Exploration Trip to Utah: Looking to escape morally/economically bankrupt Oregon (Provo: fit in, for sale)

[Suizo]

My family and I have one week in mid October to explore Utah. We will be flying into SLC and I would like to explore the Midway-Heber City area, the Logan area and some of the outlying Wasatch Front area.

Our main logistical problem is that I would like to visit the Dixie Region of southern Utah, but I fear that we won't have time to do it all, especially while travelling with our two baby daughters.

About me; white, lower class, conservative, average looking, fifth generation pioneer stock farmboy raised in a strict but loving Swiss Baptist (no drinking, no dancing, no cards) community west of Portland that is paved over now. Supported myself working swing shift at a sawmill while attending college. Career in Agricultural Sales in USA and Mexico. Now I would like to enjoy the fruits of my labor and raise my daughters in a family friendly environment, which Oregon unfortunately lacks.

My wife; white, upper class, conservative Catholic, beautiful Mexican of French-Spanish extraction from the priveleged political class. Attended prestigious University in Guadalajara, worked as an Administrator and made all the right connections. Then I came along on a three year stint working in Mexico and brought her to Oregon.

What we are looking for; small, clean, homogenous (we have plenty of diversity in our home ), rural town within 1-2 hours of SLC or LV International Airport, next to the mountains with a Catholic Church nearby. School where FFA and High School Rodeo have a major presence. We can afford a home/acreage in the $200-600 K range.

We want to fit in and don't want to change a thing.

Life is good, but we are thinking it would be much better in Utah

[Tavish]

Moderator cut: can't comment on mod actions on forum recommending Ogden for people but I think it would be good for you. There is a nice old Catholic church in downtown of Ogden and there are really nice homes in North Ogden that fit your price range. Also, it's a less uptight area of Utah and is only a 45 minute drive from Salt Lake and also has easy access to the train the goes straight into downtown.

[InSandy]

One of the largest catholic high schools in the US is in Draper. Juan Diego High school is well thought of and a major partner in the south end of the valley.

You won't find too much diversity, but there are certainly still large acreages for sale in the Draper/Bluffdale area.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Are either of you going to look for a job? Heber/Midway doesn't have much.

[Suizo]

Yes, as the breadwinner I will be looking for work and my wife is a stay-at-home mom. I have been looking for work online and am starting to get a few leads.

I would like to stay in my present field, however I am open to anything that will pay the bills, blue to white collar.

Thanks for the info.

My main question, however, was do we have time to see northern and southern Utah in one week without running ourselves ragged as we are travelling with two babies?

I see it is 4.5 hours from SLC to St. George. I believe we can do it, but I fear once we drive to the Dixie region, we will want to see Zion, Arches, etc. and miss our flight to PDX

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Maybe if you drive 100 mph. That's not a reasonable time for someone who drives legally. More like 5-6 hrs.

If you can get work in Heber, good. But no one would want to drive over the mountains daily in the winter to get to/from work in the valley.

[floreezie]

Utah is already ultra-conservative. Conservative is fine, ultra- not so much. We need more moderate politics, which we won't get by having every conservative in the US moving here. I think you could do the world more good staying in Portland

[ChrisC]

As for the Heber area, it's one of the prettier places around here. Not nearly as desertish as the cities in the lower valleys. Average temps are cooler year-around. It can get hot, but generally you won't be baking all summer. The winters are more like real winters. More snow and significantly colder.

As for work, there wouldn't be anyone living there if there were no employment available. The key is that you are willing to look for it and willing to actually work once you find it, as opposed to the "I deserve XXX job and a six figure salary because I'm so special and went through college." You'll take a pay cut, but it sounds like you are actually willing to work. That's getting rare these days. You'll have an advantage. I wouldn't really want to drive down the canyon every day to Provo every day during the winter for work, but I know folks who do it, so it can be done if you are a brave winter driver. So that's another job market if you can't find anything in Heber valley.

[Suizo]

Originally Posted by floreezie

Utah is already ultra-conservative. Conservative is fine, ultra- not so much. We need more moderate politics, which we won't get by having every conservative in the US moving here. I think you could do the world more good staying in Portland

Why would you want to add to the homogenization of the USA by having Utah become politically moderate?

In this case, moderate politics would lead to liberal politics, which would ultimately lead to the anarchist, head-in-the-clouds ultra-liberal, fiscally incompetent brand of politics that has destroyed Oregon and led to that creepy pedophile Sam Adams as Mayor of Portland .

Utah has one of the most distinct, diverse cultures in the USA. Celebrate it, don't wish some horrible form of change on it.

By the way, we are still at the exploration stage.

[Fiddlehead]

Suizo,

That anarchist Portland/Eugene thing does not even extend out of the Willamette Valley. I don't want to get into a political debate, only to point out that Portland is pretty extreme with all the young poseurs acting like commies (they will be driving beemers in a few years, watch..) and does not reflect Oregon socially, morally, or politically. Nor do I think looking for a political nirvana is a good idea for you or the place your heading.
Although I agree that Oregon is in the tank, I would guess you would find LaGrande, Medford, Roseburg, and Grants Pass much more conservative.

Frankly, I really don't like all this, I must move to XXX because it is so liberal, or YYYY because it is so conservative. I have found folks from the BA California, and Idaho to be equally arrogant about the righteousness of their thinking. Being around people with different world views is a good thing in my book, and the extremes do a lot of shouting, but don't use much sense. To be a moderate is, in my opinion, to hold nuanced and thought out views on complex topics that reflect YOUR values, not what your supposed to think, and to be unpredictable to the political blowhards that think they can tell us how to think. I'm pretty sure my views would **** off Arriana Huffington AND Glenn Beck. That seems like a good place to be.

All this said, best wishes to your and your family in finding a great place.