|

Park City Mountain Resort Now The Largest in America

Thanks to a new high speed gondola, Quicksilver, that will take guests from the base of the Silverlode Lift at Park City to the Flatiron Lift area at the former Canyons, Park City Mountain Resort lays claim to being the largest ski area in America. Vail Resorts takeover of the Canyons and completion of a $50 million renovation has led to this massive ski area that now includes over 7,300 acres, 300+ trails, and 41 lifts. Sundance Film Festival, which usually takes place over MLK Weekend, is being held a week later in 2016. So this might be a good time to check out the slopes. Remember that Park City is only a 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. Take an early flight from the East Coast and you’ll be on skis by noon. The latest hotel to make its debut is the 122-room Hyatt Place Park City, minutes away from the ski area. 
 

Similar Posts

|

New Ski Vermont Insider App

Ski Vermont has teamed up with Insider Network to develop a new app that offers skiers and boarders exclusive deals and discounts based on where they like to ski in the state. So far, Killington, Mad River Glen, Mount Snow, Okemo, Smugglers’ Notch, Stowe, Stratton, Sugarbush, and Suicide Six are participating in the Ski Vermont Insider. The latest snowfall and trail openings, lodging and après-ski deals, two-for-one lift tickets, ski rental discounts, even a chance to win a free ski pass for next season are currently being offered. The app launched in January.
 

|

Ko Olina Resort Week—Spa and Fitness

A good massage is like a good entrée. One taste and you know whether the dish is sublime (like the blackened ahi tuna at Roy’s Ko Olina the other night). One touch by my masseuse, Jacki, at the JW Marriott Ihilani Spa and I knew I was in experienced hands. I like deep tissue and her pressure was spot on, not too painful that I cry out in agony and not too soft that it would be soothing but useless. After traveling around Oahu yesterday to dine on dim sum in Honolulu (Tai Pan was excellent), hiking Diamond Head for those exquisite vistas of Waikiki Beach, and then dining at that ultimate surfer restaurant, Duke’s, I was happy to stay put and have someone dig into me. The Ihilani Spa also offers the traditional Hawaiian LomiLomi massage that uses kneading strokes to release and relax muscles. Afterwards, I took full advantage of the men’s locker room to take deep breaths of eucalyptus in the steam room and shower, walking out refreshed. 
 
While I was getting my deep tissue massage, my daughter, Melanie, was receiving a facial next door at Aulani’s teen spa, Painted Sky. They massaged her neck and scalp, cleansed her face, and let her take advantage of the yogurt bar on the way out. Aulani features the only Disney-owned spa, Laniwai, with close to 150 spa therapies including signature treatments that use Hawaii produce like the sweet-smelling plumeria or rich and creamy coconut milk. Before or after the treatment, you can choose to relax in the shaded private garden, where you can even order food. 
 
All the Ko Olina Resort properties feature state-of-the-art fitness rooms, including free weights and the latest cardio machines. Also expect to find special rooms for spinning class at Aulani, three tennis courts with mountain views atop the JW Marriott Ihilani Spa, morning yoga on the lawn, and a great boardwalk along the 4 lagoons that leads all the way to the Ko Olina Marina, perfect for a jog or walk.
 
 
 
|

Bike to Madaket Beach on Nantucket

Next week, I’m excited to be reporting live from Acadia National Park to help promote their 100th birthday in 2016. This week, I want to describe some of my favorite adventures along the New England coast. The week before Labor Day, crowds tend to thin out as many kids are headed back to school. Take advantage of this opportunity to bike, hike, and sea kayak with far less people. First stop is Nantucket. 

 
Bike trails on Nantucket branch off in every direction, like the spokes on a wheel. My favorite ride, especially in the late afternoon when it cools down a bit, is the 6-mile jaunt from town to Madaket Beach. Grab your loved one, a bottle of wine and some picnic fare and head out on Cliff Road. You’ll quickly meet up with the Cliff Trail as you pass the rolling meadows and red-winged blackbirds at Tupancy Links conservation land. Merge with the Madaket Trail and you might be greeted by flittering goldfinches and osprey peering out from their oversized nests. When the trail becomes sandy and you can hear the pounding surf, you know you’re getting close. On the westernmost part of the island, the beach slopes down to the crashing waves. All around you is water, as if you’re stepping off land into the great abyss. Drink your wine and relax. If you don’t have the energy to do the return trip, the Wave bus runs until 11:20 pm and has a front rack for two bikes. 
 
Spend the night at the Century House on Cliff Road and they’ll have a bike from Nantucket Bike Shop waiting for you. They will also direct you on other routes to Brant Point and Sankaty Head lighthouses. Rooms, including full breakfast, start at $175 
 
|

Ogunquit’s Genuine Lazy River

Last week, I spent a couple nights on the southern Maine coastal town of Ogunquit, only a 90-minute drive from Boston. The town is known for its Cliff Walk and long expanse of beach, but one of the highlights of our trip was floating on the Ogunquit River. Several hours before low tide, crowds start to make their way down to the river, boogie boards, tubes, and rafts in tow. The strong current of the river carries people into the Atlantic on the town’s natural version of a lazy river. We didn’t have any beach toys, so my wife and I simply floated on our backs. The water was cool, yet warmer than the Maine ocean waters. We held hands and laughed as we floated swiftly around the bend of the beach, watching the clouds float above us. It was over far too quickly and I heartily concurred with 6 year-old boy next to me who shouted “Again!” when his ride was over.

This week, I’m going to focus on some of my favorite ways to get wild and wet in North America.
 

|

Use the Bike Shuttle When Biking Acadia’s Carriage Path Trails

We brought our good friends from California to Acadia National Park for three activity-filled days last week. I didn’t want to bring the bikes, so we decided to rent bikes in town at Acadia Bike Rentals and ride a good chunk of the Carriage Path Trails, that glorious 45-mile network John D. Rockefeller created in the first half of the 20th century. We were happy to hear about a free bike shuttle in operation from late June through Columbus Day that runs from the village green to the parking lot at Eagle Lake. We waited less than 10 minutes before being brought over to the lake and biking the circumference, up and down the hard-packed roads always with water and mountains in sight. We biked under one of the many stone bridges to see an often-overlooked gem, Bubble Pond, nestled peacefully between the gently sloping mountains. Then we headed north to bike around Witch Hole Pond and to stop and see the stone steps that form gently flowing Duck Brook. We crossed the bridge here, took a left on the bike trail, and soon caught up with West Street, which led right back to the bike store on Cottage Street. A perfect way to spend the morning. 

 
|

Sea Kayak with Beluga Whales at Quebec’s Saguenay Fjord

On my last trip to the province of Quebec, I was fortunate to make it to Baie-Saint-Paul in the Charlevoix region, just north of Quebec City along the St. Lawrence Seaway. Charlevoix has become a foodie destination, cherished by residents of Montreal and Quebec City for its cheeses, breads, fresh salmon, microbrews, and local produce. Now I want to continue my journey up the St. Lawrence to La Malbaie, home to the classic Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu. The old-style château dates back to the late 19th century and was originally built as a playground for the affluent of the Eastern Seaboard. President William Taft owned a home in the area and opened the original golf course here in 1925. The Fairmont continues to be one of Quebec’s most glamorous getaways, rising above the ocean-like expanse of the St. Lawrence River. Just north of La Malbaie is the mouth of the Saguenay fjord, where beluga whales like to play in the summer months. It’s always been on my wish list to kayak the 60-mile long fjord, then bike a portion of the 256-kilometer “Véloroute des Bleuets” or Blueberry Trail cycling path around Lac-Saint-Jean. The perfect Quebec adventure!  

 

Leave a Reply