I am very excited to be taking you to Utah today. I lived in Park City from 1997-2006. As you well know by reading about the other states, I am a hot weather beach girl! My head would start spinning when the snow came down in May or June! But let's not dwell on that.
Utah is a beautiful state. If you are into skiing, hiking, camping, mountain bike riding. river rafting and the like... this state is for you. From the wintry mountains, to the city in the valley on southward to beautiful rock formations. Let's start there.
Arches National Park is nothing short of breathless. We went to the park in a 4 wheel drive jeep and it was crazy. Hiking back to see all the arches is incredible. There are over 2,000 natural sandstone arches in the park and the textures and coloring are something you have to see for yourself.
Other parks that are similar to the Arches are Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Capital Reef National Park. Check those out for your camping pleasure. I'm going to head north and stay in a hotel.
The major city in Utah is of course Salt Lake City discovered by Brigham Young in 1847. Everyone that came to see me was interested in seeing Temple Square. It is a beautiful area with flowing gardens and spectacular architecture and you can meander through and enjoy the grounds. My favorite restaurant in Salt Lake is Cafe Rio and I am so jealous that Park City is getting one! I can taste the fajita steak salad with the creamy tomatilla dressing right now! YUMMY!
Not far from the city are several ski resorts nestled in the Wasatch Mountains. On the west side are: Alta, Brighton, Solitude and Snowbird. I think I went to Solitude one year but not being the avid skier... I can't remember.
Let's forget the hotel and go to my favorite spot in Utah... Park City! Surely, I can find a friends house to stay at! My favorite place in Park City is Jess Reid Real Estate. I know it's a real estate company but it's not just any real estate company, I worked there for 6.5 years and I made some very good friends there. And I miss them dearly. Hi everyone at Jess Reid Real Estate. That's the Reid Building in the photo above. I have to give a shameless plug to my realtor, Rich Fine. If you're ever looking for a winter home in the mountains, call Rich. Not that the rest of the Realtors there aren't good because they are!! Most of the gang are pictured below.
Park City boast three ski resorts that can't be more than 10 or 15 miles apart and that may be too many miles. There's Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain Resort and The Canyon's. If I'm not mistaken, Park City had record amounts of snow this year and the skiing had to be awesome. But don't just go to Park City for your winter vacation. All of the resorts feature summer events as well. There are zip lines, alpine slides, mountain biking and lots of summer concerts. When you're in Park City, you have to go to Historic Main Street. It's kind of like stepping back in time but with all the modern conveniences. Okay, JRRE... stop laughing about my descriptions!
The last area I'm going to talk about is Sundance. No, not the film festival. The resort. I'm sure many of you would love the Film Festival though, you should check that out, too. I'm talking about the resort. I have been to Sundance in the fall and summer. It's more secluded and very natural while luxurious at the same time. The fall colors are so beautiful with the sounds of the wind whipping through the trees and water brooks. The air is heavenly there!
Utah's fun facts are: The state flower is the sego lily and the state bird is the Californian Gull.
Oh my heck! All you Utahn's meet us on the Snow Deck on Friday, June 13th to tell us what makes Utah the Taste of USA!
I'd also like to say happy birthday to Darci. She's not from Utah but I love her just the same and today is her birthday!
6 comments:
Hi Diana, Ginger, Aimee, Darhl, Jess, Rich and everyone at Jess Reid Real Estate! Miss you and hope all is going well!
Nice write up, helps me to remember why I'm here when ski season is over for Park City, yet it snows. And thanks for the plug!
As for food here, I know there are some great things, but green jello with fruit in it seems to be the item most associated with this place. I'll find the recipe for the Park City Cocktail for you, not exactly food, but it is a taste.
Rich
Rich- you're favorite taste of Utah should be Teriyake Express!
Well then, if eating a specific meal 3 times a week counts, then I guess that's true.
Now this is not fast food, or a bread laden deli sandwich. These guys manage to grill a breast of chicken or a steak, slice it in to strips, served over brown or white rice, and a side of steamed carrots/broccoli/cabbage. The teriyaki sauce is their own, all I know is that the secret ingredient is Dr Pepper (I think). Not bad for $6.
I have to post a comment for Utah because my grandfather lives in UT. I remember visiting as a kid, though its been a few years since I have gotten out there. UT is sooo pretty!
Hey there, Ginger here. Nice write up!
Post a Comment