Searching for safety in travel

Utah is known as home of the Mormon church, the Osmond family, the Sundance Film Festival, gorgeous mountains and some of the best skiing in the country. Let's face it. Right now, it's as about as far away from South Florida as you can get without crossing the Atlantic. So while the snowbirds are heading south from the Northeast to my part of town, this South Florida lifestyle writer decided to go west. Destination: Park City, Utah.

Florida has recorded more than 1.6 million coronavirus cases. By the time this story publishes, Miami-Dade County will likely have exceeded 400,000 – more than the 325,000 cases in all of Utah. If we compare population size, Park City has approximately 8,526 residents compared to nearly 22,000 in Sunny Isles Beach. These are just some of the reasons why I decided it would be a good place to get away from politics and the pandemic – offering the best medicine for cabin fever after months of social distancing and staying home. I also was curious to see for myself how people in a small town like Park City were living with the virus.

What Park City lacks in population it makes up for with its booming ski resort community. Just a few short years ago, Utah welcomed 5.1 million people to its slopes, but 2020 was a rough year for tourist towns like Park City. After reading great reviews of Westgate Park City Resort & Spa, I determined it would be home base for my visit.

Park City is about a 40-minute drive from Salt Lake City International Airport. Upon arrival you feel as if you’ve been dropped into the middle of a winter wonderland, surrounded by scenic, snow-capped mountains reminiscent of a greeting card photo. Once at Westgate PC, guests are greeted by friendly staff, pandemic-related signage throughout the property, and enhanced WestgateCARES health and safety protocols. The resort is located at the base of Canyons Village at Park City Mountain, a well-suited proximity for those who want to hit the slopes, whether to ski or snowboard. 

Walking around Canyons Village to people-watch, it's very noticeable that everyone had on some sort of facial covering. Could it be the winter chill in the air or just a way of life? Whatever the reason, no resistance to any form of mask-wearing was visible.

On my first night, I stayed on the property and had dinner at Drafts Burger Bar, a pub-like restaurant with a varied menu. Patrons were stopped at the entrance for a temperature check with a high-tech LCD screen I've never seen before; it takes your picture. If you love draft beer, this restaurant offers more than 50 selections from around the world. The burgers are quite tasty, made from local ground beef that is never frozen. For sports enthusiasts, there are 10 flat-screen TVs where you can cheer on your favorite team.

Day Two of our itinerary included a must-do visit to Park City's famous Main Street. Westgate PC offers a complimentary shuttle (accessible by downloading the Ride WG app) to Main Street and other locations in town. Our driver, James, informed me that the resort was pretty busy over the holidays. He mentioned that fear of catching COVID-19 kept a lot of people away this past summer.

"In the summer, a lot of people come to mountain bike or hike; you get a lot of locals," he said.

Unfortunately, it was very sparse in the spring of 2020. When we reached Main Street and began strolling, it was again apparent that people were wearing their masks indoors and out.

We met a friendly parking attendant named Maliyah who was directing traffic and pedestrians. When asked if people were compliant with mask wearing she said, “People wear their masks – it keeps their faces warm, maybe that's why. Park City restaurants and businesses are good at following restrictions. Last year (along Main Street) was busier due to Sundance.”

Sundance is the largest independent film festival in the U.S. It typically attracts close to 125,000 visitors every January, generating close to $180 million in economic activity. This year, the event went virtual.

After sightseeing along Main Street, we ended our day with dinner at Westgate PC's award-winning Edge Steakhouse. After the required temperature check, the unique culinary experience begins. Diners are first presented with an amuse-bouche, then served popover bread with lavender-basil butter and lava salt. For my salad I chose the restaurant’s namesake offering, made with hydroponic butter leaf lettuce, endive, grilled asparagus, avocado, heirloom tomato and Peruvian truffle potato chip, and topped with a truffle vinaigrette.

To cleanse the palate, you are presented with a cherry and lime granita. For my entrée I selected the free-range and organic half-chicken, along roasted garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus, carrot, cipollini onion and cremini mushrooms. The dinner was scrumptious, with a beautiful presentation for each course. Restaurant staff were very attentive. Unfortunately, I had no room left for dessert.

A visit to Park City in winter without hitting the slopes would be incomplete, so that is what we did on Saturday. As a first-time skier, I was excited and petrified at the same time. We decided to take ski and snowboard lessons at the Snowbird Ski Resort near Salt Lake City, about an hour from Westgate PC.

The drive is worth it. Once you arrive and take in the views of the powdery white snow, you are left speechless. Snowbird offers ski and snowboard lessons for individuals aged 3 and up, at all levels. I noticed again that everyone had on a mask and observed no resistance to wearing them from any patrons. Important rookie mistake to take note of: Don’t forget your gloves! You will need them in case you fall, which I did, a lot. Skiing takes a lot of energy, and after a long day we headed back to the resort. 

My final day included a morning walk outside the property, where I saw early risers power walking and snowboarders disembarking from their vehicles with snowboards in tow. Returning to the lobby I met Danu Bumbu, guest services supervisor. Originally from the Republic of Moldova, an Eastern European country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Bumbu has worked at Westgate PC for four years.

"In the summer we get a lot of Romanian students and in the winter, students come from everywhere – Argentina, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Jamaica …” he said.

Indeed, he is right. Westgate PC is a very multicultural resort, with representation from all parts of the world and everyone was super friendly.

At The Marketplace, the resort’s on-site grocery store where you can purchase snacks, liquor and souvenirs, I met Catalina. She shared that she is from Cordoba in Argentina, has worked at Westgate for one month, and is studying business and management. Last year she was working at a different Utah resort, but had to return to Argentina in March due to the pandemic (where she had to immediately quarantine for 14 days). Catalina stayed in Argentina until last December, then returned to the U.S.

“I came here alone, no friends, no family. The skiing, the walking, it feels free," she said.

I met more friendly staff on the way back to my room to finish packing for my flight home. The time went so quickly I never had a chance to take a dip in the indoor or outdoor heated pools. Alas, I will be sure to do that on my next visit. There are so many things to do in Park City in winter – during the day or at night. It’s a go west getaway that’s sure to leave you with everlasting memories.