Tired of the same old summer vacation?

Time to ‘resort’ to something new

By Brooks Stevenson
Photos by Monique Beeley

So you’re planning a vacation this summer and you want something with rugged beauty, pristine wildflowers – something outdoors where you can smell the fresh, clean air? But you also want the chance to hear first-class Jazz music, or a symphony, and have a four-star dining experience? No problem. Utah is loaded with outdoor recreation getaways. But few have the best of both worlds; you know – pampe red comfort and pristine scenery. If you haven’t already heard, there are three resorts in Utah that fit the bill: Snowbird, Deer Valley, and Brian Head.

Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort

Located at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon a few miles east of Salt Lake City, Snowbird is best known for the more than 450 inches of annual snowfall each winter. But Snowbird also offers four year-round lodges, a full-service spa with a rooftop pool, solarium, eucalyptus steam room, and enough activities and events to keep you busy for a month of Sundays.

p. Monique Beeley

Out-of-town vacationers will also find Snowbird accommodating. Lodging packages coupled with a wide-ranging choice of activities makes Snowbird an ideal way to enjoy the backcountry without having to actually spend your vacation in the backcountry – no tent, mosquito repellent, or freeze-dried foods.

Snowbird features an alpine slide, paragliding, ATV and horseback tours in Mineral Basin, the backside of the mountain, a 120-foot climbing wall, miles of hiking and mountain bike trails, the new ZipRider – a suspended cable ride from the top of the Chickadee run, mountain scooters and resort’s most popular attraction – tram rides from the base at an elevation of 8,100 feet to 11,000 foot Hidden Peak. One can de-plane at Salt Lake International Airport at an altitude of 4226 feet above sea level, drive to Snowbird, hop the tram, and after an elapsed time of less than an hour gain almost a mile and a half of altitude! Some of Utah’s most untouched wilderness is accessible from Snowbird’s tram.

Snowbird also offers something for the more sedate traveler. The annual Jazz and Blues Festival is slated for July, as is the Founder’s Title Folk and Bluegrass Festival. If you’re lucky enough to visit Snowbird between August and October, the Oktoberfest Celebration – an annual German folk festival – is a must-do. You can’t beat authentic German food and a garden variety of classic beers. Oom-pah!

And while we’re on the subject of food, Snowbird’s restaurants take a back seat to none. The Keyhole Junction serves great Southwestern food for lunch and dinner. At the small and inviting Lodge Bistro & Lounge try the signature coconut beer batte red shrimp or blackened chicken quesadilla. For dinner, the famous Steak Pit proudly carries the accolade “One of America’s Best Restaurants”. Enough said?

For information about Snowbird activities, call (801) 933-2147 or go to www.snowbird.com, which also contains information about the Snowbird Summer Music Series. For information about Snowbird summer lodging packages that include many of the resort’s activities, call (800) 453-3000 or go to www.snowbird.com.

Deer Valley Resort

p. Monique Beeley

ski season is applied to summer mountain biking, hiking and scenic chairlift ride programs, with the resort offering an all-inclusive operation including mountain bike rentals, instruction and guided tours. There are few places in Utah that can boast as many interconnecting mountain bike and hiking trails as Deer Valley – and they’re only an hour from the Salt Lake International Airport and 45 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City .

Summertime at the Resort also brings the Utah Symphony & Opera's Deer Valley Music Festival, a weekend jazz festival and other concerts, all held in the Outdoor Amphitheater at Snow Park Lodge.

Well-known as a family oriented destination, Deer Valley caters not only to adults but to children as well. Weekly youth summer camps with swimming, arts and crafts, weekly field trips, nature discovery activities, and mountain environment exploring and hiking are available all summer.

Best of all, it’s affordable: “Many people think of Deer Valley as exclusive and expensive,” says Deer Valley’s Erin Grady. “But all our summertime room rates are very affordable, and we’re in a great mountain setting that’s less than a mile from downtown Park City and its restaurants and shops.”

For the first time ever, all of Deer Valley’s services, including lift-serviced biking and hiking, will be open seven days a week, including the resort’s Royal Street Cafe. They’re also hosting Cycle Fest at the end of June, and the National Off-Road Biking Association (NORBA) will again make a stop at Deer Valley for one of its national championship series mountain bike races.

But it’s the food, or much more accurately the cuisine, that sets Deer Valley apart. The Royal Street Café features Deer Valley’s award-winning cuisine, fine wines and a full bar in a contemporary lodge setting. After tearin’ up the trails, or before spreading out on the grass for a concert, how about a Shrimp & Lobster Margarita laye red with Guacamole and Papaya Salsa? Or, does Yellow Tuna Tartare with Truffle Oil or Salmon Napoleon pique your pallet? Be sure to save some room for a homemade ice cream sandwich and “World Famous Deer Valley Jumbo Cookies”. Although Royal Street Café is open only for lunch in summer months, many fine restaurants serving dinner are just minutes away in town.

For more information about summer lodging packages, activities, and specific dates for concerts and other events, visit www.deervalley.com or call ( 435) 645-6648 or (800) 424-DEER (3337).

Brian Head Resort

p. Monique Beeley

Let’s make it a little more appealing: Brian Head is only 5 miles from the spectacular red rock splendor of Cedar Breaks National Monument, has lift-served mountain biking, endless fields of mountain wildflowers, offers more than 200 miles of single track mountain biking trails, features horseback riding, ATV tours, great access to fishing and hiking, has an 18-hole, par-3 pro disc golf course (think golf with a Frisbee), and Zion and Bryce national park, and the huge Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument are all within 60 minutes of Brian Head.

Want more? Brian Head is also home to the Thunder on the Mountain Motorcycle Rally in July; last year more than 700 riders participated. The Brian Head Epic 100-mile mountain bike race, the Mountain Music Jam concert series, and a plethora of other down-home mountain town activities planned for 2005, including:

• Town Bonfire & Musicfest
• Keep'n Cool Summertime Concert Series
• Annual Brian Head Arts & Crafts Fair
• Pancake Breakfasts
• Red, White & Bluegrass Concert & 4th of July Fireworks
• Fat Tire Festival
• Fall Colors Fat Tire Festival and Craft Fair

“Brian Head offers a lot of different things for a lot of different people,” says Brian Head’s Traci Bott. “That’s what brings people here initially, and what brings them back year after year.”

Want something a little more “relaxing” than pounding out 30 miles on a bike? The Spa at Cedar Breaks offers indulgences of the best kind – an escape to contentment that soothes your body, quiets the mind, and renews your spirit. They offer a variety of services ranging from traditional bodywork to cutting-edge energy therapies.

Oh, and don’t forget spectacular red rock scenery, affordable rates, great cuisine, and a low-key, relaxed atmosphere.

For more information on lodging, activities, and a full calendar of events, visit www.brianhead.com or www.brianheadchamber.com, or call (435) 677-2035.