Apart from some top ski resorts such as Park City and Deer Valley, Utah boasts 5 national Parks and the 2002 Olympics were held in Salt Lake City. There are limitless things to do and see. In Salt Lake City itself there is the Olympic ice rink and only 35 minutes away in Park City the bobsleigh run, ski jump, and kilometres of cross country skiing, along with other winter sports activities. The cross country skiing that we did from the Nordic Centre with White Pine Touring took us around a golf course surrounded by beautiful homes, condominiums and ponds edged with silky silver Aspen trees.
Should you decide to explore the area and not be a skier there are regular shuttle buses. How about some of the following? Experience the 2002 bobsleigh run, in a real Olympic bobsleigh, descend the run in under a minute at 65 mph, with a 4 G force. Ok not for the faint hearted, but the Alf Engen museum at the site has some interactive activities which are great fun, it assimilates how it feels to do the bobsleigh run if you don’t fancy the real thing, and the ski jump!
There are dog and horse sleigh rides, and who knows you may spot Elk or Moose in the back country. There is tobogganing and tubing, zip lines, snow shoeing, and fat bikes, that is mountain bikes with very fat tyres, no doubt very comfortable but requiring plenty of energy. Alternatively, why not sit on a snowmobile and enjoy the ride or float over the domain in a hot air balloon.
For those who enjoy films there is the annual Robert Redford Sundance Film Festival every January for emerging independent film makers in Park City. Its Main Street is buzzing, full of bars, restaurants, art and photography galleries which give you a good idea of how many beautiful parks there are to visit throughout the State.
Various museums are informative, the main one being the city’s mining museum which dates back centuries and brings you to the present day charting the history of skiing which replaced the dying mining industry.
Park City boasts the world’s only ski in whiskey distillery at the foot of a ski slope, tempting for apres ski. But plenty of other bars beckon, some with live music and award winning restaurants such as Firewood where you are spoilt for choice, will it be burgers and chips, steaks or fish. And then should you have any energy left there are late bars with music and nightclubs.
Park City offers an array of hotels and condominiums with spas and outdoor heated pools. We stayed at The Chateaux Deer Valley and enjoyed all the facilities and superb service. The hotel’s shuttle bus was very convenient for getting to the Main Street in 7 minutes and would collect you anytime until midnight.
We also experienced a condominium at the Silver Star Resort overlooking the golf course we had cross country skied around, and to the other side the slopes of Park City. These individually owned apartments of varying sizes are rented out and each have a personal touch. Fully equipped kitchens, luxurious bathrooms and a balcony with jacuzzi and BBQs are ideal for families and groups of friends.
Park City Utah really does have everything you could possibly need for a fun filled vacation with all the convenience and, as we witnessed, perfect service from our American hosts.
More about Jane
Jane Pendered is a keen traveller and lover of languages. She teaches French part time from where she lives in Kent, and she also loves growing vegetables and runs a ‘learn to grow’ course.
Now that her children have left home, she is always up for an adventure! Competing in Triathlons in her age category for GB over the past two years has taken her to the beautiful island of Cozumel in Mexico and Rotterdam. Her motto has been to never say no, and generally she has stayed out of trouble!
One Response
Hi Jane.
Disappointed that you have only generally been able to stay out of trouble!
All the very best. Devo