9:11 pm, March 15, 2011

PARK CITY VACATION – THINGS TO DO WHILE RENTING LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS IN DEER VALLEY AND PARK CITY

 

You don’t have to ski or snowboard to have a good time in Park City, Utah. Besides the Sundance Film Festival and all things Robert Redford, there are a slew of other fabulous ways to spend your days and nights in the resort town. Park City proves itself well in the luxury category.  While enjoying your luxurious accommodations in Deer Valley or Park City, there are plenty of things to do if you don’t feel like hitting the slopes. The great people at Luxist put together a list of ways to live well in the city known for having the “Greatest Snow On Earth” (and being the site of a few scenes in Dumb and Dumber), and all without having to ever put on those godforsaken foot and calf-suffocating ski boots.

Apres Ski In a way, resort hopping the apres ski scene is Park City’s other great sporting event. The French term specifically refers to the drinking and revelry that ensues after a long day of skiing or snowboarding. The art of the cocktail is nothing to scoff at in snow country and up in these mountains the Mormon influence shunning drinking and nightlife is forgotten. Alta Resort’s Sitzmark Bar is a classic. Off-resort, check out High West Distillery and Saloon. They make their own whiskey and vodka and have a killer, innovative cocktail list with drinks like the High West Silver Julep using High West’s Silver Oat Whiskey and Rendezvous Rye. Park City’s Main Street features a collection of classic, mountain and Western motif bars and nightclubs like No Name Saloon, The Sidecar, and The Spur. There’s also Downstairs, owned by Danny Masterson of “That 70s Show” fame, a hip rocker lounge that celebrities typically flock to when they’re in town.

Shop Ski bunny fashion is no joke in Park City. Locals and pros sport some of the slickest and brightest colored gear and pseudo-gear from brands like The North Face, Patagonia, and Lululemon, or, hanging in resort shopping areas in Park City Mountain ResortDeer Valley Resort and The Canyons. It’s hard to resist not purchasing a brilliant blue fleece when witness to everyone else looking fashionably ski hip. There’s shopping too for the fashion-forward who prefer to wear something that’s also stylish away from the resorts. Along Main Street are adorable boutiques like Bunya Bunya and Mary Jane’s with clothing and accessories handmade by local artists and independent designers. Park City also has the largest collection of factory outlet stores in northern Utah.

Spa With all this energy exerted to perfect powdered slopes, it’s no wonder the resorts then clued in to create equally magical, post-snow healing spas. Go to the Remede Spa in the St. Regis Deer Crest Resort for an apres-ski dip in the bi-level heated Infinity pool. Then follow with the Laboratoire Remede anti-aging facials and body treatments to treat those sun and wind burned cheeks. There’s also the uber-luxe, high-end Stein Eriksen Lodge (named for the Olympic skier who is known to drop by), a newly redone 20,000 square foot space (see photo above). The Nordic-inspired haven is replete with cozy fireplaces and salt stone therapies. Book the Apres-ski Muscle Strain Therapy and Soak that promises to get the body ready in time for the next day’s activities. The recently opened Montage Deer Valley takes a holistic approach to their 35,000 square foot hideaway. Try a combo like their alpine-inspired treatment and a toxin-cleansing Vichy shower. The signature treatment Surrender is always a guest pleaser. Guests get to customize their relaxation experience by choosing an array of treatments a la carte.

Golf Park City doesn’t shut down when the snow melts. The summer and then late spring and early fall months are just as visually magnificent as the winter ones. Besides a landscape-boasting bike and hiking trails, reservoirs and hot springs, there’s an extensive world of golf that emerges from ski heaven. Park City has become nationally recognized for having some seriously high-end golf real estate overlooking Olympic ski runs. There’s Promontory, with its Pete Dye Canyon Course and Painted Valley; a Jack Nicklaus course. Taking it up a few more notches is the mega posh,Glenwild. The Tom Fazio-designed, 950-acre golf sanctuary is touted by Golf Digest as being the best in the entire state.

Culture For some education and culture head to The Park City Museum for a little history about the former silver mining town with a variety of interactive exhibits and documentaries. There’s a jail, a dynamite fuse, a 1926 fire truck, an old gondola, and a mining cage to make learning feel a little more real. Down the street is The Egyptian Theatre Company. Park City has a long history of live performances dating back to the town’s mining days. The 182-seat theater is a hot-spot during the Sundance Film Festival but it’s also a top venue for plays and comedy shows.

FEATURED PARK CITY LODGING

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