After visiting Ketchum, Idaho and spending some time in the Wood River Valley and Sun Valley, we decided to spend the next 3 days visiting Park City before heading home. Thursday, as we headed down from Ketchum, which is around a 5-hour drive, we thought it would be fun to break up the trip with a couple of stops. The first stop brought us to the town of Twin Falls, ID to see Shoshone Falls, aka Niagara of the West. At 212 feet tall and 900 foot wide, Shoshone Falls is one of the largest natural waterfalls in the United States surpassing the height of the famous Niagara Falls. The falls are located on the Snake River which carves its way through a deep basalt canyon. The views were extraordinary!
Next up, a drive through Antelope Island State Park which is surrounded by the Great Salt Lake via a 7-mile causeway. The island is home to a variety of wildlife, including antelope (of course) and bison. We were lucky enough to spot a few on our drive through the park. We were most excited to get to the water and see if we would really float EFFORTLESSLY! As expected, we were met with by the omnipresent brine flies as soon we stepped foot into the sand. They were at our feet on the sand, and they swirled around us a we made our way about 30 yards into the lake. Brine flies are especially dense in the summer and early fall averaging 10 to 20 thousand flies per square meter. We pushed through, with our mouths closed, and swatting away, but we finally made it out far enough where it felt like the flies were “less” present. We lowered ourselves into the water and, YES. we floated EFFORTLESSLY. I’m glad we did it! If your travels take you to the Great Salt Lake, be prepared for the brine flies (which BTW are harmless), but just keep going and EXPERIENCE the salt lake.
Thursday Evening in Park City
Now, onto Park City. We arrived a little later than expected, but that was okay. We ventured downtown in search of a late-night ice cream treat and found a bustling Main Street with tourists walking the store-lined sidewalks. Festive lighting and music filled the spaces around us, as we found our way to Java Cow. We knew by the number of people in line that we had found the ice cream gem in town!
After enjoying our stroll we made our way to our home-away-from-home for the next few days. We stayed at the Snow Flower Condos, which are managed by Park City Lodging. Our unit had two-bedrooms, two-full baths, a mud room, full kitchen with kitchenware, a dining area, and a living room with a fireplace and cable so we could watch the Olympics. The condos were located at the base of Park City Mountain, steps away from the base of the biking, hiking and skiing trail system. If you are ever in the area, be sure to look them up. This condo was our ideal location for a summer get away to PC with the spacious and cozy accommodations and home-like amenities. Just like home, on vacation everyone needs a little down time as well. Because we had a full size fridge and in order to make time for rest/down-time, we stopped at the local grocer and picked-up coffee, yogurts, granola, snacks and fruit so we had the option for easy start mornings without feeling rushed to get out and go find food/restaurants for breakfast.
Friday
Still a little on Eastern Time, we woke up a few minutes before the sun and had time for a slow coffee, a workout, and a trail run on the Park City Mountain. I have come to learn that if a workout doesn’t get done early on a trip, it usually doesn’t happen, especially with the afternoon we had planned.
No visit to Park City is complete without a visit to the Utah Olympic Park, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics and now the 2034 Winter Olympics. The Utah Olympic Park is built for adrenaline-seeking kids of all ages, and not just in the winter.
During our visit, our agenda included watching Olympic hopefuls practice ski jumps and snowboarding onto an air pad or into their pool designed for training in the summer. This great little playground is for kids and adults who still think they are kids. We also took part in ziplining, mountain tubing, mountain coasters, platform jumps/falls onto an enormous air pillow and the grand finale of the bobsled run.
The bobsled runs on a track that drops 340 feet over the course of .83 miles, reaches 70+ mph, and puts the riders under 3 to 4 Gs of force. During the fall and winter seasons, when the track has ice, speeds can reach 80+ mph. This is a can’t miss, must-do, don’t leave vacation home without it, experiences and quite the adrenaline rush! *note: Former Olympic athletes drive the sleds.
We had the 9:30am to 1:00pm time block reserved and we ran a tad late getting there. We had to do our waivers, and we got sidetracked watching the ski jumpers, which you can do afterward; it is really entertaining to watch. *no admission fee to watch the practice sessions.
In the evening, I split off and hit another Park City icon, High West Saloon. Located just a block off of main street, High West offers great food and some amazing bourbons and whiskeys from their Distillery in Wanship Utah, about 30 minutes down the road.
I did a custom flight of about 8 different bourbons (.5 ounces each), and it was a true experience. The staff here is very knowledgeable and fun to chat with. After picking out my favorites, I headed down to their store and grabbed a couple of souvenirs before heading back up for an Old Fashion that was made with a mix of their bourbon and rye and contains no sugars. It was excellent, as expected.
FYI, the High West Tasting Saloon is 21 and over, with no exceptions.
Tip: Arrive semi-early, things start to fill up in the evenings, especially if they are having a private party.
Next, and to wrap up Friday evening, I met up with the family for dinner at Shabu. This is my third visit here and the family’s second! It never disappoints and is always fun. Shabu, in Park City, is the only place I know where you can cook Waygu steak on a hot rock. They bring you American (or Japanese) Waygu and a rock that is heated to 600 degrees, and you get to cook your steak on it. Dip in butter, then sear each side of the steak on the rock for about 10 seconds. It is a fun experience for kids and also a fun date night experience.
While the “Hot Rock” is always a hit there (the waitress joked with us that they were renaming it the “Hot Rock Restaurant”), the other food there is amazing as well. We had the Hot Rock, the Bibimbap (crispy rice, gabli, braised pork belly, Szechuan chicken sausage, gochujang, namul, soy, poached egg), potstickers, and firecracker shrimp, all family-style, and that filled us up.
Tip: Make a reservation on Open Table, and gentleman, be sure to lift the toilet seat (you’ll know….when you go).
Saturday
Saturday consisted of coffee, a workout, and watching the Olympics before heading over to Guardsman Pass for some hiking. To be honest, this was not very well thought out. We arrived at the trailhead around 11 a.m., and every parking space was spoken for. There were a few other trailheads that we saw along the way and those lots were full as well. If you’re going to hike in the summer, GET THERE EARLY.
Now for some good news. If you’re not an early bird, there’s an alternative to driving that will get you to the trails. Park City offers FREE shuttle services to a plethora of trail heads around the area. In hindsight, if I would have done some homework and researched accessing trails, we would have opted for the shuttle.
After realizing hiking was a bust, we cruised back into town. Dawn went for a hike and Hannah and I went for a trail run right outside of our condo. Defiantly a perk of staying with Park City Lodging and the Snow Flower units. From the living room you can see the Park City lift and you are at the base or an extensive trail system. You can literally walk out your door and be on a trail in 45 seconds.
Tip: Get out and go early or learn the Park City Shuttle and bus routes.
Realizing this was our last day in town, we got to experience every teen-age girl’s perfect vacation: smoothies, puppy dogs, and shopping. While on the opposite ends of town, we opted to check out the protein factory for smoothies (we knew we were having a big dinner) before we headed downtown to help support the local economy.
Shopping in Park City, for some people, is a destination, and that is why they come. From household names like Lululemon, FaJalraven, Cotopaxi, Kuhl, Helly Hanson, and Patagonia, they all have stores in town. Other stores in town include a variety of souvenir stores, high end clothing stores, western wear, art galleries and my favorite, the New West KnifeWorks & MTN Man Toy Shop.
Oh, I mentioned puppies didn’t I? Cute little pups could be found around (just about) every corner. Several merchants had water bowls set outside their storefronts making sure furry-friends were staying hydrated. Park City is dog-friendly, and they are out in full force.
After dinner that night, we escaped the bustling downtown businesses and headed up to Deer Valley, a 10-minute drive. Deer Valley is the largest ski resort in the area and connects with over 200 miles of mountain bike trails.
But it doesn’t stop there. Deer Valley offers summer concerts, 8 restaurants with outdoor dining, hiking, paddle boarding, horseback riding and more. We ate at the Brass Tag which is known for their homemade pastas and pizzas.
Sunday
With a checkout time of 10 a.m., we were (some of us) at it bright and early. I headed out for a 6-mile trail run on the Mid-Mountain trail while Dawn opted for a workout in the gym at our condos. All of the Park City Lodging condos have workout facilities.
After returning from the Mid-Mountain Trail, I was promptly met in the driveway for another run with Hannah. Opting not to hit trails today, we did a little loop and caught up with the bike trail that runs through town.
Sunday before we caught our flight, it was time for a new experience: Brunch at the High West Distillery. The distillery is about 30 minutes outside of town and is worth the trip. Whether you are there for a distillery tour, tasting bourbons and cocktails, or their insane brunch they offer every Sunday, be sure to get there!!
Upon arriving, High West will shuttle you up from their parking lot to the distillery, in one of their limo vans. The road up is a little narrow and windy and parking at the top is limited.
The grounds, the view and even the design of the building remind me of a Napa or Sonoma winery, everything was beautifully and thoughtfully laid out. Besides sipping cocktails and bourbon while looking out over the valley, the property is set up for entertaining. The entertaining ranges from: small group tours of the distillery, a venue for parties/weddings, and casual games for the family to play ie. cornhole, horseshoes, and more.
Brunch is what we came for, well maybe just one bourbon pour as well, and the grounds and the views were a bonus. Food options were bountiful, and they offered everything from smoked trout, a carving station, traditional breakfast foods, fruits, salads, and a dessert table that has no match. You can view High West Brunch menu here.
Tip: If using Google Maps, take the route that takes you out past the Rockport Reservoir. The drive is beautiful, and the extra 5 minutes are worth it. You can take the highway back into Park City or Salt Lake City.
End of the Day
We spent a little less than 3 full days and nights in Park City. Even though the time was well spent, it would have been great to have maybe another day or two. Maybe a day to go explore some of the bigger mountain ranges in the area, rent an e-bike, or maybe a day just to relax at the pool.
Park City is an amazing place with a great city and a lot of nice locals. When visiting and doing any outdoor activities, get the All Trails app, learn the bus and shuttle routes, and be prepared to have some good food and drinks.
Also, if you’re a mountain biker and visiting Park City, be sure to get out and ride some trails. The folks at Jans, just 1/2 mile south of downtown, can set you up with anything you need. Also, the folks at Park City Lodging offer units designed especially for mountain bikers.
Learn more about mountain biking in Park City.
