BY: Marcia Abramson
The days are dwindling down to a precious few, more like, less than 275 days to the Opening Ceremonies of the XIX Winter Olympic Games. The dates to remember are February 8-24, 2002. Park City is the site for three of the 10 Olympic venues and host to one-third of the events. It boasts of being ready to welcome the world, after having completed the hosting of no less than six world cup "test events." According to Shaun Stinson, a spokesman for Park City, "During those 17 magical days, millions upon millions of viewers and readers will come to see just what makes our state and the Park City area such as an ideal winter destination."
There will be some of the world's best athletes with the finest training and competition in this area. There are 8, 675 skiable acres, 47 lifts, and 322 runs all on the "Greatest Snow on Earth." Snow in Utah is never measured in inches, feet is more like it. The peaks are over 10,000 feet with a drop of 3,100 vertical feet. This terrain is mostly suitable for the advanced, intermediate or expert skier. I might also find a few novice trails with spectacular views at the Deer Valley Resort and the canyons, but this is mostly the land for ski giants, in my judgment. The season normally starts at the end of November and runs through mid-April. The resorts in Park City will remain open during the Olympic Games in 2002. This is a great opportunity to witness men's and women's K-90 ski jumping, Nordic combined, snowboard parallel slalom, two-men bobsled, single skeleton and alpine slalom. The dates and places for these events have already been set. Additional information can be obtained by calling 1-800-453-1360, or by logging onto www.parkcityinfo.com.
It only took 40 minutes to drive the 36 miles from the Salt Lake City International Airport to the Park City area. Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain Resort and the canyons will each host six competitions while 14 events will be contested at the Utah Olympic Park, just four miles from Park City. Incidentally, the Canyons is part of the syndicate that owns Killington in Vermont and Tahoe's Heavenly. I arrived at Salt Lake City with some of the players of the Utah Jazz basketball team, and family upon family of skiers. I flew the friendly skies of United Airlines. However, I learned that the new airline, Jet Blue, is the way to go. Round-trip fares are as low as $200 round trip with daily flights. For your added comfort, there are all leather seats and 24 channels of self-controlled satellite TV at every seat.
After a short stop in Salt Lake City with an early Sunday visit to the Mormon Tabernacle, I got to see and listen to the world famous 325-member Tabernacle choir. This is broadcast worldwide every Sunday morning. Admission is free, but it is a good idea to have your hotel concierge call and make a reservation for a front row seat. After the inspiring performance, I took a short walk through Tabernacle Square. Salt Lake City is a breathtakingly beautiful city with the silvery snow-clad mountains towering in the background.
It is easy to get to Park City from Salt Lake. There are many shuttles going to the ski resorts from the airport at intervals of 20 minutes at a cost of about $25. Park City also has a very interesting history. It was originally a mining town founded by prospectors, bootleggers and prostitutes, primarily to get to the silver underground. I learned that almost overnight the small mining camp grew into a rough and tumble, 27-saloon boomtown that thrived until the 1930s when the demand for silver declined. In 1946, the first ski resort opened, making the white stuff above ground just as priceless as the silver below ground and the saloons became bars, microbreweries and nightclubs. (Since Utah is a "Dry State," you must buy some food before you order a drink.) However, the remaining structures of the mines are delineated by markings on the mountains and are important landmarks to keep alive the memories of those bygone days.
Salt Lake City's Olympic Committees have announced that remaining tickets after distribution and award program will be available beginning June 2001 by calling 1-800-TICKETS (842-5387). For Park City lodging information during the Games, contact Park City Chamber and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-453-1360. Accommodations may also be booked through the Visitor Information Services Coalition by calling 1-877-640-4636.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-Mail: mascribe@aol.com
