Thanksgiving!

According to Jeff Steagall, dean of the Goddard School of Business and Economics at Weber State University, Utah’s economy is one of the most successful in the nation. With so many diverse companies, especially in technology and manufacturing, the state is outperforming the rest of the US!

From 1928 to 1933, the giant helium-filled character balloons at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade were released into the air during the parade’s climax. Each balloon had a return address label so whoever found it could send it back to Macy’s for a prize!

Juicy Tidbit of the Week –

“On Thanksgiving Day, all over America, families sit down to dinner at the same moment – halftime.” – Author Unknown

With hearts filled with gratitude, we wish you an excellent Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday!

Your friends at GBT

Close with Confidence.

If you’re planning on traveling this holiday season from SLC, you’re in luck! The Salt Lake City International Airport came in at No. 4 for America’s Best Airports for Flight Delays. According to travelandleisure.com, travelers gave SLC rave reviews for keeping up the pace during our winter storms!

Lightning over Puyehue Volcano in Chile

Thought of the Day –

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers

Have a great week!

Your friends at GBT

Close with Confidence.

It's almost time to Ski!

Now that there is snow on the mountains, it’s time to take a trip to SKI Magazine’s “#1 Family Vacation” spot! Park City Mountain Resort was rated number 1, with its “top-notch ski school” and reputation for being an excellent ski-town, it comes as no surprise! In addition to skiing, the resort is opening the Flying Eagle zip line for its first full winter season.

The Real Polar Bear Club

Thought of the Week –

“Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery.” – Bill Watterson, author of Calvin & Hobbes.

We hope you have a great week!

Your friends at GBT

Close with Confidence.

The Ghouls are Ghastlier at Greenbrier Title!

Still don’t know what to pass out to those trick-or-treaters tonight? In this special Halloween edition of The Grass is Greener, we have a few suggestions! For a yummy treat that tastes like coconut raw and bacon cooked, give out Palm weevil larva. Throw in a few handfuls of termites and huhu grubs for a snack that tastes like carrots dipped in peanut butter.

If you’d rather go with the old standby of actual candy, be aware that “you are what you give your trick-or-treaters.” If you give out candy bars, you’re a crowd pleaser and make friends wherever you go. If you shower the little ghouls and goblins with peanut butter cups, you are a generous soul who understands that life gives you salty and sweet. And finally, if you give out pennies, you’re a procrastinator (at least give out dimes)!

Cloudburst, a miniature horse, won Martha Stewart’s 2011 Pet Halloween Photo Contest!

Thought of the Week –

“Charlie Brown is the one person I identify with. C.B. is such a loser. He wasn’t even the star of his own Halloween special.” – Chris Rock.

Have a safe and spooky Halloween!

The fiends at GBT

Close with Confidence.

Drive Thru!

One of America’s most iconic drives is right here in Utah! Highway 12, which runs between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Park, was originally a four-wheel-drive track. The now paved road is surrounded by our famous red rock cliffs and desert greenery. While you’re out in the middle of nowhere, be sure to stop in Boulder, UT (Population 180!) at one of the highest Zagat rated restaurants in Utah, Hell’s Backbone Grill.

One of our favorite drives is Nebo Loop, especially in the fall!

Thought of the Week –

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” – Stanley Horowitz

Keep warm the rest of the week!

Your friends at GBT

Close with Confidence.

Goblins and Walk-In Closets!

Over the next few years, the design of new homes will evolve into a more streamlined and creative design. The average single family home in 2015 will be around 2,150 square feet, less than the average home built from 2007 to 2011. We’ll see an increase in great rooms as opposed to a separate kitchen and family room, along with more spacious laundry rooms, master suite walk-in closets, and porches.

One of the world’s most mysterious sights is Goblin Valley State Park in southern Utah. Thanks to sandstone erosion, we have an eerie, otherworldly landscape to visit.

Thought of the Week –

“A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless.” – Mary Sarton.

Have an excellent week!

Your friends at GBT

Close with Confidence.

Transformations!

“Fixer upper” was an understatement for these buildings before renovators came along and transformed them into million dollar homes! Heritage Restorations turned a drafty German style bank barn into an energy efficient three bedroom, four bath home worth over 1.5 million dollars. A Methodist church became a vacation home using the old pews to detail the kitchen and turning the former choir loft into an art studio. It just goes to show that with a little old fashioned ingenuity, anything is possible!

A Converted Barn

Thought of the Week –

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs, 1955 – 2011.

Have a great week and enjoy the fall weather!

Your friends at GBT

Close with Confidence.