At the end of May, I marked the first anniversary of my returning to Utah. To celebrate the occasion, I reviewed the photos I took from the past 365 days and picked ten that highlighted some of the fun activities from 2016-17. There’s also a bonus picture — the first photo I took upon my return.
Click any photo to embiggen…
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- A view of the Wasatch Front from downtown Provo. It’s the first picture I took on my first day of work at the Daily Herald on May 26, 2017.
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- Looking toward Ogden’s 25th Street from Ogden Union Station on June 28, 2016. It was part of a great day exploring the city and the former train station (now home to several museums).
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- The Daily Herald offices moved to downtown Provo just days before my arrival. One of the highlights is having a third-story view of University Avenue, particularly on days like the Fourth of July. Here’s a shot of the Freedom Festival Grand Parade on July 4, 2016.
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- Provo was among the cities that went crazy for the “Pokemon Go” craze last summer. It was fascinating to see the crowd outside the Provo City Library at 1:32 a.m. on July 10, 2016.
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- Provo lost two of its icons on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016. After watching the demolition of the Provo Power smokestacks, officials escorted the media around the site.
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- My first time inside the Vivint Smart Home Arena wasn’t for a Utah Jazz game, it was for the first day of Salt Lake Comic Con 2016 on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. Thousands of “Star Wars” fans were on their feet for the arrival of actor Mark Hamill.
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- After seeing Mark Hamill at Salt Lake Comic Con, I booked it over to Pioneer Park for the Twilight Concert Series. I worked my way through the crowd to listen to Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. The concert was a lot of fun, but I was pretty tired by the time headliners Fitz and The Tantrums made their way on stage. By that point, the sun had set and I found my way to a grassy area to sit down.
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- Although I now work most nights, I still get out for karaoke nights. After trying a few places, I’ve settled in at The Tavernacle in downtown Salt Lake. The bar frequently features dueling piano players, but turns it over for karaoke on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays — including Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016.
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- One event I was excited to participate in was the Sundance Film Festival. It was two weeks long, but my schedule really only accommodated Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. I still made the most of it, including catching three screenings and walking around downtown Park City (after most of the places had closed for the evening).
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- Another highlight of the last year has been visiting venues used in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. It inspired me to make my way to Soldier Hollow for a day of cross-country skiing lessons on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. It was far too easy for me to overexert myself (and I fell into a stream), but it was a lot of fun and very rewarding.
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- Another rewarding activity was curling at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns. After taking a couple of lessons, I joined the Monday league for the fall and winter sessions. I got a lot of practice in and really got to enjoy the sport. I even helped win a match with this shot on March 6, 2017.
