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Camping and Cocktails

By Ramon Gomez, Jr.
Aug 05, 2020

Judy and I enjoy camping and wanted to share a great article by Adventure Mom for Ski Utah in Camping at Utah's Ski Resorts. There are several ski resorts in the Utah area that provide camping opportunities for those who would like to spend time outdoors while enjoying nature and the stunning scenery. Check out the following resorts for an experience of a lifetime.

Beaver Mountain, located in Garden City, Utah, is a popular place for skiers and camping enthusiasts alike. Many choose to visit Beaver Mountain because of its beautiful scenery and all that is offered to them, including a spacious RV park with access to fire pits and large picnic tables, campsites for those who want to sleep in tents, and even lodges for those who prefer staying indoors. Amenities includes shower/restroom facilites, OHV trails, full service 30 amp hookups, free WiFi and much more. Bear Lake is a short 20 minute drive from Beaver Mountain and offers water sports activities and famous raspberry milkshakes. Make sure to complete your reservations in advance.

Alta Ski Area, just outside Salt Lake City, is one of Utah’s most scenic ski resorts that offer camping. Many amazing hikes to lakes and viewpoints can be found near the Albion Basin Campground as well as some mountain bike trails. The Albion Basin Campground is where all of the fun camping takes place in the summer months. In order to book with the Albion Basin Campground, you’ll need to go to Recreation.gov. Please remember dogs are not allowed in Little Cottonwood Canyon, a protected watershed area. In addition to camping, numerous lodging options are also available. You can book your reservation at one of several spots open for summer or simply visit them for a night off of cooking by the campfire.

The Redman Campground between Brighton and Solitude Mountain Resort is just a few miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon. There is much to do and see in the area, such as fishing and hiking. The area is known for its scenic views and a massive elevation of 8,300 feet. In addition to going on hikes and fishing, guests may enjoy riding bikes on the trail while exploring the area and taking photos of nature’s beauty and the amazing wildflowers during peak summer months. Plan to leave your furry friends behind on this trip — dogs are not allowed in Big Cottonwood Canyon, a protected watershed area. Reservations for the campground are available and you can bring a tent or your RV to camp here.

The Spruces Campground, located on Big Cottonwood Canyon Road in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a kid-friendly spot with an elevation of approximately 7,500 feet. Make sure you make plans to leave the pups behind for this one, too — Spruces is part of the Big Cottonwood Canyon protected watershed area. It is the perfect spot for those looking for a comfortable and convenient place to set up a tent or park their RV for a camping extravaganza. There is plenty of space available for RVs to park next to tents. Guests can book a reservation for as low as $26 per night.

The Mount Timpanogos Campground at Sundance Mountain Resort is well-known for its surrounding beauty because it is in the Wasatch Mountains in Utah County, Utah. It is a great place to visit when you want to experience a stunning scenic view surrounded by aspen and fir trees. Those who come to the campground will often have picnics, go on hikes, ride their bikes on the trails and even indulge in activities at Sundance Mountain Resort just down the road. It is a great spot for those camping in RVs and tents. Its recreation sites are standard non-electric and RV non-electric. Activities at Sundance during the summer include scenic chairlift rides, zipline, horseback riding, fly fishing, art classes, music and more. Guests can make reservations online. A stay at the campground will cost as low as $24 per night. If you’d like to reserve a campsite call 1-877-444-6777 or you can click here to make those reservations on-line.

While you are out camping make sure to check out the stars. If you are up for a road trip, her are Bradley O'Neill's Best Places in the U.S. to See the Stars. Here’s Discover Blog's list of the best locations for stargazing in the US. They range from the solitude of US National Historical Parks to towns, cities and historical places that are members of the International Dark Sky Places.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico - This remote park is a prehistoric archaeological site and on clear nights you can appreciate the starry skies as our ancestors did thousands of years ago. The Chaco Night Sky Program runs between April and October and features astronomy workshops for everyone from school children to astronomers.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah - One of the things that will instantly grab your attention upon arrival to Bryce Canyon is how dry and pollution free the air is. This combination makes it among the darkest places in the country. The week of and prior to the new moon are the best times, but thousands of stars still twinkle on moonless nights. Check the Astronomy and Night Sky Programs for events.

Devil’s Tower National Monument, Wyoming- The landscapes of Devil's Tower are as ethereal as you are likely to experience and you’ll feel like you are sat on a far-off planet when stargazing here. Go in the summer for the best chance of seeing the Milky Way curve over the centerpiece monolith.

Flagstaff, Arizona - Flagstaff has the honor of being the first city to become a designated International Dark-Sky City. It even has its own dark sky preservation program, called Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition. Simply by standing on an unlit city street you’ll have a good chance of viewing hundreds of constellations and the Milky Way. If you take your astronomy more seriously then pass by the Lowell Observatory for a guided tour.

Headlands International Dark Sky Park, Michigan - While the Headlands may not compete with some of the more remote parks, its location on the northwestern shores of Lake Michigan serves up a different perspective. Besides the stars, watching the full moon illuminate the lake is unforgettable. And there’s the added bonus of being able to witness the enchanting Northern Lights. Just keep an eye out for updates on the park programs and events.

Joshua Tree National Park, California - After a spectacular sunset, countless stars, planets and meteorites begin to appear above the park’s high and low desert landscape. There’s superb stargazing to be enjoyed around the nine campgrounds. Visit in November for the Night Sky Festival.

Mauna Kea, Hawaii - Lauded by astronomers as one of the world’s best stargazing destinations, the visibility is helped by an inversion cloud layer that protects the summit from the damp sea air. You can hike or drive by 4WD to the summit, where international astronomy teams conduct research round the clock. The Maunakea Visitor Information Center runs free programs without the need to go all the way to the top.

Cocktail Time - the Park City Area Restaurant Association is hosting its 16th annual summer cocktail contest now through the end of the month. The contest, which was started in 2004, normally runs in July, but was pushed back to run Aug. 1-31 due to the coronavirus. Visit parkcityrestaurants.com to see the 2020 Summer Cocktail Contest participating restaurant and bars and vote for your favorite. The participants share their recipes so you can try the cocktails at home too.

710 Bodega

Alpine Pie Bar

Billy Blanco’s

Blind Dog

Butcher’s Chop House

Eating Establishment

Flanagan’s on Main

Grappa Italian Restaurant

Hearth and Hill

High West

O.P. Rockwell

Royal Street Cafe

Silver Star Cafe

Squatter’s Roadhouse Grill

Waldorf Astoria

Wasatch Brew Pub

 

Tags: Park City, Fun, Outdoors, Utah, Cocktails, Camping
Posted in Local Events, Things To Do in Park City, Food and Beverage | 0 Responses to "Camping and Cocktails"

Food In Park City

By Ramon Gomez, Jr.
Jan 29, 2020

Looking for a new place to eat or drink in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival — or after all the Hollywood types have gone home? Here’s a guide to four new spots that’s as easy as A, B, C — and D — to remember.

A for Alpine Pie Bar. Alpine Distilling is located in Park City’s Silver Creek development. It launched this new speak-easy bar, micro-distillery and retail space as a way to showcase its award-winning spirits to the crowds on Main Street. As the name suggests, customers can enjoy a slice of locally made pie by Auntie Em’s baked goods along with the whiskey and gin cocktails. Founder and distiller Robert Sergent says the combination of pies and cocktails makes “a surprisingly good pairing, especially when they include complementary seasonal ingredients.” The underground space — for those 21 and older — also offers a Gin Experience, where guests make their own custom gin and get a lesson in distilling history.

The Alpine Pie Bar was awarded Utah’s Best Casual Eatery by Lux Life and for the second year in a row Utah Distillery of the Year. Alpine's main distillery is in Silver Creek and their micro distillery for the world renowned gin experience is located in the Pie Bar.

Alpine Pie Bar • 350 Main St., lower level, (435) 200-9537 or alpinedistilling.com. Open daily from 3 to 10 p.m. Retail is open from 1 to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday selling their locally made, award winning spirits.

Alpine Distilling - 7132 N Silver Creek Road. Open Tuesday to Friday 10 am - 5 pm with tours on Saturday at 11 am, 12 noon and 1 pm, visit alpinedistilling.com to find out more and to book your tour.

B for Baan Thai Cuisine. Located in the Marriott Summit Watch plaza, this new Thai restaurant offers all the favorites from massaman curry to drunken noodles and pad thai. One of the four co-owners, Maneerut “Fon” Chitratonn, said the partners have previously worked in the restaurant business and two are the co-owners of Thai So Good at Park City’s Kimball Junction. The kitchen, she said, uses fresh meats, seafood, vegetables and herbs. Part of the bright, modern decor is the live, green plants on one wall that spell the word BAAN — which roughly translated means house.

Bann Thai Cuisine • 710 Main St., Park City; (435) 604-0243 or facebook.com/BaanThaiPC. Open Sunday-Thursday, noon to 9:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.

C for Courchevel Bistro. A taste of the European countryside can be found inside this restaurant named for Park City’s sister city in the French Alps and located in the historic Coal & Lumber Building on the corner of Main Street and Heber Avenue. Executive chef Clement Gelas — who has lived in Park City since 2005 and served as executive chef at Wahso, Waldorf Astoria and Talisker on Main — shares the culinary influences of his native France and the Rhône Valley, including braised beef, lamb roulade, steak frites and cheese raclette. Adjacent to the bistro is a bakery and cafe with pastries made by chef Franck Peissel, formerly of Franck’s Restaurant in Holladay. The space transforms into a dessert destination in the evening.

Courchevel Bistro • 201 Heber Ave., Park City, (435) 572-4398 or courchevelbistro.com. Cafe and bakery, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; bistro, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

D for St. Regis Deer Valley. This luxury resort is undergoing a $42 million expansion and renovation. RIME is the property’s new dining centerpiece — replacing the J&G Grill. The surf and turf menu, by chef Matthew Harris, includes seafood (selections arrive daily from Maine, Boston and Nantucket) and meats, including wild game (such as elk from Utah). This is Harris’ second go-round at the St. Regis. He was the chef de cuisine of J&G Grill when it opened 10 years ago. He left to work as the executive chef at the Nantucket Yacht Club and returned in 2016 to open tupelo. RIME — a spinoff of Deer Valley’s RIME Raw Bar — is one of four new dining options at the resort, including the St. Regis Bar & Lounge; the French-inspired Brasserie 7452; and the casual grab-and-go Terrace Café, which also offers an après-ski caviar bar. Fun fact: Rime is the frost formed on cold objects by the rapid freezing of water in cloud or fog.

RIME • 2300 Deer Valley Drive East, Park City, srdvdining.com. Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Tags: Park City, Utah, Snow, Food, Pie, Cocktails
Posted in Local Events, Things To Do in Park City | 0 Responses to "Food In Park City"

 
 
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