Park City with Teens: A Perfect Family Day

by Kirsten Sparks, an AOL Travel ContributorPosted Aug 30th 2010 03:17 PM

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While a family vacation in Park City, Utah offers a limitless variety of activities and experiences, it can sometimes be difficult to find activities that will keep teens interested and entertained. Below are a few suggestions that will guarantee a fun-filled family vacation in Park City with teens.

Morning:

Mountain Biking

What better way to kick off your family adventure in Park City than by spending the morning mountain biking on the extensive trails available at Park City Mountain Resort? Start by riding a ski lift, either at the mountain base or from the Town Lift located in the center of Main Street, up to the top of the slopes. Then follow your trail map back to the base (trail maps are available at the ski lift ticket booths). Park City's aspen and pine-covered mountain slopes overlook downtown and offer breathtaking views of the city and mountain valleys that make up the area. Watch out for wildlife! Park City Mountain Resort's trails are the perfect place to spot rabbits, squirrels, deer and even moose. From late June through the first part of August, Park City's slopes are covered with a spectrum of wildflowers.

Park City Travel Guide

Best Park City Restaurants

Best Park City Nightlife

Mountain biking is a great activity for teens in Park City. It is fast paced and exciting enough to keep them entertained while getting them into the great outdoors. Not comfortable on a bike? You can also hike the trails. Park City's east facing slopes can be hot and sunny. Be prepared with sunscreen and lots of water.

Lift tickets are available for $11 for a single ride or $18 for an all-day pass.

Park City Mountain Resort
1310 Lowell Avenue, Park City, Utah 84098
(435) 649-8111

Lunch:

Red Rock Brewing Company

Red Rock Brewing Company, a popular Utah brewpub, is the perfect place to kick back on your Park City kids' vacation. The environment is teen friendly without being juvenile and offers menu items like burgers, pizzas and pasta that you will surely enjoy. Also, while mom and dad enjoy a mug of one of Red Rock's award-winning brews, the kids can taste Red Rock's own home-brewed root beer and cream soda.

Hours: Friday-Saturday 11AM-11PM, Sunday-Thursday 11AM-10PM

Red Rock Brewing Company
1640 West Redstone Center Drive
Ste. #105, Park City, Utah 84098
(435) 575-0295

Afternoon:

Utah Olympic Park

For the ultimate family adventure in Park City, give your teens an experience they won't forget at Utah Olympic Park. You can send the kids rocketing down a bobsled track at 70 mph while five Gs of force press down on them. Don't worry; the bobsled is controlled by a trained pilot. After that, they can ride an alpine sled down the luge course, try out the ski jumps and fly down a mountain zip line. You can join in the action as well, or just wait for the kids in the Olympic Museum, Alf Engen Ski Museum or Gift Shop.

The Utah Olympic Park was first built to host the bobsled, skeleton, luge, and ski jump competitions for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and is a great place to keep active teenagers entertained for hours.

The Utah Olympic Park is open daily 10AM-6PM. Check the park's website, as the opening and closing times may vary. Prices are $60 for the first bobsled ride, $30 for the second ride, $20 for first zip line ride, $10 for second ride, and $15 for the first alpine slide on the luge track, $7 for second ride.

Utah Olympic Park
3419 Olympic Parkway, Park City, Utah 84098
(435) 658-4200

Tanger Outlet Stores

Located just below the Utah Olympic Park, the Tanger Outlet Stores feature over 60 outlets with a variety of name-brand and designer labels at discounted prices. This is a great stop during your family travel in Park City with teens, as the Tanger Outlets have great deals on all the brands and styles teenagers love. Plus, with the variety of stores, you can let your teens look at what interests them while you check out your favorite labels.

Hours: Monday-Saturday 10AM-9PM, Sunday 11AM-6PM

Tanger Outlet Stores
6699 North Landmark Drive, Park City, Utah 84098
(435) 645-7078

Dinner:

Maxwell's East Coast Eatery

Maxwell's East Coast Eatery is known for serving some of the best Italian food in Utah and is the perfect place for family dining in Park City with teens. A local staple, Maxwell's offers a slightly upscale environment with a menu of traditional Italian fare, as well as a full menu of New York thin crust pizzas and "Fat Kid" pizzas. With names like "The Godfather" and "The Italian Stallion," there will certainly be something for your teens to like.

Hours: Daily 11AM-1AM, but be sure to call ahead, as they require reservations.

Maxwell's East Coast Eatery
1456 New Park Boulevard, Park City, Utah 84098
(435) 647-0304

Evening:

The Egyptian Theatre Company

Located on Park City's historic Main Street, The Egyptian Theatre Company originally opened in the 1920s on the site of the previous Opera House and Dewey Theater. Inspired by the opening of King Tut's tomb, The Egyptian Theater was decorated with an ancient Egyptian motif, including lotuses, scarabs and hieroglyphs.

The Egyptian Theatre Company offers a variety of live performances including plays, musicals, comedy acts and interactive performances. They also host classic films and, in January, Sundance Film Festival films. It is a slice of nightlife the whole family can enjoy during your vacation in Park City.

Check The Egyptian Theatre Company's website for shows and ticket prices.

The Egyptian Theatre Company
328 Main Street, Park City, Utah 84060
(435) 649-9371

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