We've always ski'd Colorado but we want to try Utah

Everyone says Deer Valley, but we know nothing about it, or where to stay. We have 3 kids, 14, 12 & 9 and they are intermediate skiers

We like to stay on the slopes in a ski-in / ski-out if possible. Not super sensitive to budget

Need S&R please!! Ready to book

Great place with unparalleled on-mountain amenities and service. Has gotten quite a bit busier since the IKON pass became a thing, but so have other nicer hills like Vail and Beaver Creek. Ski in - Ski out resort hotel options are going to be The St. Regis, Stein Eriksen Lodge, Montage. You cannot go wrong with any of these resorts. Deer Valley also has a number of ski in - ski out condos right on their website. The on mountain options are going to be pricey, but you get what you pay for. The ease of flying in to SLC and driving 40 minutes up Interstate 80 to the mountain is also a big plus.

RafterAg223 said:

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Great place with unparalleled on-mountain amenities and service. Has gotten quite a bit busier since the IKON pass became a thing, but so have other nicer hills like Vail and Beaver Creek. Ski in - Ski out resort hotel options are going to be The St. Regis, Stein Eriksen Lodge, Montage. You cannot go wrong with any of these resorts. Deer Valley also has a number of ski in - ski out condos right on their website. The on mountain options are going to be pricey, but you get what you pay for. The ease of flying in to SLC and driving 40 minutes up Interstate 80 to the mountain is also a big plus.

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Awesome Thanks! This will get me started. I found a couple of nice looking places on VRBO at Stag Lodge and Flagstaff Lodge. Know anything about those?

Both of those properties are very nice. Pretty much anything you find on Deer Valley itself is going to be first class.

Make sure you don't have any snowboarders going. Ski only resort.

And it's nice to have Park City around the corner to go explore.

And get ready for the drive back to salt lake to take 3 1/2 days.... I've never seen such atrocious traffic in my life and that's from someone that grew up on I-70

And a weak AF party scene.

Utah - prettiest state, weirdest ****ing people. It's sad but that's America.

St. Regis is very nice, and sits up high with a great view

By state law, mixed beverages are limited to 1 1/2 oz pours (I think they can add another 1/2 oz of things like triple sec) that are regulated through electronic pour regulators, and the pour info fed to the on-site computer so the alcohol police can check it. Can't get around it by ordering 2 drinks, because they can only serve 1 per person. Beer on tap is limited to 3.2 (bottled is not limited). Wine is capped at a 5 oz pour (unless you buy a bottle, of course). So stop at a state liquor store and buy your own.

Great restaurants in Park City -- Riverhorse, Firewood, Chimayo to name three

Will add Grapa to the great restaurants. Park City is the best place we have ever skied. Deer Valley is like playing golf at a really nice country club groomed to perfection. And Park City is the easiest ski area to get to for most Texans. If your flight leaves early enough you can be on the slopes that afternoon.

Agree with everything about Deer Valley. I've probably skied there on 10 different vacations. If you want shredding, you can just take a hop over to Park City or The Canyons.
Regardless of whether you stay there, have apres ski at both The Stein and the outdoor deck at the St. Regis.

Get the turkey chili on the slopes. About as expensive as the fabled Chicken Wraps at Kyle, but much better.

JustPanda said:

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And get ready for the drive back to salt lake to take 3 1/2 days.... I've never seen such atrocious traffic in my life and that's from someone that grew up on I-70

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I'm not sure what was happening on the day you came back but I live in SLC and go up there all the time and have never had an issue like the one you're talking about. I also lived in Denver and 70 was and continues to be one of the biggest ****ing messes in the country.

Austintm said:

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By state law, mixed beverages are limited to 1 1/2 oz pours (I think they can add another 1/2 oz of things like triple sec) that are regulated through electronic pour regulators, and the pour info fed to the on-site computer so the alcohol police can check it. Can't get around it by ordering 2 drinks, because they can only serve 1 per person. Beer on tap is limited to 3.2 (bottled is not limited). Wine is capped at a 5 oz pour (unless you buy a bottle, of course). So stop at a state liquor store and buy your own.

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We just stayed at the St Regis for Labor Day week/honeymoon, I'd suggest brining your own drinks from a pricing perspective, but they've changed some of the crazy laws. You can get 5% beer from bars.

We enjoyed Rime (in the st Regis), river horse and grappa while we were there.

Darby said:

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RafterAg223 said:

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Great place with unparalleled on-mountain amenities and service. Has gotten quite a bit busier since the IKON pass became a thing, but so have other nicer hills like Vail and Beaver Creek. Ski in - Ski out resort hotel options are going to be The St. Regis, Stein Eriksen Lodge, Montage. You cannot go wrong with any of these resorts. Deer Valley also has a number of ski in - ski out condos right on their website. The on mountain options are going to be pricey, but you get what you pay for. The ease of flying in to SLC and driving 40 minutes up Interstate 80 to the mountain is also a big plus.

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Awesome Thanks! This will get me started. I found a couple of nice looking places on VRBO at Stag Lodge and Flagstaff Lodge. Know anything about those?

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All of those lodges that are right next to deer Valley are really nice. You can actually get by without a rental car because they have good shuttles in to Park city. You can ride a shuttle or even walk to deer Valley from most of them. Deer Valley will valet your skis over night.

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And get ready for the drive back to salt lake to take 3 1/2 days.... I've never seen such atrocious traffic in my life and that's from someone that grew up on I-70

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[url=https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/3136053][/url][url=https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/3136053][/url]Agree with the other posters. I have no idea what this poster is talking about. I live in SLC and do the drive between SLC and Park City all the time (in both winter and summer), and have never experienced traffic. Possibly this was either during some big event (such as Sundance Film Fest) or some horrendous weather.

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And a weak AF party scene.

Utah - prettiest state, weirdest ****ing people. It's sad but that's America.

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[url=https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/3136053][/url]Again, super bizarre comment from the person claiming mysterious atrocious traffic that does not exist. I guess I am "weird".

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Beer on tap is limited to 3.2 (bottled is not limited).

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This has changed. The old law limited beer on tap to 3.2 ABW (4.0 % ABV), however now beers on tap can be up to 5% ABV.

I have lived in Utah for almost 20 years, after spending most of my life in Texas, and a short period of time living in Wisconsin (some of the most liberal alcohol laws in the country!) and I have to say that the "weirdness" of Utah alcohol laws is really over exaggerated. It's not difficult to get a drink here. Park City is a resort town. There is plenty of drinking. There is a whiskey distillery (High West) in Park City, numerous bars/live music venues, and tons of microbreweries/brew pubs in SLC and Park City.

Couple of quick clarifications about current alcohol laws:
- Hard liquor. True that in mixed drinks you will get a 1.5 oz alcohol pour. If you need more, finish that one and get another! Problem solved.
- Beer. If you go to a grocery store/convenience store to buy beer, you can get beers up to 5% (obviously most of the standard lagers that Americans drink are in this limit). If you want to buy stronger beers, you need to buy those at a liquor store. If you go to a bar or restaurant, the on tap beers will be 5%. If you want a stronger beer, they will have those available- just in a can or bottle. So, that is not really an issue. One of our local breweries, Epic Beers, even specializes in high alcohol content beers.
- Wine. No real difference from anywhere else except that if you purchase wine, you will have to do that in liquor stores, not groceries stores. Any restaurant you go to in Park City, will also have wine available by the glass or bottle.

Have fun- Park City/Deer Valley is a great place to ski!

Park City is a fun ski town with lots of restaurants, bars, galleries, etc.

As others have mentioned, remember that Deer Valley is skiing only, so if you have any snowboarders in the family, you would need to ski at Park City/Canyons.

Montage and Stein Eriksen are fabulous properties (stayed at both in the summer/fall), but with a family with kids, I'd also consider a condo rental.

texas_ute said:

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And get ready for the drive back to salt lake to take 3 1/2 days.... I've never seen such atrocious traffic in my life and that's from someone that grew up on I-70

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[url=https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/3136053][/url][url=https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/3136053][/url]Agree with the other posters. I have no idea what this poster is talking about. I live in SLC and do the drive between SLC and Park City all the time (in both winter and summer), and have never experienced traffic. Possibly this was either during some big event (such as Sundance Film Fest) or some horrendous weather.

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And a weak AF party scene.

Utah - prettiest state, weirdest ****ing people. It's sad but that's America.

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[url=https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/3136053][/url]Again, super bizarre comment from the person claiming mysterious atrocious traffic that does not exist. I guess I am "weird".

Quote:

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Beer on tap is limited to 3.2 (bottled is not limited).

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This has changed. The old law limited beer on tap to 3.2 ABW (4.0 % ABV), however now beers on tap can be up to 5% ABV.

I have lived in Utah for almost 20 years, after spending most of my life in Texas, and a short period of time living in Wisconsin (some of the most liberal alcohol laws in the country!) and I have to say that the "weirdness" of Utah alcohol laws is really over exaggerated. It's not difficult to get a drink here. Park City is a resort town. There is plenty of drinking. There is a whiskey distillery (High West) in Park City, numerous bars/live music venues, and tons of microbreweries/brew pubs in SLC and Park City.

Couple of quick clarifications about current alcohol laws:
- Hard liquor. True that in mixed drinks you will get a 1.5 oz alcohol pour. If you need more, finish that one and get another! Problem solved.
- Beer. If you go to a grocery store/convenience store to buy beer, you can get beers up to 5% (obviously most of the standard lagers that Americans drink are in this limit). If you want to buy stronger beers, you need to buy those at a liquor store. If you go to a bar or restaurant, the on tap beers will be 5%. If you want a stronger beer, they will have those available- just in a can or bottle. So, that is not really an issue. One of our local breweries, Epic Beers, even specializes in high alcohol content beers.
- Wine. No real difference from anywhere else except that if you purchase wine, you will have to do that in liquor stores, not groceries stores. Any restaurant you go to in Park City, will also have wine available by the glass or bottle.

Have fun- Park City/Deer Valley is a great place to ski!

Park City is a fun ski town with lots of restaurants, bars, galleries, etc.

As others have mentioned, remember that Deer Valley is skiing only, so if you have any snowboarders in the family, you would need to ski at Park City/Canyons.

Montage and Stein Eriksen are fabulous properties (stayed at both in the summer/fall), but with a family with kids, I'd also consider a condo rental.

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To be clear: had a great time there, and will go back. The alcohol thing is a minor inconvenience; I was just letting them know it makes sense to BYOB. They don't reduce the drink prices to reflect they are serving less...

For sure. Despite the more limited alcohol content, you don't typically get a bargain on mixed drinks here, especially in a resort town like Park City!

SLC has some excellent cocktail bars. I know it sounds crazy. But the restrictions on liquor amounts has in turn created a wave of very create and high end cocktail culture here. And there are so many tricks to getting around it. You can only have 1.5 oz of the SAME liquor. And then Utah has what they called 'flavorings'. But they can be anything. I have seen a Bulleit Rye as flavoring. Cointreau is a flavoring. So they can give you a margarita with 1.5 oz of tequila and 1 oz of Cointreau and throw a Grand Marnier floater on there and you drink is plenty strong.

Also, yes you can only get up to 5% beer on draft (which I hate because I love strong draft beers), but there are tons of excellent breweries in SLC and surrounding areas. At any bar you can order high point beer. They just have to crack the can and pour it into a glass which is so stupid and wasteful but you still get your high point beer.

Liquor stores do not keep their beer cold. So prepare early if you're buying from the liquor store. Grocery store beer is cold. You can also stop by any of those breweries and they most always have beer for purchase and it's cold. So if you want quick cold high point beer, grab them at a brewery. You can also buy liquor straight from local distilleries. I recommend Beehive Gin and obviously High West which goes without saying. Another fun one is Waterpocket. Look them up.

SoupNazi2001 said:

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JustPanda said:

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And get ready for the drive back to salt lake to take 3 1/2 days.... I've never seen such atrocious traffic in my life and that's from someone that grew up on I-70

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What are you talking about? We go up there all the time and never have traffic. It usually takes less than 45 minutes. It's about a 10x easier drive than Denver to Summit County.

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He has zero clue what he's talking about. My parents retired up there. I've made that drive more times than I can count, and at all hours of the day. Only time I've ever had a delay it was due to a couple accidents during a storm at Parley's Summit.

I'll offer an alternative. I wouldn't stay in Deer Valley unless all you plan to do is ski. Find a place central Park City and just make the 5 minute drive to Deer Valley the day you want to ski there. You can hop the gondola to Park City Mountain from the middle of town. Much more convenient to walk around Park City for food and nightlife than the other way around.

We love that area by the way.

I've skied there 15/20 times a year for over a decade. It was still PC and Canyons, not Vail.

That drive is hellish - if you haven't been stuck in the traffic - I hope you don't but when you do, that's life.

JustPanda said:

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I've skied there 15/20 times a year for over a decade. It was still PC and Canyons, not Vail.

That drive is hellish - if you haven't been stuck in the traffic - I hope you don't but when you do, that's life.

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Wow, you are special. From your all knowing admonishments to Texas travelers into Colorado about spreading the boogeyman virus, to now being the alpha and omega on Park City and Salt Lake traffic patterns. I have been there hundreds of times over a 25 year span, and the traffic up and down I-80 is a breeze 98% of the time.

Let's just say he didn't post about Colorado at all until a couple years ago, then it was nothing but.

If you hadn't figured out this is part of the Nichols clan by now, this attitude/posting style is the telltale sign.

Visit the Olympic site. You can pay to ride a bobsled. I'd throw high west distillery in as a place to eat. Other places mentioned are good as well. The Bloody Mary at the st. Regis is one of the best I've ever had. They also saber a champagne bottle in the evening when the sun sets, or at least they used to on the deck around the fire. Go get a drink and shoot pool at the montage with the boys. Roam Main Street in Park City. Have fun!

Best snow in the world...and this is from someone that loves Colorado. If there's snow in PC, it's the best I've skied, perfect moisture content.

My wife and I went with our 4 year old last year in mid December and had an absolute blast. The wife and I are advanced beginner/intermediate skiers and every run we wanted to go on was open at that time. We stayed at the St. Regis and it was over the top. My wife loved the ski valet and it almost seemed like too much for me. They insist on putting on your ski boots for you and carrying your skis out to the "beach" where you just snap them on and drop onto the run.

My son loved the ski school and he did two full days. We really wanted to go back this year as it was a pretty incredible time and we enjoyed it more than the Colorado trips we have been on but it doesn't look like they are going to provide their normal ski school options for young kids. Only 7 years and up. We are looking at other options currently for a mid December trip unless they for some reason change their mind and allow small kid group lessons. We are bummed.

Again, I have only been once but there was virtually no traffic. I specifically asked the driver how bad traffic gets and he said it was generally pretty light other than major holidays or a real bad storm/accident.

Clearly no one knows as much about skiing Colorado (and Utah) as Panda. Just ask him.

JustPanda said:

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And a weak AF party scene.

Utah - prettiest state, weirdest ****ing people. It's sad but that's America.

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Party scene is of major importance with 3 kids in tow.

We have three, too. By party scene, I mean any vice. Makes KS (rock chalk, look lenient)

So I've always been able to have a plenty good time drinking beers or whiskey in Park City. Bars are packed up and down Main St. beers at lunch on the mountain. Wassatch's beer is generally not that great, but that's not the City's fault.