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<\/a>Sagers, Budds, VanBoxmeers, Sparrows<\/p><\/div>\n
The sky was deep blue and the air was clean and thin, very thin \u2013 the mountains, still with some snow on their peaks, rose up beautifully before us.\u00a0 I knew I wasn\u2019t in Kansas or even in southern California anymore \u2013 it wasn’t air I could get my teeth into.\u00a0 I was in the ski mecca of the mountain west, Park City, Utah<\/strong>.\u00a0 But this time of year, the hills are not covered with \u201cThe Greatest Snow on Earth\u201d<\/strong>, but rather we see green ski runs cut out of the mountains, with lift chairs spanning over them, and cutting through stands of pine, fir and quaking aspen.\u00a0 Summer is indeed a great time of year to visit this magnificent place.<\/p>\n Canyons Golf driving range<\/p><\/div>\n The gift of a timeshare week brought the Budds, Sagers, VanBoxmeers<\/strong> and us to this home of the 2002 Winter Olympics<\/strong>, which has done nothing but grow since then.\u00a0 Our main activity, other than eating and drinking, was playing golf \u2013 some good and some bad, both score-wise and course-wise.\u00a0 We played four rounds of golf; we tried to get on a few private courses, but they must have been forewarned about our golf acumen, so all our rounds were on public courses.\u00a0 Three of them were south of Park City in the Heber\u2013Midway<\/strong> area, the best of which was Homestead<\/strong>, a good course that they say new ownership is going to make great!\u00a0 The one I would not recommend is next to Olympic Village<\/strong> in Park City called Canyons Golf<\/strong>.\u00a0 I see online that it got a 4 out of 5 rating, but trust me, all this course needed was a windmill and a couple of clowns’ mouths to putt into to make it a completely hideous experience.\u00a0 There was one hole with a 250 yard drop in elevation<\/em> from tee to green.\u00a0 The gas, instead of electric, golf carts made it extra special.\u00a0 See the photo of their driving range \u2013 we should have known before we started that this wasn\u2019t going to be Pebble Beach<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Grappa Restaurant<\/p><\/div>\n So, my first \u2018Don\u2019t\u2019 travel tip is don\u2019t play Canyons Golf.\u00a0 My second tip might be regarding Park City\u2019s most famous restaurant, Grappa<\/strong>.\u00a0 The setting is beautiful, an interesting building at the top of Main Street, with lots of deck space for outside dining, which is gorgeous on a summer’s evening . . .HOWEVER, high-priced food is one thing, over-priced, very average food is quite another, and that\u2019s what we got.\u00a0 So, nice setting, good service, but very average good for a very premium price.\u00a0 Let\u2019s move on to something more positive.<\/p>\n If you come to this area, I would highly recommend a visit to the Stein Erikson Lodge<\/strong>, which is just over the hill from Park City in Deer Valley<\/strong>.\u00a0 Stein Erikson was a champion skier and Olympic gold medal winner from Norway, who moved to Park City and built the lodge in 1982 – it earned the prestigious Forbes Five-Star rating<\/strong> and has maintained this rating ever since and is still Utah\u2019s only resort property to have a Forbes Five-Star status.<\/p>\n Alpenglobes on deck of Stein Erikson Lodge<\/p><\/div>\n I wouldn\u2019t necessarily recommend staying there, as it is fairly pricey \u2013 regular rooms start around $700 a night and goes steeply up from there.\u00a0 But we just went to look at the facility to see how the \u2018rich people\u2019 live \u2013 they live very nicely! \u00a0We did have a drink on the lodge deck imagining ourselves on a snowy winter evening in one of those \u2018bubble tables\u2019 that rotates and keeps you warm while sitting on the deck during snow season \u2013 I was to learn later that they are called Alpenglobes.<\/strong><\/p>\n The other highlight for me was to visit my, and son Jeff\u2019s, college alma mater in Salt Lake City, Westminster College<\/strong> \u2013 the campus was quiet, as it was a summer Sunday, but still looked magnificent.\u00a0 The tour for the rest of the group was not quite as thrilling I’m sure, but they were able to see the brick at the Alumni House<\/strong> that shows the seal for the college that I created.\u00a0 OK, it wasn\u2019t just me; in my senior year I needed a couple of units in the arts, so I took an art class.\u00a0 The college board had just come to the art teacher and asked if he could have his students create a new crest<\/strong> for the school.\u00a0 Two nights before the assignment was due, I invited my football teammate and center, Bruce Takeno<\/strong> to the local pub, The Sugarbowl<\/strong>, to help me create something to turn in.\u00a0 With the help of a few beers and the lions on the Coors<\/strong> beer bottles, we scratch something out on a bar napkin.\u00a0 When we had a rough draft, Bruce, who had much greater artistic skills than I, and lived in Salt Lake, said that he would take it home and \u2018make it pretty\u2019.\u00a0 What he handed me the next morning, slightly resembled what was on the napkin, but done<\/p>\n Westminster College crest<\/p><\/div>\n My old college girlfriend was still there!<\/p><\/div>\n in oil paint on stretched canvas \u2013 it looked spectacular! \u00a0I turned it in, and the school board voted it the winner.\u00a0 I did confess to my art teacher that while I contributed to the overall design, Bruce was the artist in the group. \u00a0I passed the class!\u00a0 It has since been replaced.<\/p>\n Another highlight was just walking Main Street in Park City<\/strong> \u2013 it is filled with gift shops, bars, restaurants and . . . more gift shops, bars and restaurants! \u00a0Great location, great friends, clean air, great trip!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Bob Sparrow The sky was deep blue and the air was clean and thin, very thin \u2013 the mountains, still with some snow on their peaks, rose up beautifully before us.\u00a0 I knew I wasn\u2019t in Kansas or even … read more![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Driving-range-150x150.jpg\")
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