We just got back from the most epic family trip to Park City, Utah, and while we are adjusting back to East Coast time over here, I thought I’d pop in and share some of our favorite things and spots we stopped at. Have a trip to Park City soon, or thinking of planning one? Start here!

STAYED HERE

Canyons Village Condos, via Utopian

The place was spacious, well-maintained and in the perfect location to walk right down to the ski lift and Waldorf for breakfast, or ride the gondola up to Canyons Village. My only complaint was that the thermostat was all janky and it was meat-locker-cold downstairs and super warm upstairs. So if you stay in Unit 4183, be warned. And if you’re reading this and you’re the property manager, fix your shit.But seriously, overall this is an amazing spot for families. Being in a house was so great because everyone had a room, we had a full kitchen that we stocked up at the start of the trip, and we utilized the washer and dryer a ton so we went home with mostly-clean clothes. Can I get a HELL YES.

The kids literally hopped out of the car and right into the snow! Their snowman. 🙂

DID THIS

Skiied! Duh. Down the Canyons side, specifically. For a beginner-level skiier, this was fine but worth noting, there aren’t that many green-level trails, so just know you’ll be doing the same run about 15 times if you’re doing greens only. We were told that the Park City side of the mountain had more green options, but we didn’t get a chance to check it out.Guys listen… I’m not joking when I say I full on feel like I have a religious experience when I’m skiing. There is nothing more peaceful or mind-body-connecting to me than being outside in the fresh air, with views of some of nature’s most astounding views, working up a good sweat. I felt reborn over and over with every ski run. Also, I graduated to the blue level. So STEP, HOMEY. #bunnyslopesgradWe rented our skis at Aloha Rentals, which is located at the Canyons Village Wyndham. It’s so great if you’re staying in the Canyon Villages or at the Waldorf or Wyndham in the Canyons, because you can literally ski from the top of the mountain down to the actual door of the rental place to return them at the end of the day. As the Brits say… or maybe they don’t… Bloody brilliant.

Quick Tip:

If you’re renting, be sure you go in person to get fitted for your gear the day before you hit the slopes. You need to try them on to get a good, customized fit—especially kids—and it will take too much time if you go the morning of skiing.

Quick Tip for Kids and Ski Lessons:

They say the age of lesson starts at 3, but they will take a child younger if s/he is potty trained. While we did see plenty of tiny little ones up on the hill–and killing it!–we did not put our potty-trained 2.5-year-old into lessons because she’s a Florida kid, ha!, and I didn’t see her wanting to try to keep up with the big kids from 9-3, which is the length of the whole ski lesson. If you’re interested in half-day lessons, you can do that too, from 9-12. For what it’s worth, my 5- and 7-year-old were totally pooped by about 1:00pm in the day-long lesson. We took them out early and brought them back for some hot chocolate. 🙂

WENT HERE

Main Street, Park City

Cake

This is the most welcoming, chic and well-curated clothing and beauty spot. But for me, it was all about the beauty products. We popped in while walking up and down Main Street because they carry brands that I’ve been dying to test out before buying, like Susanne Kaufmann and Joanna Vargas.I’m currently looking for a light daytime moisturizer that can layer well under my SPF that has some clarifying properties. After sampling some lotions on the back of my hand, I’m leaning toward either the Joanna Vargas Daily Serum, which has retinyl palmitate to keep my pores clean; or the Susanne Kaufmann T Line, which the (adorable, super helpful) suggested would be best for the humid climate in Orlando. Will report back when I pick and try!They also have the whole Byredo fragrance line and tons of other brands like Goop, which are hard to find to try before you buy, so definitely pop in if you’re a beauty junkie like me and like to sample hard-to-find brands before buying!And yes, the clothes are super cute too.

We Norwegians

I’m strangely obsessed with all things Norway/Norwegian after taking several trips there as a teenager (the most beautiful country with the kindest people!), and so I had to pop into this spot when we walked past. They carry Scandinavian brands, so not just items from Norway, and the whole vibe of the place is insanely chic, minimalistic and very classic. Light wood tones, clean lines… even a little yurt in the middle of the place that serves as a changing room.Check out the Douchebags luggage line. Yes, you read that right. The name is cheeky but the bags are seriously insane—ergonomically designed, built to fit ski equipment and super easy to roll. They’re amazing. And I actually kind of love the offhand name. This is going to be Andrew’s next gift. Shh.

Prospect

A great store for guys’ clothing and accessories, with a barber shop in back and coffee shop and juice bar upstairs.

Woodward Park City (for Tubing)

The kids love love loved this! You take a “magic carpet” up the low-grade slope and tube down on a single tube. They don’t have doubles, but they do let you hold onto the rope of your child’s tube so you can stick together. The run is nice and long, and the views are incredible! A great option for kids who won’t be skiing but still want to get in the snow and play. I highly suggest this!They also have an indoor sports center where there is so much to do–a foam pit for jumping into, a skate area, trampoline park, full cafe with food and drinks, and more. It’s huge, and it’s awesome! This would be great for kids up to teenagers with all the options available.

ATE HERE

The Farm at Canyons Village

This is located in the Canyons Village, which is super convenient for anyone staying in the Canyons. You just ride the gondola up the mountain! (It does stop running in the evening so you have to take a shuttle beyond 5:30, just FYI.)I’m not a food writer so don’t expect great descriptions on the menu (also #Google), but I’m gonna give it a whirl: Fancy American cuisine. … How about that?!

Riverhorse on Main

A great option for a fancier dinner night. I’m not going to embarrass myself any further by trying to give a description of the food, but I’ll just say, get the Macadamia nut-crusted halibut. To DIE. Also, the service is impeccable and the staff is warm.

That’s it! Some fun things to try on your next (or first!) trip to Park City with the family! Let me know, what did I miss? Drop your recommendations and thoughts below!