Surrounded by mountains that rise to more than 10,000 feet (3,500 meters), Salt Lake City reflects a remarkable combination of history, culture and recreation. Settled in 1847 by pioneers seeking an escape from persecution, the city is the world-wide center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormons. Salt Lake City's Temple Square is the center of the Mormon universe, where the first Mormon Temple, the Tabernacle (home of the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir) and the nearby Family History Library, Museum of History and Art and Beehive House are living symbols of the industriousness and commitment of the original pioneers. Salt Lake City reveals a strong western heritage at every turn of the road. Mountain vistas, snow-capped peaks, seven year-round resorts less than an hour's drive from the city's international airport (and four more a little more than an hour's drive) provide non-stop recreation. In the winter, you can ski and snowboard at world-class destination resorts like Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, Park City Mountain Resort, The Canyons, Deer Valley, Sundance and Snowbasin on what you'll discover is truly the Greatest Snow on Earth. In the summer, the same resorts offer splendid lodging, outdoor dining, fields lush with wild flowers and more hiking and mountain biking than you could possibly cover on your first Utah visit. In the canyons and resorts close to Salt Lake City, preparations for the 2002 International Winter Olympic Games proceed at a fast pace. Ski and snowboard trails, ice skating venues, a unique Winter Sports Park and even a State Park are almost ready for action. At some resorts, you can take a practice run on the same trail on which Olympic athletes will compete! At the Utah Winter Sports Park, you can even ride the bobsled and luge track in the winter and summer and imagine yourself as an Olympic competitor. A large and growing lodging base (several new luxury hotels are under construction), endless shopping (you'll love our malls!), wonderful dining, symphony, opera, ballet, museums, professional sports teams and the University of Utah--indeed, all the comforts of home--await you in Salt Lake City.