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The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
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Barber: Seven Staycation Suggestions

Zion+National+Park+in+Utah.+
Cassandra Palor
Zion National Park in Utah.

Spring break is quickly approaching and everyone is buzzing for a vacation. Instead of a costly trip outside of Utah, here are seven unique attractions to see within the state, from pyramids, to giant sculptures and ghost towns.

The Spiral Jetty

This unusual piece of artwork by Robert Smithson was created using basalt, salt crystals and mud. The 1,500-foot long rocky spiral is located in the Great Salt Lake and is visible only when the water levels are low.

Summum Pyramid

The 26-foot tall pyramid was constructed in 1977 as a sanctuary and temple for the Summum religion, which was started by Summum Bonum Amon Ra. The Summum mission is to “help you liberate and emancipate you from yourself and turn you into an Overcomer.” After his death, Ra was mummified and his casket remains standing inside the pyramid. The Summum Pyramid is the only place in the world which offers modern mummification.

Gilgal Sculpture Gardens

Gilgal Sculpture Gardens was originally created by Thomas Child as a way to explore his deeply felt religious beliefs. It contains 12 original sculptures, including a small cave with two stone hearts, a hill covered with scattered stone limbs and more than 70 rocks engraved with scriptures.

The Up House

This house was built as a real-life replica of the house from the popular Disney-Pixar film, “Up.” It is currently occupied by a family of four and their Shiba Inu named Piper. Although they do not offer public tours, the drive-by is certainly worth the short drive to Herriman.

Tree of Utah

The Tree of Utah is a massive 83-foot tall statue in the middle of the Great Western Desert created by European sculptor Karl Momen. The bizarre statue is made of steel and concrete. The enormous trunk is topped by multicolored orbs which can be seen from up to 17 miles away. According to the Tree of Utah’s website, the statue is representative of “the natural order of all living things — an order that was under assault by rampant industrialization and urbanization.”

Thistle Ghost Town

Thistle, Utah, was founded in 1883. One hundred years later, an enormous landslide devastated the town, causing flooding that destroyed many of its structures which made it uninhabitable. Some buildings are still visible, albeit covered with mud and water.

The Trembling Giant

The approximately 47,000 quaking aspen trees in this forest are actually a single organism, one of the largest living life forms in the world. Quaking aspens reproduce by sprouting new trees from their interconnected roots, meaning that all of the trees technically belong to the same plant.

While a spring break spent in Cancun or the Bahamas sounds pleasant, it is a luxury few college students can afford. Luckily for University of Utah students, there are plenty of spring break attractions in Utah. Rather than leaving the state or country during the break, it may be worthwhile checking out what this state has to offer.

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