Park City, Utah

“Of all the paths you taking life, make sure a few lead to the Mountains.”

John Muir

I am very much a city and beach kind of girl when it comes to vacations. I don’t handle the cold very well (she says as someone who has lived in Chicago for most of her life) and I am always at peace when I am near water. But, there is something about the beauty of the mountains that never ceases to amaze me every time I visit. So while there is a part of me that will always want to be on a beach somewhere, the mountains aren’t a bad second.

For our holiday vacation this year, we decided on Park City, Utah, about 40 minutes away from downtown Salt Lake City. My family of 5 went along with some of my extended family members. In total, we had 12 of us on this trip all staying together at a house in Heber City. It was the perfect week away, between Christmas and New Year. Played games, read books, relaxed in the hot tub, took in the view of the mountains, and enjoyed some family time before everyone had to return to work and school.

Most of my family are big skiers. I am not a big skier. I grew up skiing and never really had that same urge or adrenaline that others seem to have with it. Plus, one too many knee injuries has led me to being very cautious when it comes to situations that may lead me to needing surgery for said knees. Just not a good match overall. So while the rest of the crew was out on the slopes, I found myself curled up near the fire with a good book. And grandma. Gma and I just hanging out (I have never once called her Gma in my life. That felt weird writing).

We did do a few excursions while we were out there. We strolled through downtown Park City and made our way down to Sundance for the day as well. I’ve only seen Sundance in the summer, so it took on this entirely different beauty seeing it in the winter. Robert Redford was a clever man, making the decision in building that town. If you find yourself in Park City, making the extra 30-ish minute drive down to Sundance is well worth it. Great hikes and mountain biking in the summer plus some great skiing and snowboarding with fewer crowds in winter. And if you are a movie buff, the Sundance Film Festival brings in lots of talent and movies before they hit the big screen.

Overall, a very successful family trip, and a great way to start 2023. Grateful for the time spent with family. Excited to see all things travel that is coming this year. Have some fun things booked and some that are still working out the details. Thank you to Utah for always sharing your beauty whenever I visit. An underrated state in my opinion. I always look forward to the chance to explore this state more and share with others why they need to visit it as well. See you soon Utah!

Until Next Time, The Library Abroad