Maynard Dixon and Burton Silverman. The museum, which owes its contemporary design to Los Angeles architect James Langerheim, has four levels and includes 10 galleries, a library, an auditorium, classrooms, and a small theater. Stop by the gift shop before you leave and pick up a little something for the folks back home.
North American Museum of Ancient Life

Lehi's Thanksgiving Institute, which is dedicated to bridging the gap between modernity and nature, is home to the fascinating North American Museum of Ancient Life. This museum contains a plethora of dinosaur fossils, paleontology exhibits, and sixty dinosaur skeletal exhibits. Aside from traditional still exhibits, the museum also boasts the aptly named Mammoth Screen Theater, whose 70-millimeter projection system and state-of-the-art sound system make you feel like you're in the movie, not watching it.

Orem Heritage Museum

To learn more about the history of the Orem community, visit this cozy museum located in the city center. The Heritage Museum boasts a varied collection that includes artifacts both Native American and early American pioneer in origin. Included in their holdings is Utah's largest (and one of the United States' largest) collection of arrowheads. Be sure to visit the Orem diorama, which shows the town as it looked in the 1940s, complete with a working railroad.
Provo Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum

The Daughters of Utah operate several historical museums throughout the state, each one dedicated to preserving the state's rich pioneer heritage. The pride of this museum is its collection of cabins that were originally in Fort Utah. Each cabin is outfitted with authentic primitive furniture and artifacts ranging from clothing to photographs to family histories. The museum also has several pieces of original Western artwork on display.
Springville Museum of Art

Dubbed "Utah's Art City," quaint Springville boasts one of the region's top art museums. The museum, located in one of the town's most noteworthy buildings, is a beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival-style building completed in 1937. Inside, you'll find four exhibition galleries that display local and regional art. Meanwhile, the permanent collection includes more than 1500 pieces of original Western, American, and Soviet art, thus earning the museum a fair amount of national attention.
Thanksgiving Point Institute

This massive, 500-acre complex offers a wide range of family-friendly activities and events. The dream child of WordPerfect co-founder Alan Ashton, the complex brings together the natural and modern world in ingenious and dramatic ways. A golf course designed by Johnny Miller, the award-winning Garden Wall restaurant, and myriad shops and special display gardens — these are but a portion of what the complex has to offer. Of course, many visitors make the trip just to tour the famous North American Museum of Ancient Life, which contains a plethora of dinosaur fossils, paleontology exhibits, and dinosaur skeletal exhibits.