Salt Lake City - Not just for religious whackos anymore!

[outoftime]

My only experience in SLC was a six hour layover between Greyhounds on a journey out to the northwest. Could have had something to do with the desolation of I-80 through Wyoming or the large farting woman beside me, but as the Hound pulled into SLC I felt a sense of peace and joy that I can remember to this day.

The city was beautiful, and remarkably clean; especially downtown. I immediately began to see why. Maybe two steps off the bus, some guy was giving me the choice to extinguish my already lit cigarette or contribute $300 to the city budget. Pretty standard today, but 9 years ago smokers had rights, damn it, and being told you couldn't smoke at a bus stop was like being told you couldn't smoke at a bar, or behind a dumpster. But of course the result was a floor I would've have eaten off of if you were buying. Since you weren't there I went out to the street to smoke the rest of my dinner.

Again I was taken by the lack of gum/garbage/filth/dirt/crust/must/pus on every surface and on all of the faces of all the people who where missing altogether. We were in front of the bus stop! The few people I did see just added to the surreal atmosphere: A horse drawn carriage (the touristy kind, but still), an old couple walking hand in hand, a few huge families of blond headed kids. It was starting to get vaguely creepy at that point, when a fellow traveler produced a joint, and not a minute too soon. We smoked it and spent the next few hours walking around, digging the disney-esque lighting of the big church and even catching a few minutes of some type of service in a big circular room. The Tabernacle?

And then I had to leave.
The moral of the story is: Don't forget the weed.

[Rocky Mountain Shawn]

Originally Posted by outoftime

The moral of the story is: Don't forget the weed.

So true, my friend. You were only here for six hours, yet in that short time you discovered the key to survival in our fair city.

Next time you're here - and high - be sure to check out this in the North Visitor's Center in Temple Square.



This giant Jesus......talks. Seriously. And it's in a giant room with planets and stars painted on the walls. It does not get any weirder - or any fascinating - than this.

[Dancer]

#41
outoftime
Cash-Register User




Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: seattle
Posts: 10

My only experience in SLC was a six hour layover between Greyhounds on a journey out to the northwest. Could have had something to do with the desolation of I-80 through Wyoming or the large farting woman beside me, but as the Hound pulled into SLC I felt a sense of peace and joy that I can remember to this day.

The city was beautiful, and remarkably clean; especially downtown. I immediately began to see why. Maybe two steps off the bus, some guy was giving me the choice to extinguish my already lit cigarette or contribute $300 to the city budget. Pretty standard today, but 9 years ago smokers had rights, damn it, and being told you couldn't smoke at a bus stop was like being told you couldn't smoke at a bar, or behind a dumpster. But of course the result was a floor I would've have eaten off of if you were buying. Since you weren't there I went out to the street to smoke the rest of my dinner.

Again I was taken by the lack of gum/garbage/filth/dirt/crust/must/pus on every surface and on all of the faces of all the people who where missing altogether. We were in front of the bus stop! The few people I did see just added to the surreal atmosphere: A horse drawn carriage (the touristy kind, but still), an old couple walking hand in hand, a few huge families of blond headed kids. It was starting to get vaguely creepy at that point, when a fellow traveler produced a joint, and not a minute too soon. We smoked it and spent the next few hours walking around, digging the disney-esque lighting of the big church and even catching a few minutes of some type of service in a big circular room. The Tabernacle?

And then I had to leave.
The moral of the story is: Don't forget the weed.

Ha Ha Ha I like that. That was a good story. Belive me I dont forget the weed when I go there. Just my own history nothing against Mormons

[txaggie]

I attended the University of Utah and lived in Salt Lake City for two years and was an Urban Planning major. I learned alot about the urban history of Salt Lake City including the famous(and sometimes infamous) Mormon Grid. The city itself is very clean...almost too clean, like outoftime stated, in a Twilight Zone way. The downtown area is extremely safe compared to other downtown areas, if I had 10 kids I would feel very comfortable walking around with them after 10pm. The most noticable architecture is pretty much reserved to the Wells Fargo building, the Capital, and of course the Temple, however the beautiful mountainous terrain closely surrounding the city greatly overshadows any building constructed. The Mormon religion is noticible in almost every aspect of Utah and for that matter Salt Lake City. Being from Dallas, the strong Mormon influence took me a long time to get used to. The weather was also a big time shocker. The snow provides endless fun for skiiers and snowboarders. However, the so-called "Inversion", a period of about two months where clouds get trapped in the Salt Lake valley for a combination of freezing temperatures, snow, fog, and no sight of the sun, was one of the breaking points that lead me to transfer back to Texas and attend Texas A&M. Despite that, I see great potential for Salt Lake City as a tourist destination and a very diverse city...just need to open the adverstisement doors alittle more. And Rocky Mountain Shawn is right, the city life can be fun for those of us who like to drink and party like the rest of the country. I recently went back to visit and celebrate my 21st birthday...I had no problem gaining one of my worst hang-overs the next morning, despite Utah's strange liquor laws. It was a fun two years, but Texas was calling my name everyday of the two years I was in Utah.

Originally Posted by Rocky Mountain Shawn

So true, my friend. You were only here for six hours, yet in that short time you discovered the key to survival in our fair city.

word...save up the reefer for the "Inversion"

[bob rulz]

I can enjoy this city perfectly fine without drugs. And no, I'm not Mormon.

But still, I live here and this is my home. It's a great city with excellent scenery, a cultural life that's more than any outside visitor would really expect, and terrific weather. (I love the weather here!). And since when did the inversion last 2 months? 0_o. It rarely, if ever, lasts more than 2 or 3 weeks, and usually it lasts maybe a week. It's also a safe, clean city, as many people have pointed out already, although it definitely has its fair share of ugly spots (drive from Davis County anyone?) and not-so-safe spots (Kearns, West Valley), although those places are average for the normal city.

Salt Lake City is also a victim of urban sprawl. Sometimes urban sprawl is just too much (Phoenix anyone?), but here it's not too much and most of the development that's taking place in the suburbs is very environmentally-concsious and, for the most part, not overdone. Salt Lake City also has great transportation options, although the north-south orientation makes travel congested and not much can be done about that. Salt Lake City is just a great city overall, even if its politics are a bit screwed up.

[Slammed0]

Ya I like Salt Lake City. It is a very long and narrow urban corrider though. Nice surroundings though and it is a nice place. Like SLC, Boise also has inversions in the winter!

[i.q.ninja]

Rocky Mountain Shawn you better watch out they're going to duck you like a little bitch in the hood.

[edsg25]

Of course Salt Lake City is no longer the place just for religious wackos anymore. It has been replaced by the United States as the place just for relgious wackos nowadays.

[Gendo]

Very true.

The LDS faith has taken a back seat in the arena of whacked out religious movements thanks to Scientologists, Neo-Con Republicans, and Muslim Jihadists.

Originally Posted by Rocky Mountain Shawn

While I don't recall the Jesus statue talking, that is an interesting room.

[Urban Redneck]

Hey, young feller, I don't like your tone with this "religious wackos" nonsense. I bet you're one o' them elitist Commie/Pinko DЭMOCЯATS that think anybody that don't buy into your brand o' sophisticated socialism and enlightened secular philosophies is just a dumb ol' turd from the 1850's. Now, I'm a gettin' just about as fed up as I can with yer kind a goin' around and puttin' everybody with a different opinion than yours down. You understand me?

[eyrie]

why go out of your way to talk about mormons as wackos?there services are pretty standard boring stuff just like baptists and methodists they're only wacko because they don't criticize you this way.makes me wonder if there religion isn't better than yours

[eyrie]

Originally Posted by outoftime

digging the disney-esque lighting of the big church and even catching a few minutes of some type of service in a big circular room. The Tabernacle?

And then I had to leave.
The moral of the story is: Don't forget the weed.

...besides the "big building" is a temple, a concept your little unweeded mind obviously cannot grasp and they don't hold "services" in the Tabernacle but conferences and concerts... it's very sad and funny to see someone criticising a greater world he cannot fathom thru the smoke of a joint.

[ChicagoFreak96]

Hey, this talk about Mormons is not cool and not true! Mormons are not wackos and there are more people in SLC who aren't Mormon than there is who are Mormon. I'm a Mormon and I'm not a whacko! And as for you people who think Mormons are religious whackos, you should go to all of the Mormon monuments and buildings in Downtown SLC and see for yourselves that Mormons are not whackos! Oh and for your information eyrie, Mormon services are not boring and are not like any other religions services! You are not a Mormon like me so there for, please stop critizizing them!

[ChicagoFreak96]

I agree with Zargyle and Starcode on page two!

[ChicagoFreak96]

Originally Posted by Rocky Mountain Shawn

Touché. But the post itself was about SLC and its evolution out from a cultist backwater to a dynamic, cosmopolitan city.

And I'll stop calling Mormons religious whackos the day they formally apologize for institutionalized racism (instead of hiding behind "it was revealed"), persecution of gays and lesbians, and the subjugation of women.

I do not believe in tolerance for intolerance.

None of that is true at all Rocky Mountain Shawn! I agree with bay area on page 1! You should be ashamed of yourself!

[ChicagoFreak96]

Originally Posted by bay_area

Why dont you go directly to a Mormon Church and ask them what their beliefs are. I dont believe in debating religious doctrine on the internet.

I can say that we are taught values such as Charity, Love and Respect. We also believe that families are the basic unit of society and parents are responsible for teaching their children how to be good people. Not exactly a whacko concept-at least in my opinion. But if that's whacko then I glady accept that title.

What I do know is that Salt Lake City didnt even exist before the Mormons got there. They were forced out of their homes in NY, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri by govt officials and mobs who persecuted them relentlessly simply for what they believed in. Fathers and Sons were killed, Mothers and Daughters were raped. Its the reason the Mormons left the midwest.

So they arrived in a desolate and dusty bowl and they turned it into an organized, treelined city. There the Church was allowed to develop and grow without outside persecution.

The Church founded the city and remains the single most influential force there by far.

Bay area is right about us Mormons! I'm a Mormon and I know for a fact that the stuff he wrote in the quote above is true so don't critizize it!

[The-E-Vid]

I wanted to see things I dont know about SLC in this thread.

[ChicagoFreak96]

Imknid of did to The-E-Vid I kind of did too!

[ATG_Chi-Town_87]

I'm glad I am an unaffiliated Buddhist/Taoist at times like this...


also- Confucius can get bent.

[Mike_UT]

Originally Posted by bay_area

Why dont you go directly to a Mormon Church and ask them what their beliefs are. I dont believe in debating religious doctrine on the internet.

I can say that we are taught values such as Charity, Love and Respect. We also believe that families are the basic unit of society and parents are responsible for teaching their children how to be good people. Not exactly a whacko concept-at least in my opinion. But if that's whacko then I glady accept that title.

What I do know is that Salt Lake City didnt even exist before the Mormons got there. They were forced out of their homes in NY, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri by govt officials and mobs who persecuted them relentlessly simply for what they believed in. Fathers and Sons were killed, Mothers and Daughters were raped. Its the reason the Mormons left the midwest.

So they arrived in a desolate and dusty bowl and they turned it into an organized, treelined city. There the Church was allowed to develop and grow without outside persecution.

The Church founded the city and remains the single most influential force there by far.

Wanting the Church not to have influence in Utah is the same that telling Obama not to govern the United States..

Utah was founded by the Church...and of course the Church has to be the most powerful influence here.