Park City après shines whether homegrown or highfalutin. We put together a list of the best spots in Park City for après drinks.
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The ferry ride lasted a little more than 20 minutes after leaving Point Defiance, but the misty breeze had me feeling as though I was crossing an endless sea. Clearly, I’ve been a landlocked captive in Utah if the short crossing of Puget Sound’s south end had me feeling like I was Shackleton with a sextant, but I’m unashamed to admit how pleasant the ride was. After disembarking on Vashon Island, I hit the pavement and started turning the pedals aboard a moderately loaded bicycle with an ill-fitting frame bag and a cranky derailleur. The faintly rural vibe of the quiet tree-lined streets felt lightyears away from the relative metropolises of Tacoma and Seattle, buzzing with activity just across the sound.
I’d set out with few plans other than to cycle around Vashon, stopping intermittently at various locations around Maury Island—an island within an island connected to Vashon by a causeway—and Vashon’s downtown, which is comprised of a single four-way intersection with an unlikely concentration of delightful food and drink establishments. On the route I was immersed in the classically moody Pacific Northwest atmosphere with a moist haze—never really rain, but never not rain—that’s a refreshing respite from the, at times oppressive, aridity characterizing much of the Intermountain West.
Washington’s alchemy of natural beauty and distinct culture, defined by seemingly indulgent food and drink at every turn and an influential music scene that very much soundtracked my youth, overwhelms, inviting you to lean in, breathe deep and enjoy. Embrace it.
The Sound of Northwest History
Vashon Island was named for James Vashon, a Royal Navy Admiral who, as far as I can tell, never visited the area but served as superior officer to George Vancouver, who commanded the Pacific Northwest expedition in the 1790s. Vashon, it should be noted, went on to marry Sarah Rainier, the sister of his former shipmate Peter. One needn’t be a geography or history scholar to decode the region’s naming conventions while recognizing the absurdity of doling out monikers for people obliquely related to “great discoveries” made some 10,000 years after native inhabitants, including the Marpole, Salish and S’Homamish, called the land home.
After European settlement came some logging and then a 50-year stretch where Vashon became an island of endless strawberry fields, farmed primarily by Japanese Americans until the population was forcibly relocated to internment camps during WWII. Suburban development has squeezed the commercial farming out of Vashon, but the island is still home to many independent growers and an annual strawberry festival hosted each July. Like the other islands dotting the sounds throughout Washington’s coast, Vashon has a turbulent history but is nevertheless a stunning place. It’s a community and escape wholly distinct from the mainland just a short ferry ride away.
What To Do
Bike touring around Vashon Island requires a bike, obviously. If you’re not like me and didn’t bring a disheveled touring bike to ride around Vashon, you can stop in at Spider’s Ski and Sport (17624 Vashon Hwy., 206-408-7474) to rent a bike. If you are like me and brought a poorly maintained relic in need of some love, Vashon Bikes (9926 SW Bank Rd., 206-999-1551) will get your bike in tune.
Starting from the southern end of Vashon, I headed northeast towards the causeway near Portage to Maury Island. Maury is named for an American naval officer on the 1841 Wilkes Expedition who later went on to raid Union ships on behalf of the confederacy, but don’t let that anecdote distract you from the gorgeous undeveloped shoreline. Locking up my bike at the Maury Island Marine Park, I hiked the Maury Island Viewpoint Trail, a leisurely two-mile jaunt through forest and wildflowers to the water. I saw neither bald eagles nor whales on the hike, but many are luckier than I. There’s an orca tracking website, orcanetwork.org, you can use to see if there have been recent orca sightings in the area, too.
Back in the saddle, I pedaled a short distance to the Point Robinson Lighthouse, an iconic 19th century structure on the easternmost point of the island overlooking the sound. The lighthouse, with its overtly New England aesthetics, sits on a 10-acre park and marine conservancy where the former keeper’s dwellings are offered as weekly rentals.
From there I settled in for a ride up towards Vashon’s main drag for a stop at the Vashon Maury Island Heritage Museum (10105 SW Bank Rd., Vashon, 206-463-7808). Inside, the island’s history, both its complex human machinations and fascinating natural origins, is explored in nuanced detail and depth. The extent of the riding combined with the alarming amount of food and drink I consumed—more on that later—meant I cut short my circumnavigation of Vashon and turned in for the evening. In the morning, I headed to the island’s North Terminal and took the Fauntleroy Ferry to West Seattle.
Any semblance of rural vibes evaporated as I rode to Alki Beach, which is a little slice of southern California beach life, replete with volleyball, rollerblading and the like. After soaking up a bit of Seattle semi-sun I rode around West Seattle, which is chock full of hipster-adjacent niceties you’d expect in Seattle from bohemian coffee shops to indie record stores.
Where to Eat and Drink
The coffee culture percolating through the Northwest is hardly a secret, and the birthplace of specialty coffee is located right in the center of Vashon Island. The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie (19529 Vashon Hwy., 206-463-9800) serves some of the finest artisanal coffee you’ll ever taste in a historic building made of old growth island fir. The building was previously owned by Jim Stewart, who’s known as the grandfather of specialty coffee, for being the first person to roast artisan coffee in Seattle and for starting what would eventually become Seattle’s Best Coffee right from that building on Vashon. Though the SBC logo still adorns one side of the building, the roasting inside is unique and innovative as ever.
After a caffeine infusion to get going, head over to Snapdragon Bakery and Café for brunch (17817 Vashon Hwy., 206-463-1310). The pastries are incredible and massive, and the rotating menu of wonderful vegetarian cuisine changes daily with creative options like a spinach and arugula pesto omelet with a yogurt dill cucumber sauce or a beet Rueben with house made sauerkraut, roasted beets and gruyere on house focaccia.
For a different experience later in the day, try the Ruby Brink, a combination bar and whole animal butchery (17526 Vashon Hwy., 206-408-7795). Artisan meats and cocktails don’t get any better than this. The bar features a variety of local beers and craft cocktails to choose from. The oak-aged sour from Propolis Brewing Wild Ales is outstanding. The menu consists of delectable items like humbly named braised beef meat and noodle—which has beef, a soft boiled egg, noodles and local vegetables in a 24-hour bone broth—and house-made chicken liver mousse on toast. And yes, there is an outrageously good butcher shop on site for your home chef needs.
Where to Stay
Stay within striking distance of the water at the Burton Inn and Spa (24007 Vashon Hwy., 206-910-4520). The Inn, which is just a short walk from the Quartermaster Marina right on the sound, has a handful of charming rooms and even a glamping tent for those looking to dip their toes into experiencing the famous PNW weather. The Inn also has a spa and guitar lessons every Wednesday for people of all skill levels.
Crash a little closer to the action at The Lodges on Vashon (17205 Vashon Hwy., 206-641-4717). Chic, minimalist 570-square-foot lodges are scattered across the property which also features communal geodesic domes and an open-air pavilion. The Lodges are pet friendly and a stone’s throw from downtown Vashon’s restaurants, breweries and shops.
Once back on the mainland, enjoy a classic Seattle experience by staying at the Ace Hotel (2423 1st Ave., Seattle, 206-448-4721). Just a short distance up S.R. 99 from West Seattle and Alki Beach, The Ace Hotel has deluxe rooms as well as more economical shared bathroom options all featuring west coast bohemian-lite trappings like painted exposed brick and artwork from Shepard Fairey (the artist who designed the iconic Obama “Hope” image). It’s the perfect home base to explore Seattle’s historic Belltown neighborhood.
ROAD TRIP 1: MOUNT RAINIER MOUNTAIN ESCAPE
Mount Rainier is a fixture of the Pacific Northwest skyline, and the mammoth 14,411-foot active stratovolcano is the perfect centerpiece of adventure. Explore the outdoors on foot, on skis and from horseback, all while indulging in some local cuisine and culture along the way.
1/ Hike Pinnacle Peak Loop Trail
Kick off exploring the Rainier region with a hike on the Pinnacle Peak Loop Trail. The three-mile loop includes an observation tower providing remarkable views if the weather is cooperating. Even if it isn’t, the spring wildflowers won’t disappoint.
2/ Eat at Il Siciliano Ristorante Italiano
Refuel with authentic Italian cuisine prepared by the Brancato family, which relocated to the Enumclaw from Italy in 1995. The Porcini Sacchetti is outstanding.
3/ Horseback Riding with Echo River Ranch
Mount up for a guided horseback ride through gorgeous timberlands surrounding Echo River Ranch. Guides will shower you with local naturalist knowledge, including on available foraging tours for wild mushrooms and berries.
4/ Explore Federation Forest State Park
Boasting a landscape blanketed with old-growth Douglas fir, Sitka spruce and western hemlock, Federation Forest State Park’s hiking trails are the perfect place to lose yourself in the immense evergreen labyrinth that defines the region.
5/ Visit Wapiti Woolies Outdoor Shop
World-famous mountaineer Ed Viesturs—the only American to climb all 14 8,000-meter peaks—had his pick of the litter for outdoor gear, but chose only one hat, from Wapiti Woolies. Visit the home of the legendary headwear and leave with a unique hat of your own.
6/ Stay at Alta Crystal Resort
Turn in at the Alta Crystal Resort for a little rest amid adventure in the mountains. The resort is the closest lodging to Mt. Rainier National Park and has shuttle service to the lifts at Crystal Mountain. Enjoy the hot tubs and chalet-style suites you expect at a mountain retreat.
7/ Shred Crystal Mountain
Arguably the best skiing and snowboarding in the Northwest is at Crystal Mountain. 2,600 acres of terrain and stunning views of Rainier are a recipe for great times on the slopes each spring.
ROAD TRIP 2: Uniquely Pacific County
Connect the dots with visits to iconic attractions down Washington’s coastal beaches. Hidden gems, roadside hits and quirky curiosities await on an evergreen journey through oceanside villages.
1/ Washaway Beach
Explore one of the fastest-eroding places in the Western Hemisphere at Washaway Beach. The beach, planned as a luxury destination in the 1800s, loses 150 feet per year to the ocean and had a clam cannery, a lighthouse and a Coast Guard Station, all of which fell into the sea. The ocean is relentless.
The oldest hotel in Washington, the Tokeland is a house of history. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and sits adjacent to the stunning Pacific seashore.
3/ Wildlife-Heritage Sculpture Corridor
When driving through the town of Raymond, the streets come to life, lined with silhouetted sculptures of deer, bears and other wildlife. Unexpecting drivers will do double takes, so best to take it slow and enjoy the art installations along the way.
4/ World’s Largest Oyster Shell/Oyster Capital of the World
South Bend, Washington, nicknamed the “Oyster Capital of the World,” is home to Willapa Bay where oysters are plentiful. It’s also home to a sculpture of the world’s largest oyster shell as well as plenty of wonderful oysters to dine on if you take the time to stop for a shuck.
The North Head Light was built in 1897 to aid mariners approaching Cape Disappointment from the North. Situated at the mouth of the Columbia River, the historic relic is managed as part of Cape Disappointment State Park where marshes and oceanside tidelands create a magnificent coastline.
6/ Waikiki Beach
The beach where Lewis and Clark actually reached the pacific was morbidly named for when a Hawaiian sailor’s body washed ashore after his ship wrecked trying to cross the Colombia River Bar. Today it’s a dramatic, rock-lined cove more suitable for picnics and swimming than shipwrecks.
ROAD TRIP 3: Olympic Peninsula Paradise
Immerse yourself in the pristine scenery of remote mountains, lush rainforest and rugged ocean beaches on the Olympic Peninsula. Discover rich local culture and enjoy farm-to-table meals that are enthusiastically paired with local ciders and spirits.
The Lake Quinault Lodge is the perfect base camp to explore the Olympic Peninsula. Built in 1926, the rustic lodge’s grand scale is matched only by the natural wonders surrounding it. Immerse yourself in the surrounding lushly green forest on the 31-mile Quinault Rainforest Loop Drive around the lake.
2/ Olympic National Park
From glaciated peaks to old-growth forest to the pacific coastline, Olympic National Park is home to numerous iconic ecosystems to explore depending on your appetite.
3/ Ruby Beach
Dramatic sea stacks jut from the ocean on this coastal section of Olympic National Park. Piles of driftwood and a moody marine layer lend Ruby Beach a heavy northwest vibe.
4/ Hoh Rainforest
The Hoh Rainforest is the wettest forest in the contiguous United States. Since it’s situated within Olympic National Park, the forest surrounding the glacially created river is uniquely pristine and protected from commercial exploitation.
The story of non-native settlement in the Pacific Northwest is entwined with the timber industry. Forks was once known as the “Logging Capital of the World,” and today a museum housed in a log cabin tells the history of homesteading, farming and logging in the region.
6/ Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge
At nearly seven miles long, the natural sand spit at Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge is one of the world’s longest and narrowest. The refuge is a birder’s paradise, a migratory stop for myriad species of birds which breed from Alaska to South America. It’s also home to high concentrations of shellfish and harbor seals.
7/ Cider Tasting Route
The country’s best hard ciders are born on the Olympic Peninsula. Stop at a trio of tasting rooms near Port Townsend—Finnriver, Alpenfire and Eaglemount—to enjoy the amazing bounty from the local orchards.
8/ Ludlow Falls
Wash down the cider with a short hike to scenic Ludlow Falls in the nearby town of Ludlow. The well-maintained trail is lined with enormous cedar trees leading to falls.
ROAD TRIP 4: Yakima Canyon Scenic Byway
Load up one of those eponymous roof boxes and hit the road. Experience central Washington’s scenic lake and mountain vistas, dive into diverse recreation and taste the highlights of wine country along this scenic byway.
Stop in at Red’s for information, gear and guided trips to make the most of the world-famous fishing on the Yakima River. The riverside location and deep local knowledge are tough to beat.
Spend the night at Canyon River Ranch for luxurious accommodations right on the Yakima. In the morning head out for some more fly fishing, hike through the central Washington landscape and even try your hand at some whitewater rafting. It’s your home base for adventure on the river.
3/ Umtanum Creek Recreation Area
Springtime sees the basalt-lined canyons of the Umtanum Creek Recreation Area bursting with color as sunflowers, larkspur and geraniums come to life. A variety of trails to suit any ability level all feature incredible vistas.
Sample the fruits of the fertile Yakima Canyon by visiting the Ellensburg Canyon Winery. Riesling, Rose, Cabernet Franc du Blanc and Cab Franc and Malbec port style wines are all available for your tasting pleasure. Each glass comes with an incredible view.
Turn in at Hotel Windrow, a boutique hotel located in downtown historic Ellensburg. The building melds modern amenities and rustic charm right in the heart of town, making it a perfect launching point for everything from fine dining and nightlife to outdoor adventure.
For more trip ideas, visit stateofwatourism.com. Get more travel ideas and itineraries with our California Road Trip.
Snowbird’s Aerial Tram—quite possibly the most iconic ski lift in the country—is getting a major upgrade. The resort is updating the venerable old boats with new tram cabins, after the originals have dutifully whisked 125 people at a time to the 11,000-foot summit of Hidden Peak in seven minutes since 1971. They’ve covered just shy of 800,000 miles over the half century, which is like going to from the earth to the moon and back again, so I suppose the red and blue cabins have earned a comfortable retirement. The new tram cars will cover the same 1.6-mile, 3,000-plus-vertical-foot span, just with sleek new boxes for an improved ride.
The new cabins, designed and built by Doppelmayer in Otten Switzerland, feature floor-to-ceiling windows for uninterrupted views of Little Cottonwood Canyon and the Bird’s famously craggy terrain. All the better for skiers and snowboarders to scout their lines and find the best snow on the way to summit.
Summer passengers will have the unique opportunity to recreate the cable car fight between James Bond and Jaws from Moonraker while riding atop the new cabins on the 15-person balcony on the tram’s roof. Even indoor riders can opt for a bit of intentional vertigo by standing on one of the three-by-three-foot glass panels on floor to gaze at the mountain from above.
Updating Snowbird’s tram cabins will help the lift keep pace with that other famous tram up in Jackson Hole, which received its own major update in 2008. Jackson’s has more vert, but the Bird’s wins out on capacity—125 to 100—and it’s no contest on snow quality.
The old cabins’ retirement signals the end of an era at Snowbird. When it comes to skiing in the Wasatch, things just ain’t like they used to be (other than while riding Alta’s beautifully unchanged Wildcat Chair) but it’s tough to find negatives in a more comfortable ride with better views to the best snow and terrain in the mountain range. The cabins are in transit to the Bird as we speak, with installation scheduled for April and May before a grand opening in late June 2022. So long, original tram cabins. Thanks for the ride.
Follow more of the latest news on Utah’s outdoors.
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Tupelo is back. After closing its doors in May 2020 during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, the restaurant has reopened in a new location with a revised menu, but it retains the creative philosophy focused on local ingredients and southern hospitality that made it a Park City favorite. Partners Maggie Alvarez and Chef Matt Harris had been waiting for the right opportunity to relaunch Tupelo even as the pair maintained a presence in the community with their other restaurants RIME at the St. Regis Deer Valley, RIME Raw Bar at the top of the Jordanelle Gondola and Afterword in downtown Heber.
Tupelo’s new site is at 1500 Kearns Blvd in Prospector, a departure from the restaurant’s prior Main Street location that will nevertheless better serve local diners in addition to area visitors. Alvarez and Harris jumped at the opportunity to reestablish a community presence in what they saw as the ideal spot, which had for nearly five decades been home to Adolph’s restaurant.
After extensive remodeling of the space, Tupelo began serving hungry Parkites just before the new year. The menu features some favorites carried over from Tupelo’s inception, like the Idaho Trout and, of course, the famed buttermilk biscuits with butter honey. Those selections are accompanied by innovative new dishes that escape the meat and potatoes cliché of mountain fare such as the vegan-friendly grilled cauliflower steak with herb-chili pesto.
Amid the restaurant’s reimagining, Tupelo remains tied to its founding principles. Harris moved to Park City from Georgia in 2008, bringing with him southern roots that influence both Tupelo’s diverse cuisine offerings as well as the restaurant’s warm atmosphere. The founding duo has also remained committed to a sustainable ethos at Tupelo, partnering with local artisanal food producers and utilizing ingredients from their own micro-farm located in Midway, which cultivates seed-grown heirloom varietals of tomatoes, squash, Swiss Chard, arugula, spinach, cucumbers and rhubarb used in the restaurant’s dishes. The resulting farm-to-table experience is one that not only delivers exceptional food but also supports multiple facets of the larger community along the Wasatch Back.
As Park City begins to emerge from the two-year haze, a local institution is reborn in the very spot a longtime institution was shuttered. Tupelos’ creative fare and cocktails—the restaurant won the highly competitive Park City Cocktail Contest a few years back—bring a refreshingly diverse take on the mountain town dining scene. Harris, Alvarez and Tupelo were never really gone, but we couldn’t be happier to see them back.
1500 Kearns Blvd, 435-292-0888, tupeloparkcity.com
Read more on dining in Park City and beyond.
As it does each four years, the Winter Olympics has seized our attention as the world’s best athletes take to the snow and ice. Even with the 2022 games taking place far afield in Beijing, As it does each four years, the Winter Olympics has seized our attention as the world’s best athletes take to the snow and ice. It promises to be an exciting two weeks of action with no shortage of medal hopes for some of the leading nations competing in Asia. At many of the leading online bookmakers offering sportsbook bonuses for this event, the big question is who will rule the winter world. Even with the 2022 games taking place far afield in Beijing, Park City holds an intimate connection to the event. Dozens of Team USA athletes have connections to China, natives like mogul skiers Nick Page and Cole McDonald or athletes who live and train there regularly such as snowboarder Kelly Clark or freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy. These athletes live and train in the area to help manifest their Olympic dreams into reality.
It all begins with the athletes. Park City is a place where the public ego should be held firmly in check because the other person in the checkout line at the Smith’s could well be a current or future Olympic Champion. Some local athletes have already turned in great performances, such as Nick Page who finished just off the podium in fifth in the men’s mogul competition in his first Olympics. One of his teammates Cole McDonald, another Park City Local, made history as the youngest male mogul skier to represent the United States in the Olympics. Meanwhile, mogul skier Brad Wilson, a Montana native who has long lived and trained in Park City, wrapped up a stellar Olympic career that saw him compete in three different games and earn a bronze medal in Vancouver in 2010.
Luger Ashley Farquharson finished a strong twelfth in her Olympic Debut. Speedskater Casey Dawson endured a whirlwind of covid tests and delays just to make it to Beijing only 12 hours before his 1,500 meter race, borrowing a pair of blades for his skates from a competitor. Simply making it there for his race representing the country is a victory to be proud of. Cross country skier Rosie Brennan narrowly missed out on a medal after finishing an outstanding fourth in the sprint event behind teammate Jesse Diggins.
Many others are still awaiting their opportunity to shine, including men’s freeskiing athletes Colby Stevenson and Alex Hall who will compete in big air and slopestyle as well as women’s freeskiing athlete Marin Hamill. The slopestyle events take place near the end of the games on Feb. 12 and 13. Nordic combined athletes Jared Shumate and Stephen Schumann made their Olympic debuts on February 9 with the individual normal hill and 10-kilometer portion of the event.
Even outside of the Park City bubble, Utah athletes continue to shine. 35 athletes at the games are either current or former students at the University of Utah. Figure skating titan Nathan Chen—the three-time world champion born and raised in Salt Lake City—has already made history by setting a world record with 113.97 points in the short program during a routine that featured two quadruple jumps.
Even as we watch our local heroes in awe, we’re left pondering what the future of the Olympics will hold for Park City. The possibility of the games returning to the mountains of Utah in 2030 or 2034 both tantalizes and terrifies. The 2002 Games undoubtedly helped put Park City on the global map, but they also begat some of the growth and development that confounds the community to this day.
The whims of the Olympic selection process will impact Park City and Utah’s future in innumerable ways, but in the meantime, we might as well let our local pride flow while cheering on our athletes as they take to the world stage.
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We fear change.” The elegant simplicity of the quote, attributed to renowned political theorist Garth Algar of Wayne’s World, is unmatched among analysis by most observers of modern civilization. In Park City this may seem an odd thesis to apply on the heels of an election in which voters chose to clean house of incumbent officials, but the change in names atop municipal government doesn’t necessarily portend change in the community. Voters may have chosen stasis as a unifying theory.
To quickly recap the 2021 municipal election in Park City, Mayor Andy Beerman, the one-term incumbent, was soundly defeated by two-term councilmember Nann Worel. In the race for two council seats, two political newcomers, Tana Toly and Jeremy Rubell, won seats filling one vacancy and ousting Councilor Tim Henny, who was seeking a third term. The newly elected officials each bring unique qualifications and perspective to the job, Worel as an experienced official, Toly as fifth generation Parkite who co-owns the oldest family run business on Main Street (Red Banjo Pizza) and Rubell as a relative newcomer with “global business experience,” for what that’s worth. But good luck discerning details on what any of these new officials are actually planning to do.
Campaign discourse was derailed by bickering about the Black Lives Matter painted on Main Street in the summer of 2020, impassioned conversation surrounding “toxic” soil storage that strained credulity, and endless allusions to the relative transparency and opacity of processes championed by candidates. It was all a little light on the details.
Voters, however, delivered a clear message, stomping the brakes on change. Issues are manifold: increased traffic, skyrocketing housing costs, employment shortages and imminent development. Voters don’t like any of those things, but in ousting officials who were aggressively pursuing solutions which were, let’s say, inconsistently popular, they might just be putting the blinders on.
The genie is out of the bottle. Development rights were secured decades ago. Transit and traffic problems can’t be fixed without enormous cost and impact to certain residential areas where people won’t be happy about it. Real estate prices aren’t going to self-correct, but affordable housing is tough to come by when people don’t want it nearby. Parkites want a return to or a preservation of some version of the mountain town that is unlikely to persist if it ever existed in the first place. It’s time to get proactive, but if all every election cycle offers is a retreat, we’re merely kicking the can. Good luck, newly elected officials.
Summit County Opens Wallet for Open Spaces
Summit County voters overwhelmingly supported, by more than a two-to-one margin, a proposal for $50 million to protect open space on the east side of the county in the Kamas Valley and Weber River corridor. It’s another in a long string of decisions by county residents to accept additional tax burden in the hopes of curtailing development wherever possible.
