I have been to Whistler, Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge and Telluride and never to PC or DV. I memtion this for purposes of comparison. I am thinking about a summer vacation with my family (including son-10 daughter 14). We like outdoor activities (such as hiking, canoeing, horseback riding)but are not fanatical. Nightlife is good if there is a decent restauarant, ice cream and some music or theatre activities. Is PC DV on par/less or more attractive than the listed areas. Based on the little you know can you give some opinions. Thank you.

Hi M,

I live in Park City and have been skiing for 30 years all over the west. I also love the outdoor activities, so have been to all the areas you mention in the summer too!

Park City and Deer Valley have all the amenities and activities CO and Whistler have. The town altitude is a little bit lower than the CO areas, but much higher at the base than Whistler.

In the summer you can hike, road or mtn bike, horseback ride, water ski, golf, hot air balloon, shop, art galleries and fabulous restaurantsm movies, nightclubs, and a must see is the Utah Olympic Park - Saturdays the Olympians put on a great show that always sells out, so get tickets in advance. You can visit the ski museum, ride the zip lines, or do a real bobsled ride on the track, wheels in the summer.

In the summer we have more concerts than you can possibly get to. First weekend in August is the Art Festival - one of the very best in the country. End of August is the Jazz Festival, also outstanding. There are lots of national level mountain bike races and runs too.

Very accessible from SL Intl airport - 30 minutes.

Hope this helps. Check out www.parkcityinfo.com.

Just spent a long weekend in PCin October and really enjoyed the town. To me it was somewhere between Breckenridge and Aspen if that makes sense. More upscale dining and shopping options than Breck, a bit less upscale than Aspen. The main street area is very enjoyable for walking and there are a number of nice restaurants. I would suggest staying in PC rather than DV for a summer trip. Didn't seem as much to do at DV.

Dayle....do you work for the Chamber of Commerce or something....your post was an excellent summary of PC.

I'll take that as a compliment, Winesipper. No, don't work for the Chamber, they don't pay enough! Just live here by choice and love it.

Powder to the people.

Oops, sorry. Left off fly fishing. We have AWESOME fly fishing.

Dayle, it was an intended compliment but I could have worded it better. And you are right about the fly fishing, it is great. I have only gone out with a guide, however, for fear of getting shot at by some rancher for accidently going on to his property.

Dayle: how about some tips on resort type hotel/condos with a budge up to about $225.00 per night

Is the Stein Erikson lodge still around? I had some great meals there in the late 90's. Their high-end restaurant had game as a speciality, elk, deer, etc. It was excellent. Never saw a room but all the public spaces were gorgeous.

Did you try VRBO.com for a condo? We are going the first week of January with a large group and found a condo for a pretty reasonable price. I would think you could get a good deal for the summer.

We used VRBO.com this year when we went to Vail. So far it has worked for us.

Hi MRT and Indytravel,

I'm not a good one to ask about prices. Since I live here, hotel/condo rates aren't a factor for me. My sister and family came up for Easter vacation last season and had a 2 BR/2BA condo right at the base of Park City Mtn Resort. I think she said it was close to $300/night. This was an older, smaller condo complex, but the condo had been recently renovated and was quite nice. Great location.

There are so many property management companies in the Park City area, that your best bet is to contact them and ask detailed questions. Narrow down what your priorities are as far as location, etc.

I would stay somewhere near Historic Main Street or the base of Park City Mtn Resort. I like these areas best and they have easy free shuttle buses to Deer Valley and The Canyons. Deer Valley is too long of a drive and too quiet at night - no nightlife or activities.

The Canyons is 5 miles away from Historic Main Street and shuttle bus service is more limited to/from.

PS - Indytravel, yes Stein's is still going strong. They expanded a few years ago, adding a conference center and spa. They also achieved the 5 diamond rating from AAA a couple years ago which was a big deal. They were the only hotel in Utah with that rating at the time. Now I think the Grand America in SLC has it too, but I'm not sure.

You should ask to see the rooms. Heavenly -if you can afford them!