It’s all funny how we are all programmed one way or another. Most people either consider themselves beach people or snow people. I definitely fall into the beach category and generally deplore being in the cold which is why I have ignored my kids’ pleas year after year to take them skiing. Well this year I finally relented and took them all to Park City Utah since we had friends that would be there at the same time and I was just feeling a little adventurous especially since we’ll be hitting Alaska this summer. Just maybe we’ll get some extra use out of our snow gear.
Arriving in Park City after a short 40-minute drive from Salt Lake City, we found ourselves in a quaint resort area that seems to have sprung out of an old silver mining town. Per our friends’ recommendation, we rented a condo for 6 days in Old Town South, which is centrally located to all 3 ski resorts (Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, and The Canyons) and walking distance to Main Street where all the shops and restaurants are located.
If skiing is your thing, Park City is paradise. The snow is soft and powdery perfection. On our first day, we’d signed up for ski lessons at Park City Mountain Resort (which I strongly suggest you book in advance as soon as the season starts) and spent 3 hours learning how to start and stop, get on and off the chair lift and generally make it down a basic slope without falling. For me, a total non-skier, this was a huge achievement. Greg our ski instructor was absolutely fantastic displaying endless patience and a warm and friendly personality. Ski school is a must if you are anything short of expert-our mistake is that we should have done it for more than just one day…3 days at least. For a little variety we also tried snowboarding and the boys tried skate-skiing which is a form of cross country skiing with shorter skis and apparently quite the workout. All were fun and tiring but I am sad to say, not of us were naturally gifted at any of these activities. As with anything, it takes time and practice to get good enough to really enjoy it.
The highlight of our trip was visiting the Utah Olympic Park to watch the ski jump trials. Prior to the event, we visited the Sochi Interactive Zone at the park, which had all kinds of activities related to the winter Olympic games in Sochi to try. I gave curling a whirl while my boys tried shooting a slap shot at the hockey booth. There were also tons of corporate sponsors giving samples (Yum, hot Pop Tarts anyone?) and live music and the best part of all it was completely free, which was a welcome relief as ski lessons, lift tickets and not to mention renting all the gear is quite expensive.
We tried some wonderful restaurants and even took a sleigh ride to a fireside dinner at one of the lodges at Deer Valley. Imagine a plate of melted Swiss cheese that drips off a huge cheese wheel in front of a roaring fire…OMG it was heavenly! You can read all our reviews by clicking on Utah and scrolling down to Park City.
Though I do always prefer a beach vacation, it was pretty fun to get out of my comfort zone and try something totally different. Thank G-d no one broke or sprained anything and we all came back in one piece. Though it was pretty expensive, the memories we shared were priceless and will be treasured for a lifetime. In fact, I think I’d even be game to try it again…but with more commitment, meaning ski school for 3 days instead of 3 hours AND only after another beach vacation first!
