I spent a weekend this fall at the beautiful Deer Lake Village #3 in Park City. I was up there with a small group of friends and we had a blast. This home has the perfect lodging  location  for anyone who wants to be close to Main Street but doesn’t want to stay in the crowded, noisy Old Town area. When I got there on Friday night I had a great time preparing dinner in the fantastic chef’s kitchen. Everything I needed to make lasagna from scratch was available, making the dinner process go without a hitch. After dinner we sat outside and enjoyed the views of Deer Valley from the hot tub. We chose the perfect time of year to come out, we saw a myriad of colors as the fall leaves were starting to turn. After relaxing in the hot tub we sat around the fireplace and talked about how nice the vacation home was. What is great about the fireplace is while it is wood burning there is a gas lighter making it convenient to get a fire started. The next night we spent on Park City’s Main Street exploring all of the sights. From the home we only had to drive about 3 or 4 minutes to get to the heart of Main. Once we were done with the noise, we got back to the home and slept in the super comfortable beds. Overall we all had a fantastic time and I hope to go back for ski season, with it being on the Deer Valley shuttle route it would make ski access  at one of the top rated resorts so easy.

I LOVE breakfast and a recent trip to Eggs in the City reminded me how much I enjoy dining out for breakfast.

breakfast burrito and potatoes from Eggs in the City

Salt Lake City and Park City have a vast array breakfast options, my favorite has to be Market Street Grill in Salt Lake City.  If you go make sure to order orange juice – they squeeze it fresh and it is definitely refreshing.   Other favorites are Blue Plate Diner,  Millcreek Cafe, The Park Cafe, No Worries, Eating Establishment, Squatters (Park City location), Cottonwood Heights Cafe.

What’s your favorite breakfast spot?

Calls are coming in for the Sundance Film Festival. Eager film makers and film buyers are booking lodging early in anticipation of a better economy – and a bigger, better event.   And with ticket package purchases starting tomorrow – eager film buffs can plan their vacation according to the movie schedule they are lucky enough to  receive.  For ticket purchase information, see http://www.sundance.org/festival/tickets/ .

312 Upper Norfolk is a great option for film lovers and ski lovers. Located in Old Town, it is just a stairway away from Main Street – home to Sundance, Slamdance, Chefdance, and other festivities. It is also located on the Quittin Time ski trail at Park City Mountain Resort. Skiers can easily ski from the home to PCMR’s Main Street Town Lift. For Details see 312 Upper Norfolk .

Sundance Film Festival - Ski in Ski out - 4 bedroom

View Sundance Film Festival on Main Street from the Balcony

Ski In Ski Out at Park City Mountain Resort

Bright colors bursting over Parley’s Summit in Park City, Utah – Greeting all visitors to enjoy the mountains.

September 23, 2011

Full splash with fluffy clouds over Deer Valley Ski Resort, Park City Mountain Resort, and Canyons Ski Resort.

September 27, 2011

Softening pastels eagerly awaiting Utah’s Greatest Snow on Earth.

September 30, 2011

Utah Vacation Homes is pleased to offer our guests a new travel insurance plan, the All Seasons Travel Plan with Cancel for Any Reason coverage.

How it works is very simple, purchase the policy within 21 days of making a reservation and you can cancel, for any reason, within 48 hours of your departure and be reimbursed up to 75% of the lodging cost.  This coverage also includes the standard coverage, so if you cancel due to covered reasons such as illness, death, or injury you can receive 100% reimbursement.

This coverage works for everyone in your group, so if part of your group needs to cancel they can be reimbursed accordingly for their portion of the stay.

Contact one of our team members at for more information and cost for your stay.

This morning at 3:OOam, the autumn equinox ushered in a rousing colorful welcome. Rising above the green valley, Park City’s mountain peaks explode with red, orange, and yellow. This picture, taken at Parley’s Summit, represents only a small piece of the beautiful landscape. This weekend, with it’s warm temperatures and blue skies, may be the best chance to get out and enjoy the view.

Open Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day from Noon to 6pm at Snowbird Ski and Snowboard Resort. I love Oktoberfest. Bratwurst, sauerkraut, and all the rest of the German cuisine. And of course – we can’t forget the most famous product from Southern Germany (not BMW or Mercedes) – Beer. And Snowbird makes it easy to safely imbibe, offering free rides home for anyone unable to drive. Course my kids just care about the Slides, Zip Lines and other fun stuff. And my wife loves to check out the fashion – fun Bavarian dresses.

Courtesy of Snowbird http://www.snowbird.com/events/summer/oktoberfest.html
ALLES GUTE MEIN LIEBER SCHATZ!

If you’re planning a trip to Salt Lake City, Park City, or really any place in Utah make sure and check out Now Playing Utah.  Now Playing Utah is a comprehensive guide to events, activities, festivals you name it,  playing in Utah.  I just took a quick look at the website and came up with several activities in Park City and Salt Lake City area  I’d like to go to in the next couple of days.  You can also use their search tool to search by date and find activities going on well before you get here.

If tickets are still available, I can see Real Salt Lake take on New York Red Bulls tonight in Salt Lake.  I’ve been to several Real Salt Lake soccer games and they are always a blast.

In Park City on most Sunday’s is the Park Silly Festival.  This is a weekly street fair with live music, arts & crafts, and a farmers market.  It’s a festival that never gets boring as the vendors are different each week.  FYI If you try and go this Sunday you will see the Park City Arts Festival instead – which is well worth going to.

Shark week is wrapping up tomorrow at The Living Planet Aquarium in Salt Lake.   Even if you can’t make it to Living Planet Aquarium before the event ends it’s a fun place to check-out anytime.

Let us know how you used Now Playing Utah to find activities to do while visiting Park City, Salt Lake City, or any other place in Utah.

If you’re looking for a quick weekend getaway or planning a trip to Park City for Thanksgiving stay at Vintage on the Strand #1, one of our luxury vacation homes in Park City, and enjoy a truly HOT DEAL!

Living Room at Vintage on the Strand

This 3600 square foot townhome has it all.  Last fall my family came to Park City and I had them stay at Vintage on the Strand #1, they loved it!  One of the favorite features was the steam shower, however the hot tub also provided much needed relaxation.   We utilized the amazing kitchen for breakfasts, lunch, and snacks. We could have cooked a gourmet dinner with the Wolf appliances but chose to dine-out at one of Park City’s delicious restaurants.  One comment everyone made was how spacious Vintage on the Strand #1 was.  We had a group of 12,  and the floor plan made it easy to retreat to our bedroom or gather in the same room to watch a movie or visit.  It was a great place to reconnect.  While we weren’t there during the ski season, seeing how close the ski lifts were made it very enticing to come back to ski or snowboard.

Now is a great time to enjoy all of Vintage on the Strand’s features.  If you stay before December 1, 2011 you’ll receive 20-35% off the nightly rate.  Call or visit Vintage on the Strand #1 to check availability, get pricing, or make a reservation.