If you are trying to plan a family vacation this winter that will capture the interest of both tykes and teens, Park City, Utah is the answer. And they all start with the letter “S”…
1. Skiing – There is a reason that Park City is always at the top of the list for the best ski resorts in North America. It’s because they have more than 8,625 acres of the Greatest Snow on Earth.�? With three world-class resorts to choose skiers can choose from classes for beginners to skiing the 2002 Olympic runs. And how cool is this? Catch a morning flight from almost anywhere and you can be on our slopes the same afternoon. The Park City Quick START (Ski Today and Ride Today) Vacation lets you convert your airline boarding pass into a FREE same-day lift ticket to the Park City resort of your choice.
2. Snowmobiling – Families can bond over a thrilling back country adventure ranging from an hour to all day, while taking in the panoramic beauty of the Rocky Mountains. Children ride free with paying adult.
3. Snowshoeing – If you’d rather slow down the pace, then strap on those snowshoes for a fantastic calorie burner that takes very little expertise. Head out on your own or take a guided tour.
4. Sledding – Not one, but two different adventures await you. There’s nothing quite like racing across the snow in a dogsled, as one way to get around the high price of gas. Or even the mosted jaded teenager will scream their lungs out, when flying down the track at Utah Olympic Park at 80 miles per hour, experiencing 4 Gs of force (the equivalent of a 40-story drop in less than a minute) on a four-person public passenger bobsled ride. (Must be 16 or older.)
5. Snowboarding – Offering the best Olympic Super Pipes to monster kickers, Park City is a favorite with snowboarding stars Jeremy Jones and Shaun White. Lessons are available for children age 7 and up.
6.Snow tubing– Gorgoza Park just off of I-80 before the main exit to Park City offers the best tubing around — and it’s open until 8 p.m. If your child is not the most athletic, they can just plop on the tube and let the lift tow them to the top.
7. Sleigh ride– As the sun sets, an old-fashioned horse-drawn sleigh ride will turn your family into the Waltons, at least for a night.
8. Skating – The newly opened Quinn’s Recreation Complex in downtown Park City features an indoor Olympic-sized ice-skating rink for practicing those triple jumps.
9.Ski-Jumping – The Olympic Sports Park features four ski jumps (18-90 meters), where the public can ooh and ahh as they watch the U.S. Ski Team train practice their freestyle aerial jumps. Two-hour classes are offered for both children and adults.
10. Spas – Moms and Dads can bring their bodies in for some much-needed pampering after a hard day on the slopes.
P.S. And how thoughtful of Park City is this? Per Salt Lake City Magazine, the #1 best restaurant for 2006, in a town that provides more great food per square inch than Vegas, is Shabu. A hip-hot scene offering freestyle Asisan Cuisine.
By Vagablond’s Token Redhead