From Isolation to Inundation:
How Tourist Travel Changed Southern Utah
Saturday, March 28, 2026 – 10am
A Cosmopolitan Event at Silver Reef
Let’s take a road trip together! A road trip through southern Utah and a road trip through time. It’s been 100 years — an entire century — since tourists discovered southern Utah. As we review the impact of tourism on southern Utah, we will see some familiar scenes and discover a few surprises! How did the “Land No One Wanted” become “The Land Everyone Wants to See”?
Video of Presentation
About the Presenter
Lisa-Michele Church’s professional background includes more than 30 years of public and private service as a corporate attorney and community historian. She served in the Cabinets of two Utah governors and was general counsel to a Fortune 500 company. Lisa-Michele is a published historian by avocation and passion. Having grown up in California and Utah, she is interested in vernacular architecture, 20th century mom-and-pop businesses such as motels, cafes, and grocery stores. She speaks often around the west on topics such as tourism, iconic neon signs, vintage apartment buildings, motel histories, and road-building throughout Utah.