information about Vernal (Uintah, Junction: how much, houses, theatres)

[rosibird]

Hi we are currently considering moving to the states from UK. WE have a couple of places in mind based on a job offer .

Could anyone tell me what it is like to live in Vernal. We know some really great people there already who love living there. We would be interested to hear the views of some other people. We appreciate there is not a lot there right now but understand it is booming and there are plans for a better high street for example! WE are Christian not Morman would that be a problem ?

WE loved the dry fork canyon area but wondered how much community we would get out there. Also we have 3 teenage girls would they hate us forever? 1 is mad on horses though and we woluld be keeping a horse or horses.
our other possibilitie is the outskirts of Grand Junction such as FRuita or Loma . How would they compare?

Hope someone can understand my message.
Thanks

[AndyJ]

I realize this thread is dated, but I just now happened upon it. I lived in Vernal for several years as a kid, and I'll try to offer some insight based on what I remember about it. My family is not Mormon, but we were, for the most part, treated quite well by the people who live there. I recall the children of Mormon families I attended several years of school with as being good, friendly kids. As for your daughters, if they are anything like most teenage girls, they will not like living in Vernal, which is relatively isolated. It is located in an area with a lot of natural beauty, and a lot to do outdoors, if your family's interests include that. It's also a good place if you have horses and can afford a large enough property to house them.

On another note, I have to say that coming from the UK, a move to this part of the country will most likely be a HUGE culture shock. Even the relatively large town of Grand Junction would be a vast change than what you are likely used to, though I am making an assumption here (have never been to the UK, but looks like I might be going soon!).

My folks visited Vernal two summers ago, and said that a lot has changed. We lived west of town off of highway 40. We had no neighbors; only a nearby stable where a man who lived in town kept his horses. My mother said that there are now a number of houses out there, and new developments within the town limits. It sounds to me like Vernal is certainly experiencing some growth (due to natural gas out there, if I recall correctly).

Regardless of the good things I recall about the area, I would recommend trying to move near a larger city, like Denver or Salt Lake. I understand that your job offer and budget might limit these options, but if you find yourself with a wider array of choices I would look into those cities to ease your transition to the states. At any rate, best of luck with your move, and if you stumble back upon this post, I sincerely hope it helps at least a little bit.

[YcartHearts]

I just had one question. Is your job opportunity for calliber casing or something of that sort? Its cause your story sounded relatively familiar. I was due to relocate to either frutia or loma or vernal. If you're there I'd like to know what its like or if you're enjoying life there

[ria-z14]

Hi.
We have lived in Vernal going on five years now. I have lived all up and down the East Coast and in the Midwest both in large cities and in small rural communities, and I think that Vernal is a good blend of the great outdoors with a decent sized small city. It has your average basic services and more available right in town plus plenty of outdoor activities within an easy drive. It is a family oriented area that hosts a range of free and reasonably cost events throughout the year. Flower filled hanging pots and planters line the main streets, making it one of the prettiest towns I have ever been in during the summer months. Horses and other farm animals abound as does the wildlife.

Although the population and subsequent traffic has gone up since we lived here, we still like living in Vernal. Just since we have lived here, the town has boomed. We are still in a boom, and depending on who you listen to, it may or may not go bust this time around. The traffic, which is not horrible just annoying to those who were used to dealing without so much, is probably the least attractive thing about the town, but they are working on getting that better under control. Houses are still going up a bit crazy-like, but we are wondering how they are going to all be filled.

We are Christian as well, and although we are a minority, it has not been a "problem." Mormons, and any other church going people, make nice neighbors : ) Not that, unlike much of Utah, Mormans did not establish this town nor do they have such a high population like in other Utah communities. Most Christian denominations are represented albeit our churches are small. Which one would you be looking for? I also believe that the Christian community here is growing overall. My son (7.5) attends the Uintah Basin Christian Academy, which is well supported and has broken ground to extend the school.

As far as teenagers go, I cannot speak from personal experience, but I do know some friends who have kids that age. [One of them has a teenaged daughter and even lives in Dry Fork.] The high school has some pretty good athletic teams and a fabulous drama department that puts on super musical products with budgets in the $20,000 plus range. Students can attend the local extension office of the University of Utah for some of their classes. There are three movie theatres in town, including a drive-in that is open in the summer. There is an indoor ice rink that opens in the winter. We have no mall or mega shopping center, but Grand Junction and Salt Lake are both within three hours drive. Many people enjoy taking regular trips to either or both place as little getaways, and shopping on-line is still common. We do have a few small clothing shops that are popular with the teens and preteens, especially the girls. Our new, large, state-of-the-art Recreation Center opens next week. It has a large indoor pool, gym, track, and who knows what other little goodies, like courts. I expect it will be quite popular. The County Recreation Department also has programs running year round that are for various age groups from toddlers to the elderly. Our library is not bad. We have DSL access in most of the Basin. We have a Wal-Mart and a K-Mart to obtain standard American supplies.

Fruita and Loma are tiny, but are close enough to Grand Junction to get your supplies, but I imagine the girls would be less happy with the social scene there than in Vernal or within Grand Junction itself. I am told by someone who lived both here and there that the weather is a little tiny bit milder down the temperature wise because they are further south and not as high elevation-wise, but they get some more snow than we do in this part of the Basin because we are closer to the taller High Uinta's which generally protect us from most snow and rain. All of us are in the Uintah Basin, which is an arid, high desert mountainous area.

I hope this helps.