Park City, Utah...A Tiny Slice Of Heaven

What an unbelievable weekend I just had. My time in Park City can only be described by using the word, wow! I know, I'm a literary genius aren't I?!

I wasn't sure what to expect as I arrived into the Salt Lake City Airport late Wednesday evening. To start things off I was DRUNK after the plane ride (I don't fly well, so I decided to cure my stress with wine...4 glasses...it worked!) and ended up getting fairly sick on the half hour drive to Park City. Part in fact due to my alcohol intake, part in fact due to the winding, twisting roads and the altitude I'm sure. By the time I got to our Condo. I wasn't exactly in any mood to party and really just wanted to go to bed. But alas, I hadn't seen my brother in a while and I was excited to spend a bit of time catching up with him...even if all I really wanted to do was puke over the side of our deck.

Our condo. was gorgeous. It was right on the mountain and had a beautiful view of the Park City mountain range around us (which I wouldn't find out until the next morning). We had two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a fireplace, and fully stocked kitchen complete with a wonderful little gift basket provided to us from my brother's boss Michelle (we stayed at the hotel my brother works at right now). We chatted for a little bit, and I called it a night around 2:00 am Park City time. I was EXHAUSTED and wanted to get a good night's sleep to rest up for our busy few days ahead of us.

When I awoke the next morning and stepped out onto our deck my jaw literally dropped as I scanned the horizon. Towering mountains covered with fluffy green trees sprawled out around me and I couldn't help but stare in awe for a minutes as I took it all in. THIS is what my brother got to wake up to every single morning. It sure makes me feel a bit jealous that I live someplace as visually boring as Wisconsin (although I must admit Lake Michigan's views are something to contend with). I awoke the rest of the family as I giddly anticipated our day outside, playing among these mountains that I so rarely get to see.

And playing we did!

We spent the next few days outside doing every outdoors activity we could find to do. We played on the mountain, and riding a few of the touristy rides: Zip Line, Rollar Coaster, and Mountain Slide. They were a lot of fun, and a great excuse to be outside but I tired quickly of the ride concept and so we headed out, this time to the site of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Here we toured around the facility seeing where all the great athletes of the world competed and watched some olympic training ourselves at the ski/snowboard practice facility. I was in awe as I watched men and women younger than my brother barreling down a mock hill at a rapid speed and catapulting themselves through the air, all the while bending and stretching and flipping their bodies and landing safely in a pool of water. It was awesome!!! I'll post pictures as soon as I have them I promise.

We were also able to do a bit of hiking on our trip as well and we ate some amazing meals as well. But I have to admit that I was most happy when we were simply driving around Park City in our little Xterra, checking out the views that the mountain city had to offer. I tried to take in every site I could and take as many pictures as I could, but as with most things in life, a picture just doesn't seem to do it any justice. The beauty remains instilled in those mountain tops for every visitor to see.

Although my trip was amazing, and the city extremely beautiful, I must admit that I was really happy to be home in Wisconsin. I wish I could wake up every morning and see a towering mountain in my back yard, but I'm really thankful that I don't have to maneuver around them every single day to get to work or to get to a grocery store. I love an open road and the occasional flat stretch of path that lay before me. I love open grass lands and the way Lake Michigan smells on a cool spring day. The mountains are a great place to visit every now and again, but I don't think I could ever call that small little mountain town home.

I'll leave that to my baby brother.

It really was a truly fantastic weekend...busy, but fantastic. I would gladly visit Park City, UT again ANY day. You all should too.

And that's all I have.