State of the Week: Utah

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Where are we? The Beehive State. Most Utahns -- yes, that's the official way to refer to a resident of Utah -- are concentrated in the Wasatch Front. In fact, 88 percent of the population lives in this urban area centered around Salt Lake City.

Utah history: Utah was the 45th state added to the union on January 4th, 1896. Native Americans lived in the area for thousands of years before European settlers and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints members made their way to the American West. Colorful character Jim Bridger, famous for inventing tall tales, discovered the Great Salt Lake in the winter of 1824-25 and mistakenly thought it was a branch of the Pacific Ocean. Just over 20 years later, Brigham Young and the Mormons built an entire civilization in the ruggedly wild and beautiful state.

Utah on the course: The Nationwide Tour plays at Willow Creek Country Club in Sandy, Utah, but there's another notable golf course in that suburb of Salt Lake City as well. Also located in Sandy is River Oaks Golf Course, an 18-hole par-70 venue that opened in 1999. The municipal course costs less than $40 on weekdays AND weekends, although the course would probably pay you to come and play during the ice cold winter months. With a fantastic practice facility, challenging water hazards and thick rough, this course is a solid venue to play and work on your game.

Utah off the course: Salt Lake City, aka S.L.C., is the capital of the state and played host to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. In the fall and winter, the city is teeming with skiers who flock to the slopes (see: Utah resort for more on nearby Park City). More surprising, however, is the seagulls who flock about the skies in warm weather. Since S.L.C. is so landlocked, it may come as a shock to find ocean-loving birds in the desert. But they are native to the area because of the Great Salt Lake, a massive body of water near Salt Lake City that is much saltier than sea water. If your idea of swimming is doing the dog paddle, don't worry. Most people can float in the lake because of its high salt content though for that same reason fish can't survive in the 37th largest lake on earth.

Utah eats: It's wiggly, jiggly and associated with Bill Cosby. That'd be Jell-O, the official state snack of Utah. Utahns are so crazy about their Jell-O that Salt Lake Magazine once cited Utah as the "Jell-O State". Another scrumptious Utah treat is fry sauce, an orange sauce accidentally created to accompany French fries. Invented in 1949 by a man trying to come up with the perfect hamburger topping, its most basic form mixes one part ketchup and two parts mayo. Other culinary whizzes, however, like to substitute bar-b-que sauce for the ketchup.

Utah resort: Whatever your interest, Park City, Utah, is one of the coolest resort towns in the country. Ski buffs can choose between three fabulous different ski resorts and spend time off the slopes in upscale shops, taking in the sights on main street, relaxing at the spa or even hitting the links. As a bonus, celebrity sightings occur aplenty during its annual Sundance Film Festival, which celebrates independent films like "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Napoleon Dynamite". The film festival was named after Robert Redford's character in the classic movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and Utah resident Redford has spent years working tirelessly to promote the independent film cause. For those who don't watch indie films, don't fret. Several scenes from the cult classic "Dumb and Dumber" were also filmed in Park City, Utah.

Utah culture: A majority of Utah citizens are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a church legally established by Joseph Smith in the 1830s. Brigham Young led a group of LDS church followers to what is now Utah and incorporated the church doctrines into most of the state's policies. The U.S. government removed Young from his original position as governor in 1857 but that didn't stop strife between Washington, D.C., and Utah in the late 1800s over the issue of polygamy. By 1904, the LDS church officially restricted polygamy in their religion and excommunicates any members today who marry multiple spouses. The church remains a large part of Utah culture, though the state is more religiously and culturally diverse than what is commonly thought.

Utah golfer: He's famous for being Canadian but Mike Weir currently makes his home in Draper, Utah. The Brigham Young University alum had a busy year in 2007. Weir captured his first PGA TOUR title since 2004 at the '07 Fry's Electronics Open to make it eight career TOUR wins. He also beat Tiger Woods at The Presidents Cup in their Singles match held in his native country of Canada. Weir may be known for being a Canadian but he's certainly making his adopted home state proud as well.

Next week: Fill in the blank: "Walker, _______________ Ranger".