For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed family ski trips. Growing up, my parents took us every year during our Spring Break. As a young adult, Nick and I would enjoy going as a couple and even more so now with the girls. Whether the week after Christmas or during their Spring Break, we always make a point to go on this family vacation.
Early last week we made the decision to stick with our plans and head out to Deer Valley, Utah. This was long before things took a turn for the worse with Covid-19. While the trip didn’t end the way we had hoped, we still had a wonderful time so I wanted to share what we did get to do!
The St. Regis at Deer Valley was incredible... upon arrival, we were given the low down on the property as well as an activity list for the kids. Our room overlooked the ski mountain which was filled with skiers on a blue bird day. In case you didn’t know, the mountain at Deer Valley is reserved for skiers only (no snowboarding) which is one of the reasons I like it there. We stopped for a late lunch by the hotel Brasserie and enjoyed the black truffle pizza and burger.
After lunch we went downstairs to get the kids fitted for their ski boots and skis. I loved the fact that we didn’t need to go off property for this, and they held our skis/boots in the lockers which made the mornings so much easier. Although we had reserved everything prior to arrival, they also offered a place to purchase both lift tickets and ski school. For dinner we kept it easy and stayed in the hotel where we enjoyed overlooking the mountain from our table at the ….(prime steak). Nick had the steak while I had the salmon and both were incredible. In addition to the adult menu, they had plenty of great kid friendly options. After dinner we headed outside to make s’mores (I’m pretty sure I loved this part as much as the kids). I don’t know about you but my kids and I love to burn our marshmallows and I opted to trade my Hershey's chocolate for a Reese cup ---YUM!
Our last stop of the evening was the Kids Club. Liv enjoyed playing with the baby dolls and kitchen while Elle did arts and crafts. Each day they had different activities and movies playing which truly made it magical for the kids.
Growing up, I enjoyed going to ski school mostly for the social aspect but also for the technique. I think it’s important that my kids learn how to safely navigate their way down the mountain, and we put them in ski school for that reason. This also gives Nick and I the opportunity to ski alone together which is something I look forward to every year.
Day 1 of skiing was seamless. Since the kids are at an age where they can get themselves dressed, I typically only dread the putting on of the ski boots and lugging all the gear to the mountain. In our case, the St. Regis took care of all that for us... you heard that right — they put on the kids ski boots and then transported all of our skis to the shuttle that we would ride to the mountain. I will be honest and say I’m not sure that I will ever be able to do it another way because it was a dream!
Once we got the kids situated at ski school, Nick and I were off. This year marked our 14th year skiing together. We absolutely love this trip as a family and feel so blessed to share the love of skiing with our kids. I’m more of a blue cruiser gal but will brave the black diamonds for Nick. We skied all morning and stopped for an early lunch at the Stein Erikson. We shared the most delicious meal including avocado deviled eggs. I’m still dreaming of how delicious they were and plan to recreate them for the blog... stay tuned.
As it came time to pick up the girls, I couldn’t wait to hear how their first day of skiing was. To no surprise, both girls had a great day and were so excited to tell us all about their adventures. Elle and Liv had both advanced to the chair lifts, and we were so looking forward to taking them out on their own towards the end of the week.
That evening we ventured into downtown Park City where we enjoyed walking around Main Street and stopping by one of my favorite stores, Gorsuch. We dined at Chimayo where the menu has a Southwestern flair. The food and margaritas were fantastic!
For dessert, Nick and the girls wanted to stop by the local ice cream shop, but it was a little too cold out for me to be eating ice cream!
Day 2 was even easier since we knew the drill. The kids were off to ski school and we hit the slopes. The mountain was a little busier, and it was snowing like crazy. We stopped by the Stein Erikson for lunch and shared the avocado deviled eggs again. After lunch, we went back out, however, the visibility from all the snow made it less then desirable. I was bound to find the Vueve Cliquot Apres Ski Lounge outside of the Montage Resort.
The yurt-style party den is right at the base of the slope offering the best Apres ski in town. Decked out by Gorsuch there were plenty of cozy places to cuddle up. They keep your drink choices simple --- Yellow Label or Rose --- and offer a few delicious snack options as well. If you're looking to live your best Apres ski life, this is a must on the list!
The kids enjoyed hot chocolate with marshmallows for their Apres ski. For dinner we checked out Fireside Dining and what a neat experience that was. The restaurant offered a cozy atmosphere and a fixed four course dining of Swiss fare served from 5 stone fireplaces. The entire meal was great with the last course --- the chocolate ---being my favorite!
Later that evening we heard the unfortunate but understandable news that they were shutting down all the ski mountains due to Covid-19. The shut down was effective immediately which meant no more skiing, no more ski school and we knew it was only a matter of time before all the resorts closed down as well. We decided to re-book our flights and head back home early.
Since we could’t get out until Monday morning, we figured we would make the most of our last day. We went to the famous Sunday brunch at the Stein Eriksen. Typically one of the hardest seats to get in town, the restaurant was eerily empty. We enjoyed crab, omelets, salads and desert before heading back to the hotel room where we spent the afternoon hanging out and watching movies, just the four of us, and I even snuck in a nap. Late in the afternoon, Nick and I decided to head to the St. Regis spa where we had the place to ourselves and enjoyed an 80 minute massage followed by the steam room. It was the perfect way to decompress from my increasing anxiety.
Our original plans were to head back downtown for dinner, but we decided to stay in the hotel to eat instead. We finished our stay at the same place we started, the hotel Brasserie. As you can imagine it was very quiet but yet I felt entirely safe. The servers and staff were taking the utmost precautions to keep their guests both safe and healthy. The staff at the St. Regis Deer Valley resort were like the band on the Titanic --- they kept the music playing until all their guests were off. While our trip may have been cut short due to unfortunate circumstances, we made the most of our time together. We will definitely be back to the beautiful town of Deer Valley --- thank you to all staff who provided continuous hospitality as they navigated the difficult situation. My Restaurant Picks: Fireside Dining Tupelo Chimayo Stein Eriksen Edge Steakhouse RIME Brassiere 7452 Yama Sushi Now that we are home, we will enjoy some more quality family time while we socially distance ourselves from family and friends. Since we will be spending plenty of time around the house, I plan to cook up some extra content for you all to enjoy as well. If there is anything in particular you're wanting to hear, please comment below.