♪ lively mandolin ♪ add bass Cheers!

[glasses clinking] ♪ music continues I'm a journalist and I'm traveling across the United States of America.

On this journey.

I'll be visiting some iconic American experiences.

My next stop is Utah.

♪ ♪ rhythmic trance I'm here in Utah.

This place is known for its Red Rock Canyons, outdoor adventure and spectacular scenery.

I've come here to meet the people who called this place home and to find out what makes it so unique.

My trip begins in Salt Lake City, which is the capital of the state of Utah.

Downtown's Temple Square is the headquarters of the Mormon Church, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints .

♪ Here in Salt Lake City, I've come to “This is the Place Heritage Park ” because I want to learn about the pioneers that helped to build this state.

Tell me why this park exists?

Well, we're here to tell Utah's settlement history.

Really from the early parts of the Native Americans, all the way up through, say, the modern day times with like the transcontinental railroad completion.

And what is the Mormon culture here?

Well, you can't have Utah if you don't have the Mormon pioneer.

I mean, eighty-five percent of its settlement story is literally the reason why the Mormons are here.

We started it.

We built it.

We have fun with it now.

And when you're downtown and you see the Temple Square, what is that?

That's the original settlement.

It's the place where literally everything starts right downtown.

[Brandy] And what's its connection to the Mormon culture and Brigham Young?

[James] Well, Brigham Young is the one who is responsible for bringing seventy thousand people here between the years of 1847 and 1869.

He's the reason why Salt Lake City exists and for that matter, almost everything in the inner mountain west.

And why do you think Mormons wanted to come here to Salt Lake City and to Utah?

It was a place to get away.

I mean, the reality is they were being persecuted everywhere.

So this was the place to come to get away.

Nobody wanted the Great Salt Lake.

Nobody wanted this valley.

Great place to be and be left alone, hopefully.

[Brandy] It's a beautiful valley.

I'm just curious, today in Utah, are a lot of people still Mormon?

[James] Oh yeah, the, the vast majority of them still are.

[Brandy] OK, Fascinating.

So tell me a little bit about when we're here at the park.

What can we do in all these different buildings?

[James] You're going to learn everything there is to know about how pioneers lived in that area.

We have fifty-three historical structures that teach you everything from blacksmithing to how to cook on a wood-burning stove.

[Brandy] After exploring This is the Place Heritage Park, I traveled one hundred and fifty miles southeast.

My next adventure takes me even deeper into Utah's past.

♪ ♪ tubular bells I'm a huge paleontology fan, so while I'm in Utah.

I wanted to come to the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry at the Jurassic National Monument, and I'm here with Michael Leschin.

He's a paleontologist.

Michael, my first question is, what is this incredible thing in your hands here?

This is a replica foot of an Allosaurus and this is not how this was found here.

The bones that this is made up did come from here, but they were all spread out.

This is what we call articulated.

And we don't have that, which is one of the mysteries of this site.

Wow.

And how long ago would this dinosaur have been here?

This guy died probably about one hundred forty seven million years ago.

One hundred and forty seven million years ago.

That's incredible.

How many bones, dinosaur bones have been found here?

About ten to twelve thousand have come out of here.

[Brandy] Wow.

The thing that's so interesting about this site is that research is still happening here.

Paleontologists are coming here.

They're studying, but also tourists can come and they can visit your visitor center.

What's inside there?

Oh, we have a couple dozen exhibits ranging from a full size Allosaurus skeleton to eight different skulls of dinosaurs that left their bones here.

And what I think is probably the best display in the visitor center is the map of the bone bed showing about two thirds of those ten to twelve thousand bones.

Wow.

And you have two buildings over here.

What's inside there?

[Michael] These buildings were set up over the exposure of the bone bed.

And the one on the right has mostly been worked out but we still have a lot of displays in there for people to see.

And then the active research is taking place in this left hand one right here.

OK, let's have a look.

Well, Brandy, this is the bone bed over here where actual research is going on.

We have university professors and their students coming out here working in the bone bed.

Here we have a scapula from a Camosaurus.

Scapula is your angle-winged bone back here.

We have an Allosaurus ilium.

The ilium is the hip bone and clear over here that round surfacing is a centrum.

It's the big part of the backbone.

Wow.

And what are they doing with this plaster here?

[Michael] That just protects the bone both during times it's sitting here and mostly for transportation back to the lab.

You don't want bits and pieces falling off as you're bumping down the road.

Remember, we're up... twelve miles of dirt road out here.

And what about the tools they're using today?

What are they like?

Many of the same tools paleontologists been using for over a hundred years, picks, chisels, small hammers.

In addition, we now have a computer program that all these targets you see here, you take enough pictures, dump it into the computer, it'll spit out a three dimensional map so we can ask questions we've never even been able to ask before.

Well, thank you for taking me here.

It's so interesting to see the bones up this close.

It's wonderful.

I continued my journey driving one hundred and twenty miles south; the landscape around me was incredible.

♪ Utah is known for its spectacular scenery, and while I'm here, I really wanted to check out Goblin Valley State Park, and I'm here with Christopher Hagedorn.

He owns Get in the Wild.

Tell us what we're going to do today.

Today we're going on an incredible canyoneering adventure here at Goblin Valley State Park.

Behind us is the Valley of the Goblins for which Goblin Valley is known for.

One hundred and fifty million year old Entrada sandstone formations.

We're gonna hike out through those goblins on our way to this big hole that goes straight down into the earth.

And it's at that point that we're going to set up our anchors and our rope and we're going to rappel down about ninety feet or thirty meters, into this amazing cathedral that some say resembles a Gothic cathedral.

And that's our adventure today.

Let's go get it!

Sounds so exciting!

Let's go!

♪ guitar and hand clapping The goblins like to be rubbed and touched.

See how smooth they are?

[Christopher] The Estrada formation is characterized by a fine to medium grain sandstone throughout the layer of the Entrada some of the sand is a little bit stronger, so it's more resistant to erosion, while other parts of it, like down lower is more more silty and clay-ey.

So that's what causes the unique shapes to form on the goblins based upon what type of layer it is if it's a sandstone, a siltstone or a clay type material.

Perfect, all right.

Wow, I can definitely see why they call these "goblins".

They have a fun look.

So as far as keeping ourselves safe a lot of it has to do with anticipating hazards before we reach them.

So as I climbing up through this section, you know, if I'm thinking about, well, if that rock were to move, is it gonna hurt me or trap me in any way?

Some things that I'm always thinking about as we, as we move through the canyons to help keep everybody safe.

Okay, I can grab this?

Yeah, yup, very good.

Thank you.

...and we're climbing up there.

I can see why you need a guide.

♪ So this is our practice area.

We're going to set up an anchor and rope and have us go through a practice session here.

And we're here for just about 15, 20 minutes, okay?

Perfect.

All right.

Now, I want you to take the rope here.

That's your brake in.

Move it around the small of yer ba... ...hold your hand right there.

So that's that's where you're going to have your hand at all times unless you're rappelling.

OK?

So leave it right there.

Next, I'm going to fully inspect your harness attachment points, make sure the rope and rappel device are inside the carabiner, make sure the gate is on, locked on the carabiner.

Or you got your helmet on.

You got your gloves on.

You're all set to go.

Uh, Brandy.

So when you're ready, go ahead and step back with your left foot and get a nice wide stance there.

Yell down to Logan.

Say "on belay".

On belay?

On belay!

[Logan] Belay on!

There you go.

Then we'll detach your personal anchor.

You might have to just lean forward a little bit to get the weight off.

There we go.

All right...

So when you're ready, just slowly lean back.

Leave your feet where they're at and just slowly lean back and let the anchor hold you.

There you go.

Now your weight is on the rope.

Yes.

So when you're ready, slowly move that right hand forward and you'll start to move and then step backwards.

(laughs) OK?

Am I doin' it right?

Yes!

That's what.

♪ So just below us is the entrance to the goblins' lair in the chamber, the Basilisk.

You can see the hole in the dark down there.

It's approximately five meters in diameter.

This particular hole has this nice big boulder here that can serve as a great anchor for us to attach our anchor system and ropes to, which is what Logan is showing us right now.

So just come on around the corner to the right here.

Sit down right here.

Once you're sitting, you can reach over and attach your personal anchor to this webbing.

Personal anchor.

Right.

Clip it right in there.

But now step on down here by me and we'll attach it to the orange rope.

So the orange one is actually going to be your rappel rope.

So that's the one that you're gonna be holding onto with your brake hand.

And then the green one is the backup belay rope that I will be managing here from the top.

OK, perfect.

All right.

So now I'm.

And inspect everything.

Good.

Good.

And the backup is good.

All right.

This sounds exciting.

Can't wait.

Here I go...

So when you're ready to go, just slowly move that right hand forward.

All right.

Well, this is fun!

It's awesome!

Wow!

(echoing) Beautiful!

♪ Wow!

Wooo!

So wild!

What a rush it's so crazy to go down there, because as you're going down at first it's quite scary.

When I started to see how deep it was.

But then when you see the magnificent rocks all around you and the shapes, it's like a rush!

Your adrenaline is like BOOM!

It's really fun.

Thank you so much for this experience.

I loved it.

So cool.

♪ ♪ ♪ To get to my next destination, I traveled one hundred and seventy two miles south.

Incredible views continue to surprise me.

♪ I've come to Oljato.

Which is also known as Monument Valley, because I want to learn more about the Navajo culture.

And I'm here with Lawrence, Marietta and Lucy... Marietta, tell me, when people come here, how can they have an indigenous experience?

They can take a Jeep tour, a horse tour, hiking tour just to explore the area.

...with a Navajo guide.

Correct.

And what's the building we're in right now?

We're in a shade house in the summertime that provides a nice shade.

It's nice and cool in here.

And then you have the hogan right next door.

So when it's nice and cool inside, you don't want to build a fire and trap all the heat in there.

You build a fire out here to cook and that.

And what's a Hogan?

Hogan is a Navajo word.

And it's actually pronounced "ha'wun".

"Ha'wun", meaning a home.

And what are we going to do here, Lawrence?

Well, today I brought all my kitchenware, and we have a skillet with vegetable oil in it.

And I also brought some dough made out of flour.

We add baking powder, salt and also very secret ingredient that we add called "sufriden" ...to make a fry-bread.

Can we taste it with you?

Sure.

OK, I'm ready.

OK, since we kneel down.

I got a snowball here and I made that dough earlier.

So what I'm gonna do is I will put it in my hand and slowly stretch.

And I'm using my thumb to press these heavy dough some or have lumps in it.

So I have to kind of feel it, make sure everything's all even.

As you can see, once I drop it, it started to stretch.

So when I swing back and forth, it's stretched more.

So the size of the skillet is about probably that much.

So I punch a hole.

So when I drop it into the oil, the air is going to release.

It's like breathing.

So I drop in.

[Brandy] Wow.

Look at that.

How did you learn how to make this?

[Lawrence] When I came to Goulding about 25 years ago, I didn't know how to cook.

So the ladies in there taught me from scratch and I started from basic and learned as I go.

[Brandy] And do you remember seeing this growing up as a child?

[Lawrence] Yes, I did.

With my grandparents, that were living in a hogan.

They did the same thing is have the open fire.

Even in the shade house or outside.

So on the other side is now crispy, golden, fluffy.

[Brandy] Wow.

My stomach is growling.

I'm waiting for this.

(laughs) [Lawrence] So I'm gonna wait a few minutes to cool down a little bit.

'Cuz this thing is really hot.

[Brandy] Wow, it looks incredible.

And I can see why you put the hole in it.

[Lawrence] Yes.

So we'll see if this side is OK to take a small piece of it.

[Brandy] Can I put honey on it?

Definitely.

OK.

I saw it here and I.. ha ha... All right.

What kind of things do you usually put on it?

We call a traditional food that we use for a Navaho taco.

And we make a fry bread and with chili beans and lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and onions.

Wow.

And that's how we do it, it's like a Navaho pizza.

Wow.

OK, I'm wanting to jump in there.

Sure.

Let's fill it first and see if it's... Oh, you okay with that?

It's a bit hot.

I'll just grab a piece of paper towel.

Sure is still hot... ...and very hot.

Marietta, d'you wanna...?

Sure!

OK. All right?

Mmmmmmm... [Marietta] That's good.

Mm hmm.

That's good.

I love how crispy it is.

And then soft on the inside.

I'm coming back for more.

(laughs) [Lawrence] Is that good or what?

I think I want to just change to this bread everyday.

All right.

Now that you've tasted the fry bread, you want to go inside for a rug weaving demonstration?

That sounds wonderful.

Let's do that.

All right!

♪ [Marietta] Brandy, this is a female Hogan, and we call it the female Hogan because it's in a dome shaped like a womb.

[Brandy] Wow, I love that it's shaped as a womb.

[Marietta] Oh, yes.

It's nice and comfortable.

Very cozy.

(chuckles) And Lucy's gonna go ahead and show us the rug weaving demonstration.

She'll start us off with the carding.

This is... taking... Take any debris out of the wool like the twigs, the dirt, and then to comb it nice and evenly.

So it's easier to manage when you come to the spinning.

And what she's got there is going to turn into a good yard of yarn.

Adding the yarn to what she's already got is... she makes it look like it's easy, but it's not.

You apply a lot of tension to it.

You're pulling the yarns apart, but then if you don't apply enough tension, then you leave lumps in your yarn.

So after they get done with the spinning, they'll go on to using the yucca root, which is this one here, and they'll add this to soap and it gets nice and soapy.

After they wash the wool, then they'll go on to the coloring.

So using the different herbs to make the different colors.

And as you can see, there's no design on the loom to say what the designs can look like.

All this is her.

So how many colors to go in?

How many colors to come out?

It's all her.

So she's like a mathematician.

A real artist.

And all of these things come from the land here?

Yes.

Thank you so much for sharing your culture with me.

I've learned so much and it's just fascinating.

Thank you.

Oh, you're so welcome.

♪ ♪ hand clapping My final stop in Utah is full of adventure.

I drove 270 miles west to have this fun experience.

♪ (engine sounds) One of the most scenic places you can visit while you're here in Utah is Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

It's a desert paradise and wonderful for people who like outdoor activity.

I'm here with Mindy Baxter.

She is my guide today.

Tell us what we're going to do.

We're gonna go out and do some trail riding and get you out to see what's beyond the observation deck.

We'll go check out a little slot canyon we have here in the park and then we'll work our way back into the dunes and stop at the tallest dune in the park where we'll do some sand-boarding and sand sledding.

Awesome.

Let's do it.

(engine sounds) ♪ and engine sounds ♪ (gravel crunching) ♪ This is one of the washes we have here in the park.

It only sees water during our flash flood season, which is August and September.

It had about ten to twelve feet of sand in it up until about five years ago when we had a really heavy flash flood come through and then rinsed it all out.

And it exposed a little flat canyon that we like to hike down to and check out.

[Brandy] Wow.

Can't wait.

I like how these cracks are like little paths for you, like a ladder.

♪ All right.

So this place, the safest way to do this is to put your hands across here and just sidestep as you go down and we'll come out that same way.

OK. Close... Neat!

Woo-oo..

Some fun.

Wow!

Neat!

[Mindy] So this is where the wash opens.

This is as far down as we go, it'll eventually end in the Grand Canyon if you take it a hundred more miles.

This slot canyon's on about a 20-year cycle.

Sand will fill back in as storms come, but the flash floods will rent it back out.

And we're about four feet higher than we were from the last time we had a really bad storm come through.

[Brandy] How incredible.

And how come the sand has this incredible color?

Yeah, it's from the iron that's in the sand.

So it's, uh, it rusts and creates that kind of coraly-orange color sand.

Wow.

It's like literally rust in my hand.

That's so neat.

{Mindy] Yeah!

So we'll just work our way back out through.

We'll go get on our machines and we'll head back into the dunes and do some sand boarding.

Fantastic.

♪ This is a Ponderosa pine.

It's found here in the park.

The unique thing about Ponderosa pine is if you get it, smell it.

It smells like butterscotch.

If you smell into the crack of the tree, you can smell... butterscotch.

Butterscotch!?

It does smell like butterscotch... Kind of reminds me of like, butterscotch... popcorn or something, but I bet it doesn't taste good.

[Mindy] No, not at all.

I'm gonna spend my time going around forests sniffing trees now.

Neat.

All right.

So this is what we've all been waiting for.

Brandy, are you ready to try out some sand boarding and sand sledding?

I am.

How about you, Patrick?

Yeah.

All right.

Let's do it.

So we're at Star Dune.

This is the tallest dune in the park.

But we're going to take you off a little bunny slope first to give you... have you get a feel for the board.

So what you're gonna do is just stick your feet in here and pull this back-strap over your heel, and then you're just gonna go off the edge and scoot your way forward.

Keep your knees soft and enjoy the ride.

And how is this similar to, say, snowboarding?

It's... that in that you use a board?

But people who snowboard really want sand boarding to be the same, but it really is different.

The sand just doesn't react the same way as snow.

We do have a wax that we put on the boards that is special for sand.

So after each run we'ill wax you back up.

But you usually want to just pick a straight line and go in it instead of cutting like you do in snowboarding.

You just want to find a line and go.

OK. And do you like doing it?

Yeah, it's a lot of fun.

You do wipe out.

You get a lot of sand in the mouth if you keep your mouth open.

But it's a lot of fun.

OK.

I've never done it.

Have you done it?

Once.

Once.

OK,, I'm a little scared.

But we'll do it.

Oh, you'll be great.

OK. You're going first, please?

(laughs) ♪ [Mindy] Nice!

Good job!

Wow, this looks kind of scary.

Oh, my gosh.

So Mindy, I'm gonna ask a favour, can you walk with me a little bit and we can... you can go in front of me.

Yeah.

Yeah!

We'll see how this goes.

Yup.

So just scooch.

Oh, my gosh.

Woo!

Whooo!

Whoa!

This is amazing!

WHOOOOO!!

Wow, that was super fun.

Thank you.

You're welcome!

I don't think I could do it without you yet, though, Mindy.

OK... You wanna... Maybe try the sand slide?

Is it like a toboggan?

Not quite.

But it's still just as much fun.

OK. And you go down on your bottom.

Yes.

OK, let's do it.

Okay!

Thank you.

So you wanna sit with all your weight... back.

Kay.

Keep your feet light in the front.

Okay, You can use your handles to get going.

But you want to quickly put your hands behind you so you won't spin side to side.

OK. All right.

I'm going to go first.

Okay... Whoooo!

Oh, this is wonderful.

Yay!

Oh, that's so much fun!

Thanks, Mindy.

Yeah, no problem!

I really appreciate it.

You like that better?

Yeah, I really appreciate you taking me out and showing me this.

This is so much fun.

Oh... what a great alternative in the sun!

Oh, wonderful.

♪ I really enjoyed my experience here in Utah.

I've had so much fun exploring the varied landscapes by canyoneering and going on a side by side.

But I think my favorite part of my trip was meeting my Navajo guides and learning about their culture.

I definitely would come back here again.

♪