E is for ...

Elk! Funny, but I never  knew that the Rocky Mountain Elk is Utah's state animal, and I live here. Shame on me.  *gasp*
One day, my husband and I w e r e   driving through the high Uinta Mountains and w e  spott e d an  e lk. I want e d to tak e  a pictur e  of it.

Gu e ss what h e  did? H e   hik e d about a mil e  or 2 out and took its pictur e.  H e  cam e  back as quickly as h e  could, panting and told m e  it was only a baby and how lucky h e  was that th e  mama wasn't around! 

So, if you want to see a Utah  e lk, driv e  through the high mountains in the lat e  spring, you just might com e  across one !

D is for ... (and a bit of IWSG)

Just a quick note for IWSG, last month I spoke on my lack of confidence regarding my writing.

I've been pondering over this matter trying to figure out the underlying problem and guess what?

I've found it, thanks to this very simple, yet profound message (talk about eye-opener):

now onto our special A to Z program:

Deer Creek Reservoir State Park!

If you love boating, water-skiing, sailing, wind-surfing or anything waterly, this place is for you! Oh, and  there's camping too... This amazing lake is 6 miles long with a stretch of 2,965 acres all around . It is open in the summertime from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, and  8:00 am to 5:00 pm in the winter.

Don't you fret none! There are modern-day conveniences so you  do have flushing toilets as well as a few little yummy restaurants!

Location: up HWY 189, UT 84604


Do you enjoy any kind of water sports?

C is for ...

Cougars!

Yes, there are  cougars in them woods! Back when Europeans began settling Utah in 1857, they started hunting  cougars down since all the way to 1966--they were  considered vermin.

They live throughout the entire state of Utah. You might be lucky enough to see one while hiking through the surrounding forests, but never do it alone. It makes me shudder to think that these big  cats roam so  close to home as well as bears.

What kind of dangerous  creatures live in your state?

B is for ...

Bald Eagles!

Did you know that Utah is one of the top 10 winter stops for these guys? Yeah, they aren't permanent residents, but they sure love to visit when it gets very chilly here, starting in November until around March time.

A few of the best places to spot them is the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (which I will talk about come alphabet R!), Willard Bay, a few areas by Henefer, Morgan, and let's not forget Flaming Gorge (yes, I will cover this under F, too)!

Have you ever spotted a bald eagle in your lifetime (and no, I don't mean at the zoo, either)?
 

A is for ...

(Welcome to my ABC's of Utah! I am Elizabeth Mueller, author of debut novel Darkspell, YA Paranormal Romance and co-host of this magnificent Blogging Challenge! If you should have any questions, feel free to contact me or any of the other super-friendly co-hosts!

My theme is Tour de Utah--featuring everything I find interesting about my home state. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Don't forget your sunscreen, you're in for one wild ride for the next 29 days!)

 Now on to the show ...

Arches National Park!

If you click on the photo's source, you just might be blown away by all the beauty there! I know I am.  Can you believe something as gorgeous as  that exists in my state?

 Over 300 million years ago, a  salt bed was deposited over the Colorado  Plateau  which now lies under these beautiful spires, fins and monoliths of stone. After much flooding and wind-shaping with the aid of the salt, we can now enjoy this beautiful sight.

Many people from around the world have  camped and hiked, and yes, even biked here!

Location:  5 mi (8 km) north of Moab, along Hwy 191.

Seen any impressive natural  formations you'd love to share?