Park City Getaway – 2025

Right after Halloween, we headed up for a little family getaway in Park City. We stayed at the Sunrise Lodge, which turned out to be a perfect spot for a quiet weekend. Our one-bedroom suite was spacious and cozy, and since it’s shoulder season—too cold for hiking but not quite ski season yet—the whole place was wonderfully calm and peaceful.

We drove up in the afternoon with a cooler full of food, planning to cook a few meals and spend most of our time relaxing in the room. After settling in, we decided to head out for dinner. Alison and I enjoy fine dining, and we figure we should start getting Madeline comfortable with it early—so she joined us at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. She did fabulously. We had a full multi-course meal, and she charmed both the wait staff and nearby tables. She especially enjoyed the crab beignets, loved the noodles from the lobster mac and cheese (but was only mildly impressed by the lobster itself), and happily nibbled on the blue cheese crumbles from my wedge salad. All in all, it was a big success. After dinner, we put Madeline down for the night, reheated a Levain Bakery cookie we’d been saving for just such an occasion, and enjoyed a quiet evening together.

The next morning, Alison slept in while Madeline and I hung out. She’s fascinated by buttons these days, and while playing with the remote she managed to turn on the NYC Marathon. We decided to watch it for a while—it brought back great memories of when I ran it myself. It’s still one of my favorite races, and I’d love to run it again one day. When Alison woke up, we made some brekkie and then decided to check out the pool. It was a mild day, and though the water wasn’t as warm as we hoped, Madeline didn’t care one bit. She splashed and kicked to her heart’s content until her little lips were shivering.

Later in the afternoon, we headed to Main Street for a stroll. Madeline was in great spirits, waving and making friends with everyone who passed by—clearly assuming they were all there to see her. We wandered in and out of art galleries, including one with a fascinating collection of Salvador Dalí sculptures. The gallerist was kind and spent some time chatting with us. We also stopped by ArtWorks, where we discovered the artist behind the metal monsters scattered around Daybreak and Park City. Naturally, we brought one home to join our collection.

No trip to Main Street would be complete without a stop at Dolly’s Bookstore. Madeline is obsessed with books right now, and she was completely enthralled—pulling them off the shelves and babbling with delight. We picked out a couple of new ones for her, plus a little sleigh bell she was particularly fond of.

Before heading back, we grabbed a casual dinner, then spent one last quiet evening at the lodge.

On Monday, I worked remotely while Alison and Madeline went shopping. They had a successful morning—Alison found some great new outfits, and they picked out Thanksgiving and Christmas outfits for Madeline too.

While I was finishing up work, Alison and Madeline were playing with a cup full of ice, which Madeline thought was the greatest thing ever. She’d scoop up the ice, pour it out, and occasionally toss a piece across the room. At one point, she threw a piece a good distance away, then stood up and walked over to it—completely on her own. It was the first time we’d seen her take more than a couple of steps at once. She walked right across the room, steady and determined. It was such a simple, wonderful moment to witness.

Once I wrapped up work, we packed up and drove home. It was exactly the kind of weekend we needed: peaceful, cozy, and full of small but unforgettable moments with our little family.