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The Planning
Normally, this is where I would lay out all the points and miles for flights and hotels. However, a family member graciously paid for our stay in an awesome Vacasa Property. (if you want to travel hack Vacasa, here we tell you how) It was so wonderful to stay all together with the whole extended family, and provided some really sweet moments. We also chose to Road Trip, as we absolutely love road trips, and this was a short drive for us. Now, for road tripping, your best travel hack is to pick the card in your wallet that earns you the best gas points, and charge that baby up! The Citi Premier card is one of the best gas cards out there right now.
The Location
We stayed in a Vacasa vacation rental north of town in Kimball Junction. It was 15 minutes or less to everywhere we wanted to go, and we were close to the grocery store that allowed us to get food easily. It was also a stone’s throw to get to Olympic Park, which was phenomenal.
The Activities
We love to experience all the things when we go on vacation. This trip was no different. In no particular order, here were our highlights.
Deer Valley
Deer Valley is by far the largest ski resort I have ever seen. We rode the ski lift to the midpoint one day, and there were more lifts headed in any direction. I am used to my little small town ski resort so this was a definite sight to see. In the summer, this is a mountain biker’s paradise, and in the winter, a ski wonderland. In any season you can find something to do up here. And for the less adventurous, do what we did and ride the chairlift part way and hike or grab a bite to eat at the midway point.
Flying Ace All-Star Ski Jumpers
Wow, wow, wow! I was so impressed by these young men and women. Their dedication to the sport, and their phenomenal athletic feats were of the highest caliber. We watched them practice during our tour of the Olympic Park Museum, and then went again to their show Friday Night. My 4 year old was ready to sign up and start lessons immediately. Your kids will love this, whether it’s just watching practice, or you are there for the main event Friday night.
Olympic Park
The Olympic Park museum was the extent of our adventure around this property but it did not disappoint. They have carefully curated a number of engaging exhibits that our kids loved, as well as a broad collection of Olympic history memorabilia. My kids really enjoyed the puppets that they had used in the Salt Lake opening ceremonies, and the ski jump simulator (which was a small extra cost).
Heber Valley Artisan Cheese
My expectations for this cheese farm were not high, and they should have been! This store is a gem. You travel out to the farmland, and inside the store there are a multitude of different cheese choices, and samples, you can also buy ice cream or a grilled cheese sandwich with your choice of cheeses.
To go on the tour of the dairy, we had to arrive at 11, and were promptly picked up by John-David on a hay-ride out to the farm. Our first stop was at the calves. The kids adored getting to pet and love on all these cute little baby cows. After a good amount of time here loving on the calves, we headed to the dairy barn. They have a nearly completely automated dairy barn. The cows are each tracked by trackers which show if they have eaten, been milked, rested, and how long they are spending in these activities. Their milking is on a schedule, completely done by a robotic program, and the cows are incentivized to come to the milking by a special treat that they receive. We had one cow continue trying to pop in to get milked, and get kicked out because it was too soon. It was such an impressive operation to witness, and my kids were mesmerized by all of it. We also got a chance to see the room where they store the milk, as well as the old milking barn. John-David provided a great explanation of the dairy and why they do what they do. These farmers obviously care a lot about their animals and their work. Highly recommend this adventure!
Fly Fishing
The guys in our group got a Christmas gift of a guided fly fishing morning with Fishheads in Heber Valley. Ben guided them, and they had great success. They spanned a wide range of fishing abilities, and he guided them each, and everyone, even the most seasoned fisherman learned something.
Hotels you can Travel Hack
Hyatt Place
HYATT CENTRIC PARK CITY
You would need Hyatt points for these two properties. You can earn these through a World of Hyatt Credit Card, or through transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards. For a family, I would absolutely recommend the Hyatt Place. It is a beautiful property, and bonus…..free breakfast!
Marriott Vacation Clubs
St Regis Deer Valley
These Marriott hotels are phenomenal and you could utilize Marriott points through one of these Marriott cards, or through transferring points from AMEX or Chase.
DoubleTree
The DoubleTree was older than the other properties, as a fair warning. However if you are a Hilton loyalist, its central to town, and a bakery that sells great pies and cookies (Auntie Em’s). You can transfer AMEX points, or use a Hilton AMEX card to pay for this stay.
Flights
While we drove, Salt Lake is a Delta hub, so we would recommend looking into Delta, or transferring points to Virgin Atlantic to book a Delta flight. Also, as always, we love Southwest to travel with kids, and would highly recommend checking them, especially if you have a Companion Pass.
Conclusion
We weren’t sure what to expect from Park City, but it definitely delivered on family friendly activities. Aside from the many activities listed here, there were parks and hikes galore, and our kids loved swimming in the pool at the Vacasa we rented. I would highly recommend you check it out for your next summer family adventure.
