Why Park City?

Once a year, Park City, Utah, suddenly finds itself mentioned everyday on the gossip websites and the entertainment news shows.. That is during the Sundance Film Festive. During those few weeks every late winter, the city swells in population and suddenly there are celebrities everywhere. However, the city is wonderful all year round.

The actual population of the city is around 7,500. Small even in Utah terms.  But it won't feel that small, because anytime you are up there, you will be one of the many tourist outnumbering the actual residents.  And yet, except for a few very small times a year, you still feel like a welcome visitor in a small town.

Park City began life as a mining town, high in the mountains that overlooked the booming Salt Lake Valley. Although the mining no longer supplies most of the people with their salaries, the city still celebrates their history as a mining town. The city is near picturesque.  The city is one of the wealthiest cities in the United States, and you can feel that as you walk around on any of the public land.  It is a well kept town.

One of the most interesting things you will see in Park City, compared to the rest of Utah, is the number of people who ride their bikes around town in the summer months.  It is sort of ironic that the Mormon Missionaries who are well known for their bike riding  skills are outdone by this city that has one of the lowest Latter Day Saint populations in the State.

So why Park City? What makes the city so special and unique? What is it about this place that makes it a destination for people across the world?

Well, as I previously said, it has all the amenities you could ask for and yet has that small town, welcome feeling.  Another great thing about this city is that you can find yourself in a great adventure no matter what time of year you visit.

Of course, the main part of the tourist season follows the pattern of snow fall, but if you choose to visit in summer time, you will be far from bored. There are several companies that offer horse back riding for the novice or experienced rider in the mountains. There are also biking companies that will show you the many trails, or just rent you some bikes and gear and let you explore on your own.

There are two reservoirs close by big enough for water skiing and other recreational water activities. In 2002, Salt Lake was home to the Olympic Games, but several of the events were held at Park City including the luge, bobsled, and the ski jump. And with some cash and a lot of bravery, you can follow in their footsteps.

The location is fabulous. It is barely a half hour from the Salt Lake International Airport and there are shuttles from the airport to the hotels all winter long.  The land is simply beautiful.  The mountains are majestic and the land is carefully protected from the usual spoil of a tourist hot spot.

If you are more of a shopper than a skier, the high end shops on Main Street are worth a visit and the outlet stores right outside the city will please the bargain hunter in you.  If you want to visit historic Salt Lake City, it isn't far at all. 25 minutes down the canyon and you can be touring Temple Square or shopping at the brand new City Creek Shopping Center. Go a little bit farther down the freeway and you can visit the Kennecot Copper Mine.  This is a great stop if you have school aged kids.

As I continue to add posts, I will talk about all these places (and others) and I hope to answer any and all questions about this fabulous vacation spot. If, however, you find that I haven't gotten around to something you are wondering about, send me an email or post a comment and I will try to get back to you in a few days or faster.

Enjoy!

Main Street Pizza and Noodle

There is a great pizza and pasta place right on Historic Main Street in Park City.  It's called Main Street Pizza and Noodle! Makes sense, right?

We went here for lunch around 1 PM on a Thursday afternoon.  We didn't have to wait to be seated. In fact, the resturant was pretty empty, since we went there during the summer season.  The server actually let us pick where we wanted to be seated. And since we had our infant son and three year old daughter with us, we chose a corner far away from any other patrons of the resturant.

One quirky thing about this resturant is that several of the pastas don't really have names. They are simply numbered 1 through 8. It is a fun, unique way of doing it. The pasta is also all home-made. And in my opinion, it makes a delicous difference. Yum!

I ordered the Pasta Number 1 in a lunch special, so I got a smaller portion and a salad.  The pasta also came with an amazing piece of bread! I was surprised and delighted with my food. I said that I got a smaller portion than the dinner menu, and that's true, but the lunch was also plenty big to satisfy. And I was HUNGRY!

Our daughter has a pretty staple choice when it comes to eating out. She wants the chicken nuggets and french fries, or whatever the resturant has that is closest to that.  She got her heart's desire and ate a fair portion. My husband tried a few bites and said it was really good.

The baby had a bottle of milk, so he isn't much help with this review.

The hubby had the Cholesteral Hiker Pizza.  He loved it, and couldn't quite finish the generous portion he was given. It is basically a meat-lover's pizza. It smelled amazing too.

The fountain drinks were of the "help-yourself" variety.  This is nice if you don't want to wait for the server to get around to re-filling it, but a draw back if you'd rather just sit down and be waited on. I'm usually one of the latter.

Overall, we really enjoyed our lunch.  It was good, fresh, warm food and the atmosphere was good.  This resturant also has an outside patio.  Since the patio overlooks Main Street, I'm sure it is good people watching.

As far as price, for lunch we spent about $35 for the three of us, not including tip.  The dinner menu seems to be a little more expensive. It is a pretty fair price for the location and the food. I'd say if you are looking for some good pizza or fresh delicous pasta, try this place!

The Alpine Slide

When Northern Utahans (Yes, that is the name for people living in Utah.) say they went to the Alpine Slide, the usually mean they went up to Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) during the Summer and Fall and rode the slide. The slide is a luge-like track that you ride on a sled, where the rider controls the speed, and the rider has complete control of the brake. It is a fun activity if you are 3 or 93.

This is the lift that takes you to the top of the Slide.

And here is the finish line! Oh, and yes, you can race. So long as no one is one front of you on the track, anyway.

The fun at PCMR doesn't stop there! If you are a mountain climber or biker, you can take the lifts up to some amazing trails during the summer time. If you are looking for a more immediate thrill, right there next to the slide is the Alpine Coaster and the Flying Eagle Zip Line.

The Coaster is a bit of an unusual treat. Unlike a regular roller coaster where you quickly accelerate to the top, this track is built onto the mountain side and it takes several minutes to get to the top.  However, once you are at the top, the descent back down is much faster.

The final big thrill there is the Zip Line. I haven't personally been on the zip line yet, but it looks like a blast. I am hoping to get to ride soon.

The Slide is a great thing for even small kids. Children under 48" and at least 3 years old can go with an adult.  It isn't hard to change the thrill level for your own child. Just pull on the brake or let it go, depending on if you child is scared speechless or screaming, "Faster!"

The Coaster is a bit more of a thrill and has a height requirement, but again, small children can ride with an adult or even an older sibling. If the slide was too much for your kiddo, don't take them on the coaster. It is more extreme.

If the slide and the coaster are both going to be too much, during the summer months, there are a few small kiddie rides like you would find at county fair. If you have pre-teens or teenagers, the slide, coaster and zip-line are a must-do when visiting.

Although the slide closes for the winter, the coaster and the Zip line continue to operate during the warmest hours of the day during the winter. So if you go up to PCMR to ski or snowboard, you can always take a break from that and take a ride on the Coaster or Zip Line instead.

For prices and hours of operation, which are all weather permitting, visit: http://www.parkcitymountain.com/site/activities-and-events/index.html

There are a few other activities available during the summer months, and I am hoping to try them all next summer and then I'll give a great big post about them.

The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is exactly what it sounds like: A chocolate shop. However, the most amazing thing they sell, in my humble opinion, is their Carmel Apples.  Now these are not like the Carmel apples at your local elementary school during the week of Halloween. These apples are tart and juicy and covered in Carmel, and then they are re-covered in a delicious variety of other toppings.  Each time I go, I am struck with the problem of trying something new or getting one of my old time favorites.

Oh, and this is one of my favorites! M and M's! 

Now, don't get me wrong, they have chocolates there too, and they are plenty amazing. But, nothing gets my taste-buds going like those apples. I am literally salivating as I write this.  Now, some of you might be saying, "Jeez Lady, calm down. It's just a piece of fruit dumped in some Carmel." And maybe you are right. Perhaps I am getting a little carried away. I will say this, try it if you go.  Split it with someone if you don't want your own.  You will either need to share or take some home (or take it back to the hotel room). It is far too much to eat all in one sitting.

Now, one of the great things about this place, as far as I am concerned, is that if you don't like apples, fine. They have chocolate and Carmel dipped marshmallows too. In fact, that is what we get our three year old daughter when we go.  It is not a super sophisticated treat, but it is on the cheaper side and she gets to feel grown up picking out her own treat. They also have ice cream. What's not to love here?

So, now that I have told you all about this fantastic chocolate factory, I'm sure you are wondering where they are located.  Well, they have two locations in Park City.  One is on beautiful Main Street (I'll be posting about Main Street soon) about 2/3's the way to the top on the North side.  The other location is at the base of Park City Mountain Resort. You can grab a treat on your way home from skiing or snowboarding any time.

So, if you are going to Park City I would give this place a 5 out of 5 rating as a place to visit while you are there. Then, go skiing and work off the calories!

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! My husband and I are in love with Park City, Utah, and so we are going to share our adventures and experiences at all the different places in and around Park City.

We both grew up in Utah, but not in Park City.  We live close enough to make day trips there often, but we live far enough away that, when we go, it is still a vacation.  We hope our advice and experiences help anyone who wants to visit know just what they should spend their time, money, and effort doing while they visit. If you're living in the Salt Lake valley wanting to make a day trip, or a two week skiing vacation from out of town, we hope this helps!

That's good enough for the welcome! Now on to the actual information!