A Look At Why Park City, Utah Is A “Must Go” Destination For All

As one of the world’s premier skiing destinations, Park City, Utah had its first ski lift installed in 1946. Yet there is plenty more to Park City than skiing. The Sundance Film Festival, for starters, is one of the annual institutions which has people around the world talking about Park City. Forbes Traveler Magazine has voted it as one of the 20 “prettiest towns,” also voting it one of its “16 Top Destinations.”

Last year I wrote about the Park City Song Summit, which was scheduled to host its “inaugural” event in September 2021. The event was unfortunately posted due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, as was my planned travel to the city. Further travel to Park City is planned for me in 2022, and in anticipation of that, I spoke with 4 local experts about what to do when I return to the area:

– Ben Wedeking, Sr. – Property Manager for Apex Residences, Park City
– Naomi Rosenblum – Painter
– Jenna Glad – Global Claims Coordinator for JAG International
– Holly Booth – Beverage Manager for High West Distillery

When did you first arrive in Park City?

Ben Wedeking, Sr.: June of 2014.

Naomi Rosenblum: I moved here in middle school from Los Angeles. My family fell in love with the mountains and community up here.

Jenna Glad: I first arrived in Park City in 2019. I moved to Salt Lake City and still frequent the mountain town due to the amazing snow and atmosphere.

Holly Booth: I moved to Utah in 2001 and Park City in 2005. I wish I had a more interesting story, but like so many people who call Park City home, I came to ski and snowboard with friends and live in the mountains. I haven’t found a compelling reason to leave.

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How have you noticed the city change in recent years?

Ben Wedeking, Sr.: As the city has become more popular, we continue to see a more diverse demographic of visitors. The amount of activities continue to grow as well. We continue to see more concerts and events in the area!

Naomi Rosenblum: Park City’s definitely become a hotspot for vacationers and people looking for a new place to live. The Olympic’s in 2002 put Park City on the map as a destination, and since then it’s been constantly evolving into a more modern and developed town.

Jenna Glad: I have seen more and more people visiting the city to enjoy the ski resort and restaurant and bar scene. It is such a magical place, and it’s nice to get out of the larger Salt Lake area and escape to a beautiful and more rural, if you will, area. The main stretch is extremely walkable and full of art galleries, local shops, and eclectic food and drink options that are sure to please everyone in your group.

Holly Booth: Park City, like many small ski towns in the Intermountain West, is undergoing rapid change and increased population density. The pandemic really exacerbated that trend, by making remote work the norm rather than the exception for many people. When you discover you can work from anywhere your mind inevitably wanders to places where you have had memorable experiences. Our culture, both our small-town culture and the culture of the work place at large, is in the midst of a large-scale experiment that is testing the boundaries of this new intersection of work and the place you choose to call home.

Do you have a spot or two you can recommend for people visiting Park City for the first or second time?

Ben Wedeking, Sr.: I would recommend Lift. It’s similar to Apex, but all in one building. Grand Summit is another great option if you’re looking for an upscale full service property with all of the offerings.

Naomi Rosenblum: I hope no locals read this and get annoyed for me talking about this, but I’d highly recommend visiting Guardsmans Pass in the summer. It connects to the top of Jupiter Bowl at Park City Mountain Resort, and has the most gorgeous lookout points and hiking spots.

Jenna Glad: I would recommend visiting High West Saloon. It is one of my go to spots for a cocktail and a bite to eat. The staff are friendly, the building has an old west feel, and the patrons are always fun. You may make a friend or two while enjoying a delicious refreshment. It is also located in the heart of Park City with easy access to the ski lift and main drag. It would not be a successful trip to Park City without visiting the rooftop of No Name Saloon. There are other things to see besides bars, however, No Name Saloon captures the essence of the traditional and classic feel of Park City back in the cowboy days. The views from the second floor capture the city as well as the stunning mountains surrounding old town.

Holly Booth: I would of course recommend a visit to the High West Saloon in downtown Park City. The High West Saloon is just steps away from the Quittin’ Time ski run and next to the Town Lift. It’s known for its unique charm as a historic landmark and as High West’s first location. Operating as a saloon and restaurant since 2009, the historic buildings house the original 250-gallon still from High West’s beginnings. The restaurant offers a full menu of alpine-inspired western fare that embodies the culture and spirit of High West, as well as the distillery’s full line of spirits in the form of sippers, tasting flights and signature cocktails.

What do you like most about Park City?

Ben Wedeking, Sr.: It’s tough to choose just one thing! I love the ease of access to our mountain resort. It is also a true town feel with a ton of history. Sorry, that’s two things!

Naomi Rosenblum: Having moved from L.A. to Park City to the East Coast, the one thing that Park City has that is truly unique is the compassion and friendliness of the people. The people are so down to earth and for a lack of a better word, nice. If you need help, you can always count on a local to lend a hand. That, and the snow. In my opinion, Park City has the best snow on Earth.

Jenna Glad: Park City has every kind of person, as well as something for everyone to enjoy. People travel from all over the world making Park City an eclectic, diverse, and unique spot on the map. You can find music, food, art and activities from across the globe, so it is always an exciting place to be.

Holly Booth: Lifestyle. The ability to wake up in the morning, and be outside on a mountain, hiking, running, biking or skiing is really something special. Recreation and open space on the scale that is available to us is something I’m grateful for every day. I know things like “forest bathing” have become these interesting life hacks on podcasts and within the general zeitgeist of the moment, but everyone who lives here has known for a long-time what scientists are just now measuring, time outside in nature is vital.

Finally, what is happening and/or coming up for you work-wise?

Ben Wedeking, Sr.: We are gearing up to welcome guests who are visiting for the Sundance Film Festival later this month. It’s an exciting time to be in Park City for both the film scene and the skiing.

Holly Booth: The High West Distillery is traveling from its home in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah to the slopes of Mammoth Mountain to host a branded pop-up bar experience! The activation includes a High West snowcat bar at the Outpost for skiers to visit between runs, and an apres-ski whiskey lounge at the base of the mountain at Mammoth Mountain Inn. Both Western-inspired locations offer specialty High West cocktails for guests to enjoy slope-side, including the Old Fashioned, Horse’s Neck, and of course, the Hot Toddy! The pop-up will be open through March and will feature fun games and High West merchandise giveaways.

Naomi Rosenblum: I recently graduated from the Wharton School Of Business and have taken the plunge to pursue art full-time! I’ve found that many different people are interested in working with me on different ventures, and saying yes to every opportunity thrown my way has been my biggest goal. I have several projects in the works, whether it’s designing art for a streetwear brand, delving into the crypto and NFT space, or pursuing projects that are outside of the traditional fine art scope. It’s always a risk jumping into new territory, but my hope is that one of these will open the door to more opportunities. In the upcoming months my goal is to continue building these relationships and find gallery representation to reach as many people as possible. Building a brand as an artist is a long and tedious process, and at the end of the day I just hope to inspire people through my artwork.

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Tags: Ben Wedeking, High West Distillery, Holly Booth, Naomi Rosenblum, Park City, Park City Song Summit, Sundance Film Festival, Utah

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."