We're planning a ski trip to Salt Lake City, and have decided that we want to ski at Brighton, Snowbird and Alta (not Park City). Where should we stay, and can anyone recommend some good restaurants?

Hey, Monica! You hit the jackpot. I used to live in SLC and have skied all the areas, especially the Bird for 27 years. I would suggest calling one of the condo property management companies in SLC and renting a condo in the valley. From there it's an easy drive to any of the area resorts. I don't have the numbers handy, but the Salt Lake Visitor's Bureau would be able to help. An alternative would be to stay in a hotel and take the bus up, but the bus is not very fast or fun. Brighton is a small, local type of area with much lower lift ticket prices than PC and the Bird. Park City is more like the Colorado areas in shape of mountain and type of skiing. It's always a fun mountain and really great town with lots of night life, art galleries, and shopping. PC doesn't get as much snow as the Big & Little Cottonwood Canyon areas do (Solitude, Brighton, Alta and Snowbird). Snowbird is my favorite. I used to work there. It's all about hard core skiing. 45% of the mountain is expert. You will have jello legs when you're done. Definitely get a tram ticket, it's worth it. Get an early start and you can get in a couple runs on the tram before the line maxes out at about 10am. Line goes down again at lunch time and end of day. There is an easy blue run down "Chips" if you need it. Regulator Johnson is a fairly easy black too. My most highly recommended restaurants are: The Steak Pit at Snowbird (like the Chart House), guaranteed good seafood and steaks; La Caille just at the bottom of Little Cottonwood, probably the best in Salt Lake, but you must have reservations ahead; and The Market Street Broiler near the University, excellent fresh seafood in a converted fire station. If you want MORE detail, let me know. Have a blast and take your goggles.

Dale, thanks for the great info!! It was just what I was looking for. I'm particularly thankful for the restaurant recommendations--nothing beats a good meal at the end of a ski day, and when I went to SLC before we didn't find any place worth mentioning. I have a question about the Tram--does that take you to a special area with tougher runs or something?

Whoops, forgot another question...the strange alcohol laws. I understand that you have to be a member to get into any bars--is that hard to do, or does it amount to a cover charge as a membership fee? Are those expensive?

Hi Monica. I've lived in SLC all my life. I prefer Alta for skiing but that's only my opinion. I personnally would not go to La Caille to eat. It is very beautiful but very expensive and the food is just average. You might want to try Log Haven in Millcreek Canyon or Tuscany near the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. As for the liquor laws, you can buy a temporary membership to a club for about $5.00 which I think is good for a couple of weeks. Most of the resturants serve alcohol as long as you are having dinner. If you want to have a bottle of wine on Sunday, plan on buying it on Saturday. No liquor stores are open on Sunday but you can go out to a bar, club or restruant and have a drink. Have a great time!

Monica, the tram at Snowbird takes you from the main "plaza" (where there are restaurants, sports shops, tickets, ski school) to the top of Snowbird (Hidden Peak elevation 11,000 and something) 3,000 ft. in 8 - 10 minutes. From there, you can ski either the Peruvian side or the Gad Valley side. The tram is a Swiss-made tram and each cabin (there are 2) can carry up to 125 people. So go for the windows and the view, the middle is not fun. In case you're wondering, all the names are taken from old mining claims, including "Snowbird". You can also get to the top of the mountain via chairs. The Little Cloud lift goes to the top, but you can only ski the Gad side from it -- unless you are willing to do a little hiking at 11,000. The new Mineral Basin chair will be awesome, but it's not open yet. They still need some more snow. As the other poster answer, the liquor laws are no big deal. Just remember to buy your wine, beer, etc. PRIOR to a holiday or Sunday. All the restaurants at Snowbird are private clubs, except the Steak Pit, and membership is good for 2 weeks and is free if you are staying at Snowbird lodging. In Utah, a private club means you can get your booze poured by a bartender by the drink. The bright side of the law is that you can bring your own bottle (must have a UT liquor seal on it) into any restaurant. They will charge you a corkage or set up fee, then you pour your own! Or, you can buy a set up plus a "mini" (like on the airlines) and pour your own. No problem.

Can't say anything about skiing in the Salt Lake City area, but I was there in July 2000 and found a great Afghan restaurant--Baba Afghan. Loved their aushak and pumpkin appetizers (these two dishes are enough for a meal), and their cardamom tea. The huevos rancheros at the Blue Iguana Cafe are also outstanding.