There are reports of UFO sightings in areas all around the state from the red rocks in southern Utah to the Uinta Basin. But there is one man whose story is becoming well-known thanks to author David Booher.

In his book, Booher tells the story of Gerry Irwin, a missile base technician who was driving outside of Cedar City in 1959.

Irwin saw an object glowing and believed it to be a crashing plane. He pulled his vehicle over, grabbed his jacket, left a note in his car, and went to check it out.

However, some time later, a search party found Irwin unconscious, with no jacket, and no sign of a plane crash anywhere.

Irwin was seen by medical professionals and cleared for his health. He returned to his home in Texas where things were never quite the same. He would have episodes where he’d black out or suffer from bouts of amnesia. His mental state became so bad he had to receive psychiatric treatment more than once.

1. Luminaria, Ashton Gardens in Lehi

2. Draper Tree Lighting Ceremony

3. Dickens’ Christmas Festival, St. George

4. Helper, Utah

5. Ogden’s Christmas Village

6. Heber City, Utah

7. Ice Skating At The Gallivan Center Ice Skating Rink

8. Snow Tubing At The Wasatch Parc

9. Ski Or Snowboard At Park City Mountain Resort

10. Explore The Midway Ice Castles

11. Play At Utah Olympic Park, Park City

12. Snowshoe at Antelope Island State Park

13. Edelweiss Bed and Breakfast, Eden Utah

14. Homestead Crater, Midway

15. Treehouse on the Stream Cabin, Sundance

16. Ruby’s Inn, Bryce Canyon National Park

Angelica’s Mexican Grill is one of the most popular and highly-rated Mexican restaurants in southern Utah. You’ll find this bucket-list-worthy restaurant on St. George Boulevard.

As soon as you step inside Angelica’s, you’ll feel like you’ve entered Mexico. With a large mural on the wall, beautiful décor, and a lively vibe, it won't feel like St. George anymore.

And while the vibe is certainly extraordinary, the food is what will make you want to return over and over again. Here, you will find authentic Mexican street food, and no matter what you order, you can expect it to be packed with flavor.

The menu features items such as street tacos, quesadillas, burritos, and tortas. I am always a fan of street tacos but no matter what you choose, you can’t go wrong.

After you have chosen your entree type, it’s time to choose your meat. There are several options including, but not limited to, carne asada, carnitas, machaca, and chile verde.

Of course, you can pair your meal with a side of rice and beans or even fajita veggies. There is also an assortment of drinks as well like a Mexican Coke, horchata, and beer.

Your taste buds will enjoy a vacation at Angelica’s Mexican Grill in St. George. From the second you walk in until the very last bite of your meal, you'll enjoy every minute of your visit.

Alpine is located in northeastern Utah County and sits near the foothills of American Fork Canyon. It is one town that is experiencing significant growth and today, more than 10,000 people call it home.

This town is known for its many city parks including Legacy Park, Burgess Park, and Moyle Park. During the fall, when the weather starts to cool, these parks are not only beautiful but are the perfect place for a picnic, a ball game, or even for a simple stroll.

Of course, no trip to Alpine is complete unless you take a drive on the Alpine Loop.

Seriously, you won’t want to forget a camera — this drive is breathtaking!

You can also pay a visit to Timpanogos Cave National Monument. During the autumn months, the crowds are less and the views are stunning.

Just a short drive from Alpine are several hiking trails that will completely immerse you in fall foliage and gorgeous views. It’s a great way to spend time outside before the snow and chilly temperatures arrive.

And before you leave town, make sure you stop by Cherry Hills Farms Alpine on the historic site of Burgess Orchards. During the fall, stop by for fresh apples and peaches. The apples you can even pick right off the tree.

Mark your calendar for October 28, 2023, to capture a sunset and a full moon over the Great Salt Lake.

During this event, you will join a park ranger for an evening walking along Silver Sands Beach at the Great Salt Lake.

The walk begins at sunset, where you can enjoy a fiery sky over a beautiful body of water...

…and continues as the full moon rises over the water.

You must pre-register for the event and there is a 100 people capacity limit. I strongly recommend purchasing tickets as early as possible.

If you are worried about the difficulty of the hike, don’t be. Your walk will be approximately 0.5 miles along flat terrain. You will need to watch out for typical beach hazards but you should be able to enjoy the view, rather than stare at your feet.

Hee Haw Farms officially opened in 2001 in Pleasant Grove. While not necessarily in a teeny-tiny town, Pleasant Grove is much smaller than others located along the Wasatch Front and still possesses small-town charm.

Hee Haw Farms is one destination in town you can visit at various times throughout the year, but Fall Festival is one of the best.

During this event, you can enjoy all of the year-round activities found at the farm such as the petting farm, corn box, and zipline …

… and participate in activities that get you into the autumn spirit. For example, take some time in the hay bale maze. The Pumpkin Patch Hay Ride and the Animal Train are also going to bring you pure delight.

Of course, you will also want to spend some time in the pumpkin patch choosing the perfect pumpkin to take home.

There is even a kids' spook alley, duck races, and more.

If you are up for pure excitement, mark your calendars for October 28 to attend the Pumpkin Drop.

The Hee Haw Farms Fall Festival will take place September 29-November 4, 2023. Several ticket options are available depending on the type of activities you would like to experience during the festival.

Mapleton is located right between Hobble Creek and the Spanish Fork River. It sits in the foothills of the Sierra Bonita Mountain on the Wasatch Range. While small compared to others in Utah County, more than 12,000 people call it home and it continues to grow each year.

This town has agricultural roots and was originally used by Utah’s early settlers for farming and logging. Today, it still has a small-town feel despite its larger size.

During a fall visit to this Utah town, visit one of the local shops or restaurants, where you’ll likely find something new and meet a few friendly faces.

If you want to explore this town and its rural beauty, explore the Mapleton Parkway Trail.

I also recommend taking a short drive up Hobble Creek Canyon to tackle the Wardsworth Trail.

Make sure you plan a visit to Mapleton in October for the annual Scarecrow Spectacular.

It doesn’t matter where you go or what you do in Mapleton, it’s the perfect destination for a fall day trip. Plan a trip and see for yourself.

Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park is located in Salt Lake County. The park features up to 13 miles of multi-use trails for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians within the Southwest Canyon Trails Network. The use of this park is specific to trails only and it provides connections to Yellow Fork and Rose Canyons.

The Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park is a partnership between Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, Kennecott Rio Tinto, and the Bureau of Land Management. What makes this park unique is that it sits on reclaimed land that was once used for mining.

Due to several factors involving the land, it has taken quite some time to complete the trails and park. It required many years of acquiring permissions and agreements to use the land as well as time to create the trail itself.

But now that the trail near Salt Lake City is open to the public, anyone can enjoy it.

Projects are still in the works before the park is officially complete. For example, the trailhead parking lot is under construction and is expected to be completed in December 2023. A temporary parking lot is available at the intersection of U-111 and Herriman Highway.

How did Utah become the happiest state in America? Well, WalletHub compared all 50 states on three key factors: Emotional and physical well-being, work environment, and community and environment. Within each area, they used 30 relevant metrics.

When compared to other states around the country, Utah ranked #1 for work environment, which included factors such as commute time, job security, and income-growth rate.

Utah also ranked #1 for community and environment, which looked at items such as volunteer rate, safety, ideal weather, and average leisure time spent each day.

However, Utah only ranked #16 when compared to other states for emotional and physical well-being. Some factors considered in this area included physical health index, adult depression, suicide rate, adults with poor mental health, and more.

Utah moved up in the rankings in 2023, beating out Hawaii for the title of the Happiest State in America. However, Hawaii did rank #1 for emotional and physical well-being. Other states that topped the list of the Happiest States in America include Maryland, Minnesota, and New Jersey.

We aren’t surprised that Utah is officially the happiest state in America. We have so many things to make us happy — beautiful national and state parks, all types of businesses, the best campgrounds around, and so much more. We are truly blessed to call the Beehive State home.

The Farmers’ Almanac has been predicting winter weather in the United States for more than 200 years. Due to their impressive 80 percent accuracy rate, the Farmers' Almanac has become a source many people look to as they plan their winter travels.

While winter officially starts on December 21, you can expect winter weather to arrive before then in the Beehive State. Farmers' Almanac predicts plenty of cold temperatures and several storms to end 2023, meaning a white Christmas can be expected this year.

Storms will continue throughout January, and February is expected to see heavy mountain snows during the first week of the month. It sounds like this will be an excellent year to pull out the skis and snowboards and perfect your skills …

So, when will winter end in Utah? Well, expect the cold for quite some time. The Farmers’ Almanac has named this winter season “The Brrr is Back” and predicts that cold and stormy weather will continue clear into March.

Unfortunately, March will tease us with signs of spring, only to follow with more winter weather.

However, don’t start planning an escape from Utah just yet as the entire country is expected to experience cold temperatures this winter. I guess we all need to pull out our sweaters, firewood, and hot chocolate!