High School Reunion-Park City Style
Sep 10th, 2009 | 01:43 PM
#1
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High School Reunion-Park City Style
Who we were: The Golden Class of 1964 from Balboa High School, Balboa, Panama Canal Zone, friends and spouses.
What’s the occasion: Celebrating the forty fifth anniversary of our graduation.
Where we went: We chose Park City, Utah for the reunion. It was initially suggested to me by Enzian. Thank you! Park City is small enough for easy maneuvering . It has a free public transportation system. It is served by SLC with relatively inexpensive transportation options to Park City (saved many of us having to rent cars). Park City’s weather was spectacular. We were able to enjoy golf, shopping, hiking and biking in the area. Park City has a terrific selection of restaurants (more about that later). Dayle, Barbara, ncounty and Enzian gave me some excellent suggestions. Thank you so much.
Where we stayed: Prospector Square Lodge
http://www.prospectorsquarelodge.com/
We got an excellent rate for rooms here. We dealt with Laura Jones in Sales and she assisted us with our plans. The rooms ranged from singles to triple bedroom condos. The ones I saw were in good condition, attractively furnished and well equipped, many with full kitchens. The property is well maintained, but showing its age. Some people had small glitches with the air conditioning and final billing but the service response was quick and willing. We were given an exceedingly large hospitality suite located away from the rooms and next to the pool, which we basically had to ourselves. As one of the staff said to me, “We aren’t the Stein Erickson, so we try to make it special with personalized service.” I would definitely recommend it.
What we did: We were a fairly large group. We planned several activities for everyone and then left people free to do different things in smaller groups.
Big Group stuff:
Train Ride: The Heber Creeper was absolutely great. We had the train to ourselves and rode (there may have been some drinking, singing and dancing going on….) out through the Heber Valley to a site where a great barbeque meal was set up. There was live music, some cowboy poetry and a full moon to bless it all. The perfect evening! http://www.hebervalleyrr.org/
Historical Walking Tour: Two docents from the Park City Historical Society met us on Main Street and led us on a fascinating tour of the architectural and historical points of interest. It was quite well done and very entertaining. Cost is $5.00 per person.
Group Luncheon: The non golfers luncheon is one of our traditions. Café Terigo was our choice. The walking tour ended right in front of it. I cannot recommend them highly enough. They gave us separate checks (why can we put a man on the moon and so many restaurants cannot do this simple service? Splitting checks is a nightmare), top notch service, a private room (no charge for that) and beautiful ambiance. To make it perfect, the food was absolutely outstanding. I had a delightful prosecco with a grilled salmon dish. This was the best meal I had in Park City (and the competition was very tough!)
http://www.cafeterigo.com/
Group Dinner: The entire group went to the Grubsteak, located directly across the street from our hotel. The food and service were very good. A classmate provided live music and frankly we got a bit carried away. I suspect we were there dancing and drinking a good deal longer than the staff at the Grubsteak had anticipated, but they remained gracious and friendly. It was fun. When we finally wound down, we went back to the hotel for our pajama party. The idea of a pajama party brought out some pretty creative outfits. I’ll spare you the details, but if I don’t hear “Louie, Louie” again for a while it will be OK. It was a great night.
Golf: Quite a few of my classmates are golfers and they went two different courses, which they liked quite a bit.
http://www.utah.com/golf/courses/wasatch_mtn.htm
http://www.soldierhollow.com/golf_course.php
Small Group Activities:
Park Silly Sunday Market: This was great fun. Several streets are closed to traffic and there is a wide range of goods, food, produce and entertainment. It was a terrific entertainment for us.
Sheepdog Trials: A huge event for the area was the Sheepdog Trials. Several of my classmates went and said it was very interesting. http://www.soldierhollowclassic.com/
Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Those who went on Sunday morning reported it to be a deeply moving and extraordinary spiritual experience. I have been a number of times on earlier visits and recommend it to visitors.
Hiking on the Mirror Lake Trails: We rode over to the Mirror Lake Scenic By way, which was a wonderful drive. We spent most of the afternoon hiking in the area. Gorgeous weather made is a great day. On our way back to Park City we stopped for lunch in Kamas at the Rhode Island Diner. Great milkshakes and diner food. We had the back of the restaurant to ourselves….and plenty of quarters for the jukebox!
Biking: We rented bikes from White Pine Touring. Their prices were very reasonable and the equipment was in good shape. We did the bike trail through Park City and out into the valley. Not difficult at all, but be aware there were no bathrooms or water sources along the route, so plan ahead!
Restaurants:
The Iceberg About thirty of us met at the airport in SLC and decided to stop at the Iceberg for milkshakes and onion rings en route to the hotel. Unfortunately despite six GPS’s between us, we got lost because the exits were closed due to construction. Eventually we all made it and had our milkshakes. Mine was fresh raspberry and quite good. Not the best of the trip, that was the one at the Rhode Island Diner in Kamas.
The Windy Ridge Café: High marks to this restaurant for accepting us without a reservation and giving us separate checks. Everyone was served quickly and the food was very good.
The Blind Dog: We just missed Dayle and ebvacationer who were dining outside. We were a rowdy, happy group and the food was excellent.
Fuego: We came in here after our bike rides and really liked this place. Very comfortable, good food (casual), and great beer suited us perfectly. The owner and staff are laid back and glad to let you sit for an hour or two. I had a delicious Italian soup here.
Grappa: This is a fantastic restaurant but a bit too high end for a large group. A good many of us went on our own and agreed it was very good.
I have already mentioned Café Terigo (my personal favorite), the Rhode Island Diner (yes, best milkshake) and the Grubsteak.
It was a fantastic place for a reunion. Thank you again to Dayle, Barbara, ncounty and Enzian for all the help. My friends were so awed by my suggestions, they never need to know how easy all of you made it for me!
What’s the occasion: Celebrating the forty fifth anniversary of our graduation.
Where we went: We chose Park City, Utah for the reunion. It was initially suggested to me by Enzian. Thank you! Park City is small enough for easy maneuvering . It has a free public transportation system. It is served by SLC with relatively inexpensive transportation options to Park City (saved many of us having to rent cars). Park City’s weather was spectacular. We were able to enjoy golf, shopping, hiking and biking in the area. Park City has a terrific selection of restaurants (more about that later). Dayle, Barbara, ncounty and Enzian gave me some excellent suggestions. Thank you so much.
Where we stayed: Prospector Square Lodge
http://www.prospectorsquarelodge.com/
We got an excellent rate for rooms here. We dealt with Laura Jones in Sales and she assisted us with our plans. The rooms ranged from singles to triple bedroom condos. The ones I saw were in good condition, attractively furnished and well equipped, many with full kitchens. The property is well maintained, but showing its age. Some people had small glitches with the air conditioning and final billing but the service response was quick and willing. We were given an exceedingly large hospitality suite located away from the rooms and next to the pool, which we basically had to ourselves. As one of the staff said to me, “We aren’t the Stein Erickson, so we try to make it special with personalized service.” I would definitely recommend it.
What we did: We were a fairly large group. We planned several activities for everyone and then left people free to do different things in smaller groups.
Big Group stuff:
Train Ride: The Heber Creeper was absolutely great. We had the train to ourselves and rode (there may have been some drinking, singing and dancing going on….) out through the Heber Valley to a site where a great barbeque meal was set up. There was live music, some cowboy poetry and a full moon to bless it all. The perfect evening! http://www.hebervalleyrr.org/
Historical Walking Tour: Two docents from the Park City Historical Society met us on Main Street and led us on a fascinating tour of the architectural and historical points of interest. It was quite well done and very entertaining. Cost is $5.00 per person.
Group Luncheon: The non golfers luncheon is one of our traditions. Café Terigo was our choice. The walking tour ended right in front of it. I cannot recommend them highly enough. They gave us separate checks (why can we put a man on the moon and so many restaurants cannot do this simple service? Splitting checks is a nightmare), top notch service, a private room (no charge for that) and beautiful ambiance. To make it perfect, the food was absolutely outstanding. I had a delightful prosecco with a grilled salmon dish. This was the best meal I had in Park City (and the competition was very tough!)
http://www.cafeterigo.com/
Group Dinner: The entire group went to the Grubsteak, located directly across the street from our hotel. The food and service were very good. A classmate provided live music and frankly we got a bit carried away. I suspect we were there dancing and drinking a good deal longer than the staff at the Grubsteak had anticipated, but they remained gracious and friendly. It was fun. When we finally wound down, we went back to the hotel for our pajama party. The idea of a pajama party brought out some pretty creative outfits. I’ll spare you the details, but if I don’t hear “Louie, Louie” again for a while it will be OK. It was a great night.
Golf: Quite a few of my classmates are golfers and they went two different courses, which they liked quite a bit.
http://www.utah.com/golf/courses/wasatch_mtn.htm
http://www.soldierhollow.com/golf_course.php
Small Group Activities:
Park Silly Sunday Market: This was great fun. Several streets are closed to traffic and there is a wide range of goods, food, produce and entertainment. It was a terrific entertainment for us.
Sheepdog Trials: A huge event for the area was the Sheepdog Trials. Several of my classmates went and said it was very interesting. http://www.soldierhollowclassic.com/
Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Those who went on Sunday morning reported it to be a deeply moving and extraordinary spiritual experience. I have been a number of times on earlier visits and recommend it to visitors.
Hiking on the Mirror Lake Trails: We rode over to the Mirror Lake Scenic By way, which was a wonderful drive. We spent most of the afternoon hiking in the area. Gorgeous weather made is a great day. On our way back to Park City we stopped for lunch in Kamas at the Rhode Island Diner. Great milkshakes and diner food. We had the back of the restaurant to ourselves….and plenty of quarters for the jukebox!
Biking: We rented bikes from White Pine Touring. Their prices were very reasonable and the equipment was in good shape. We did the bike trail through Park City and out into the valley. Not difficult at all, but be aware there were no bathrooms or water sources along the route, so plan ahead!
Restaurants:
The Iceberg About thirty of us met at the airport in SLC and decided to stop at the Iceberg for milkshakes and onion rings en route to the hotel. Unfortunately despite six GPS’s between us, we got lost because the exits were closed due to construction. Eventually we all made it and had our milkshakes. Mine was fresh raspberry and quite good. Not the best of the trip, that was the one at the Rhode Island Diner in Kamas.
The Windy Ridge Café: High marks to this restaurant for accepting us without a reservation and giving us separate checks. Everyone was served quickly and the food was very good.
The Blind Dog: We just missed Dayle and ebvacationer who were dining outside. We were a rowdy, happy group and the food was excellent.
Fuego: We came in here after our bike rides and really liked this place. Very comfortable, good food (casual), and great beer suited us perfectly. The owner and staff are laid back and glad to let you sit for an hour or two. I had a delicious Italian soup here.
Grappa: This is a fantastic restaurant but a bit too high end for a large group. A good many of us went on our own and agreed it was very good.
I have already mentioned Café Terigo (my personal favorite), the Rhode Island Diner (yes, best milkshake) and the Grubsteak.
It was a fantastic place for a reunion. Thank you again to Dayle, Barbara, ncounty and Enzian for all the help. My friends were so awed by my suggestions, they never need to know how easy all of you made it for me!
Sep 10th, 2009 | 02:40 PM
#2
Joined: Jan 2006
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What fun! I'm so glad you and your classmates enjoyed your reunion.
It is wonderful that you all keep meeting up after all these years, and enjoy each others' company so. How could you not with PJ parties and "Louie, Louie"?
I meant to mention that problem with the I-80 construction and closed exits. DH got lost trying to navigate back from the Saab dealer downtown using his GPS. I, on the other hand, trusted my sense of direction and made it back to our mountain hideaway before he did.
It is wonderful that you all keep meeting up after all these years, and enjoy each others' company so. How could you not with PJ parties and "Louie, Louie"?
I meant to mention that problem with the I-80 construction and closed exits. DH got lost trying to navigate back from the Saab dealer downtown using his GPS. I, on the other hand, trusted my sense of direction and made it back to our mountain hideaway before he did.
Sep 10th, 2009 | 02:53 PM
#3
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Joined: Nov 2003
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Our sense of direction sadly was not uniform. We spent some time wandering the back streets before we all landed at the Iceberg. Happily that was the last instance of getting really lost all week.
I neglected to mention that we had dinner one night at Sundance. I liked it and they have some interesting accomodation units which might work for my hiking group. Still trying to get that plan settled!
Thanks for all your help. It was really a great time. I am ready for our next event "Pains and Canes or how to handle your Medicare appliction"....we're working on it...........
I neglected to mention that we had dinner one night at Sundance. I liked it and they have some interesting accomodation units which might work for my hiking group. Still trying to get that plan settled!
Thanks for all your help. It was really a great time. I am ready for our next event "Pains and Canes or how to handle your Medicare appliction"....we're working on it...........
Sep 10th, 2009 | 04:36 PM
#4
Joined: Feb 2003
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Great report... I will read it in much more detail, but just had to skimmed over it now.... and can't wait to spend time reading every detail.
One of the best parts is indeed these friends still getting together and still having so much fun together. What a wonderful bunch of women!! How lucky they are!
And how lucky we are to read the trip report all about the trip.
But I bet what went on at Grubsteaks, stays at Grubsteaks.
One of the best parts is indeed these friends still getting together and still having so much fun together. What a wonderful bunch of women!! How lucky they are!
And how lucky we are to read the trip report all about the trip.
But I bet what went on at Grubsteaks, stays at Grubsteaks.
Sep 11th, 2009 | 11:46 AM
#7
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,754
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cmcfong,
Thanks for the great detailed trip report! It's so fun to read first time visitor's impressions. Glad you made it to, and liked, some of my favorite places. I like Cafe Terigo too, but I'm not sure I remembered to recommend that one. Did you know Windy Ridge is part of Bill White's restaurant group? He also has Grappa (my favorite), Wahso, Chimayo, and Ghidotti's (in Redstone Center).
ebvacationer and her group were debating whether to visit the Sheepdog Trials or do the Mirror Lake Hwy on their last day. At dinner, they had decided on the Uintas drive.
Sorry we missed you at the Blind Dog, but glad you all had a good visit!
Tip on navigating SLC streets: our streets are laid out on a grid system. Temple Square is ground zero, streets north of there are North Temple, 200 North, 300 North, etc. Same with South, east and west. This works very well until you get out into the newer suburbs where they decided not to follow Brigham's "system"! Then, you are REALLY lost.
I see you are now planning for the Ligurian Coast. You will LOVE it. We stayed in Santa Margherita Ligure and just really enjoyed this town. It's a hour train or boat ride from there to the Cinque Terre towns, or 10 min by boat over to Portofino. Definitely one area of Italy I would like to return.
Buon viaggio!
Thanks for the great detailed trip report! It's so fun to read first time visitor's impressions. Glad you made it to, and liked, some of my favorite places. I like Cafe Terigo too, but I'm not sure I remembered to recommend that one. Did you know Windy Ridge is part of Bill White's restaurant group? He also has Grappa (my favorite), Wahso, Chimayo, and Ghidotti's (in Redstone Center).
ebvacationer and her group were debating whether to visit the Sheepdog Trials or do the Mirror Lake Hwy on their last day. At dinner, they had decided on the Uintas drive.
Sorry we missed you at the Blind Dog, but glad you all had a good visit!
Tip on navigating SLC streets: our streets are laid out on a grid system. Temple Square is ground zero, streets north of there are North Temple, 200 North, 300 North, etc. Same with South, east and west. This works very well until you get out into the newer suburbs where they decided not to follow Brigham's "system"! Then, you are REALLY lost.
I see you are now planning for the Ligurian Coast. You will LOVE it. We stayed in Santa Margherita Ligure and just really enjoyed this town. It's a hour train or boat ride from there to the Cinque Terre towns, or 10 min by boat over to Portofino. Definitely one area of Italy I would like to return.
Buon viaggio!
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Sep 11th, 2009 | 01:02 PM
#8
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We're just getting started with the CT trip, but I hope it works out. I will make a note of the suggestion. Now, don't forget I like to repay debts and I owe you big time for all the help you gave me making our reunion an unforgettable trip...so if you are headed to NC, let me know!
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