Price's mining heritage has contributed to its ethnic diversity, and that makes this southcentral Utah city of 8,174 residents an underrated, year-round vacation destination.

In addition to a number of ethnic festivals the city hosts throughout the year, Price is known for some interesting restaurants including the Greek Streak, China City, Farlainos and Ricardos, to name just a few.

The College of Eastern Utah's Prehistoric Museum is the city's main tourist draw. It features one of the state's finest dinosaur museums, which does a good job of interpreting many of the quarries in Carbon and Emery County. It also is an excellent information center, provides information about the famous Pilling Figurines, ice age mammals, human history in the area, archaeology and children's activities. The museum is also a good place to get touring information for nearby Nine Mile Canyon.

CEU itself provides some cultural and athletic events throughout the year and also hosts conferences.

Children and adults enjoy the Desert Wave pool as well as a more traditional public indoor pool. The Desert Wave uses a "bubble" during the winter. Both are open year-round.

Price also features the Desert Thunder Raceway and Carbon County Motocross for racing fans. These are primarily spring through early fall venues, however.

The Carbon County Country Club offers a wonderful 18-hole golfing experience for those who enjoy playing different Utah golf courses.

Because it is the largest city in the area with a plethora of restaurants, motels, franchises, movie theaters and shopping opportunities, Price is a good place to use as a base to visit nearby attractions, such as the San Rafael Swell, Manti-LaSal National Forest and Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry.

According to the book Utah Place Names, Price is named after William Price, who explored the region and named the Price River.

Tom Wharton

West Yellowstone can be an excellent winter destination for Wasatch Front residents looking to get out of town for a few days.

"With hundreds of miles of snowmobile and ski trails as well as family activities like the Grizzly Discovery Center and IMAX Theater, you don't need to spend a lot to get to a more than memorable winter vacation," says Marysue Costello, director of the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce.

West Yellowstone features 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails, some of which join up with others in Idaho. The city also sports 40 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails, two of them within walking distance of nearly any place in town. Harriman State Park also offers groomed cross country trails.

And, of course, there is access to nearby Yellowstone National Park.

For information on lodging, the Yellowstone Ski Festival, World Snowmobile Expo and other recreation, contact the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce at 406-646-7701 or visit www.destinationyellowstone.com/specials.

Italian, It's All Greek to Me

By Linda Falcone, 144-page paperback,

$16.95, RDR Books

The subtitle of this book is "Everything You Don't Know About Italian Language and Culture," a good clue as to what this introduction to Italian culture is all about. The book is divided into three major parts subtitled "Mentality," "Temperment" and "Identity." One subchapter, titled "Don't Take It Personally," begins with the advice that one must be brave when talking to Italians because they will always say what they know, which might mean telling you you're fat, your hairdresser didn't do a good job, or point out that you have a pimple. This book, which would be a good read for people either traveling to Italy or marrying into an Italian family, is well illustrated with some informative and, at times, funny cartoons.

Fans of pleasureable driving might want to check out Idaho's scenic byways this year. From tumbling rivers to placid alpine lakes, each byway has unique features which also allow visitors to tailor sightseeing trips to their individual interests and experience Idaho at their own pace. Idaho's scenic byways Web site, www.idahobyways.gov, can help newcomers to the Gem State plan their trip with slideshows, interactive maps of each byway, historical information and links to lodging, attractions and events.

EBOOST is a daily supplement that has partnered with Virgin America airlines, which has began to offer the product for sale on its flights. The no-sugar, no-preservative health supplement claims to support an overall sense of wellness, helping to combat stress from travel and jet lag while providing a boost in immunity. EBOOST sells for $3 per tablet. For information, log on to www.EBOOST.com.

The Utah Tourism Office has launched a new adventure planner on its consumer Web site, www.utah.travel. The site is designed to make it easier for leisure travelers to access information on Utah. Visitors can either click on Planner at the top of the home page or log on to www.utah.travel/experience.