Showing posts with label Park City Food and Wine Classic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Park City Food and Wine Classic. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
More summer festivals
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Summer in the Mountains
After the wettest June on record the month of July arrived and with it came summer. Since the 1st of July the weather has been hot and sunny with just the occasional afternoon thunderstorm. As a result of the early rain and warm sunny days the mountains are a symphony of color. When out hiking, mountain biking, or even driving over some of the mountain passes, one can not help but be amazed by the array of flowers and all of the various colors. Both visitors and locals can’t stop talking about how beautiful the mountains are right now. Another welcomed benefit to the rain is that the hiking/biking trails are well packed down and not thick and dusty like in many years past. This is certainly a year to come out and see for your self how spectacular summertime in the mountains can be.
Last weekend Park City hosted its annual Food and Wine Classic. Friday was the Main Street Wine Stroll where vintners from around the world displayed for participants to sample. The event started on the plaza of the Town Lift right on lower Main Street and then continued to the top of Main Street where various restaurants and galleries hosted a stop. At each stop a group of vintners poured samples of their wine while the restaurant or gallery provided a delicious array of food. The event, always popular, was a huge success and my group finished off the evening with an outdoor dinner at a local restaurant (owned by Robert Redford) where Rich Wyman performed. Rich Wyman is a local recording star who frequently travels to Ireland and northern Europe for concerts. His music is both entertaining and exciting and at the end of his show we all toasted each other to a delightful evening in Park City. Visit www.richwyman.com for more info on this wonderful artist.
In Real Estate news the market turnaround that we first saw starting in March has continued through the month of June. We saw the number of real estate contracts written and accepted begin to increase in the month of March and each following month has been stronger than the previous month. While we are certainly still in a “buyers market”, I am beginning to detect a bit of urgency on the buyer’s side as the exceptional deals are being snatched up. Even though the news that we hear every day indicates that the nationwide real estate market has yet to bottom out, the western resorts are a different animal. For the past 18 months we have seen numerous buyers wanting to purchase a vacation home here in Park City but felt that they were better off waiting for the real estate market to correct itself. Now that the market correction seems to have occurred, this pent up demand is the driving force behind our market turnaround. The word about the continued monthly increase in sales has filtered down to our buyers who are seeing the writing on the wall. During this recent real estate downturn it is often said that no buyer wants to be the first to leap into the market but they but they certainly don’t to be last either.
While I would still say that the majority of transactions are in the $1 million and under price range we continue to see a number of purchases above $3 million also. An interesting home that has just come on the market is a 20,000 square foot home situated on 60 + acres near mid mountain Deer Valley and is listed for $55,000,000. While the home is spectacular the setting on over 60 wooded acres makes this a one of a kind property. For more information on this property type this link into your internet browser : http://pcmls.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=1298536824&s=PKC&t=PKC.
While this number appears astronomical, and it certainly is, an estate home in Aspen just sold for $40,000,000. As always, there are buyers willing to pay for the unique property that cannot be duplicated.
One of the unique attributes of Park City/Deer Valley is the amount of developable land not only directly on but high up on the mountain. Because most western ski resorts are on national forest land, we are unique in our ability to build ski homes directly on the upper elevations of the resorts.
This is the summer to visit us and when you do, take some time and let me show you what is so unique about Park City and Deer Valley.
Last weekend Park City hosted its annual Food and Wine Classic. Friday was the Main Street Wine Stroll where vintners from around the world displayed for participants to sample. The event started on the plaza of the Town Lift right on lower Main Street and then continued to the top of Main Street where various restaurants and galleries hosted a stop. At each stop a group of vintners poured samples of their wine while the restaurant or gallery provided a delicious array of food. The event, always popular, was a huge success and my group finished off the evening with an outdoor dinner at a local restaurant (owned by Robert Redford) where Rich Wyman performed. Rich Wyman is a local recording star who frequently travels to Ireland and northern Europe for concerts. His music is both entertaining and exciting and at the end of his show we all toasted each other to a delightful evening in Park City. Visit www.richwyman.com for more info on this wonderful artist.
In Real Estate news the market turnaround that we first saw starting in March has continued through the month of June. We saw the number of real estate contracts written and accepted begin to increase in the month of March and each following month has been stronger than the previous month. While we are certainly still in a “buyers market”, I am beginning to detect a bit of urgency on the buyer’s side as the exceptional deals are being snatched up. Even though the news that we hear every day indicates that the nationwide real estate market has yet to bottom out, the western resorts are a different animal. For the past 18 months we have seen numerous buyers wanting to purchase a vacation home here in Park City but felt that they were better off waiting for the real estate market to correct itself. Now that the market correction seems to have occurred, this pent up demand is the driving force behind our market turnaround. The word about the continued monthly increase in sales has filtered down to our buyers who are seeing the writing on the wall. During this recent real estate downturn it is often said that no buyer wants to be the first to leap into the market but they but they certainly don’t to be last either.
While I would still say that the majority of transactions are in the $1 million and under price range we continue to see a number of purchases above $3 million also. An interesting home that has just come on the market is a 20,000 square foot home situated on 60 + acres near mid mountain Deer Valley and is listed for $55,000,000. While the home is spectacular the setting on over 60 wooded acres makes this a one of a kind property. For more information on this property type this link into your internet browser : http://pcmls.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=1298536824&s=PKC&t=PKC.
While this number appears astronomical, and it certainly is, an estate home in Aspen just sold for $40,000,000. As always, there are buyers willing to pay for the unique property that cannot be duplicated.
One of the unique attributes of Park City/Deer Valley is the amount of developable land not only directly on but high up on the mountain. Because most western ski resorts are on national forest land, we are unique in our ability to build ski homes directly on the upper elevations of the resorts.
This is the summer to visit us and when you do, take some time and let me show you what is so unique about Park City and Deer Valley.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Culinary Adventures in Park City
Last night I joined some clients for dinner at the Viking Yurt at The Canyons. For anyone visiting Park City during the ski season, the Viking Yurt dinner should be high on their list of places to go.
The meal begins with a sleigh ride from the base of The Canyons resort to mid-mountain at about 8,300 feet in elevation. The sleigh holds about 30 people and is pulled up the mountain by a Snow Cat. This in itself is quite enjoyable, cruising up the ski runs after dark, enjoying the lights from the town below. After about a 2- minute sleigh ride we arrive at the Viking Yurt. The Yurt is a round, tent-like structure, with wooden support beams, a pot-bellied stove for heating and a small kitchen. The Yurt has no electricity or running water, so it is lit by gas lanterns and the meal is brought up by Snow Cat during the evening. Coming in from the cold to the warm Yurt, we are warmly greeted by the hostess, who presents us with a steaming mug of hot grog. There are 4 tables in the Yurt, each seating around 10 people. So unless you have a large group, you will enjoy your meal with soon-to-be new friends. As most are visitors from around the country, conversation is lively and topics range from the day’s skiing to current events. We are treated to a 4 course dinner and the meal is always extraordinary, and last night was no exception. At the end of the meal, and several bottles of wine, we board the sleigh for a beautiful trip down the mountain to the base. This is such a different and relaxing way of dining, a far cry from the hustle and noise of Main Street.
Another dining experience not to be missed is the Fireside Dining at the Empire Lodge at Deer Valley. The Empire Lodge is located at about 8,500 feet up on the mountain, but is accessible by car. The Empire Lodge, which is one of Deer Valley’s Day Lodges, is transformed from the day cafeteria style meal to this fine dining experience. The Empire Lodge boasts five very large stone fireplaces and all of the meals are prepared at the fire places, thus the name “Fireside Dining”. The first station is Swiss Raclette. For this several large bricks of cheese are hung by hooks in front of the fire. The heat of the fire melts the cheese and it drips onto plates, which the quests will then pick up and add to it all of the condiments one would expect for raclette. The second station is hearty stews and soups. Here, several large cast iron pots are hung from the fire with a variety of delicious soups and stews. At the third station, a leg of lamb is hung in front of the fire and slowly spun to cook evenly and deliciously. The fourth and final station is my personal favorite…dessert of course. Here we have several fondues, chocolate, white chocolate and caramel with a variety of fruits and Deer Valley cookies. During the dinner your group can take a short break and go for about a 20 minute horse drawn sleigh ride around the base area and some of the ski runs. On a snowy night this will be a memorable experience.
Other adventures around Park City include early morning hot air balloon rides, snowmobile tours in the back country, and cross country skiing or snowshoe trips in either the Park City Mountains or the surrounding Uinta Mountains. These can either be guided, or for the adventurous, you can strike off on your own. Being a true destination resort, we understand that not everyone comes to ski, or wants to ski everyday. The days are getting longer, the sun is higher in the sky, so plan your trip to Park City. But leave time to try something different.
The meal begins with a sleigh ride from the base of The Canyons resort to mid-mountain at about 8,300 feet in elevation. The sleigh holds about 30 people and is pulled up the mountain by a Snow Cat. This in itself is quite enjoyable, cruising up the ski runs after dark, enjoying the lights from the town below. After about a 2- minute sleigh ride we arrive at the Viking Yurt. The Yurt is a round, tent-like structure, with wooden support beams, a pot-bellied stove for heating and a small kitchen. The Yurt has no electricity or running water, so it is lit by gas lanterns and the meal is brought up by Snow Cat during the evening. Coming in from the cold to the warm Yurt, we are warmly greeted by the hostess, who presents us with a steaming mug of hot grog. There are 4 tables in the Yurt, each seating around 10 people. So unless you have a large group, you will enjoy your meal with soon-to-be new friends. As most are visitors from around the country, conversation is lively and topics range from the day’s skiing to current events. We are treated to a 4 course dinner and the meal is always extraordinary, and last night was no exception. At the end of the meal, and several bottles of wine, we board the sleigh for a beautiful trip down the mountain to the base. This is such a different and relaxing way of dining, a far cry from the hustle and noise of Main Street.
Another dining experience not to be missed is the Fireside Dining at the Empire Lodge at Deer Valley. The Empire Lodge is located at about 8,500 feet up on the mountain, but is accessible by car. The Empire Lodge, which is one of Deer Valley’s Day Lodges, is transformed from the day cafeteria style meal to this fine dining experience. The Empire Lodge boasts five very large stone fireplaces and all of the meals are prepared at the fire places, thus the name “Fireside Dining”. The first station is Swiss Raclette. For this several large bricks of cheese are hung by hooks in front of the fire. The heat of the fire melts the cheese and it drips onto plates, which the quests will then pick up and add to it all of the condiments one would expect for raclette. The second station is hearty stews and soups. Here, several large cast iron pots are hung from the fire with a variety of delicious soups and stews. At the third station, a leg of lamb is hung in front of the fire and slowly spun to cook evenly and deliciously. The fourth and final station is my personal favorite…dessert of course. Here we have several fondues, chocolate, white chocolate and caramel with a variety of fruits and Deer Valley cookies. During the dinner your group can take a short break and go for about a 20 minute horse drawn sleigh ride around the base area and some of the ski runs. On a snowy night this will be a memorable experience.
Other adventures around Park City include early morning hot air balloon rides, snowmobile tours in the back country, and cross country skiing or snowshoe trips in either the Park City Mountains or the surrounding Uinta Mountains. These can either be guided, or for the adventurous, you can strike off on your own. Being a true destination resort, we understand that not everyone comes to ski, or wants to ski everyday. The days are getting longer, the sun is higher in the sky, so plan your trip to Park City. But leave time to try something different.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Christmas in Park City
It is Christmas week in Park City and as it seems to be typical for the past few years it is snowing and snowing and snowing. We received close to a foot of snow last Friday. A few additional inches over the weekend and today is a full on white-out with an additional 12 to 20 inches expected. In addition, we are expecting an equally impressive storm on Christmas Day. Unlike most cities, ski towns are unique in that we eagerly anticipate and look forward to snowstorms, the larger the better.
Christmastime in Park City is a special time of the year. Main Street is very festive with lights and decorations. Visitors to town are busily shopping for last minute gifts and local restaurants are opening their doors to cold and hungry skiers. While this week before Christmas kicks off the holiday and ski season, the town does not become full until the day after Christmas. Once again Christmas visitors will find Park City piled high with snow and looking in every respect like the world class resort town it is. The improvements that all three Park City resorts have made over the summer add to the enjoyment of our skiers.
In real estate news, while the economy continues to teeter, buyers are here and many are finding extraordinary deals. Most everyone I speak with is convinced that we are close enough to the bottom of the market that combined with the lowest interest rates we have seen in years, that now is an excellent time to purchase for investment and personal use. The question that I ask everyone is “In three to five years do you feel that Park City/Deer Valley properties will be worth more than they are today?” The answers that I get are a resounding “Yes”. With this in mind, isn’t this the time to purchase your vacation property and start enjoying quality family time here in Park City?
Christmastime in Park City is a special time of the year. Main Street is very festive with lights and decorations. Visitors to town are busily shopping for last minute gifts and local restaurants are opening their doors to cold and hungry skiers. While this week before Christmas kicks off the holiday and ski season, the town does not become full until the day after Christmas. Once again Christmas visitors will find Park City piled high with snow and looking in every respect like the world class resort town it is. The improvements that all three Park City resorts have made over the summer add to the enjoyment of our skiers.
In real estate news, while the economy continues to teeter, buyers are here and many are finding extraordinary deals. Most everyone I speak with is convinced that we are close enough to the bottom of the market that combined with the lowest interest rates we have seen in years, that now is an excellent time to purchase for investment and personal use. The question that I ask everyone is “In three to five years do you feel that Park City/Deer Valley properties will be worth more than they are today?” The answers that I get are a resounding “Yes”. With this in mind, isn’t this the time to purchase your vacation property and start enjoying quality family time here in Park City?
Monday, September 15, 2008
#1 Again
For the second year in a row and the 4th out of the last 8 years, the readers of Ski Magazine have voted Deer Valley as the # 1 ski resort in North America! Deer Valley was ranked ahead of Vail,# 2 and Whistler/Blackcomb # 3. Deer Valley's founder, Edger Stern, built the resort on the premise that skiers are looking for more than just a place to put on skis and slide on a mountain. Edger put customer service as his top priority and the results have paid off. Today's guest has come to expect a superior level of guest service, from the ski instructors, to lift attendants, to restaurant employees, to grooming. Deer Valley consistently is ranked the # 1 resort in these categories. Even though the resort has a reputation as being a 'tame' mountain, (wrongly so), our guests are looking for a vacation experience for the entire family. (if you are under the impression that Deer Valley is just a groomed intermediate mountain, come spend a day skiing with me)
Park City Mountain Resort climbed from # 6 last year to # 5 this year, and The Canyons moved from # 18 to # 13. With our consistent and high quality snow, ease of getting here, a vibrant town and many high quality restaurants, visitors realize that Utah and Park City can always be counted on for a wonderful experience. The October issue of Ski Magazine comes out later this week and it is the most read issue of the year. Skiers are now planning their vacations for the year and are looking for the poll, but more importantly, the readers comments on their experience. When reading the polls, it is interesting to see that the visitor is looking for more than just skiing. They are looking for town, a variety of activities other than skiing, quality lodging, and ease of travel. We are finding that travel has become so cumbersome lately, that families are looking for resorts with direct flights. Having to make connecting flights to resorts, with airline delays, weather delays and the hassle of the airports is just not acceptable any longer. Salt Lake City, with it's international airport and only an easy 30 minute drive to Park City makes us the easiest resort to visit in the West.
Park City Mountain Resort climbed from # 6 last year to # 5 this year, and The Canyons moved from # 18 to # 13. With our consistent and high quality snow, ease of getting here, a vibrant town and many high quality restaurants, visitors realize that Utah and Park City can always be counted on for a wonderful experience. The October issue of Ski Magazine comes out later this week and it is the most read issue of the year. Skiers are now planning their vacations for the year and are looking for the poll, but more importantly, the readers comments on their experience. When reading the polls, it is interesting to see that the visitor is looking for more than just skiing. They are looking for town, a variety of activities other than skiing, quality lodging, and ease of travel. We are finding that travel has become so cumbersome lately, that families are looking for resorts with direct flights. Having to make connecting flights to resorts, with airline delays, weather delays and the hassle of the airports is just not acceptable any longer. Salt Lake City, with it's international airport and only an easy 30 minute drive to Park City makes us the easiest resort to visit in the West.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Summer Activities
The July 4th holiday has come and gone and there really is nothing quite like the small town festivities that Park City enjoys on Independence Day. From the very quaint parade to activities in City Park, and the beautiful firework display with Park City Mountain Resort as a backdrop.
This week in Park City, we continue with the Wednesday night free concerts at Deer Valley, which are a locals highlight as well as this Saturday, Lyle Lovett and K.D. Lang will be performing in Deer Valley. Another event this week is the Park City Food and Wine Classic, running Thursday through Saturday. This is an opportunity for local chefs to show off their talents as well as pairings of fine wines from around the world. Friday night is a highlight with wine, food, and jazz as you stroll up and down Main Street Park City.
While we’ve had a very hot summer, for us, nights are still pleasantly cool, and extremely enjoyable. The hiking trails are in top condition, and the high altitude wildflowers are in full bloom. This is a great time to come out, enjoy the cooler summers at higher elevation, and take in all of the activities available, such as golf, tennis, biking, hiking, and all of the water sports, including terrific fly fishing.
In real estate news, there are several new developments under construction at all of the resorts, that are very interesting, and much easier to see during the summer months than in the winter. Summer is a perfect time to come out, look at real estate, as there are often exceptional bargains to be had, and access to properties is much easier now than during the busy winter months.
This week in Park City, we continue with the Wednesday night free concerts at Deer Valley, which are a locals highlight as well as this Saturday, Lyle Lovett and K.D. Lang will be performing in Deer Valley. Another event this week is the Park City Food and Wine Classic, running Thursday through Saturday. This is an opportunity for local chefs to show off their talents as well as pairings of fine wines from around the world. Friday night is a highlight with wine, food, and jazz as you stroll up and down Main Street Park City.
While we’ve had a very hot summer, for us, nights are still pleasantly cool, and extremely enjoyable. The hiking trails are in top condition, and the high altitude wildflowers are in full bloom. This is a great time to come out, enjoy the cooler summers at higher elevation, and take in all of the activities available, such as golf, tennis, biking, hiking, and all of the water sports, including terrific fly fishing.
In real estate news, there are several new developments under construction at all of the resorts, that are very interesting, and much easier to see during the summer months than in the winter. Summer is a perfect time to come out, look at real estate, as there are often exceptional bargains to be had, and access to properties is much easier now than during the busy winter months.
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