Park City Mountain is the largest ski and snowboard resort in the United States with over 7,300 acres, 348 trails, 41 lifts and 8 terrain parks. Growing up on the East Coast, I learned to ski with slick, icy conditions on over-groomed trails. With 14” of fresh pow-pow, Park City was the absolute best mountain for me to conquer on my first ski trip out West!
We departed on the earliest flight JetBlue had to offer out of Long Beach Airport, LAX’s calmer, more-southern sister, and arrived to Salt Lake City on Friday morning. Park City is only about a 40-minute drive from the SLC airport so we hopped in a rental car and hit the road!
After checking in to Hotel Park City, Autograph Collection, the group scoped out our weekend digs. All rooms are suite-style and fully decked out with a cozy fireplace, jetted tubs and a private balcony with stunning views of the mountains and outdoor pool. Not only is this hotel located alongside the world-renowned ski slopes, but the resort received a 2019 “certificate of excellence” from TripAdvisor and has been rated a “top ski hotel” by Conde Nast Traveler.
All guests have complimentary access to the Spa’s Sauna, Steam Room, Whirlpool, Showers and Meditation Room. Please trust me when I say we took FULL advantage of this perk! There is no better way to ease sore muscles after a long day on the slopes!
If suite-style rooms aren’t your thing, take a peek at these other popular hotels near Park City Mountain: Silver Star Resort, Sheraton Park City and The Waldorf Astoria Park City.
We spent our first day in Park City strolling up and down Main Street, popping in and out of local boutiques, artisan shops and some of our well-known favorites (like Lulu!). Gorsuch is hands-down the most beautiful store on Main where one can purchase last minute ski essentials (with a very large price tag!). This shop is also great for Demo rentals of the latest and greatest ski equipment. A pit stop in front of the Egyptian Theater is essential as it is home to many Sundance Film Festival events.
After scarfing down a delicious lunch at 501 on Main, we stopped for afternoon caffeination at La Niche Gourmet and Gifts. Had we had more time, I would have loved to take a tour of High West Distillery, home to a 1,600-gallon copper pot still. Visitors can choose to partake in an educational tour and even a whiskey tasting!
To help plan your downtown visit, explore Main Street via Historic Park City’s Interactive Map.
At the end of every trip, I like to sit down with my fellow travelers to state the “peaks and pits” of our trip - the highs and lows, if you will. In Park City, I didn’t have to wait until Sunday night to know that Friday night’s dinner at Dining Partner, tupelo, would be the peak of my trip.
We dined in the Wine Cellar and wasted no time in ordering a bottle of Pinot Noir and an order of Deviled Eggs with crème fraîche and fried country ham for the table. Delicious! We should have gotten two orders…
tupelo is a great dining or private dining option in Park City. With three levels of beautifully designed dining space, your group is bound to find an option perfect for your special event. tupelo is a DINEvent Dining Partner so it has been vetted to adhere to our excellent standards of service.
Farm Green Salad with fennel, apples, butternut squash, roasted beets and a lemon thyme vinaigrette
Maine Diver Scallops with spaghetti squash, ginger chile broth, mushrooms, romanesco and caviar.
Rocky Mountain Elk Bolognese with rigatoni, local roasted mushrooms, fennel and aged pecorino cheese
Rainbow Trout with hominy grits, butter beans, farm greens, pickled cabbage, bacon vinaigrette
Utah Lamb Meatballs with spicy tomato sauce, goat milk ricotta, mint, grilled country bread
Riverhorse on Main came highly recommended, as well as, Yuki Yama Sushi, Grappa and Handle. I have these hot-spots bookmarked for the next time I’m in Park City! The best local watering holes include No Name Saloon, The Spur Bar & Grill and Flanagan’s Irish Pub. To enjoy all of the tastes this snowy, Utah city has to offer, I think it’s safe to say that one needs at least three nights in Park City!
We were lucky enough to get 14” inches of fresh powder over our two ski days. I had not ever had the opportunity to ski in powder, let alone in the Western United States, so this trip was particularly special. The feeling of one’s skis gliding just under the snow’s surface without losing speed was even better than I imagined; the pillowy mounds made it even easier for me to ski “off-trail”, between the trees and over moguls, leading to more adventurous runs!
We ate lunch on the mountain both days so as not to waste precious ski time scavenging for food. On Saturday, I ordered the Epic Burger from Legacy Café on the 2nd floor of Legacy Lodge in Park City Mountain Village. On Sunday, we nibbled on pizza from Summit House, sitting atop the Bonanza Express chairlift. The on-mountain dining options were quite expensive, as expected, but certainly foot the hunger bill.
I loved Park City and look forward to returning to this beautiful city! Pit of the trip? Next year, I will purchase an Epic Access Pass in lieu of the Park City Mountain Pass. Epic Season Passes grant skiers unlimited, unrestricted access to over 35 international resorts, plus limited access to 20+ more resorts. Here’s to a lot more skiing in 2020/2021!
STT,
Anayis
