Water Ski/Boating near Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Ogden: fit in, neighborhood, school district)

[RocketBaby]

Hi,
It appears that SNC is bringing alot of new people on board,
and I am also one of them. We are moving there soon, and
my main priority is where the water is, so I can play with my toys.
I have never been to Utah, and was told that the Salt Lake is never
used for anything (swimming, boating, etc) Is that true?
Either way, where would you suggest living for a water weenie with
boats, jet skis and seadoos? Are there communities with docks on
useable bodies of water?
Thanks
PS..I am also non-mormon, and am told that I am crazy to subject my
daughter to Utah. Is it true that the mormon kids will ostrasize (sp?) her
and treat her badly? Is it that much of a cult-type religion? I am not
too familiar with the mormon way, just the basic stereotypes of 7 wives
and daughters married off at age 12. But I assumed that those were tales of the old days, and never really gave it much thought.

Thanks

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

True of the fundamentalist groups like FLDS but not true of mainstream society. The Great Salt Lake is used for boating but not swimming as you can't get under the water. It's so salty that you float on top w/o any effort, no matter what you try.

Bear Lake is popular for boating but it is not close. You do realize you are moving into a high desert terrain?

[RocketBaby]

It's all new to me right now. Aren't there canals close that people water ski on?
I was told that there were several..?

[Jamu1151]

First off, what part of Utah are you looking to move?
If into the city or surronding cities the LDS church isnt a problem (coming from a 19 year old who has lived here since i was 10)
Then lake wise, my favorite is by far Utah lake. From downtown its a little more then an hour away depending freeway traffic. Also up the canoyns there are various lakes such as Jordanelle, strawberry res., rockport, echo lake and uba just to name a few. My family has a boat that we love to take to all of these lakes. Camping is available also very close to almost all of these. So it all depends on where you end up moving to. If your moving down south into like Saint George there is Lake powelle which is a pretty big lake that is warm. all has cliff diving and stuff like that. Hope this helps. anymore questions just ask

[markg91359]

The Jordanelle Reservoir which is east of Salt Lake City and between Park City and Heber is probably your best bet for what you describe. I could also recommend Willard Bay between Ogden and Brigham City. There are some other smaller reservoirs in the area that you can look up too.

If you come to Utah its best to come here with a positive attitude. If you come here believing the LDS Church is a "cult religion" and you are afraid that you or family members will be corrupted by living around Mormons than you are in for a rough time. If you take a more realistic view of Utah and Mormons you can and will most likely enjoy your time here. I really don't believe anyone will ostracize your daughter or treat her badly. I would encourage you to live around Salt Lake City/County. I believe these areas are the most diverse in the state. If you come, don't come here with a chip on your shoulder. Come here with the attitude that you want to fit in and get along with everyone.

[teraval]

Originally Posted by RocketBaby

PS..I am also non-mormon, and am told that I am crazy to subject my
daughter to Utah. Is it true that the mormon kids will ostrasize (sp?) her
and treat her badly? Is it that much of a cult-type religion? I am not
too familiar with the mormon way, just the basic stereotypes of 7 wives
and daughters married off at age 12. But I assumed that those were tales of the old days, and never really gave it much thought.

Sigh. I bet the people that told you you were crazy about subjecting your daughter to Utah must never have been there. Either that or they've never lived there themselves. I hope your experience proves them wrong. It may be hard for some to believe but there are people who are not Mormon who live in Utah. Some can't seem to shake the stereotypes. When I talk to people about it, the first question is whether I'm Mormon more than 50% of the time.

Anyway...when I would go canoeing/boating it would be at Pineview Dam in the Ogden Canyon.

After all that being said, I sincerely do hope you come to like it there. It's not for everyone, but approach it with an open mind. You might be surprised.

[jaceepc]

I love living in "Mormon country". Why? First of all, this state has the most beautiful, diverse landscapes in the nation. Most of the state is 3-dimensional color from the mountains to the valleys, and into the desert. (And Colorado is called Color Country - not compared to Utah.) There isn't any recreational activity that you can't do here. There are lakes galore (most are reservoirs) of all sizes. Some are fairly close to a town or city, some are more distant. But you can drive the entire length of the state in about 8 hours, so going east or west from SLC to float your boat (sorry, couldn't resist ) isn't all that far.

The other reasons I love living among the Mormons is that I like their attitude about life in general (most of them), which includes: self-sufficiency, innovative, upbeat, cheerful, can-do, pretty efficient, and fiercely independent. They do NOT like "nanny" government regulations and laws (although the legislature sneaks them in anyway).

Yes, there are those who will try to convert you. Just politely say no thank you. There are even some who might ostracize your daughter. I've heard this from others, but having lived here for 50+ years, I have never seen it happen or experienced it personally. Neither did my children. Children ostracize each other for lots of mean reasons, but rarely (IMHO) for not being LDS.

So . . . welcome to Utah.

[skibarbie]

There are lots of bodies of water for you and your toys to play on. The season for water sports may be shorter that you are used to-unless you want to take the trip to Lake Powell during the spring and fall. I do not care for Utah Lake at all-yucky water. Jordanelle, Deer Creek, Rockport and Echo are all less than 1 hour away from the Valley.
Pick your neighborhood wisely and you can avoid the density of any religion that you do not care to be around. Also, watch for all of the new property taxes that are being raised since the big school district split.
This state is fantastic if you want it to be-or just the opposite.
Keep an open mind about all of us Utards-we actually make a lot of our own fun even if we are not natives.