Park City Utah Four-Season Getaway
Hiking, Spas and Arts Festivals Fill Utah’s Favorite Ski Resort
Aug 22, 2009
Park City offers a lot more than the winter attractions of skiing and the Sundance Film Festival. In summer, the Kimball Arts Festival fills Park City’s steep main street with tents displaying outstanding works of art in media from glass and metal to fiber and paper. Life-sized metal sculptures of giraffes, moose, bears and cactus stood among displays of photography, fabric montage, blown glass and handcrafted Australian didgeridoos.
Music in the Night with the Utah Symphony
Music fills the evenings – a string quartet playing chamber music in an airy contemporary church, and the Utah Symphony Orchestra playing the 1812 Overture in the even airier setting of a natural amphitheater on the lawn of Deer Valley Resort’s lower ski slopes.
A New Museum of Mining History, a Stagecoach and a Whiskey Distillery
In addition to enjoying the arts at these and in the galleries that line Main Street, visitors can tour the historic sites and learn the story of this silver boom town-turned-ghost-town-turned-ski-resort on free historic walking tours. In October 2009 the brilliant re-built Park City Museum opens, containing a complete stagecoach (made in New Hampshire by Abbott-Downing) and a fascinating three-story cutaway model of an operating silver mine. Also in October, a new distillery – High West Distillery -- opens, almost at the foot of the tramway that carries skiers from the slopes into the center of town. Picture ski-in lunches with whisky pairings!
An Olympic Park and Mid-Mountain Dining
At the Olympic Stadium, stand atop the ski jump, and watch daredevil skiers perform aerial stunts on a year-round training jump. Ride chairlifts and gondolas across canyons and to the summits of mountains that skiers use in the winter, and eat lunch at Royal Street Café, Deer Valley Resort, a mid-mountain lodge that sets a new standard for ski lodge food.
In fact, the consistent theme of Park City seems to be outstanding food. Along with fine arts and the art of fine skiing, Park City raises dining to an art. At Jean Louis, sample the finesse of a French chef whose menu marries fresh local ingredients to classic French techniques, or on Main Street at Chimayo dine on innovative Mexican dishes. Order an elegant picnic basket before heading out to Deer Valley for the symphony or popular music performances.
Vacation Days Hiking, Biking and Relaxing at a Spa
Days can be packed with outdoor activities – hiking or mountain biking through mountain meadows painted by wildflowers, or photographing the scenery that stretches in all directions from the tops of ski lifts. relax and be pampered afterwards at one of Park City’s day spas. At Mountain Body – a classy spa right on Main Street – experience the luxury of an Hungarian facial (ask for David).
Park City is a year-round town, without any off-season for those who love art, music, good food or outdoor sports.
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