I am flying home from the best weekend in Deer Valley and Park City. It was full of bluebird skiing and delicious food and I’m excited to share the experience with you!

TRAVEL TO DEER VALLEY

American flies direct from Charlotte to Salt Lake City so this makes Utah ski destinations like Deer Valley, Park City, Solitude, Alta, Sundance, etc. excellent choices for a weekend trip. We took a midday flight from Charlotte to Salt Lake City on Friday and arrived in time to pick up a rental car, make the 45 minute drive to Park City, pick up ski rentals, run to the grocery store, check into our condo in Deer Valley and make a dinner reservation in Park City. All with a three-hour flight delay!

The flight there was about four hours in duration and the flight home is closer to three hours and thirty minutes.

 DEER VALLEY ACCOMMODATIONS 

We stayed in the Comstock Lodge condos. They are only a quarter of a mile from Snow Park Base Area where you catch the lift to ski so we were able to walk each day which was extremely convenient.

The condos have two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, full kitchen, living area, hot tub and washer/dryers. It was nice to have space to lounge and to eat breakfast at the condo each morning before heading out.

FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER IN PARK CITY

On our arrival night we had dinner at 350 Main on Main Street. Park City has great restaurants and the nice thing is that they’re very casual. I wore jeans, boots (only packed one pair of shoes for the trip as we packed in carry ons) and sweaters every night.

We shared crispy cauliflower with harissa and pine nut hummus, scallops over parsnip grits, a salad with blue cheese, shoestring potatoes, red onion and candied garlic vinaigrette and branzino with white beans, chorizo and sherry pan sauce.

DAY ONE OF SKIING AT DEER VALLEY

First order of business was breakfast. I had a yogurt bowl with granola, fruit and maple almond butter.

You know I had to get a gear shot! I am very, very fortunate that I was able to borrow quality ski gear from some of my clients as it’s an investment.

• The COZIEST thermals! (I am 100% getting a pair of these)
• Smart Wool ski socks (mine)
• Fire + Ice pants
• Spyder zip sweater for second layer
• Helly Hansen jacket
• Fleece neck warmer
• Hand warmers

Additional gear in photo below is Under Armour mittens, Smith goggles and a Smith helmet.

Here I am lined up for the first lift up the mountain on Saturday. I was FREAKING OUT! I’ve only skied a handful of times before and was feeling all the jitters. I did ski in Winterplace last season but a skilled and confident skier I am not – and Deer Valley feels a little legit for my ski level haha.

We took the lifts at the base up to mid-mountain and worked from there most of the day. The lift lines at the base were a little long but moved quickly. We waited maybe 10-15 mins. During our two days skiing we never waited more than 20 minutes for a lift (and that was only once or twice) and it was usually more like no line or a 5 minute wait.

I find riding the lifts to be enjoyable. The snow covered trees were so beautiful. We were lucky because Deer Valley had gotten about 20 inches of snow in the days before our visit but we had warm, bluebird days where temps topped out in the high 30s and 40s. It was ideal for me as I am cold natured and have Raynaud’s. I was truly never cold during our trip!

I spent most of the first morning getting my ski legs back underneath me. After a few very helpful coaching tips, I was feeling good. We started with greens and then moved on to some blues. I only had one epic wipeout but emerged from it smiling. I couldn’t get over the stunning views everywhere I looked!

We stopped into Silver Lake Restaurant for lunch. It’s cafeteria-style so you’re able to get in and out relatively quickly. I had a bowl of chili and carrot cake. Apparently, this is the famous “Deer Valley Carrot Cake” and I’m here to report it was a winner.

We got back out on the slopes around 2:15p for a little more skiing.

This enthusiasm was soon to be replaced by a minor meltdown. We found ourselves on a double blue that was steep and had moguls (weather was so warm that the mountain was getting carved up/bumpy by the afternoons). I had done another double blue without major problems. I got so in my head about this one and just could not get down the mountain. Luckily for me, my skiing companion is extremely experienced and also has the patience of a saint.

I lost all of my confidence and just couldn’t make my skis turn. I fell a few times, lost my skis and felt extremely challenged. I was in a full body sweat trying to get down the hill and my feet were aching (we would later find out my boots were a size too small and switched them out that night).

Honestly, it was a good experience for me to have. I think we grow the most at our edges and this was more mental than anything. I also think doing hard and uncomfortable things as an adult is a huge learning opportunity.

I finished the day with a smile on my face but with extremely smushed toes. I am 99.9% sure that both of my big toenails are goners.

We ended the ski day at Edgar’s in Snow Park Base Area for outdoor apres ski and then hit the hot tub back at our condo.

DINNER AT RIVERHORSE

We drove into Park City for dinner reservations at Riverhorse. I started with the most divine burrata and pear salad with fresh figs.

And then had a filet with crispy onions, bacon wrapped asparagus and scalloped potatoes. The food was phenomenal – 10/10! They also had someone playing acoustic guitar covers which made the ambiance so nice.

After a day full of skiing and fresh air and a great meal, I slept like a champ!

SKIING DEER VALLEY DAY TWO 

I entered day two feeling much more prepared! My boots fit and I felt like I’d gotten the tough stuff out of the way on day one. It was also just insanely gorgeous out and I couldn’t get over the bluebird conditions. I think I said, “it’s so pretty” 1,000 times in two days.

The highlight of the morning was skiing Green Monster. It’s a new 4.85 mile green run that winds from Bald Mountain to the new East Village development (part of Deer Valley’s expansion). It’s the longest ski run in Utah and just an awesome, scenic ride.

Down at East Village we tried out Deer Valley’s new lift with heated seats and bubble covers. Very fancy but we agreed that we preferred skiing the main part of the resort so after a few runs in the expanded terrain we called it quits and headed back that way. There was just a lot of construction going on over there and it didn’t feel as peaceful, serene and wide open as the other side of the mountain. I’m sure it will be amazing once it’s all built out.

Lunch was back at Silver Lake Restaurant. I had a turkey burger with cheddar, sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions and an oatmeal raisin cookie.

Everything came together for me in the final afternoon of skiing. We skied almost all blues and I did some steep and bumpy stuff with moderate success! It was SO much fun!

DINNER AT YUKI YAMA

Dinner reservations for the final night were at Yuki Yama, again on Main Street in Park City. We started with these pan seared red crab, bacon and kabocha dumplings and OMG. They were finished with a miso butter sauce and the whole dish was just perfectly balanced and melt in your mouth delish. I want to go for a swim in that butter sauce.

Green hornet roll with spicy tuna, tempura shishito peppers, avocado, cilantro jalapeno aioli.

Executive roll with tempura shrimp, avocado, cilantro, topped with tuna, lime, sweet soy and habanero sauces.

Loved the food at Yuki Yama and would go back in a heartbeat. Note on the restaurants in Park City, book your reservations as far ahead as you can. They go quickly!

The evening commenced with waffle cones and an after-dinner walk through Park City. Leave it to me to want to eat an ice cream cone when it’s 30 degrees outside.

BRUNCH AT HARVEST + GOODBYE PARK CITY

Our flight back to Charlotte wasn’t until 4p so we were able to enjoy a leisurely final day of our long weekend. We slept in, got some coffee drinking and laptop time in and then packed up and checked out of our condo.

We spent the morning taking one last walk around Park City and popping into various art galleries before grabbing brunch at Harvest.

Savory toast with herbed goat cheese, ricotta, avocado, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed spinach and a poached egg on rustic sourdough.

A sweet potato stack with avocado, cilantro, crispy onions and a poached egg.

Tomato and chickpea stew. This is the best restaurant soup that I’ve had in years. I wish we had Harvest in Charlotte!

I grabbed some souvenirs for Finn on the way back to the car and we took off for the airport.

This was such a fun and special weekend. I can’t wait to visit Deer Valley and Park City again – and you better bet that there’s a lot more skiing in my future. Finn loves it too and I think it’s just the best winter activity.

Arriving back at home with a very filled cup and happy heart! Many more mountain adventures are in store for me in 2025 and I’m so pumped!