Park City enchants dreamers. Tucked at the base of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, this historic and rugged town of brick and limestone buildings has a centuries-old legacy of changing lives. In the late 1800s, silver mines lured hardy pioneers. Nearly 100 years later, the renowned annual Sundance Film Festival debuted, giving independent filmmakers the opportunity for recognition among Hollywood’s biggest names in silver screen production. In 2002, the world’s top athletes were crowned Olympic champions on Park City soil. Today, Park City attracts visitors for many reasons. It is a thriving resort town of boutique shopping, art galleries, more than 100 restaurants, and outdoor recreation worthy of world-class Olympic athletes. It is also attractive to anyone who appreciates nature in its simple glory. Park City is the pinnacle of personal enrichment whether the pursuit is artistic, physical, or spiritual.
Best Tribute to Independent Thought
Every January thousands of cinema fanatics descend on Park City for ten days to celebrate the world’s best independent American and international films. The annual Sundance Film Festival showcases hundreds of movies and attracts up-and-coming actors, Hollywood A-listers, film critics, directors, and screenwriters. Many Festival winners like The Blair Witch Project and Supersize Me, become Tinsel Town hits. Select films are also showcased at Sundance Resort, about an hour from Park City. Actor Robert Redford created the Sundance community in 1969 in honor of artistic expression, environmental stewardship, culture, and outdoor recreation. The purpose of Sundance is to celebrate artistic ideas and passions, and to inspire festival-goers to preserve the earth. Sundance Resort sets an example by operating green principles throughout its facilities. Efforts range from providing outdoor furniture made of 100 percent recycled milk jugs, to transforming the restaurants’ bottle glass into works of art and practical housewares in the onsite glassworks kiln, to operating most of its ski resort chairlifts with wind power. Contact (801) 225-4107 or visit www.sundanceresort.com
Best Treatment
Park City’s passion for all things natural transcends into the body treatments at Aura Spa for the Spirit, a day spa located in the historic downtown. Aura is known for its exclusive use of organic and biodynamic skincare products like the birch massage oil made by a local master herbalist especially for Aura. The spa’s signature holistic facials are offered as blissful seventy-five or ninety-minute retreats, which begin with a warm footbath. Just as every person’s skin is different, so too is the formula for every Aura facial. Tonics and lotions are custom-blended for each customer based on individual skincare needs. While the formula works its healing magic, legs and arms are briefly massaged. Aura proprietor and certified master esthetician Suzanne Roberge developed the treatment menu based on her philosophy that healthy skin is achieved by a responsible diet, a positive attitude, plenty of sleep, and a quality, all-natural skincare regimen. Contact (888) 358-2872 or visit www.auraspa.net
Best Spa Retreat
Adjacent to the Canyons ski resort is the Grand Summit Resort Hotel at The Canyons where ski-in/ski-out facilities apply to everything from accommodations to the chic Native American themed spa treatment rooms. Here, visitors can literally part from their group at the Canyon’s mountain lodge and ski down to their spa appointment. Highlighting the Grand Summit’s spa services menu is the Canyon Stone Massage that focuses heavily on the legs and lower back for reprieve after skiing or snowboarding. The heat from the stones penetrates deep into tired muscles preparing them for another stellar day on the slopes. At the Grand Summit, skiing and spa treatments don’t compete for time. Therapists are on the clock until 9 p.m. for those who want the best of both worlds. Contact (435) 615-8035 or visit www.thecanyons.com
Best Skiing Alternative
If you can walk, you can snowshoe. Strap on a pair of snowshoes for an invigorating, yet surprisingly peaceful, guided backcountry hike through snow-covered meadows and Aspen groves with local outfitter White Pine Touring. Snowshoeing is reportedly a favorite cross-training activity for mountain bikers, runners, and cyclists because of its intense aerobic qualities. It is also an exercise in mental balance. A tour through unmarked, snow covered terrain calms the mind as the senses hone in on the sights and sounds of Mother Nature dressed in white. For a more dramatic experience, book a moonlight tour and witness the dynamic display of stars and moon illuminating acres of sparkling snow. Contact (435) 649-8710 or visit www.whitepinetouring.com
Best Health-minded Menu
Decorated in deep red and black, the hip Shabu restaurant is a ski bum’s answer to a swanky eatery you’d expect to find in Manhattan or L.A. Shabu even stakes claim to a roster of local celebrities including Olympic ski legend Jeremy Nobis, for whom the gigantic signature Nobis Nitro sushi roll was named. This mountain of a roll consists of tempura shrimp, avocado, pineapple, and mango rolled with tobiko. It’s then wrapped in tuna and covered in a tangy Japanese red pepper aioli. Brothers Kevin and Robert Valaika opened Shabu three years ago for two reasons: to regularly ski Utah’s famous powder and to nourish kindred spirits with fresh Asian-inspired delicacies. The Vegetarian Bento Box, another specialty, consists of wok-seared veggies, coconut crusted tofu, a fresh spring roll, and shabu broth. Contact (435) 645-SAKE (7428)
Best Body Shop
Mountain Body Herbal Cosmetic Deli & Spa is the brainchild of a savvy mother/daughter team who simply wanted body care products that healed and protected their own skin from Utah’s harsh weather conditions. Mountain Body’s product line includes everything from mineral salt rubs and sugar scrubs, to aromatherapy bath teas and lava mud masks. Products are 100% botanical and handmade locally. Salt, mixed in various products, is mined from the nearby Salt Lake. The flagship boutique on Main Street is famous for its one-minute, five-step hand treatment that leaves rough and dry skin smooth and supple. Purchase a kit or buy each miracle worker separately in the shop. The cabin-like store also serves as an informal test lab for new products and scents. Contact (800) 417-2365 or visit www.mountainbody.com
Best Bookstore
The Expanding Heart bookstore is a feast for the soul. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases line the small store and feature titles on such subjects as belly dancing, Eastern wisdom, yoga, and spirituality. The store also serves young readers. A number of beautifully illustrated New Age children’s books explain the intricacies of mind-body connections and spirituality, while lighthearted topics include yoga and recycling. Browse tables and shelves stacked high with an eclectic inventory of mind-body-spirit tokens like crystals, music CDs, jewelry, and incense. Psychic readings are conducted by appointment. Contact (435) 649-1255
Best Downhill Lessons
Perfect your downhill technique at Deer Valley Resort where the student-to-instructor ratio is four to one. Your slope skills are destined to improve after participating in an intensive, multi-day ski clinic. Video and instructor analyses help develop students’ balance, stance, and body alignment. Commiserating with skiers of the same ability level is an added perk. For those who prefer one plank to two, Park City Mountain Resort has gold-medal standards for its snowboarding programs. The United States Snowboarding Team won the Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medals on these slopes in 2002. The resort is also home to the National Ability Center, an innovative lessons program for disabled skiers and snowboarders. Instructors are specially trained in adaptive techniques and equipment. Contact Deer Valley Resort, (800) 424-3337, www.deervalley.com; Park City Mountain Resort, (800) 222-7275, www.parkcitymountain.com
Best Herbal Remedy
Surrender to the power of lavender at Papillon, the spa located in the new Westgate Park City Resort & Spa. The name is not a coincidence. Papillon is the French word for butterfly, symbolizing rebirth, renewal, and spiritual awakening. The spa’s signature treatment is the Alpine Lavender Journey, a decadent head-to-toe experience in the healing properties of this ancient herb. The eighty-minute journey includes a full-body exfoliation, hair washing and deep conditioning, a scalp massage, a face cleansing and hydration, and a lavender body cream application. Lavender’s celebrated versatility is suitable for a long list of ailments, whether physical or emotional. Outdoor enthusiasts will love the Alpine Lavender Journey for the herb’s soothing effects on body strains and wind- or sun-burned skin. Anyone suffering from the hectic schedules of daily life will appreciate aromatic lavender’s healing touch on tension headaches and mental stress. Contact (435) 940-9444 or visit www.wgparkcity.com
Best Reason to Stay in School
Inconspicuously located in a residential neighborhood just off Main Street, the Washington School Inn is a renovated elementary school dating back to 1889. Each of the B&B’s twelve rooms and three suites are named after a former Washington School teacher. Not sure where to ski? Snow conditions reports from local mountains are posted daily at the front desk and the inn’s athletic staff is eager to share their favorite hot spots. Washington School Inn is within walking distance to Park City Mountain Resort’s “Town Ski Lift” and historic Main Street, where you can take a free shuttle bus to the Canyons or Deer Valley ski resorts. In addition to a sizable hot tub and sauna, this sports-minded inn also offers lockers and a heated boot closet for storing ski and snowboard equipment. Contact (800) 824-1672 or visit www.washingtonschoolinn.com.
By Erin Bernall
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