Utah, specifically Park City, has quickly become one of my favorite ski destinations. My husband and I went on a ski trip with a big group of friends two years ago and loved the area. We were so impressed by the wide runs and skiable acreage and really enjoyed the convenience of Park City that we decided to return last year. One of the biggest draws to Park City is that it’s only 30 minutes from the airport in Salt Lake City!

As I mentioned in the previous post, Park City is perfect for intermediate to advanced skiers because 48% of the mountain is intermediate terrain while 44% is advanced. However, since my last post, Park City has changed the ranking system for runs and eliminated the double blue designation. When I inquired as to why, I was told that skiers found it too confusing. I feel like the opposite is true – if you have a double blue, you know that it’s going to be a tougher blue but not as hard as the blacks. I am leaving my previous post as is because the formerly designated double blues are still tougher runs so someone may find it helpful.

While we again enjoyed a lot of our favorite runs from two years ago, we also discovered some new favorites, listed below along with their difficulty level.

• Crescent (black) and Silver Queen (blue) Crescent Express
• The blues off of Pioneer (there are several!)
• The blues off of King Con (they are all fantastic)

Since this trip was only Alex and I, we decided to stay at the Hyatt Place Park City. It’s difficult to find a condo for only two people so even though it wasn’t ski-in/ski-out, it was still a great location. Park City has a free bus system that will take you to Historic Main Street, Kimball Junction, or other parts of the resort. I would note that in the mornings and at the end of the day, the buses can get extremely crowded and backed up with people trying to get on and off the mountain at the same time.

There is a bus stop just in front of the hotel which could not make it easier to get around. From the hotel, you can take either the 6 (green) or 7 (pink). The green will take you to Canyons and then on to Park City Mountain or the Old Town Transit Center in the heart of things. The pink will take you to the Canyons Transit Hub. It is useful to start in Canyons if you want to eat or start skiing there. The benefit to starting your ski day in Canyons is that it’s significantly less crowded than Park City; however, you have to traverse the mountain to get to the Park City side. Both worked well for us!

Hyatt Place has a location of Ski ‘N See Rentals which made it very convenient to pick up and store our ski and boot rentals. You can also trade out any gear at the Ski ‘N See location at the Park City Mountain Resort Center. We stored our soft boots in cubbies there during the day as well, so we didn’t have to trek in our ski boots.

Another perk of the Hyatt Place is that it offers a full breakfast every morning that included eggs, sausage or bacon, potatoes, fruit, yogurt, cereal, and bread and pastry products. We had a large breakfast every morning before a day of skiing. We also got dinner at Hyatt Place our first night. The Gallery offers sandwiches, burgers, and pizza 24 hours a day!

If you’re looking to get out for dinner or drinks, we found a few options that I’d definitely recommend:

Fletcher’s: The restaurant has high quality meals made with local, natural, and sustainable ingredients, and handcrafted cocktails. We ate downstairs at the Library Lounge, which has such a cozy vibe, almost as if you’re hanging out in your friend’s living room. The Library has a limited but varied menu – you could have a selection of apps or you could easily have a full dinner. We shared a plate of poutine since we were waiting for our reservation at Yuki Yama. The poutine was fantastic!

Yuki Yama: Just down the street in the heart of Old Town is the best sushi and ramen restaurant around, Yuki Yama. The dishes are beautiful and creative, not to mention, delicious. It’s a small space but a festive ambiance. We shared pork ramen and a roll (I wish I remembered which, but everything was fantastic and every plate we saw leave the kitchen looked amazing).

Draft’s Burger Bar: If you want an outstanding burger, a great selection of beer (available in pitchers!), and creative milkshake concoctions, check out Draft’s Burger Bar, located in the Canyons area inside the Westgate Resort. If you like spicy, we definitely recommend the Vote for Pedro burger. Check out the rest of the menu here.

Park City Chinese and Thai: On New Years’ Eve, it was incredibly cold and we knew it would be crowded in the resort area and on Main Street, so we wanted to find somewhere to get takeout to have at the hotel. Park City Chinese and Thai was an easy bus ride away and we love Thai food, so we ordered several dishes to share while ringing in the New Year.

Park City Chinese and Thai is located next to a Fresh Market, which is a great place to pick up snacks during your stay. The restaurant is also not far from a state liquor store. Utah has unique alcohol laws so if you’re planning on purchasing alcohol, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself before you go. You can buy beer at the grocery store; however, the maximum alcohol content is 4% ABV. If you want something of a higher content, or if you’re looking for wine or liquor, you can only purchase those at the state liquor store.

Our 2018 ski trip was another great success and we can’t wait for our next visit to the lovely town of Park City! I’d love to hear in the comments if you’ve been to Park City and what your favorite ski regions are?

Where to Stay:
Hyatt Place, 4377 N Highway N 224, Park City, UT 84098

Where to Eat:
Fletcher’s, 562 Main St, Park City, UT 84060
Yuki Yama, 586 Main St, Park City, UT 84060
Draft’s Burger Bar, 3000 Canyons Resort DrivePark City, UT 84098
Park City Chinese and Thai, 1776 Park Ave, Park City, UT 84060