Staycation

Well, it’s been a while since I last wrote due to the voluminous amounts of snow that our mountain town has received this winter. For this reason and others, my fellow Ripper and I decided to stay put for my February school break. The skiing is awesome and relatives arrive shortly to take advantage of it, plus the ability to clean my desk has given me a chance to think about my next adventure while sleeping in my own bed. The dog also approves.

After all, the concept of looking for adventures both near and far is part of our mission. I love our town’s motto, “Love Where You Live,” which adorned banners on Main Street (also appropriately written in Spanish, as the town could not function without our Spanish speakers). It is also the name of a beautiful song by local musician, Shannon Runyon. Listen here.

A local writer and recent retiree, Tom Kelly, inspired me with his column, Ridgelines, in our local paper, to take advantage of the perks of living in a vacation town. Our first adventure was a cross resort ski to the local institution, Davanza’s, for a Sunday lunchtime treat. Not many U.S. towns can boast a ski trail and a lift right into the center of town. Park City’s legendary Town Lift (which only recently added a safety bar) carries, albeit slowly, Santa Claus, wedding couples and high school graduates, not to mention skiers, gracefully up and down Treasure Mountain. There are several local establishments within a quick walk of the lift that fill with skiers at lunchtime and for apres ski. Davanza’s beer can lined walls were buzzing with energy when we arrived, and we stood in line behind members of the local fire department, a mighty fine endorsement, if you ask me.

Oh, and did I forget to mention the friends we made along the way? Lift lines and chair lift rides provide wonderful opportunities to chat with strangers, something that we missed during the Covid years. I started to keep track of where everyone originated from and can proudly say that we met people from Australia, California, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, New York and our home state, Massachusetts. There were even a few locals along the way. Another chair lift ride introduced us to a new friend from Lake Tahoe, where we are headed during my spring break, who promised a reciprocal ski tour when we arrive.

The welcoming lobby of the Waldorf Astoria was our next destination. A fantastic floral arrangement greets you and the warmth of an enormous hearth awaits. Best of all, a cocoa bar is set up at 3:00 with all the fixings a young child (and maybe a Ripper or two) dreams of. My fellow Ripper settled himself in for a well deserved sugar rush, while I headed down to their new fleet of Peloton bikes.

I am often late to the party; for example, I only started watching “The Sopranos” during its last season. Pelotons are not a new thing and are, in fact, in a bit of a slump, post pandemic. But I had never tried one, and their fleet of instructors are new friends for me. The New Yorker’s recent profile of Robin Arzon, the head instructor for Peloton, both intrigued and frightened me with her intensity. I tentatively learned to adjust the bike and interact with the big beautiful screen and its many options. I can now attest that there is something there for everyone, and that it is more fun to exercise to a playlist.

The week ended with our spending a few days with family on the slopes and apres ski. We splurged at the end of the day on a glass of champagne at Deer Valley’s Fire and Ice Bar. Now that’s a way to toast a great vacation. Give it a try and share your adventures with us!

Keep moving, stay safe, have fun!