Via Oregon - September/October 2021 - 34

Provo, Utah
Past Gallup polls have identified Provo as one of the nation's
happiest cities. It's easy to see why the college town sparks
joy. Bookended by the Wasatch Range and Utah Lake, Provo
brims with friendly, tight-knit neighborhoods infused with
arts and culture. The cherry on top: a thriving ice-cream scene.
Provo is synonymous with Brigham Young University,
founded in 1875 by its namesake, the president of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time.
Today, visitors to the beautifully landscaped main campus
can enjoy secular attractions with free admission. The
Museum of Paleontology displays a vast collection of dinosaur
fossils collected in Mountain West states. The Museum
of Art spotlights intriguing works such as photographer
Dorothea Lange's stark images of life during the Great
Depression and artist Vik Muniz's playful rendering of the
Mona Lisa in peanut butter and jelly; both on display until
November. The Museum of Peoples and Cultures celebrates
global connections in exhibits ranging from Maya weaving
to artifacts uncovered by the school's anthropological
research in the Utah Valley.
Amid the peaks northeast of Provo, Bridal Veil Falls-a
600-foot-tall cascade plunging into Provo Canyon-makes
a dramatic picnic destination that's accessible by a short,
paved trail. Hikers often seek out Mount Timpanogos, with
hopes of spotting a herd of mountain goats from its patchwork
of forested trails. Sundance Mountain Resort, which
until 2020 was owned by Robert Redford, provides a cinematographic
setting for horseback riding, mountain biking,
and zipline rides with a vertiginous 2,100-foot drop.
Many Provo residents abstain from alcohol for religious
reasons, and ice cream seems to be a wildly popular alternative
indulgence. Rockwell Ice Cream Co., an old-fashioned
shop downtown, concocts new-school combos that include
the award-winning G.O.A.T., a blend of goat cheese, blackberries,
lemon jam, and honey-rosemary roasted almonds.
The Penguin Brothers whip up gourmet treats such as the
Ron Burgundy, which sandwiches strawberry-Nutella ice
cream between snickerdoodles. On campus, BYU Creamery
bustles with students and nostalgic alums spooning up
scoops of Graham Canyon, featuring a swirl of cracker
crumbles and chocolate covered honeycomb.
For savory bites, Black Sheep Cafe on North University
Avenue fuses regional flavors with style. Try the frybread
tacos with braised pork and green chile sauce, or a burger
topped with blue cheese, caramelized onions, and bacon on
a nanniskadii (flatbread) bun. Across the street, Communal
focuses on farm-fresh, sustainably sourced dishes. Share
an order of the smoked Spring Lake trout with horseradish
cream, celery root puree, and dill, or the Clifford Farms
pork loin with cider dijon and rosemary-scented yam puree.
below: Provo's Black Sleep Cafe serves grilled chicken on flatbread with
chipotle mayo, roasted red bell pepper, and other fixings. opposite,
clockwise from top left: Every scoop of the award-winning G.O.A.T.
from Rockwell Ice Cream has-you guessed it-a goat cheese base. The
dual-stream Bridal Veil Falls becomes even more picturesque amid autumn
foliage. Squaw Peak Lookout Point, reachable by dirt road from mid-May to
mid-October, offers panoramic views of the Utah Valley. West Center Street,
which runs from the heart of downtown Provo to Utah Lake, lights up at dusk.
34 VIA | SEPTEMBER+OCTOBER 2021
COURTESY BLACK SHEEP CAFÉ; OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TO LEFT:
LORNE SLEEM; STEVE GREENWOOD; SEAN PAVONE / ALAMY (2)
Via Oregon - September/October 2021

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