I love the American Southwest. Gorgeous landscape, great outdoor activities, and plenty of food to enjoy! I spent an excellent long weekend there this year, enjoying the beautiful scenery and cute downtown strip. Here's a quick roundup of recommendations for your next visit...
What to Do:
What I love about coming to ski in this area is that it’s so accessible compared to skiing in other parts of the country. You land in Salt Lake and within a half hour you can be at a famous resort, ready to ski.
Visiting in spring or not a skier? That’s okay too! Park City has a ton of wonderful outdoor activities like hiking, rafting, enjoying the mountain views via gondola, and - my favorite - eating and drinking around town.
The downtown strip is so adorable. I’ve visited in the winter and spring and no matter the season, exploring the shops and art galleries up and down the main street is one of my favorite activities. There is a ton of local artwork to see, turquoise jewelry to enjoy, and southwest souvenirs to bring back home. We love the old trading post and multitude of eclectic galleries.
Where We Ate:
Now for the good stuff- where to eat!
No Name Saloon & Grill
A classic bar if you’re looking for a place to hang out and drink. Although it can seem pretty touristy, I found that it was equally loved by locals as well. There are 3 stories to enjoy- 2 indoor floors and then a great rooftop. I loved the vibe of this spot. We showed up with a group of 20+ and they let us grab an area where we could keep the party rolling with food and drinks. That said, there are also some great bar seats and booths for smaller groups as well. Cheers!
Wasatch Brewery
I didn’t get to enjoy this brewery, but I’m putting it on the list because almost everyone I ran into recommended it. If you are a beer lover, try this famous local brewery while in town. You can find the beers state (and southwest!) wide.
P.S. Grab the famous Polygamy Porter!
Atticus Coffee, Books & Teahouse
A great coffee shop / tea house / bookstore combo. This was the perfect stop when we needed an afternoon pick-me-up. They have a great atmosphere here, with fun books and knickknacks to look through while waiting for your coffee. Although we didn’t get anything more than drinks, they also have a food menu with breakfast sandwiches, burritos, and more. I tried the Pooh Latte with local honey and it was delicious!
501 on Main
Considering Utah is landlocked and full of ranches and cattle, I’d definitely go for some local meat. At 501 on Main, I enjoyed a yummy bison burger and fries. Although it’s a smaller restaurant, they had plenty of upstairs space to seat our larger group. Plus, an upstairs balcony with tables for two, if you want to eat with a good view of the downtown strip!
High West Distillery & Saloon
A Utah establishment for sure. High West is a famous local distillery that Park City/SLC seems to take great pride in. Right off the downtown strip, you’ll find the High West Saloon (with a long line waiting to go in to eat and drink). My recommendation (and what we ended up doing / absolutely loving) if you have a car is to drive up to their second distillery location in the mountains. On a multi-acre ranch, they have their full distillery where they bottle and give tours. The establishment is absolutely gorgeous, and also a wedding venue. We drove up Sunday morning and enjoyed an amazing brunch buffet with mixed whiskey cocktails and amazing views. We also hopped into a whiskey tasting post-brunch and tried some of their Reserve whiskey’s. If you have time, I recommend booking a full tour (in advance) of the entire facility.
