I went to Utah to see my former English conversation partner, Jay, who is easily my favorite Saudi and Muslim friend. We drove across the entire state, north to south, within 30 hours to see Bryce Canyon National Park. My 5 days in mid-April traveling to, around, and from there helped get rid of some substancial ignorance.
Now I know...
...the state that birthed the highest percentage of porn stars is Utah
...one of the favorite imports to Saudi Arabia is a green Columbian vinegar-pepper sauce
...water & limestone & millions of years create "hoodoos," giant red rock formations that look like reverse stalagtites coming from the ground... and that they are difficult to climb
... Tropic is a inaccurately-named town perched among the highest elevations in Utah. Stayed one night there and woke up to a blizzard
... in a pinch, you can heat hookah coals with a blowdryer and use cheap motel fixtures to rig a half- functioning hookah pipe
... hiking a mile in a snow/hail storm is as tiring as hiking 5 miles in clear weather?
... Jay's two wheel drive car drives effortlessly at 11,000 feet of snow blanketing everthing in sight, but can get stuck at 8,000 feet in "Devil's Gorge" for several hours and almost fall off a cliff
... a Gucci keychain, that looks dated and is made of canvas, can cost $120 from a Texas outlet store? Jay thought it was a worthy investment
... while every Mormon I met outside of Utah wanted to dialogue about his or her faith, every Mormon I met in Utah avoided doing so. Jay, one of the most extroverted, easy going and talkative guys I know, doesn't have one friend in Utah who isn't a foreigner. You would think maybe an outside would make an easy conversion target, but apparently it designates coldness and loneliness
... by sitting in a natural sulphur spring in the mountains, I not only checked off a bucket list to-do but also visited the dangerous local place (body found there week before, Jay and friends photographed by old naked man)
... the center of Mormonism, the Temple Tabernacle, was designed within 4 days of the first pioneers arriving in Salt Lake City. SLC's current grid system of streets and buildings were planned within 9 days by Joseph Smith's "visions"
... only last year were restaurants and bars allowed to begin serving alcohol (previously a privlige for only private clubs)
... any alcohol over 3% BAC is "hard." Many beers have been made with 0-1.5% BAC to allow the temperate Mormon to indulge
... the Mormon church has the largest collection of genealogical records in the world. They are open every day, free to access, no appointment or limit or fee necessary
... Brigham Young had 27 wives and 54 kids
... in public every Mormon family was adorable, well behaved and seemingly happy
... even the official State Tourism Bureau's Salt Lake City guidebook- a government institution's publication for all guests- was biased. The first couple sentences describing Temple Square are spent whining about the unjust expulsion of the original Mormon sect from New England, and nurses a grudge the rest of the page
... the best place to sleep overnight in the Houston International Airport is Terminal D, gates 1-3. The music is better, the foot traffic minimal, contains a corner of priceless vending machines, nearby are free computers with unlimited internet, bathrooms and functioning wall outlets. Location near the USO gives a nice false security of safety, and wearing a "Don't Mess with Texas" shirt combined with green polar bear flannel pajama pants gives a great "back off while I'm rocking the sleep mask" vibe