Showing posts with label ski park city. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ski park city. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Park City Dining at 350 Main

350 Main - Park City Dining
Dining at 350 Main in Park City
Don't miss 350 Main on your next Park City vacation.  350 Main offers unique starters and some of the best entrees you will find in Park City.

Try the ahi tuna tower, hand made ravioli, or lobster bisque for a starter.  My favorite entree is the venison medallions (New Zealand and not gamey) but when I am in the mood for fish I go for the Ono Ono.

The atmosphere is always perfect. The lighting is not too bright and not too low.  The restaurant is a white table cloth environment.

Service is always excellent and the wait staff talks about the food from first hand experience.

Appetizers start in the low teens and entrees are mid $30s.  350 Main is not cheap, but you certainly value for your dollar.


Another attractive aspect of 350 Main is the bar area which is within the main dining room.  The ambiance is active and warm.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Lodge at Mountain Village

Park City's The Lodge at the Mountain Village
The Lodge at Mountain Village
Located at the base of Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR), the Lodge at Mountain Village is true ski in/out property. It makes for an excellent Park City vacation rental.

There are only a few other true ski in/out properties like Snowflower Condominiums and Marriott's Mountainside Village. Each has it's positives and negatives. We can help you discern the differences so contact us at Info@Vacation-Quest.com.

Units at the Lodge at Mountain Village are older, so it is important to check on whether the unit you are considering has been updated.  You can't compare these units by just looking at the rent rates.  You can easily pay what you think is market, then find out that you are in an older, tired unit.

The convenience of the Lodge units can't be beat. Short walk to the base restaurants, just steps from the slopes, bus service to Main Street, several ski rental shops to choose from, etc.

At Vacation Quest, we specialize in Park City lodging. Let us help you with your next Park City vacation rental.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Tip to Prevent Altitude Sickness

Deer Valley Ski Area from Flagstaff Mountain
Here is a good tip to help prevent/minimize altitude sickness.

In a previous trip to Park City, a friend of mine landed at the airport and we headed right up to the house at an elevation of 7000 feet.  She had mild symptoms of altitude sickness for a couple of days after arrival.

This trip, we went to a Salt Lake restaurant for lunch.  We drank a couple of glasses of water with to Park City.  We spent about four hours in the city before driving on to Park City.

The next day she told me that she had no symptoms of altitude sickness.  She felt that the time we spent in Salt Lake at lower elevation helped her acclimate.   Apparently, spending a short time in Salt Lake City helped her adjust to the elevation.

Altitude affects every person differently.  The rule of thumb is to acclimate 1000 feet of elevation every 24 hours beginning at 4000 to 5000 feet.  Many times on a ski vacation it is not feasible to do this, but if your schedule allows you to spend several hours at a lower elevation it may help you prevent or minimize the onset of altitude sickness.

When we place people in Park City lodging, a criteria in selecting a property is the elevation of the property.   If you are affected by altitude, obviously the lower your accommodations, the better.

Approximate Park City altitudes are: the Canyons (6400 feet), Park City proper (6900 feet), lower Deer Valley (7100 feet), and upper Deer Valley (8000 feet).

Feel free to contact us if we can help you with Park City accommodations.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Ski Boot Fitting

I have been a recreational skier for 40 years now. I happen to have a high arch and high instep, so I have never had a pair of ski boots that fit me comfortably. At least, not until now.
Last month I went to my friend, Dan Baber, at Jans Sports in Park City, when it was time to replace my ten year old boots. Dan has been custom fitting ski boots for about 15 years, so he told me that his fit was "guaranteed." I told Dan I wouldn't hold him to it, all I wanted was some boots that didn't kill my feet at the end of the ski day.
Wow, was I amazed. It started by Dan putting me in a boot that was about 1.5 sizes smaller than my old boots. The length was OK, but the fit was tight - I could barely get the bales to snap on the first slots. He told me to ski the boot for a day, then come back.
After day one the boots killed my feet. I was thinking that Dan was a goof ball, but when I took them back he asked exactly where they hurt. He then proceeded to carve out plastic on the inside of the boot to make the boot cavity bigger at the exact points of pressure. After the carve out work, he sent me back out to ski them again. I came back again and he did more carving and a bit of stretching.
After about 10 days and 4 total adjustments, I have a pair of boots that fit like a firm handshake. The firm handshake fit, which is what a custom fit is all about, instantly improved my skiing. Imagine that, 40 years of making turns, and a custom fit improved my ability.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Deer Valley Expert Terrain

Deer Valley's Ontario Bowl
Many skiers who have never skied Deer Valley have a preconceived misconception that Deer Valley is a place full of beginners who snow-plow down groomers and spend more time in the restaurants than on the slopes. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Deer Valley accommodates entry level skiers, and many folks that don’t have a snow boarder in their group love the fact that Deer Valley is exclusively for skiers. However, the expert terrain at Deer Valley is out of this world.

If you are coming Deer Valley ski vacation, print this out and locate the spots referred to on a trail map.

At the western end of Deer Valley ski area is the Lady Morgan lift. At the top of the lift, to skier’s left is the Centennial run, a double diamond glade run. At the top of the run as you enter the conifers, there are usually fairly large well-formed bumps and the steepness is like a single diamond. It is the bumps and trees that make it a double diamond. You transition from the conifers to an aspen glade that is moderately cleared so it is like intermediate steepness with the tree obstacles making it more difficult. Centennial is a great area where you can make 2-3 runs on slightly different lines.
Also off the Lady Morgan lift, to skier’s right, are two runs side by side. The first is Argus and is quite steep at the top. The next run over is Magnet and is perhaps the best place to reconnoiter this side of the Lady Morgan lift. These areas are usually not groomed so you can get quite a bit of powder and chunk on this face.

Off the Quincey Lift, you access the Ontario Bowl by going on the Ontario road, over the ski bridge, then veer left toward the Hidden Treasure run. Stay right and you will see obvious tracks crossing Hidden Treasure that take you into the trees. There are a number of tree shots to the left that will take you back to the Hidden Treasure groomer, but if you stay high you will come to the Ontario bowl at the end of the track. There are 7-8 good lines in the Ontario Bowl. On powder weekdays, the powder may not get skied off for 2-3 days.

The Triangle Trees is accessed off the Tycoon run. You can take Tycoon from the top of Bald Mtn (where the Sterling, Wasatch, and Sultan lifts all unload) or you can rip it down the Ruins of Pompeii run, then get left to enter the Aspen glade. The glade at the top is fairly open and relatively flat. The glade then ends in a drop for 100-150 yards that is reasonably steep usually with good powder. Most people do Triangle Trees just to ski this shot. After the steep shot, you can bail out to the Perseverance run to skier’s right, or continue into the forest of large conifers.

There is some good single diamond terrain in the Empire Canyon area and Mayflower area. The Mayflower area is a slightly higher difficulty than Empire Canyon.

To get to Mayflower Bowl, as you come down Steins Way (a slip and sliding cat track) pull up short of the offload area of the Mayflower lift. To skier’s right at the offload area there is a gate that you can go into to access the more difficult runs off the Mayflower Bow. Keep in mind that even though it is called a “Bowl” it is more of a wide ski run at the top.

Come ski with us in Park City. Take a look at our Park City vacation rentals, then give us a call to discuss lodging options. You can always reach us at Info@Vacation-Quest.com or (877) 808-6872.

Deer Valley Dining at Snow Park Lodge's Seafood Buffet

Snow Park Lodge
Snow Park Lodge in Lower Deer Valley
Snow Park Lodge is the main facility at the lower Deer Valley base. Skiers are dropped off in front of Snow Park Lodge where they can buy lift tix, rent skis, pick up skis from free overnight storage, get skis tuned, have breakfast/lunch, etc.
At night, the restaurant offers a signature Seafood Buffet which is rated by Zagat as one of America's top restaurants.
The seafood selection is grand: shrimp, smoked salmon, crab legs, oysters, sushi rolls, calamari, mussels, clams and just about anything your heart desires! In addition, there is a prime rib carving station, glazed duck, and a variety of roasted veggies. Desserts are to die for and there are fine wines and cocktails.
To reserve, call (435) 645-6632. If you need any help with Park City vacation rentals call us at (877) 808-6872 or email Info@Vacation-Quest.com. You can view our Park City rentals and Deer Valley rentals at www.Vacation-Quest.com