If you’re looking for a little taste of winter but still want to enjoy warm summer days, Olympic Park in Park City, Utah is the place to be! Home to the Freestyle Aerial Splash Pool and the ‘World’s Steepest Zipline’, there’s plenty of summer fun to be had.

The Freestyle Aerial Splash Pool is a must see! This training pool opened in 1993 and has been used by several world-class aerialists. Spectators can watch as athletes spiral 70 feet in the air before landing in the bubbled water- what a sight!! The Flying Ace All Starts showcase a 30-minute freestyle aerial show every Saturday at 1 p.m. Make sure you bring your umbrella!

The XTREME zipline at Utah’s Olympic Park is nothing shy of an adrenalin rush! If you think you have ‘been there,’ ‘done that’ when it comes to a zipline, this XTREME zipline is a must! Imagine staring down K 120m ski jump before you take the 55 mph plunge! There’s a reason they call this the “World’s Steepest Zipline!”

Olympic Park is located just outside of Park City, Utah and opened for its summer hours on June 11, 2011. Aside from the XTREME Zipline, Olympic Park also has plenty of things to do… there’s also an UTRA Zipline, a high speed Bobsled track and a European-Style alpine slide!

Find out more about things to do in Park City this summer and let our team of Friendly. Knowledgeable. Locals.^® at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals help!

Starting soon in Park City, The Swaner EcoCenter and Liberty Heights Fresh will be initiating the Sustainability Farmed Food (SFF) Program. This program will support the work of small producers and local family farms, encouraging the healthier option for Earth and body to choose sustainably.

This Monday, November 1st, the event “Exploring a Bold New Adventure in Fresh Food!,” will be going on at the eco center, at 6 p.m. The event will highlight information on choosing sustainable food options, whether you are strictly Vegan, or strictly Omnivore (or somewhere in between like me). Liberty Heights professionals of Salt Lake City, Steven Rosenberg (Chief Eating Officer) and Ria Barbosa-Wilson (Produce Manager), will be present to discuss and demonstrate how to eat tasty, organic food throughout the winter.

The two organizations have paired up to offer the SFF program, a 13-week program that provides weekly bags of organic produce, cheese, eggs, AND meat. These bundles of goodness will be available for pick up every Thursday, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm at the Swaner EcoCenter, and if pick up is missed during this time, it will be held at the Liberty Heights store through Friday. Additionally, every week will feature different food items. Details on the SFF program, including sign-up and advanced payment prices will be highlighted at the Monday night event.

Rosenberg and Barbosa-Wilson will also be performing cooking demonstrations – which will include fresh and tasty food samples! An RSVP is required for the event (savannah@swanerecocenter.org), and admission is $8 for non-members of the eco center, $4 for members, and ½ priced admission for kids. If you will be in the Park City area this winter, love to eat sustainably, or simply want to learn more about sustainable food, don’t miss out on this crucial information event! Can’t make it and want to sign up for the SFF program? Receive more information here.

And don’t forget to stay posted with more destination updates, at rockymountainvacationrentals.com.

If you are looking for a relaxing autumn getaway with classic, artful music, you might want to consider Park City, Utah, and their Autumn Classics Music Festival that is going on this weekend through October 11^th. The autumn series is a project of the Park City Chamber Music Society and an added component of the Park City Music Festival, which was founded in 1984.

The festival will feature various classical pieces by composers such as Robert Shulman, Alexander Glazunov, Antonin Dvorak, Maurice Ravel, Joaquin Turine, and Bela Bartok. These pieces will highlight the classic sounds of autumn with instruments like clarinet, piano, and string quartets. Taking place in the intimate settings of Park City Community Church and the Temple Har Shalom, professional soloists will have the opportunity to perform for casual spectators.  The concerts should provide classic sound that compliments the serene and peaceful setting of Utah in the fall. For advice on scenic drives while you’re in the area, check out this site.

This Saturday, the concert begins at 8 p.m.  at the Park City Community Church near the Canyons Resort, and a Sunday concert will follow at 3 p.m. at the Temple Har Shalom. The following weekend will continue with the concert series, taking place at the same locations at the same time. Tickets for regular admission are $20, $15 for students and seniors (62+). Tickets are for general seating, fully exchangeable, and unused tickets can be carried over to the next festival.  Get some local food while you’re out there, and check out some of our dining suggestions.

In addition to these weekend concerts, a “Musical Evening by the River” will take place at the home of locals Joan and Duane Townsend in Midway, where there will be plenty of refreshments. Donations starting at $50 are suggested. The House Concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 11^th. More information can be found in this article.

If you are in need of a relaxing getaway while the fall colors are vibrant and the air is crisp, take a trip out to Park City and allow classical music to soothe your mind.  The next concert series, The Winter Classics Music Festival, will be at the start of January, and will take place in private homes within the area. Call Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals at 1-888-866-2305, and relax for a weekend away from home.

Happy Autumn, to all our readers. The month of October is traditionally the “off season” for several ski town destinations, but that usually means that a few special events and killer deals start sprouting up across the mountains to attract money and attention from travelers continuing to roll through. Upon my search for upcoming events around Park City, I became interested in the “Mountain Living Sports and Travel Show” in Sandy, UT. Taking place mid October – from the 15^th to the 17^th, this event will feature exhibitors, attractions, seminars, and clinics appealing to the active outdoor enthusiast’s lifestyle.

The show will be at the South Towne Expo Center – kids are free and adults pay $10 for admission on Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday.  The event will be produced by Coliseum Productions, and the featured categories of the show include winter sports, hunting and fishing, log cabins and mountain living, biking, hiking, camping, fitness, RV and motorsports, and vacation travel.

Some of the attractions that have been announced are:

-          The Archery Extravaganza on Hunting Simulation Organization’s 3D Motion Target Range \

-          Fly-Fishing Lessons, contests, and demos, sponsored by Cabela’s with demonstrations by top-ranked masters. Participants will get to compete for valuable prizes!

-          Rock Climbing Wall

-          Log and Timber Frame Structures

-          Prizes throughout the show, including rustic furniture and décor items, vacations, and gear

-          Dutch Oven Cooking Demos with master camp cook Roger B.

-          Seminars by speakers from outdoor-related businesses

-          Travel agents on the show floor

If you are into outdoor culture, or plan on vacationing to a mountain life getaway, don’t miss this unique event in the picturesque surroundings of Sandy, UT, just about 50 miles away from Park City and right by Salt Lake. Once you’ve mastered mountain living, book your lodging with Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, by calling 1-888-866-2305.

Like many towns hidden in valleys nestled between the mountains of the West, Park City, Utah’s economy was initially established due to its abundance in silver.  Though now known for its richness in beauty, light fluffy powder, and world-class resorts in one of North America’s top ski destinations, the Park City area first flourished as a mining town in the wild, wild West.

Colonel Patrick E. Connor was the first to discover this part of Utah when he instigated his men to check out the area, bringing non-Mormons into the Utah region. This sparked the discovery of gold, silver, and lead, initiating the beginning of Park City mining in the 1860s. Early pioneers discovered the area in 1872, and Mormon apostle Parley Pratt originally named the area Parley’s Park City. This was shortened to Park City in the early 1900s. Park City began to develop and prosper in 1884, when silver proved abundant and dozens of mines in the Park City Mining District were making shipments to export the valued metal. In 1892, The Silver King Mine, and its owners Thomas Kearns and David Keith, were recognized as one of the most famous silver mines in the world.

The boom in silver mining throughout the area attracted hundreds of prospectors with diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds from depleted mining areas. During the time span from 1870 to 1900, the city’s population increased by 40%. What was originally a community of boarding houses, mills, stores, saloons, prostitute “cribs”, theaters, and mine buildings now filled up with neighborhoods of houses and schools, and more families began to settle in.

In 1898, three quarters of the town burned in what is known as the greatest blaze in Utah history.  The city was rebuilt, and the mining industry continued to represent the area’s major source of revenue. Mines remained healthy by merging and buying out weaker competitors. However, with miners coming from Nevada, Scotland, Ireland, and Scandinavia, and Chinese workers migrating to the area, few people gained fortune from the success produced by many.

Following the turn of the century, mines experienced labor unrest after World War I, and the Great Depression further impacted the economy. The demand for metals during World War II increased the suffering for Park City mines, and by the 1950s, fewer than 200 men were miners. Park City was becoming distinguished as a “ghost town.”

Gradually, however, the silver mining town was evolving into a mecca for skiing. The Park City Winter Carnivals took place in the 1930s, and the first ski lifts were created in 1946 by Robert Emmet Burns, Sr. and Otto Carpenter out of lodgepole pines. The city transformed into a recreational facility throughout the late 20^th century, as ski areas developed and old mines were opened to tourists. Park City is now rated as one of the top ski destinations in the world, featuring Deer Valley, Park City, and Canyon Resorts. With over 300 inches of annual powder, a combination of over 50 chairlifts, gondolas, and express lifts, multiple terrain parks, and the unique ambiance of a restored mining town, the rich site of recreation and history in Park City offers an animated vacation for families and travelers.

To dive into a memorable winter vacation of powder, culture, and history, book your lodging with Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals. Learn more about Park City, Utah on our website, and call 1-888-866-2305 to schedule your next winter getaway!

This Labor Day Weekend in Park City, Utah, several exciting activities and events will be taking place that you won’t want to miss out on. With live music going on all weekend, the Friends of the Park City Library Book Sale, the Park City Point 2 Point Fundraiser for Mountain Trails, and several other options to stay entertained, September kicks off with an eventful beginning in Park City!

The first night of the Free Friday Night Concert Series for the month of September will be one of several events hosting live music this weekend. The shows will take place every Friday night, free of charge, throughout the month of September at the Newpark Amphitheater, where local Park City musicians are featured. This weekend, the reggae band Patwa will be playing. In addition to free music at the Newpark Amphitheater, Rick Gerber and Jon Davis will be playing at Zoom Restaurant for the Zoom Patio Series, from 6-8 p.m. as well.

The Friends of the Park City Library Book Sale will be taking place throughout the weekend, starting Friday night with a Members Preview Night, where memberships may be purchased. On Saturday, the Library will host a General Book Sale to the Public, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Sunday the General Book Sale will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The used book sale will have current best-sellers, children’s books, games, history books, science books, foreign language books, travel books, coffee table books, and cookbooks available. The proceeds of the event will go toward funding the library’s literacy programs for adults and children, library services and the collection of books. As the weekend wraps up on Monday, it will turn into a Blow Out Bargain Sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with large book bags available for $5.

If you like winning free stuff, the Park City Point 2 Point fundraiser for Mountain Trails will be going on from 3-7 p.m. on Saturday. Taking place at The Canyons Resort Village, the event will be raising money for local trails in the Park City area before the 78 mile mountain bike race this Monday.  The raffle will be held at the finish line in the forum at The Canyons Resort, and tickets can be purchased at 3 p.m. Raffle tickets are $5 for one ticket, or $20 for five. At 6:30, the drawing will begin for some sweet prizes, like a Cannondale Bad Boy Café (town) bike, Rossignol skis, a 5-day Cherry Picker Pass from the Canyons, a Crazy Creek Chair set, and more!

For a quaint, family-oriented activity in Park City, check out the Park Silly Sunday Market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m on Main Street. The open-air market is an eco-friendly street festival where people in the community can come together to purchase local organic produce and experience live music, as well as visual and performance art.

To set up comfortable lodging for the weekend in Park City, make sure to call Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, at 1-888-866-2305, and check out more information on dining and services in Park City from our website, as well as other ski town destinations for this Labor Day Weekend.