Growing up with cold winters, I had always enjoyed the sub-zero weather and winter sports. Even when I lived in sunny Southern California for so long, there is still that strong urge to want to escape to a snowy mountain whenever winter comes around.
In December our family decided to try a new ski resort in Salt Lake City, Utah called Solitude. We’ve been to Salt Lake City many times. So this time around, we chose to stay five days at the Solitude village instead of the city.
Getting to Solitude is super easy, we opted for private transportation instead of renting a car since we won’t need to drive around. For $150 each way, the nice SUV came equipped with ski rack, two child seats and plenty of room for our luggage. Do you know that you can also request a Uber with ski racks in Salt Lake City?
The village is super cute and oh so convenient! With the lift ticket office and ski rental right in the center and lots of restaurants nearby, it was perfect for families with young children.
The great thing about Solitude is that it’s just like the name suggests – it’s never crowded. I remember I waited nearly 20 minutes for a lift at another popular resort in California, but it seems like a crazy idea here at Solitude. The wait would be at most 5 or 6 groups ahead of you so you maximize your actual skiing time or can have more downtime enjoying a cup of hot chocolate or a pint of beer at the moonbeam lodge.
As for kids, my five-year-old son spent his day in the Junior Explorers program (https://solitudemountain.com/solitude-ski-ride-school/youth-lessons). Most of the time I saw the instructor with only two or three kids, his progress spoke to how effective and attentive this program is. At the end of the five days, he was skiing through trees, jumping over little bumps and asking for more ski trips so he can return.
My 3-year-old daughter was in the Mini Explorer Program so she would ski two hours a day in a semi-private lesson. The instructor was so good with little children and anyone who can teach my stubborn 3-year-old ski deserves a standing ovation.
Great location, super good value for family. I am sure we will be back soon.
Other things to note:
Amazon Prime delivers to the village so you can order fresh groceries if you want to cook. Click here to learn more about Amazon prime.
Rental and ticket office closes at 4 pm if you plan to arrive late.
Trip cost (approximate):
Lodging: $300/night for a one bedroom with den (full kitchen, ski storage and plenty of room for up to 6 people)
Kids lessons: $182/day (discount offered for 3 and 5-day program)
Flight from LA to SLT: $250 round trip (Southwest allows two free check-in luggage)
Lift ticket: about $100, but you can get often get discounted ones from liftopia.com.
Beanie (Irene’s Story)
Sunglasses (Quay Australia)