Park City, Utah - Not just a Ski Resort

Beautiful Park City, Utah is just about 30 minutes southeast of Salt Lake City.  Well known for hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics and the Sundance Film Festivals, this City was originally founded in 1869 as a silver-mining town.  The location of Park City, set high up in the mountains creates a peaceful and serene setting. 

My family doesn't ski, so unfortunately I don't think we'll be enjoying any winter activities in Park City, but I was impressed with the summer activities that were available.  Just driving around town you'll find plenty of beautiful walking, biking & hiking trails along the roads and into the mountain sides.  And don't think just because ski season is out that you can't ride the gondolas or ski lifts, some resorts keep them running for people who want to hike farther up the mountains or just take a ride.  I rode the lift at The Canyons and again at Park City Resort, both had amazing views!  Bring your camera for some great photos, and you'll even encounter some crazy looking wildlife along the way; I still don't know what the monkey looking animals were that I saw.

Where the Action is!

Head over to Park City Resort for some really fun rides and activities for kids and adults alike.  You can zip down the mountain on the ziprider, slide down the Alpine Slide or hit the tracks on the best man controlled roller coaster I've ever ridden. 

Something FREE

Ride the FREE trolley on Main Street to get from shop to shop and grab a bite to eat from the many wonderful restaurants downtown. This historic district is a must see for any visitor to Park City and during the summertime it's very easy to get around.  Plan for an entire afternoon on Main Street and if you've got the kids, bring a stroller, they will easily get tired and especially in the summer heat.

Activity on my To Do List

There are plenty more activities in Park City, such as Golfing, Fishing and the local museums, but as I was leaving for the airport I noticed high in the sky along the mountains - Hot air Balloons!  I wanted so badly to have my husband with me at that moment and fly away in a basket dangling from a balloon!  If you've got  $175 per person to spare, you can take a morning ride. Just be sure to dress warm, I hear it gets very cold flying up that high.

Summer Value

The best part about Park City in the summer is that most accommodations are 50% or sometimes more.  Luxury condos that are $200-$300 a night in the winter can be found for $100 a night, and even cheaper hotels and resorts also lower their summer rates.  So if skiing is not your style, visit Park City in the summertime for some fun and relaxation!

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The Lodge at Mountain Village – Park City, UT

I spent a four day weekend in Park City, Utah for a blogging conference. I had an amazing weekend (which is another post all in itself). I had won a coupon for $100 off Packlate.com a few weeks prior to my sudden plans for the EVO conference and it just so happened they had last minute deals in Park City. I skimmed for something cheap, yet comfortable, because I was traveling solo and knew I wouldn’t be in my room much with all the activities I was participating in.  Little did I know this would be going from good to bad!

Before I go into the details of my stay, I will say that Park City, Utah is known as a ski destination, while summertime is statistically slower and a GREAT time for all of you to get a good deal on a hotel.

Upon my arrival I was greeted by a very nice man at the front desk. He quickly checked me in and drew me a map to my room. I’ll admit I sometimes have those “I know it all” moments and was only partially paying attention. I figured “how hard can it be to find a room”? We’ll a half an hour later I think I finally found it. Even one woman saw me roaming around and said she had the same problem the day before and still couldn’t help me find my building.

The Lodge is two separate buildings scattered in the village at the base of the mountain. My room was clean, a little small, but had a nice little patio with a mountain view. I felt like I was in Whistler, Canada, which is one of my favorite destinations. There was only enough room for two people, which was all I needed; a TV, small fridge and a dresser. I was pleased with the room and headed out to the conference for the evening. My days were spent at a Grand Hotel down the road called “The Canyons”. Most everyone at the conference was sharing a room at this 5 star resort. I didn’t mind because I had a great rate with my coupon and my room down the road was private.

Nightfall came and all hell broke loose! Or maybe I should say it was HOT AS HADES in my room! During the summer months Park City gets into the 80’s with dry desert heat. It doesn’t sound that extreme, but if you have no air conditioning or windows to catch a breeze, your living in misery! My room had the one patio door and a ceiling fan about 15ft up. I had left the patio door open all day the next day and the fan running on high. NO luck in cooling it down. The three nights I was there I was sweaty, hot and I don’t recall snoozing anytime before 2am each night. When I called the front desk to make sure I wasn’t missing some magical switch they apologized for the lack of air conditioning.

My summary on this property is GREAT WINTER lodge, HORRIBLE SUMMER lodge. The location in the Village was nice and close to all the fun activities in town and in the winter would give you "out the door" skiing access, but unfortunately the lack of sleep was enough to kill this location for me. With plenty of other great lodges and hotels in the area equipped with air conditioning I have to give this one a thumbs down. ShareThis

My first video post in Park City, Utah - Ziprider

I just got back from an amazing 4 days in Park City, Utah! I was extremely busy with a conference I attended, but Jyl & Rachael, hosts of EVO, made sure we had some extreme fun on the last day. We were given a pass for the Park City Mountain Resort park and it was a blast!  They have several rides in their park, including the Alpine Coaster (coolest ride I've EVER ridden) and Ziprider, both of which start high up on the mountain and get you back down in the fastest funnest way possible!

I wish I had recorded the Alpine Coaster, but I had to man the controls on how fast to go and we were in fast mode.  So I recorded my awesome ride on the Ziprider.  Watch the video and you'll get a glimpse of people riding the Alpine Coaster and other rides below me as I zip down the mountain side.

I can't wait to share more about Park City, Utah with all of you.  This beautiful City that once held the 2002 Winter Olympics has so much to offer even in the summertime.

Enjoy my FIRST video post on Travelers Barista! And I'd love to hear your comments, as always!

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