This is part of our “Hot Tub with a View” series which features properties whose hot tub has a view worth talking about.

Staying in the Deer Valley area doesn’t always mean you’ll get a view of the ski runs or trails, but there’s a darn good chance of that being the case. With Deer Lake Village #1, the view of Deer Valley is fantastic if you’re on the second floor but if you’re in the hot tub the views are uniquely different.

Sheltered by a small stand of aspen trees, the hot tub is quite private in the summer months. That’s not to say it’s not the same in the winter, but in the summer it truly feels like you’re secluded in a forest of aspens.

As you look to the south you’ll see the small mountain that divides Deer Valley from the Deer Crest area. It retains it’s natural look as it is without roads or ski runs.

I’m not going to kid you - the view to the west isn’t worth writing home to mom about. While you’re able to catch glimpses of Deer Valley through the shimmer aspen leaves of the trees across the small street, the view is blocked in the summer by the trees in combination with another town home. In the winter though the mountain to the west is better seen and the adjacent town homes may frame it quite nicely.

Deer Lake Village #1 features 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and can sleep up to 13. Finely furnished including washer/dryer and a gas barbecue on the desk adjacent to the hot tub, this is quickly becoming one of our more popular properties. It was new to the Utah Vacation Homes rental pool this past winter season. Other features include:

• 2 Master Suites with Jetted Tubs
• High Speed Wireless Internet
• 6 TV’s with Cable
• 37″ HD flat panel TV
• 3 VCRs, 1 DVD, and 1 VCR/DVD combo player
• 2 Car Garage and Outside Parking
• 2000 Square Feet

Secluded hot tub with mountain views - wouldn’t you love to soak in this hot tub and enjoy the view?

I was up in the hills adjacent to Park City the other night and captured this image of a rainbow as an evening mountain storm was pushing through. It made me stop and realize just how beautiful this area is.

Whether you’re lucky enough to live here or lucky enough to visit, one of the more vibrant and beautiful times of the year is from now through late October before the snow flies.

Since this rainbow ended at Deer Valley Resort, if you wanted to catch this glimpse you could do so by staying at a number of Utah Vacation Home properties like the Solamere Dream home, Deer Lake Village town home, or even from Lakeside condos where you can also catch glimpses of moose on the waters edge. Rates are some of the lowest during this time of the year so it won’t take a pot of gold to enjoy Deer Valley.

I hope you can make it to Park City and Deer Valley this fall where it truly is the end of the rainbow.

This is part of our “Hot Tub with a View” series which features properties whose hot tub has a view worth talking about.

We recognize that the property plays an important part of your stay while vacationing in Utah, but the real reason you come is the skiing, the biking, the dining, the activities, the mountain air…the escape from your day to day for a chance to relax and experience all that Park City and/or Salt Lake have to offer.

Looking north from the Deer Lake Village #2 hot tub

At the end of a vacation day nothing is quite as relaxing as slipping into a hot tub and enjoying a view. And while no 2 views are created equal, we here at Utah Vacation Homes feel like some of our properties have views worth bragging about to your friends and family once you get back home.

Deer Lake Village #2

Located within a short distance from the Snowpark Lodge of Deer Valley Resort’s lower village, Deer Lake Village #2 also sits adjacent to one of the many small ponds and lakes in the lower Deer Valley area. While things like 2 master suites, 2 car garage, wireless internet, beautiful kitchen and living room will have you smiling about this property, the view from the hot tub is stunning year round.

Looking Southwest from the Deer Lake Village #2 hot tub

In the summer you will enjoy quiet unobstructed views with the calmness of the lake nearby as a cool mountain breeze flows through the aspens. If you’re lucky, you may even glimpse a moose wandering past the waters edge.

During the winter you’ll immediately be drawn towards the view of ski runs like Big Stick, Solid Muldoon and Success. During the winter you could even catch glimpses of the freestyle aerialists when the World Cup comes to town to compete on the same venue as the Olympians from the Winter Olympics of 2002.

–Check out Deer Lake Village #2 from Utah Vacation Homes for your next vacation to the Park City and Deer Valley area.

After taking a year off, the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah is back this year. Advertised as “America’s Toughest Stage Race”, it will attract top pro cyclists from around the country and even the world. The first stage kicks off tomorrow, August 13, 2008.

It’s a 336 mile, 5-day race which takes cyclists up over 30,000 feet during the various stages - all within 100 mile radius of Salt Lake City. If you’re a guest of Utah Vacation Homes visiting Salt Lake or if you’re a local, this event is not to be missed and will be unlike any other event in the area, perhaps in the country.

The Tour is part of the prestigious 2008 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. The National Racing Calendar acts as a showcase for the highest level of domestic events in the United States and provides season-long points series to determine the top riders and teams in the nation.

Here is a rundown of the various stages:

Stage 1 - Sanpete Road Race

This stage is 101 miles of flat to rolling terrain that start and finish in Nephi, Utah. ( Nephi is 85 miles south of Salt Lake City)

Stage 2 - Road Race

This stage starts in Ogden and head east into the mountain valleys to finally terminate in Salt Lake, not after going over four climbs and traveling 84 miles.

Stage 3- Downtown Criterium

This will be all action packed into one large city block of downtown Salt Lake City. 90 minutes of a 1 mile circuit surrounding Pioneer Park, this will be a stage you’ll not want to miss.

Stage 4 - Snowbird Road Race

Starting in Park City, this stage then descends into the Heber Valley and then cascades down Provo Canyon. Turning right up and over the Alpine Loop on the backside of Timpanogus, it then drops to Alpine only to climb yet again over the Draper hills into the Salt Lake Valley only to turn up towards Snowbird Resort where it finishes near the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Stage 5 - Miller Motorsports Park Time Trial

This is a 12 mile out and back race against the clock in Tooele ( Tooele is 34 miles west of Salt Lake City) at the Miller Motorsports Park

Don’t miss the Tour of Utah. The race begins tomorrow on August 13 and finishes on August 17, 2008.

–image courtesy of Tour of Utah

Park City is quickly becoming a cycling destination whether you’re a road cyclist or prefer mountain biking. More miles than you can ride in a summer of the finest single track trails are manicured and cared for by the Mountain Trails Foundation. Maps of the trail system are available at most any bike or sporting good shop

As for road cycling, there are some amazing canyon and vista rides both in and around Park City and the greater Summit County. It’s quickly turning into a mecca for road cyclists in Utah.

If you’re not planning a vacation to Park City but are going to participate in one of the many bicycling events here you should consider finding one of Utah Vacation Homes’ Park City properties and make a vacation out of it!

Here is a rundown on just a few of the cycling events that you can participate in when on vacation in Park City.

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When a dove started softly cooing while setting up for our second shot on the sixth fairway, it seemed to confirm that the Homestead Resort in Midway was indeed a peaceful location to golf.

Golfing has always been an escape for me. I don’t take the game too serious, but I do take the time away from “life” so I can “live” seriously. Time on the links is a rare occasion to leave the cares of the world behind and focus on a simple game in a quiet location.

Whether due to location or course design, some golf courses don’t always provide the escape that I desire. A busy road adjacent to the course or a view of office buildings and homes nearby can often detract from the feeling of serenity or escape that you seek. At the Homestead Resort Golf Course I found a quiet course that winds it’s way uniquely through a resort village, mountain foothills and farmlands speckled with wetlands. It isn’t contrived like many courses but fits well with the relaxed feel of the Heber Valley.

After meeting up with Jeremy Roberts, Director of Sales who would be my golfing companion for the day, we started off not with the first tee but with one of the Homestead’s delectable homemade oven-fresh cranberry scones. I couldn’t help but take a picture of one as they are as good as they look! My mouth is watering seeing the picture again!

The Homestead Resort Golf Course

Admittedly, golfing at the Homestead Resort is priced about $15 - $20 more than the neighborhood courses, but for around a $1 per hole more the experience is a world apart.

Take for example the bag drop off and check in location upon arrival. Jeremy was down at the pro shop and although I offered to walk down there with my bag the greeter insisted I take a cart and leave it down at the pro shop if it wasn’t needed.

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