subject: Finding Fun In The Snow Of Park City, Utah [print this page] Park City has remained one of Utah's most popular tourist attractions for many years. It brings in thousands of families, celebrities, and avid skiers and snowboarders ever year.
If you are looking for a fun place to take a vacation, whether you enjoy winter sports or not, this is certainly a place worth checking out. Park City got its start in the 19th century as a silver-mining camp.
You can see evidence of that in the Western-style buildings on Main Street, and it is still very much a small town. But it has big attractions: three of the country's best ski resorts (all with ski schools that come highly recommend), the annual Sundance Film Festival, and the Utah Olympic Park, where you can watch top athletes train on the aerial jumps and bobsled courses used in the 2002 games.
Plus, the town is incredibly beautiful, and the weather's great. In the winter it's either sunny or blizzarding.
The Nevada desert dries out the snow, making it the lightest powder on earth. You don't need a car here: the town's buses go to all the resorts, have ski racks, and are free.
The drivers are very nice, and in the summer they will help you put your bikes on the rack. And they point out sights, like the old miners' hospital, now a community center in City Park.
Of the area's ski resorts, the Canyons is the largest-its plaza at the base of the mountain is a year-round hub, with free concerts in the summer. There's tons of backcountry access here and more advanced terrain than at the other two resorts.
The prices for adults start at $75, and for children $42. The fanciest resort is Deer Valley, which draws the most celebrity attention.
The tickets start at $77 for adults, and for children, $45. Ski Magazine voted it No. 1 in North America in 2005.
It is known for groomed trails, a no-snowboarding policy, awesome lodge food, and a daily ticket quota that keeps the slopes from getting too mobbed. However, if you are looking for more of a midrange resort, try Park City Mountain.
Tickets start at $77 for adults, and $45 for children. Along with most of the other locals-the Town Lift from Main Street takes you straight to the action.
PC has four nationally ranked terrain parks and the largest half-pipe in the country. Keep your eyes out: you might spot Olympic gold-medal snowboarder Shaun White throwing a 1080.
For breakfast, head to the Eating Establishment for the "hungry miner": potatoes, cheddar, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, ham, and poached eggs served in a skillet. Baja Cantina is right under the Town Lift, which means you can bomb down, have a quick taco or burrito, then get right back on the mountain.
For local game, Grub Steak is your place: try the skewers of elk, sirloin, wild boar sausage, and caribou-though kids might prefer the lamb kebabs. Grab some dessert at "Cows."
Fifteen minutes from downtown, Gorgoza Park is tubing central and has kid-size snowmobiles, and a yurt-style warming hut. Take your family or sweetheart to do some snowshoeing at McPolin Farm.
There's a big white barn and open fields, and it is very beautiful. This is a fun way to experience nature without the extreme rush of winter sports.
Snow isn't the only ticket in town. Check out the Kimball Art Center, housed in a converted auto repair shop, and see who's on at the Eccles Center, which attracts everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Bill Cosby.
Come January, the entire town is taken over by the Sundance Film Festival for ten days. Movie-star types-or PIB's, People in Black, as they're known here-pour in.
It is a fun pastime to watch those who are not locals show up in miniskirts and heels, trying to deal with the snow. You never know who you might see!
Hotels and restaurants are booked solid, Main Street is packed, and it can be tough to get around. But the crowd-watching is fantastic, and besides, most festival-goers don't ski, so it's a great time to hit the slopes.
Check out this gorgeous city for your next family vacation, or romantic getaway. There is fun for everyone in the snow!
