Spring Skiing at Park City, Utah

We managed to get away for a final weekend of skiing before the season is over for the year. Yay!

We took off Friday and Monday and headed to Park City. Amazingly easy to get to. A three hour direct flight from Chicago to Salt Lake City and then a 40min drive up to the base of the ski hill. Added bonus was that Ryan and his now fiancee Helen were instructing at next door Deer Valley. Ryan, George and I shared a house together in New Zealand one season when we were all ski instructing. So it was great to catch up with them.

We were staying at Park City Mountain Resort in a little condo right at the base of the ski lifts. Tim was brave enough to let me help him learn to ski too so that was really awesome. After a few runs on bunny hill we were up and about exploring the mountain. There are some really good progressive greens meaning that even beginners are able to explore the mountain and not be confined to one or two runs. By the end of the three days Tim was pretty much parallel turning, yay!

The snow was surprisingly good for  end of March. I was expecting slushy, patchy spring snow, but what I got was fresh powder and some beautifully groomed solid snow. It was pretty quiet there too, no lift queues and there were many times when I went of skiing by myself, leaving Tim with a pint, where I was the only person on the run. Georgeanna and Tycoon were my favourite runs so far.

The facilities are great, lots of on mountain places to stop and eat or get a drink, good rental equipment for Tim. What I love about skiing in North America is its all about the "Customer Experience". People scrambling over you to help. 

We also spent a day at next door resort Deer Valley. Which is where Ryan and Helen work. Now that place is like a parallel skiing universe. I read a really entertaining article about it, which pretty much sums it up. http://www.deervalley.com/about/ski-magazine-deer-valley-goes-extreme.html

It's all about the Customer here. There are gourmet restaurants all over the slopes. Amazing dreamlike mountain lodges and gold taps in the bathrooms. Normally you walk into the public toilets at a ski resorts, and people are sweaty from skiing, kids have runny noses and it smells a bit funny. At Deer Valley there was one woman in there with GOLD Gucci ski pants and another doing her lipgloss. Nuff said.

The town of Park City was also really lovely. An old mining town, there was a great vibe and some good grub. There's a handy free shuttle bus that goes between all the ski resorts and the town. We had a really lovely time and I would definitely go there again.... next season...

I am so happy when I'm on top of a mountain. It was great to get away for the weekend, really felt like my blood doesn't go round properly unless I'm on snow.

Norah Jones Concert

I got to see Norah Jones in concert at the iconic Chicago Theatre last month.

I wasn't sure what to expect, and was worried that as her music is quite downbeat it would be hard to sit and watch it for a couple of hours, but I really enjoyed it. Tim fell asleep, granted, but we had just had a lovely dinner at Cibo Matto and a few glasses of wine.

It was amazing to see someone who's music I have listened to and played for such a long time. From what I've read she has had quite a transformation in her performing style. Supposedly when she first started performing years ago she just hid behind the piano and didn't say much. Now, however she was up and about the stage, playing a guitar and singing. She seemed to have a real sense of humour and lots of banter with the audience. She also had some very nice shoes...and a truly gorgeous voice.

The Chicago Theatre is amazing inside. Giant chandeliers, red velvet everywhere. I felt as if I had gone back to another era and should have an evening gown on and be dripping in diamonds, perhaps with one of those long cigarette holders. The seating is very high and steep so you get a great view from everywhere, a great intimate feel for a concert venue.

St Patrick's Day in Chicago

I should say St Patrick's Day weekend.... I'm not sure many people in Chicago actually know that St Patrick's Day is on the 17th March every year and is on a Wednesday not the Saturday that all the celebrations are on.

Anyways.... The city goes crazy. Everyone is Irish. Or Chi-rish as they like to call themselves. Now obviously I guess having lived in Belfast for 3 years I have a different view of St Paddy's day celebrations than your average American, but still.... you are not Irish if a distant five times removed relative knew someone who was Irish. So there.

I ventured out on an appropriately soggy Saturday to see what all the fuss was about, and specifically to see the river dyed green. Yes, you heard right, they fill the river with green dye.. apparently it was the mayor's idea.

Literally everyone in Chicago is wearing leprechaun green and it's next to impossible to get into a pub. Everyone also seemed hammered and it was only 11am. They also have a parade in Grant Park, which I only caught the tail end of.

Either way it's quite the spectacle and probably worth seeing if you are in the area on St Paddy's Day. http://www.chicagostpatsparade.com/