Getting to your vacation’s final destination should be the easy part, be it Park City, Salt Lake City or one of the Utah ski resorts. From the time you land in Salt Lake City until the time you leave, the transportation side of things should be your last worry. While renting a car is an option for some, for a seamless experience in getting you from point A to point B Utah Vacation Homes relies on Park City Transportation.

Although the company name is Park City Transportation, Utah Vacation Home guests have used PCT on many occasions in and out of Park City from their signature airport transportation to day trips to any of Utah’s world famous ski resorts like Snowbird, Snowbasin or The Canyons. They utilize a fleet of new and well maintained Chevrolet passenger vans. Having been in these shared ride vans from the airport to Park City I can attest that they are clean and comfortable in addition to being driven by courteous drivers.  It was also rewarding to know that aside from my personal car not being in use that a number of others who were in that van with me were also sparing the roads and the atmosphere one more vehicle in use.

If you are looking for something a bit more private for a family or group, check out their Elite service. Utilizing Cadillac Escalade’s for this service, you’re sure to enjoy a private and very comfortable ride wherever your final destination may be.  Bling included!

Utah Vacation Home customers can get Free Taxi service when booking a round trip service to Park City from Salt Lake International Airport just 35 minutes from Park City. Once in Park City you’ll have no need for additional transportation.  That way you’ll focus on the fun…your vacation!

–Check out all of Park City Transportation’s rates to determine what service you’ll book for your next trip to Utah.

Locals are in a bit of a fit these days.  Is it winter, is it summer?  It changes every ten minutes in Utah this time of year.  Just when you break out your bike, it snows.  And then, just days after getting a sun burn at the Fairmont Skate Park, you have to cover it up with a down parka.  Is there any upside to this conundrum?  Please let me know!!!!

My short list of non-weather dependent activities are as follows:

U2 3D at the Imax.

Not just for Bonofiles.  Anyone who enjoys music and wants to get blown away with 3D images that make you duck for cover should not miss this.  It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before a lucky crowd of Park City High School students, movie execs, journalists, and oh yeah, the band.  Even kids who can’t spell Bono were going nuts. 

Long Walks.

A friend of mine suggested taking a long walk to a place you usually drive.  He walked down the street about 3 miles to Chipotle Grill.  It was a good appetizer for the green, locally grown products that Chipotle is famous for.  And for dessert, he walked home.  What’s the rush anyway? 

Books.

Hmmm . . .I seem to remember what these things are.  And yes, for those who are hell bent on maintaining their technological edge, you can read electronically.  Check out the Amazon.com Kindle.  But for the rest of us, there is a good feeling holding a bound piece of tangible escape.  And just think, the next time your fancy friends start talking about the last book they read, you can be fancy too!

So - do tell - what else can I do while I wait for the thaw? 

With Live Aid, Farm Aid, and American Idol Gives Back we see how millions of people can be mobilized to help support those in need. But if you want to see what happens after the celebrities go home, drop by Welfare Square in Salt Lake City. Located at 780 West 800 South in Salt Lake City, Utah 84104 (Phone number(s): Call 1-801-240-1245 for more information).

Free, one-hour tours explaining the history and purpose of Church welfare are conducted Monday through Friday.

You won’t be the first to visit. Presidents, Premiers, and CEO’s have toured the site to try to figure out how a small group of volunteers are able to produce such a huge life saving product. Recipients the world over probably have no idea who produced and packaged their aid. When you visit the site, you will discover the simple yet powerful force working for the good of others.

When I first heard about the Salt Lake Connect Pass a myriad of thoughts went through my mind. First I thought of a ski resort connection pass but then realized I was thinking about the Salt Lake Super Pass. Then public transportation came to mind with me thinking it was a way to connect rail with bus. Then I conjured up a restaurant super pass if you will leaving the bearer of the pass “connected”. Although I was getting slightly warmer with my guesses, I was still way off the mark.

The Salt Lake Connect Pass is a pass offered by the Salt Lake Visitors Bureau that allows summer time visitors and locals to use it to access an array of activities across the Salt Lake Valley. Utah Vacation Homes sells the Connect Pass at a discount to lodging guests.

The Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass comes in 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 day increments. The card is activated the first time you use it. It is then valid for that day and the number of consecutive calendar days you have purchased at the following attractions:

• Discovery Gateway
• The Lion House Pantry Restaurant
• The Living Planet Aquarium
• Red Butte Garden
• Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort
• Clark Planetarium
• This Is the Place Heritage Park
• Utah Museum of Fine Arts
• Utah Museum of Natural History
• Utah Olympic Park
• Utah’s Hogle Zoo
• Thanksgiving Point

Additionally you can use the card to save at restaurants, soccer games, the symphony and one of my favorites the Utah Olympic Park in Park City.

If you’re planning on a stay in Salt Lake this summer check out the connect pass pricing at Utah Vacation Homes’ special deals page.

It’s official, spring is here. Springtime in Utah is really something else. Definitely reason to travel weather you’ve had a winter vacation or not. Kids take spring breaks, why shouldn’t you? Plus, spring rates for lodging in the Salt Lake Area with Utah Vacation Homes are near rock bottom.

During springtime in Utah locals like to celebrate the passing of winter and the arrival of spring in one fail swoop with the Utah Spring Triathlon. It’s not the type of triathlon that you may be thinking. And while it’s not an organized sort of triathlon, there are plenty of participants.

Looking at the next 10 days forecast Sunday through Wednesday look ideal. You’d be wise to bring a crew of friends or family.

It goes something like this: Ski - Bike - Golf

Ski

Snowbird still has a 140″ base depth of snow! If like me you’re having a hard time picturing just how deep 140″ is let me put it into perspective for you. This would be like having Kobe Bryant stand on Shaq’s shoulders with Kobe’s head being the only thing showing above the snow. Yes, it’s still that deep!

With Snowbird open daily through May 11 and then Friday-Sunday until Memorial Day, getting a morning of spring skiing in is so easy given that Snowbird is only 15 minutes from Sandy where Utah Vacation Homes has plenty of homes available for rental.  You’re likely to have the mountain to yourself this time of the year so spread your elbows and enjoy the views.

Bike

The second leg of this triathlon is the bike.  The trails and roads are dry enough around Salt Lake this time of the year that regardless of what type of biking you’re craving there’s a destination waiting for. Mid day temps in the Salt Lake Valley are in the mid 60’s to mid 70’s this time of the year and will only be getting warmer as we slip into May.  If dirt is your thing, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail is a good call this time of the year.

Golf

Finishing out the Utah Springtime Triathlon with a round of golf as evening arrives is a relaxing way to end the day. The sun doesn’t set until nearly 8pm so you’ve got time for at least a round of nine. Old Mill Golf Course, located near the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon is affordable and close by. The back nine is definately more exciting and scenic. Either way you go I’d recommend getting a cart as the front 9 is long with a couple of hills that your legs may reject given you’ve skied and biked already today.

To cap the day grab a seat at the Porquipine Pub and Grill after which you can enjoy the hot tub at your rented condo or home, watching the sun set on another perfect spring day in Utah.

It’s the “off season” for ski resorts here in Utah but most of them are very busy preparing for next season. Park City Mountain Resort announced today that it’s making some big improvements for the 2008-09 ski season. For the many Utah Vacation Home customers who choose to rent a Park City home like the Empire Cabin or a home on Park Avenue (seen to the right) this is good news. Having skied Park City Mountain Resort a number of times this past year all of the upgrades are welcomed to making the vacation experience all the more enjoyable.

The most visual impact will be the addition of the Crescent high speed quad lift which will replace the existing Ski Team lift. As is the Ski Team lift starts up hill from the base area where the PayDay six pack is found but the new lift will stretch downhill towards the base. Adding a high speed quad to the base lift options will be fantastic for all levels of skiers.

Beginners will easily access Claim Jumper while Intermediate skiers will will be able to get to the King Con “blue dream” runs that are found there.  And don’t forget the black diamond signature runs in the Ski Team area which offer some great east facing powder among some of the best gladed aspen skiing.  This new lift is going to be awesome!

Additionally the Mid Mountain Lodge found near the base of the McConkey and Pioneer lifts will see a major face lift. One that is needed.

One of the seldom seen but not to be missed impacts will be the resorts’ commitment to offset 100 percent of its power consumption by using renewable energy sources. This commitment starts in June 2008. It’s estimated that this move will avoid producing nearly 19 million pounds of CO2 emissions annually, which is equal to removing 1,853 passenger vehicles from the road or powering 1,100 average American homes for a year. (details about Park City’s commitment to the environment is found at saveoursnow.net)

Weather you visit Park City Mountain Resort this summer for mountain biking or next winter for skiing and snowboarding it’s nice to see a resort committed to keeping the environment a priority when it comes to opening up the coffers.

– Press Release on Connect-Utah.com

Most of us at Utah Vacation Homes are passionate about skiing and snowboarding.  Part of the reason I got in the industry was to share my passion of the sport and the ski resorts in the area with visitors. 

The downside to working in this industry is our busy season is the ski season, which has limited the time I spend snowboarding.  To help combat this downside Utah Vacation Homes scheduled a company day at Park City Mountain Resort. 

This year we had a few newbies to the sport and few who didn’t want to ski or snowboard.  So we choose to spend the day Park City Mountain Resort.  Park City Mountain Resort has a variety of terrain to appease every skiing & snowboarding level, and activities to entertain those who don’t “snow ride” .   An alpine coaster is located at the resort (check out Kendall’s post on the coaster), and there are tons of shopping and  dining options near the resort.

The trip to Park City Mountain Resort was a success.  The first time skiers had such a great time they committed to go more next season and  those who didn’t ski met up with us for lunch at Legacy Lodge.  Everyone was happy!   We’re putting it in our calendar to have several company days at the resort next ski season.   

Springtime is an amazing time to be in Utah. Snow-capped mountains give way to green fairways and mild evening temperatures in Salt Lake City. It’s the perfect time to get away for a spring ski trip, especially when Utah has enjoyed record snowfall as it has this season.

If you’re bringing the family or teaming up with another family, one of the most accommodating and ideally located vacation properties in the Salt Lake Valley is at the Canyon Racquet Club. It was completely remodeled in 2007 and has a slough of upgrades including:

• All new Furniture & Lighting
• All new Kitchen Appliances, Washer & Dryer
• Incredible new Hardwood Flooring & Upgraded Carpeting
• Granite Counter-tops
• New Hot Tub Spa with 86 jets
• New Plasma & LCD TV’s

Considering the 25% off of the nightly rate special that is currently happening, this property can’t be beat.

Located adjacent to Wasatch Boulevard at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains this property is just 15 minutes from Snowbird Resort and 20 minutes from Brighton. Since it’s spring time the Old Mill golf course which is now open is just a short 4 minutes down the road. The reality of skiing in the morning and playing a round of golf in the afternoon is easily accomplished when staying here.

Unit B-4 at the Canyon Racquet Club is very comfortable, sleeping 10 with 4 bedrooms in a contemporary setting. A private hot tub and spacious living room with a 50″ plasma TV makes going out a tough decision.

Keep your eyes on the specials page for other hot deals on ideal vacation properties in the Salt Lake and Park City area.

– Check out the rest of the specs and details for the Canyon Racquet Club B-4 property.

For many ski and snowboard resorts around the country this is the last week that many of them are open.  That is if they haven’t closed already.  Only 3 of Utah’s 13 resorts are currently closed and beyond this coming weekend when the Park City area resorts close the Salt Lake area resorts will remain open.  But is it still worth coming out to Utah for a late season ski trip?

Within the last 48 hours alone Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon has seen 24″ of new snow and Alta Ski Resort has seen 23″ in the same period.  Base depths are near record for this time of the year with 165″ at Alta - that’s over 10 feet of snow piled up and ready to ski.

 The author skiing on Monday, April 7th, 2008.  It’s still this good in Utah!

Although it looks like the next week and beyond will be getting warmer this means that the last few weeks of the ski season here in Utah will be some of the most fabulous skiing of the season with sunny warm spring conditions during the day and cool nights to keep the snow in great shape day in and day out.  Evenings in Salt Lake City may be temperate enough for short sleeve shirts and perhaps a round of golf at some of the local courses that are just opening up for the summer.   Not to mention restaurants, pubs and the resorts will feel like you own the place!

Snowbird Resort has plans to stay open through the end of May and if a few more storms come through Utah as they often do in late April and early May, rumor has it they may look to stay open for skiing through July 4 if possible.  Nothing like celebrating Independence Day on skis!

Keep your eye on the Hot Deals page of Utah Vacation Homes for a spring ski trip that you’ll not soon forget.

The Canyons went all out this spring with their Spring Gruv that included free concerts, on hill events and the always enjoyable and somewhat famous Pond Skimming Contest. As the longest running event at The Canyons, being held each year since 1997-98 season, it’s become a “not to miss” spectacle and celebration of the season.

For skiers and snowboarders who were here this spring the weather was superb and the spectacle was full of laughs and spills. Check out the video from The Canyons.

Check out other videos from this past season at The Canyons