Salt Lake City, host of the 2002 Winter Olympics, is Utah's largest city and state capital. It is the center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon or LDS Church). The city proper has a population of 180,000, though the metro area is home to more than one million people. Salt Lake City's major industries include government, transportation, utilities and professional services. Major employers include Delta Air Lines, Sinclair Oil Corporation and the LDS Church and its subsidiaries. Sales tax rates for the city and Salt Lake County are 6.85%.

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) sits just five miles northwest of downtown. Twelve different major airlines operate out of SLC, and it is one of the country's 25 busiest airports. The airport is served by four Utah Transit Authority bus routes, and one-way fare to the city center is $2.00. Buses leave SLC every 30 minutes during the day and every hour after 7pm. Operations begin at 6am Monday through Saturday and 9:45am on Sundays and holidays. Car rental, taxi and shuttle services are also available, and a light rail line should serve the airport by 2012.

Navigating Salt Lake City by car is easy with its simple grid layout. The grid maintains consistent street names and a logical numbering system, and there is only one major pair of one-way streets: 500 South and 600 South. The city sits at the intersection of Interstates 15 and 80 and is bordered by I-215. The Utah Transit Authority operates an extensive bus and light rail (TRAX) system. Local day passes are $5.00. Both are valid on buses and TRAX.

To keep up with what's going on in Salt Lake City, you may want to pick up one of the city's two major daily newpapers, the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News. Both papers cover local, national and world news, sports and opinion.

Other more specialized publications include Salt Lake City Weekly, an alternative paper specializing in opinion, entertainment and the arts; Nuestro Mundo, which covers issues in Salt Lake City's Spanish-speaking community; QSaltLake for the LGBT community; and Salt Lake Underground (SLUG), an underground music magazine.

When you're not familiar with a city, it's easy to feel completely adrift; that's precisely what local visitor centers hope to remedy. They've compiled a vast collection of resources to help you better understand the city, and they're more than eager to share their time, hints and literature. In Salt Lake City, the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) operates one main center to assist travelers: Salt Palace Convention Center 90 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Phone 1: 801-534-4900 Phone 2: 1-800-541-4955 (Toll Free) Website: www.visitsaltlake.com Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm; Sat-Sun 9am-5pm Visitor Information Services 125 S. Main St. Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1917 Phone: 801-647-1996 Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; Jan-Mar Daily 8:30am-5pm

Although tipping is not required, it's expected in industries like food service, hospitality and transportation. A waiter or waitress, taxi driver or room service attendant should be tipped 15-20% for good service. Keep in mind that many restaurants add a gratuity to bills for large parties, so be sure to review your receipt before leaving a tip. A $1 to $3 tip is appropriate for a housekeeper, doorman or bellhop for good service; a concierge who offers assistance beyond directions, such as finding tickets or dinner reservations, deserves a $5 tip.