We recently went on a family trip to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. We are a tight family of four who revel in the same pastimes; eating, drinking and exploring new things and then drinking some more... Experiences in life are far more valuable, and provide better stories than material things. So give me something new and fun to try over a new purse any day, I won't use it next season anyhow, I'm a snob like that. On a cold, sunny morning we joined eight other people and let Miles, the captain and his crew lift us 3,000 feet high above the Utah Rockies. The feeling of levitating off the ground and then floating through the air was wild, but surprisingly serene. As we traveled over the mountainside and highways, the only noise was that of the hot air balloon burner sporadically firing and talking amongst the group. We saw the Great Salt Lake from afar and tracked a pack of elk (our soon to be dinner?!!) down a mountain. We landed, as Miles put it, "wherever the balloon wants," in a local neighborhood, right on the street. A champagne toast capped off a great morning!
Along with beautiful scenery, Park City, Utah has some good eats, too. I had a bison burger-incredibly juicy, with less fat than the regular, moo cow kind, almost like a buffalo burger. Elk is a staple out west. An expensive staple, far pricer than a moo cow filet, but worth it. Again, less on the fat girl side, but not gamey like venison. Can you tell the reduced guilt factor played a big role in my trying these goodies for the first time?! I skied again for the first time in a long time, too. Add 22 years and 50 lbs since the last time I flew down the mountain and the fact that I didn't blow out a knee or get plowed by a four year old-big success! It was a blast and makes me excited for next winter where I hope to fulfill my ski bunny reign on the east coast.
Go to PCU, you will love it, especially if you have a good reason to celebrate like we did. Turning 60 is a BIG deal. Celebrating we did, for life is short, but sweet for certain...
