Last summer I was visiting Utah for the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City. While SLC is an OK place to hang for a convention, it was the chance to get out of the city that made me extend my visit a few extra days and have Jon join me.
In addition to hiking around Deer Valley Resort and eating scrumptious food in Park City, we took off for Heber Valley, near Midway. There we stopped in at the Zermatt Resort – an 18-acre Swiss-themed Alpine Village surrounded by the Wasatch Mountains.
At first I thought this was a timeshare village but the accommodations are all privately owned (from as little as $200K) and the units can be rented out for short or long-term stays. They include studios, suites and townhomes.
Traditional European folk music was piped in throughout the facility which was fine if you like that sort of thing. OK, I’m not a big fan of it but it did help to foster the ambiance. There are plenty of places to eat including a restaurant, a bistro and a lounge. Oh, and don’t miss the European bakery that serves up pastries, chocolates and gelato! They even have cooking classes on-site.
But, for Jon and I, the piéce de résistance was the massage that we had at the spa. We each had a straight up “Signature Massage” and both walked out of our respective massage rooms invigorated and agreeing that we’ve never had a stronger massage therapist. It was the first time for both of us that we had to ask our gals to relieve the pressure a bit (and this coming from people who LOVE deep tissue massages). This was all great, by the way – no complaining from either of us. My therapist, Lori, had been practicing for 9 years and on the side is a hang glide pilot – be sure to ask for her when you’re there!
Located less than an hour from Salt Lake City Airport, Zermatt’s a little slice of Switzerland that’s so much easier to get to than Europe! Though not exactly a one tank trip from the Pacific Northwest, it’s definitely doable as a weekend getaway. And, with ski season here, it’ll be a great place for you to visit this winter.
Where ever your travels take you, ENJOY!
Beth
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