Park City Things to Do

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The Utah Olympic Park is located in Park City just before you get to the historic Old Town center. Tours are offered at the center and if you are lucky enough to be there when the Olympic athletes are around then you might catch them training. Things that you can do vary from Zip Line rides that are fast and steep to bobsled rides. The bobsled rides are two fold. In the winter, the bobsled run uses the same run as was used in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The ride is expensive, but thrilling as you ride the full track with speeds up to 80 mph in the one minute ride. Woof, that's fast. In the Summer, the bobsled grows wheels, lol, well, no snow or ice. It may sound funny but the speeds can get up to 70 mph and the cost is one quarter of the winter ride.

I think I will stick to the tour of the grounds which includes a ski museum, shops and theater. Now, that's more my speed. lol. If you go to Park City, winter or summer, make the Utah Olympic Park part of your visit. Open daily from 10 am till 6 pm and admission is free. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day and Easter.

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"the crown jewel" of Park City is considered by some to be the Historic Old Town Main Street. This is the life center of Park City and business is booming. Tourists are finding out that all the seasons are the right reason to be in Park City. Winter is the busiest time with 3 world-class ski resorts within minutes of Old Town. Many things to do off the slopes as well with all the art galleries on Main Street. But don't just go for the art galleries. I must have walked a mile up and down the hill called Main Street and at over 7,000 feet, you can start to huff and puff if you are not use to the altitude. There is so much to see in the many boutiques and tourist gift stores, that something will catch your eye to buy. If you do get winded walking the street, a free bus system and the free Historic Main Street Trolley can get you to where you are parked or to another area of town.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the best and most crowded seasons is winter. Not only are the ski slopes filled during the day, but the night life is full of excitement, especially during the Sundance Film Festival that is held in late January each year. The other seasons are just as nice for you can drive around and view things without the snow and the heavy tourist population of winter. The boutique shops and tourist gift stores are open year round. The many restaurants are lined up and down Main Street, preparing every type of dish from hamburgers to the most gourmet concoctions to quench your palate. There are resorts, hotels and B&Bs to chose among, if you plan to stay overnight or a few days. So, if you are heading to Salt Lake City, remember that Park City is only about 35 minutes by car and a world apart.

The Park City Egyptian Theater is a wonderful, intimate little theater. My husband and I have been to many wonderful performances there. Some have been comedians that have come in from outside and they have been very good but my favorite performances are the plays that they do. The actors are very good. When they do a musical I'm always impressed with the singing ability of the performers. This isn't always the case when attending a community theater.

It's a fairly small theater so there really isn't a bad seat. I enjoy it more than the large theaters because it's just such an intimate setting. You really feel that you're almost a part of the show. I highly recommend attending any show that they may be presenting. My husband and I are season ticket holders and love every chance we get to run up there.

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Well - I guess if I had to say that Park City was know for anything it is for the Sundance Film Festival. The festival adds a ton of people and even worse many many cars. During Sundance we call it ‘NO PARK City’ as there is nearly no parking available to accommodate the wealth of cars that come our way. The other thing that we get is the casual celeb’s. It is nice (having lived in Cali) to see the LA types out in non formal wear at the Premiers as just one of the gang. This year’s line up is a fantastic one and we expect to have many people in and out of here. I can only hope that with all of the craziness – than I have lovingly dubbed ‘hell week’ we will also get a chance to enjoy some great films. Tonight (Friday) we saw the premier of Delirious, with Steve Buscemi and Mick Pitt and Alison Lohman. It was directed by Tom DiCillo (a Sundance returnee). It is a funny movie about a celeb photographer than takes in a homeless kid as his assistant and how Hollywood grabs a hold of the kid and then he becomes the object of the photographers’ lens. Sort of – at any rate, lots of great one liners and worth seeing. I’ll update this more later but so far – we have survived day two of Sundance.

Park City is a great complement to the high end feel of Deer Valley. A larger and more varied set of runs. A good balance is to ski Deer Valley a couple days and Park City inbetween. Then you get an appreciation for what a pest them boarders are!

Deer Valley is one of the best! From ski valets that unload your skis and boots and help you kids out of the car to the shuttles in the parking lot, to the 4 star food and great mountain side service this place rocks. And whats best no boarders cutting up the mountain or clogging the lifts or slopes.

so you're done with your skiing. it's 17:00 and your plane does not take off until 23:00. head right to Westgate resort. Right at the base of the Canyons. Quick circle to the main entrance ... get a card from a Valet. Park in the indoor parking garage and go straight to the Papillon Spa at Westgate Resort. $17 a visit is not much, when what you get is an excellent spa - even if you decided not to get a massage (a mistake), a great jacuzzi, ever-present pitchers of cold water with slices of oranges, towels, robes, slippers. If you're brave enough - venture over to the fifth floor (as if you are a guest at the place) to the pool ... half inside, half outside, with an outside jacuzzi. you won't be sorry. matter of fact - if I ever go there again I will stay here.

Park City, Utah was once a mining town....now it is a hot trendy spot for the skiing and skateboarding enthusiast....but much more, it is the home of the famous Robert Redford Sundance Film Festival.

The Film Festival was going on during my visit there. The main street was sectioned off at some points, and tents, film trucks, media, and lots of people were like a bees nest in this small city. You could very easily bump into a famous actor or actress or director or even a new film maker excited with his debute. It was also the height of the ski season so there was a mix of the snow bunny or Bohemian type.

I was lucky enough to be staying with a friend who just purchased a huge mountain home that sat on the side of Aire Drive that overlooked the city and other mountains. Traffic was tough and restaurtants so croweded....so it was nice to stay home and sit by one of our own fireplaces.....and then we would sneak out of town to visit others parts of Utah.

Park City in the summer is just as wonderful, ski lifts operate to take rides and see the beautiful mountains, hot air balloons can be rented also. And the Olympic Park gives rides on the luge and bobsled runs. What fun for the whole family.