Winter is right around the corner

Winter storms are on the way and possible hitting Park city next week. For me that means skiing is less than 50 days away, which always gets me excited. If you have not experienced what Park City is like in the winter, this winter is a great opportunity to visit.  Here are my top 5 reasons why you should put park city on the map for a winter vacation!

1. 2002 Winter Olympic Host City-

Back in February of 2002, the world came together for the 19th Winter Olympic Games across Utah. Park City held many of events for skiing and snowboarding. Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined were held at the Utah Olympic Park, which I was fortunate to witness the Olympics in person for the first time. This inspired me in many ways as I continued to chase my dream of becoming an Olympian. Park City Mountain Resort, hosted alpine and snowboarding events in the heart of Old Town. Deer Valley which is one of my favorite resorts in North America was the home to Freestyle Skiing and Alpine Slalom under the guidance of legendary skier Stein Ericksen who called Deer Valley Home. Many of these facilities are still in use today with local youth clubs using them daily as well as the national governing body of Skiing and Snowboarding (US Ski and Snowboarding).

2. International travel from the Salt Lake International Airport-

There are not many places in the world where you can be at nearly 8 resorts within one hour. Park city being a city that has both Deer Valley and Park City Mountain resort is only 35 minutes to the airport from nearly anywhere in town. With two of the biggest resorts right out your doorstep, the possibilities are endless. If you are lucky to be here on a powder day, you will get to experience some of the best skiing in North America. With many of the hotels having shuttle opportunities, you can avoid driving up the canyon and delivered right at the front of the hotel. Over the last couple years, the SLC airport has undergone massive renovations, making it one of the nicest airports in the world.

3. Old Town- Park City Main Street

Park city has a fantastic main street, where there are many fantastic restaurants, bars, and shops. After a wonderful day of skiing, you can spend the early evening walking around main street for an afternoon of shopping at a great blend of local stores or some high-end retail. You can find nearly anything you may want on main. After shopping, it is the perfect time to grab a bit to eat at one of many restaurants. One of my favorite places to eat would be Chimayo, a southwestern style with tons of flavor, amazing drinks, the best bread with dipping sauce. It is important during the winter to make sure you have a reservation as with the busy season, many places fill up or desired times go quickly. On nights where you want to go to a local bar for a drink, you have a good selection of places. No Name and The Spur are the most popular bars in town, with the spur nearly guaranteed to have live music nearly every night.

4. High West Distillery

A local’s favorite place for dinner or a drink, you must visit High West. It is important to get there early as the place fills up nearly every night. Not only is the food and drink amazing, the history behind high west is quite unique. Visit their site here, to read more on each of their historic buildings that occupy the main street location. One of the coolest aspects of the High West Saloon is you can ski right to it, place your skis outside and walk in for a perfect way to finish you day on the slopes. If you do not want to finish your day, you can take a break for lunch and resume your skiing adventure by taking the “town lift” back up to Park City Mountain Resort.

5. The Resorts

While I spoke about it in the first section, what makes park city special is the resorts. Not only is the skiing some of the best in world for all abilities, but the resorts are top notch. One reason for that are the hotels that provide quick access to the snow. Each of them has a variety of restaurants located in the hotel for an easy breakfast, lunch of dinner. Another aspect you cannot forget about is how good a hot tub soak will feel after a day on the mountain, so make sure you take advantage of the spa or hot tub. The St Regis in deer valley provides a fantastic experience where you can make sure to fully recover before the next day, or take a spa day if the conditions are not optimal for your level of skiing.

I hope to see you this winter, either in the office or on the slopes. If you are looking for a place to call your winter home, please get in touch with me and I would love to help you out! There is no better place to call your winter home than park city!