Guide to Provo: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. Highlights of Provo: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shops.
According to toppharmacyschools, Provo is the third largest city in Utah, USA. It is located about 70 km south of Salt Lake City, and its population is about 115 thousand people. In 2009, the city was named “an enticing city for a new career” by Where to Retire magazine. National Geographic Adventure magazine listed it as a city to “live and play” as a cultural hub. In 2010, Forbes listed Provo as one of the 10 places to raise a family. In addition, in 2013, the same Forbes named Provo the No. 2 city of “the best places for business and career.” In light of all this, Provo’s motto “Welcome home” becomes quite natural.
The Mormon Temple, built in 1969, sits atop a hill that faces Provo. Due to its unique shape, the temple was given the colloquial nickname “space rocket”.
How to get to Provo
The most natural way to get to Provo is to fly to Salt Lake City Airport and from there take I-15 by bus, airport shuttle, or rental car, which will take you 45-60 minutes. Provo also has its own airport, which usually receives flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix. Greyhound buses reach Provo from Salt Lake City, Vegas, and Grand Junction. The California Zephyr train runs daily between Emeryville (in the San Francisco Bay area) and Chicago, stopping in Provo.
A bit of history
Father Silvestre Velez de Escalante, a Spanish Franciscan friar, is believed to be the first European to arrive in the area in 1776. The city was originally called Fort Utah, founded in 1849 by 33 Mormon families from Salt Lake City, but was renamed in 1850 in honor of Étienne Provost, pioneer and French Canadian trapper.
Attractions and attractions in Provo
One surefire way to not miss out on the city’s central attractions is to take a Provo Historic Walking Tour. During it, you will see interesting old buildings – for example, the district court, built in an antique likeness with a triangular portico and a colonnade – and not get too tired. The tour takes place without a guide: you are simply given a booklet and a route map at the tourist center.
One of the most beautiful buildings in Provo was the Tabernacle, built in 1898, with turrets at the corners and tall lancet windows. Alas, in 2010 a terrible fire destroyed the building almost completely. Restoration work began immediately, using the most modern technologies. For several months, the skeleton of the building “floated” 12 m above the ground on metal pins. The Mormons, by all means, wanted to restore the old building, and not build a new one, and the result is already close.
Brigham University plays an important role in the city and its cultural life. Tourists can visit the university campus and go to the art galleries – the Harris Museum of Art and the Harris Fine Arts Center. The former usually hosts world class changing exhibitions in addition to the permanent exhibition. Here you can take an audio guide or even book a tour with an assistant professor. The Harris Center, right next door, has student art galleries. The permanent exhibition “Education in Zion” is open in the Joseph Fielding Smith Building, and exhibitions – art and history – often take place in the university library.
2 things to do in Provo:
- Take a picture of a huge Y on Mt.
- Attend one of the “rooftop concerts” that take place free of charge on the first Friday of every month from May to October on top of a public parking lot in the city center. Concerts are accompanied by the spectacle of sunset over the valley, and local restaurants deliver food to the venue from below.
Of particular interest is the University Museum of Life Sciences, where you can see stuffed animals in their natural environment. This is a very large collection of animals from all over the world, including unusual ones such as the liger, the giant grizzly and the huge Humphrey the elephant. Public shows with live animals take place in the atrium during the week. The University Museum of Paleontology is small but has dinosaur fossils and a good Jurassic exhibit. And in the Museum of Peoples and Cultures, even smaller in size, you can learn more about the culture of Native Americans.
The lifestyle in Provo is subordinate to the Mormon Church – it is one of the most conservative and “right-wing” cities in the United States. Therefore, all commercial establishments, including even many gas stations, are closed on Sundays.
The building of the city’s public library, the former Brigham Youth Academy, built in 1892, is beautiful. The library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It has more than 277,000 media in its collection.
The Crandell Printing Historical Museum is an impressive and interesting place. There is a copy of the Gutenberg printing press and other historical presses, as well as old editions. The Pioneer Museum has a large collection of artifacts related to the period of the first settlers, and right next door is the Pioneer Village. It is made up of the original settler houses, staffed by volunteers dressed as they were centuries ago. Another specific museum dedicated to Mormon-Mexican history is a small branch of the museum in Mexico City. Mostly its exposition consists of copies, but there are also a few interesting things: for example, church utensils.
The Mormon Temple, built in 1969, sits atop a hill that faces Provo. Due to its unique shape, the temple was given the colloquial nickname “space rocket”. Its spire, now white, was originally gold, and a statue of Moroni was added in the 2000s. Only Mormons are allowed inside the temple, but anyone can take a walk in the beautiful garden with flower beds and fountains. From the garden behind the temple, there is a pleasant view of the Utah Valley.
Neighborhood Provo
One of the most popular excursions outside the city limits is the climb to Y. The mountain trail starts from the parking lot and stretches for almost 2 km to the mountain base next to the huge letter Y, which was placed here more than 100 years ago as a sign of the university. The height of this letter is 116 m, the width is 40 m, which is even more than the “Hollywood Sign” in Los Angeles. You can climb to Y in 45 minutes, and from there you will have a good view of the valley and the lake.
Directly to the east of the city lies the beautiful Wasatch Mountain Range. Hiking, camping and skiing are popular here. It is also home to the famous Alpine Loop Scenic Road, which circles Mount Timpanogos, passing through the Provo and American Fork canyons. The road is open from May to October.
Mount Tympanogos itself is also worth seeing. It is located to the north of Provo and its height is more than 3500 m.
It is one of the few places in Utah where the snow never melts, and this has made the mountain popular with hikers.
In addition, the Timpanogos cave is located on the mountain, consisting of three, combined with each other – a national monument. In the caves, you can admire unusual geological formations of different colors.
Bridal Vale Falls (bridal veil) is also very close to the city and easily accessible by car. You can go down the footpath to the bowl of the waterfall, and a wooden bridge is thrown over the river over it. Passing by the falls is the Provo Canyon View Pass, which is popular with cyclists or hikers. It will take you to Deer Creek State Park, a famous swimming and boating destination.
Utah Lake National Park is located to the west of the city. Utah is the state’s largest freshwater lake and is great for fishing, boating, parasailing, and camping. The lake’s marina looks very romantic at sunset and is bordered by a colony of wild birds. On the lake you can ride on a jet boat, from the side of which wonderful views of the valley open up.
