The Canyons at Park City, Utah

29 January 202020 September 2024

It has been close to fifteen years since the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. I remembered watching the events and seeing the majestic mountains in the background as talented competitors vied for gold medals. When my best friend Melissa called to invite me for a weekend ski vacation to Park City, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity.

Melissa met me at the airport late at night and we made the drive to a friend’s house in Heber City. It was my first visit to the area so I was looking forward to morning to check out my surroundings. We drove back to the house and enjoyed dinner before sitting around the fire to catch up with dear friends and introduce ourselves to new ones.

Waking early the next morning, I headed upstairs towards the living area and porch where we spent the evening. The back of the house was nothing but windows and the gorgeous landscape was untouched from last night’s snowfall. When the sun shone, the snow on the trees sparkled like a glittering wonderland.

Plows had cleared the additional snow fall and all of us were super excited to hit the slopes. After breakfast, we dressed up in our ski gear and headed into the four-wheel drive to head down the mountain. Making our descent, I could not believe the sprawling views of the blue mountains and intermittent glimpses of town.

On our first day in Park City, we skied Canyons Resort. This ski resort originally opened in 1968 under the name Park City West and was one of three alpine resorts located in Park City. During our visit, Canyons was considered the largest ski and snowboarding center in the state of Utah.

We had over 4,000 acres available to us for skiing and just under 20 chairlifts for reaching the trails. With close to 200 ski runs, there were plenty of novice trails that I could enjoy while meeting up with my friends later at the bottom for some hot chocolate or a couple of drinks.

I started out skiing the Meadows and the Upper Mainline until I felt comfortable graduating to the green runs. It was so much fun watching some of the children taking lessons and I have to admit I heard a couple of tips or two! I spent most of my time on the Dreamcatcher lift while my friends went off to try more challenging trails.

What a great day to be skiing with friends!

I was finally feeling comfortable enough to hit some of the easier blue runs, so I headed over to Copper Head, White Pine, Pinecone, Panorama and Backstreet. By the end of the day, I was pretty exhausted, but it was a great feeling!

I later learned from my friends, that the slopes at Canyons were a bit icy, so everyone felt the runs were somewhat challenging. I have never skied out west and was told that the snow conditions were usually more powder than ice. I was just happy to be there!

The Canyons are now Canyons Village at Park City located at 4000 Canyons Resort Drive, Park City, Utah 84098. Check out their website for up-to-date lift and trail conditions as well as lift tickets, ski and snowboarding lessons and vacation deals at http://www.parkcitymountain.com/.

Are you an avid skier or a novice? Have you skied the Canyons in Park City? I would love to hear about your experience in the comments section below! Happy Travels!

More Beautiful Ski Photos!

On the Ski Lift

A More Difficult Slope

Skiers on the Ski Lift

A Tour of Salt Lake City Before Heading Back Home

22 January 202020 September 2024

I had such an amazing ski vacation in Park City and was sad to be leaving Utah. Heading out early in the morning, I had a late afternoon flight which left me with a couple of hours to explore Salt Lake City.

It would have been the perfect weather for another day of skiing.

The scenery took on a whole new vantage point when driving through the base of the mountains. The height of the surrounding mountains shaded me from the brightness of the sun as I continued my journey towards Salt Lake City.

The winding roads added to the interesting dimension of our travels as I slithered quietly at the base of the mountains, careful of oncoming traffic.

As I approached the outskirts of Salt Lake and entered the city proper, I noticed that the view had a strong industrial foreshadow with the majestic mountains towering in the distance. The sun was out warming me up in the cold until I exited the car and felt the bitterness of the January freeze.

As I crossed over several railroad tracks and train stops, the city’s public transportation seemed to add to the industrial aura of the town. The environment seemed as cold as the weather as empty streets enhanced the feeling of driving through an abandoned town. I was curious to explore some of the area attractions, yet knew that I have a limited amount of time before driving to the airport.

On the western side of Salt Lake City was the Union Pacific Railroad Depot. It was built in the early 1900s and was once a working train station. The tracks serviced various train transportation companies up until 1999 when it was moved to the Salt Lake City International Hub. In 2006, the location reopened as an entertainment venue, called The Depot and was available for restaurants and office space. It is located at South Temple at 400 West one the western side of Salt Lake City.

It was not long until I decided to escape from the cold to see the city’s Grand America Hotel, one of the Salt Lake’s historic spas and hotels in the downtown area. The courtyard was absent of visitors as a thick layer of ice covers the water feature and had transformed the fountain into a frozen popsicle.

The gorgeous floral arrangement displayed the opulence and grandeur of the hotel.

The beautiful chandeliers hung magically from the ceiling providing a secondary light source to the sun’s natural brilliance from the outdoors.

Salt Lake City’s Courthouse was located at 450 South State Street. It is open from 8AM to 5PM Monday through Friday. For more information about the courthouse, contact their website at www,utcourts.gov.

The Salt Lake City and County Building was topped with a statue of Columbia. It rose over 250 feet from the ground. The statue of Justice stood in the foreground.

The Mormon Temple commands attention as one of the most sought out attractions in Salt Lake City, Sitting upon ten acres known as the Temple Square, the temple was open to the public on April 5^th, 1893. Its famous design has become an icon of the Mormon faith with its beautiful spires and symbolic statues.

Salt Lake City’s Mormon Temple is the largest in the United States (most square feet) and is located at 50 West North Temple Street. From the east side there is a spectacular view of the three towers with the Angel Moroni in the center.

It is obvious that the Mormon faith is a central figure to the city of Salt Lake. There is so much history about the settlement of Salt Lake City, the life of Joseph Smith and the founding of the Mormon religion.

Have you had the opportunity to spend time in Salt Lake City, Utah? What did you do? I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for reading about my short visit to Salt Lake! Wishing you many Happy Travels!

A Statue of Joseph Smith outside of the Church of the Latter Day Saints/Mormon Temple.

The Angel Moroni acts as both the “messenger of the restoration of the gospel and a herald of the Second Coming.”

Another view of the fountain and courtyard

A view of the Courtyard and Fountain from inside on a higher level

A beautiful mural in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah

Ski Trip to Utah! An Evening on Main Street, Park City

19 January 202020 September 2024

After a day of skiing, we decided to visit Park City’s Main Street. Our first stop was the No Name Saloon & Grill, which was the town’s oldest and most popular hangout, having first opened in 1903.

As we walked into the warm, cozy restaurant, it was a great reprieve from the cold outdoors. It felt as if we had just entered a remote cabin in the wilderness. A variety of backwoods memorabilia was hanging from the ceiling and posted to the walls. From the antler chandeliers to the pulley controlled ceiling fan, it was definitely a relaxing way to enjoy our evening.

After kicking back a few beers and some spicy chicken wings, we decided to take a quick ride on the Park City shuttle. Park City offers a free trolley for public transit that transports visitors and residents to the ski resorts as well as other districts in the vicinity. It was a welcome attraction for getting around and reduced the stress of trying to find a parking spot in this popular location.

The No Name Saloon & Grill is located at 447 Main Street, Park City, Utah 84060 and is open daily from 10AM to 2AM. Visit their website at www.nonamesaloon.net.

For more information about the Park City Transit System and additional things to do while visiting Park City, check out the Park City website at www.visitparkcity.com.

Do you have a favorite ski location? What are some of the added attractions that you enjoy after a day of skiing? I would love to hear about your ski adventures in the comments below! Happy Travels!

Snow shoes hanging up in the No Name Saloon

More No Name Saloon Memorabilia