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Park City, Utah

Description

Park City, Utah is only about 36 miles from Salt Lake City and is the home of the well known Sundance Film Festival and the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. This historic mining town is surrounded by three major ski areas including The Canyons, Park City Mountain Resort, and Deer Valley as well as the Utah Olympic Parks. With the stunning Wasatch Mountains as a backdrop, each winter brings about 300-inches of snow for all sorts of winter activities. Located at 6,900 feet above sea level, it has become renowned for skiing and snowboarding.

Silver was discovered in Park City in 1868 and within a few short years, the town was a mining hot spot going from untamed wilderness to a bustling city of over 10,000 people. Unfortunately in 1898 there was a great fire that destroyed most of the town, but with the mining companies in the area and the hopes of more silver, the town was quickly rebuilt. Silver prices started to drop in the early 1900s but by 1930 skiing had emerged as a possible economic future. The first ski lift was built in the middle 40s and the ski business has been going strong ever since.

Photo: Park City, Utah

The town has a permanent population of only 5,000, but hundreds of thousands of visitors fill all the lodging in town during the winter season. Besides the skiing and snowboarding, visitors can enjoy the thrill of speeding down an Olympic bobsled run used in the 2002 event in an authentic competition bobsled. Or go for a romantic sleigh ride or a guided snowmobile tour, tubing or even try out Nordic skiing on groomed trails.

After all that snowy activity it's time to relax, enjoy a wonderful dinner, sit by a fireplace sipping some wine, soak in a hot tub, do some après ski partying or just take a walk in the starlight as snow lightly falls and breathe in the clear, fresh mountain air with its hint of snow and pine.

Photo: Park City, Utah

Park City has many award-winning restaurants with many different culinary styles. Whether you are a fan of Indian cuisine, Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese or American, there is a restaurant, café or bistro perfect for you. There are over 100 bars and restaurants and contrary to popular opinion, Park City is not "dry" and it is possible to get your favorite glass of wine or drink in any restaurant. Most of the bars only are nonexclusive private clubs where temporary memberships are available for a minimum fee. Liquor may be purchased in State Liquor Stores only (closed on Sunday) with beer sold in grocery stores.

The town is small, but be sure not to miss the historic Main Street, with its renovated buildings from the late 1800s filled with quaint shops, art galleries and fine dining restaurants. There are a wide variety of shopping venues from stores that make homemade furniture to books, art collectibles and Western antiques. There is also the very popular Tanger Outlet Center with over 60 brand name outlet stores such as Ann Taylor, Ralph Lauren, Jones New York, Niki, Levis, Old Navy and American Eagle Outfitters.

A free city shuttle bus service is offered every 20 minutes, everyday of the year. The shuttle will take you anywhere in town for shopping, dining, skiing or entertainment. All the buses route through the Park City Mountain Resort and then to their destination. All you need do is ask your hotel's front desk for a transit schedule. Utah's clean air act prohibits smoking in places for public access, so shops, stores, theaters, restaurants, hotel common areas and buses do not allow smoking. Smoking is allowed in most bars and private clubs.