Just 35 minutes from Utah's Salt Lake City international airport, the ski town of Park City www.visitparkcity.com, is home to two world class ski resorts, Deer Valley and Park City Mountain Resort. With a Covid enforced hiatus this winter for most international visitors, the spotlight falls on Park City's many other attractions.

Winter Olympic Legacy

Park City was the venue for many of the events during the 2002 Winter Olympics when nearby Salt Lake City was the host city. Events included ski-jumping and bobsled, luge and skeleton at Park City's Olympic Park. Today, visitors can enjoy the unique thrill of a bobsled ride (with a pilot) year round, and ski-jumping displays take place weekly during the summer, with jumpers landing safely in a special pool of water. Also at the Park is the Olympic Museum, a must for any wintersports fan to engage with past Olympic glories.

Park City's silver mining histoty

The Park City Museum is located on Historic Main Street and records the colourful history from a century of silver mining. In some cases, vast fortunes were made, but the museum also records tales of those who weren't so lucky. Over time, more than 300 silver mines operated and the last of these closed in 1982. When skiing, hiking or biking, it is still possible to see remnants of this bygone era and below ground Park City is criss crossed by hundreds of miles of mine shafts and tunnels. The museum is a 'must see' for any visitor fascinated by the pioneering history of America's west. During summer guests can enjoy a leisurely cycle tour of mining history landmarks and the Park City Historic Main Street Ghost Tour walk is both theatrical and spooky, recalling otherwordly goings on from a century of mining.

Gastronomy – 'The Tastemakers of Park City'

Across Park City, there is a plethora of restaurants and diners for every taste and budget. This range includes many chef owned and run restaurants where the goal of using top quality local ingredients is paramount.

One of these is Firewood, where the name itself is a big clue. Chef John Murko cooks with neither gas nor electricity, but solely with firewood on a huge 14ft open stove. Fruit and hard woods, sustainably sourced, help to add subtle flavour to specially created dishes firewoodonmain.com

American cuisine is often closely associated with meat, but in Park City, there are at least two restaurants where the emphasis is on vegetables. Handle, led by Executive Chef Briar Handly, is located at the top of Park City's Historic Main Street and features an original menu utilising the freshest of local ingredients as the basis for each dish. While the menu is vegetable led, meat and fish dishes are firm favourites too. Handle has also made its mark with cocktails, such as The Rattlesnake handleparkcity.com

Twisted Fern is also vegetable focused where many meat eaters have taken the plunge with chef owner Adam Ross's imaginative creations. There is also locally sourced elk and trout to satisfy all diners. The name of the restaurant is a nod to the fact that there are two types of edible fern, to be harvested when very young and tender. Adam will forage locally for such delicacies according to the season twistedfern.com

Other Tastemaker restaurants in Park City include the award winning Tupelo and Silver Star, where the views are almost as good as the food. The Tastemakers of Park City video can be seen here www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHgDuKck_Uw

Distilleries

Park City can claim the world's only ski to the door whiskey distillery and saloon. Located close to the Town Lift in Park City, the High West distillery produces fine bourbon and rye whiskeys and also has a salloon to enjoy drinks and excellent cuisne. A bigger High West distillery has recently opened, close to Park City, at Blue Sky Ranch, where there is also a heli-ski operation in addition to the hotel, restaurant, distillery, shop and distillery tour highwest.com

Alpine Distilling, located in Park City on Historic Main Street, produces award-winning gins and vodkas. Founder Rob Sargent lived in Europe for a while and had the ambition to create European style spirits back in the US. In addition to the range of products on sale, customers can attend a gin making course and walk away with their unique creation alpinedistilling.com

Ritual Chocolate 'Made in Park City'

Park City has its very own premium chocolatier, owned and operated by Rob Stout and his British partner Anna Davies. With the finest sustainably and ethically sourced cacao, every chocolate bar in the extensive product range and several types of delicious drinking chocolate are made on the premises in Park City. Visitors can purchase from the shop and enjoy refreshment in the cafe. Regular evening tastings are held at Ritual. ritualchocolate.com

Discover more products 'Made in Park City' at madeinparkcity.com

Park City facts

Park City, in Utah's Wasatch Mountains is North America's most accessible four season mountain recreation destination, located just 35 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport. Home to two world class ski resorts – Deer Valley and Park City Mountain - Park City has over 100 lodging properties including large multi-family private homes, bed and breakfast inns, condominiums, and full-service hotels. Among this variety of properties is the highest concentration of ski-in/ski-out luxury lodging in North America, and more than 100 restaurants, two micro-breweries and two distilleries producing award winning whiskeys as well as vodka and gin.

For further information, please contact:

Graeme Spratley

graeme@spiralmarketinguk.com

Mobile: 07941 496924