Sherman's Travel

As far as “small” big cities go, Salt Lake City has a lot of appeal. A lot of common annoyances found in booming metropolises are either diminished or vanquished altogether here, making it a highly enjoyable locale to end up in on business. It’s also a ridiculously great time of the year to visit, with temperatures inching milder each day and snow-capped peaks still glistening. In an effort to get you outside of the boardroom and into the wilds of Utah, we’re offering up two restaurants, three attractions, and one bar that you can hit with just a few extra hours between meetings. Read more

New residents of Utah’s ski havens of Park City and Salt Lake City say they came for the winter and stayed for the spring and summer. I got a taste of what they meant on a trip there this month.

The spring is arguably the best time for a recreational skier to visit a few of the seven ski resorts within an hour of the Salt Lake City airport. There’s still snow on the ground, but lodging prices are much lower than in peak season. For example, a room at the exclusive, ski-in/ski-out St. Regis at Deer Valley starts at $199 a night instead of $599 during the height of winter. The rate for a king room drops from $750 to $550 at the Washington School House, a newly renamed and revamped luxurious boutique property that is a stone’s throw from the action on Main Street (and ski-in/ski-out from Park City Mountain Resort). That includes a fine, home-style breakfast and all the après-ski snacks, microbrews, and wine you’d like – a rarity in this resort town.

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Although we were mildly horrified by the snowfall in New York City over Halloween weekend (how apropos), that quickly faded into elation: Ski season is coming! And with the inches already being laid down this year, it’s shaping up to be a doozy.

If you’re looking to hit the slopes with some gay and lesbian friends – or make new ones – but aren’t quite ready for the powder-and-party of a proper Gay Ski Week (check out last year’s post for a sample), then a Ski Bums (www.ski-bums.org) package is the way to go. Founded in 2005 with day trips from NYC, it has grown to become the world’s largest LGBT skier and snowboarder club with new chapters in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, and over 800 members worldwide (roughly 80 percent men and 20 percent women), a third of which are snowboarders, and everyone a heckuva lot of fun. Membership is free when you book a trip ($49 otherwise) and includes discounts of 30 to 50 percent off top-quality gear from Backcountry.com, plus typical savings of 15 percent off over booking the same trip independently. Book now for its eight major trips in 2012 (outlined below). Read more