DEER VALLEY RESORT OFFERS NEW SERIES OF GUIDED HIKES

DEER VALLEY RESORT, PARK CITY, UTAH (July 17, 2008) – Deer Valley Resort, Mountain Trails Foundation and the Park City Recreation Advisory Board announced today that they will offer a new series of guided historic hikes this summer. The free tours will be offered on four Sundays, July 20, August 17, September 14 and 21.

Co-organizer Mike O’Malley says of the upcoming tours, “These hikes are designed to be 50 percent exercise, 50 percent learning and 100 percent fun. Hike organizers will highlight some of the area’s mining history along the way, and participants are encouraged to share their own knowledge of local history, too. Locals and visitors alike will learn some new things about our natural and social history, and everyone will enjoy our great scenery.”

Reservations are not necessary to participate in the hikes. Hikers should simply meet tour guides at the Sterling chairlift (mid-mountain at Deer Valley) at 9:30 a.m. on the appointed four Sundays. The hikes are scheduled to last three to four hours and will cover moderately
strenuous terrain at Deer Valley Resort. Hike participants should be in good shape, wear sturdy footwear, carry plenty of water and snacks, and wear proper sun protection.

The primary route for Deer Valley’s hikes will start at Sterling chairlift, wind through the woods to the New York mine, then continue up to the ridge between Bald Mountain and Flagstaff peak for a dramatic view of the Wasatch Mountains. The return route will lead the group through high-mountain meadows and aspen and evergreen groves. Round trip distance for the hikes will be less than six miles, with an elevation gain of approximately 900 feet. In case of bad weather, an alternate route along the Mid-Mountain Trail will lead the groups from the Sterling chairlift to some mining sites near Empire Lodge and back.

Deer Valley’s guided hike details will be available at the offices of Mountain Trails Foundation, the Park City Historical Society, Summit Land Conservancy or online at deervalley.com.

For more information on Deer Valley Resort or the new guided hikes, please contact Resort Communications Manager Erin Grady at 800-424-DEER (3337), (435) 645-6522 or view the Resort website at deervalley.com.

Deer Valley Resort ― Rated one of the top three ski resorts in North America for the past nine years in a row by the readers of SKI magazine.

14th Annual Ogden Valley Balloon Festival August 15 – 17, 2008

(Eden, UT) The14th Annual Ogden Valley Balloon Festival in Eden is scheduled for August 15, 16 & 17. The festival, which is Northern Utah’s largest balloon event, will offer fun for the whole family, will feature balloon launches, arts and crafts booths, continuous live entertainment featuring a diverse selection of music, an antique car show, kids games, climbing wall and Plein air art competition.

New this year, the arts and crafts booths, kids games, antique car show, climbing wall and Plein air competition will be hosted at Wolf Mountain. According to festival chairperson Larry McBride, “We are thrilled Wolf Mountain has graciously offered to allow these events at their location. While events have been previously held at Huntsville Park, the fact that the growing Xterra Triathlon now occurs on the Saturday of this weekend caused us to seek a new location to avoid conflicts with the early morning traffic to and from events.”

“The Wolf Mountain location is so ideal. We are excited about our decision as this new venue is closer to the balloon field offering better views and a stronger connection with the event, because the Balloon Launch field is visible from the activities area and access is terrific.”

Guests coming from Ogden and points west can use the North Ogden Divide to avoid triathlon conflicts on Saturday at the Pineview Dam. Thanks to the generosity of the sponsors, the festival is free to the public.

In conjunction with the Arts & Crafts show at Wolf Mountain, Wilkerson Fine Art will be sponsoring a “Plein Air” art competition. Literally translated, the French word “Plein” means “full.” This outdoor competition will start Saturday morning, August 16. Artists will begin painting at 8:00 a.m.

The goal of the artwork is to capture the essence of the balloon festival on an 11 X 14 canvas. At 4:00 p.m., the artists stop painting and bring their creation to Wolf Mountain with the awards being given out at 6:00 p.m. Prizes range from $200 to $1,500, and all pieces will be offered to the general public for purchase. For more information, please contact Kris Wilkerson at (801) 745-9557 or kris@ogdenvalleyballoonfestival.com

Those interested in an Arts & Crafts or vendors booth at Wolf Mountain can email gladys@ogdenvalleyballoonfestival.com. The site for the Ogden Valley Balloon Launches is at 3201 North Wolf Creek Drive, approximately 1 mile north of the 4-way stop in Eden on the west side. Directions to Wolf Mountain can be found at www.wolfmountaineden.com. There will be NO DOGS allowed at any of the venues during the Festival; guests should please plan accordingly.

For more detailed information, directions, a schedule, maps, and much more, please visit our website at www.ogdenvalleyballoonfestival.com or call (800) 413-8312.

MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS AT WOLF CREEK UTAH CONTINUES WITH AMAZING SUCCESS

Summer Concert Series Hosts The Soul Survivors July 26

EDEN, Utah -- (July 11, 2008) – Music in the Mountains, Wolf Creek Utah’s summer concert series, plays on with The Soul Survivors, Saturday, July 26.
Originally from New York City, The Soul Survivors found success in Atlantic City and Philadelphia where they attracted the attention of record producers and developed a strong following. They recorded the smash hit “Expressway” in the 1960’s, voted the number one record ever to come out of Philadelphia. Today, the group continues to deliver high energy performances with their enduring sound.
Other upcoming performances include; the exhilarating pianist Jon Schmidt, Nashville performer Eric Heatherly and the Joe Muscolino Band.
Wolf Creek is committed to keeping their entertainment affordable for all. Admittance to concerts is enjoyed for only $20 per carload.
“Each year, with Music in the Mountains, we are privileged to participate in something that surpasses all expectations,” said Sue Munson, Wolf Creek Utah’s Director of Guest Services. “It’s not that often you witness children, teenagers, parents, and grandparents all dancing together and having the time of their lives. We’ve even seen conga lines up the hillside.”
Wolf Mountain is located at 3567 Nordic Valley Way in Eden. For a complete list of events and detailed driving instructions, please visit www.wolfmountaineden.com.
2008 Music in the Mountains Line Up
Jon Schmidt August 9
Eric Heatherly August 23
Joe Muscolino Band September 6

A visit to the Pinewoods Resort in the Cedar Mountain Valley

Tucked away just East of Duck Creek Village is the Pinewoods Resort a popular spot for recreation in all seasons. From snowmobiling in the winter with an average of 250 inches o snow each season to the many Off Road Trails for the ATV'ers to explore. Base camping from the Pinewoods Resort makes for the perfect spot to hit all the popular recreation spot East of Cedar City. The Cedar Mountain Village is uniquely situated in the center of the world famous scenic, historical and geological sites, it offers access to an awesome array of contrasting scenic areas and an incredible diversity of recreational activities.

The Pinewoods Resort has been here for over 30 years serving people from all walks of life and all places in the World. From the Lodge, the Mountain Home the Inn to an RV park, the Pinewoods Resort can accommodate and provide you with a first rate get away for your visit at the Resort, a Cabin or just parking in the RV Park. With many on-site activities from horseshoes, children's play area a volleyball court, common picnic area and fire pits, hot tub, game room or archery range you can relax and kick back for some good rest and quite peaceful recreation.

We received an invitation to come down and host the radio show from the Pinewoods Resort and had no idea what was in this area, but upon arrival we knew coming here was a good choice for a vacation spot. Bryan Romney, General Manager of the Resort and his staff have been nothing but accommodating every need and are more than willing to share all they love about living here full time with anyone willing to ask. Recommendations on what to do and where to go abounded at ever corner for us and we took advantage of just a few. There are so many special places to explore here a group could visit here many years in a row and still never see it all. We took a ride on Rhino's and ATV's to the scenic overlook for the Virgin River Valley to take in the view of Zions National Park and the Virgin Valley drainage in the morning and then came back to Duck Creek Village for pizza at the local coffee shop, then head out to Turkey Tracks for an afternoon ride. The views in the morning where spectacular and the wildlife we saw on our afternoon ride was a special treat as we blazed through the thick pines.

And for dinner, we experienced fine dining at the Pinewoods Restaurant which offers a warm ambiance inside the rustic country inn. Their specialty is Elk Tenderloins, which I must admit was a surprise I took full advantage of and loved every bite. But for those looking for a little more standard meal, they have it covered with a 5 page menu to choose from. And you better leave room for one of their awesome desserts too!

Our room in the Pinewoods Lodge was comfortable and cozy, offering a full kitchen, wireless internet, and all the comforts and conveniences of home for the recreational lover or business travelers. Business traveler's or corporate retreats can easily be handled with accommodations for 40 to 50 in the meeting room, with breakout rooms available in the Restaurant, Mountain Home or the Inn.

Getting to the Pinewoods Resort is approximately a 3 1/2 hour drive from Salt Lake City, just off Utah Highway 14, 31 miles East of Cedar City or 10 miles from U. S. Highway 89 at Long Valley Junction. Out of State guests can fly into Cedar City, St. George or Las Vegas Nevada via Skytwest-Delta connection.

To contact The Pinewoods Resort call toll free reservations at 1-800-848-2525 or 435 682-2512 or visit their newly redesigned web site for additional information @ www.pinewoodsresort.com.

Rafting In Colorado On The Cache La Poudre was a rush!

This historic trek down the Cache Le Poudre River with A Wanderlust Adventures was one exciting ride! I have been on many river trips and for a medium size river, this one has it all. Constant action, with rapids set after rapid set around every turn is the only way to describe this fun excursion. Our half day trip was just the ticket for a hot summer day. Although the temperatures where in the high 80's the river water was 40 to 42 degrees.



We wondered if the wet suits where really needed but made for all the difference in fun and freezing when we hit the deep water. And deep holes we did find. The rapids where awesome and the guides with A Wanderlust Adventures had local stories to share and history on the river as well. We had the opportunity to talk with a local Park Ranger and ask him what he thought of the rafting businesses on the river, and he said"We never have any problems or complaints with A Wanderlust Adventures." That alone said tons, let alone when we passed another group with another rafting company getting ready to put in, and none on them had wet suits on... I'm sure glad we did and all provided as a part of our trip.




So if your looking for some fun adventure just outside of Fort Collins, make sure you book your trip with A Wanderlust Adventures. Visit their web site at www.awanderlustadventure.com/

The Drowsy Water Ranch in Granby, Colorado

Nestled in the high country of Colorado, at 8,200 feet above sea level, the Drowsy Water Ranch offers quite solitude for the guests to relax, ride and learn more about the everyday life f the good old West. This colorful and authentic “Dude” Ranch style adventure is just a few hours drive from Denver located just West of Granby. This operation has been in business has been family owned and operated for over 30 years and from the time you arrive, till the time comes to pack up and hit the trail, you'll feel just like you've walked back in time to the good day of hospitality and friendships.

Guests usually arrive on Sundays and are treated to a good down home turkey dinner, complete with all the trimmings. After dinner, introductions are given all around from staff and guests alike. It is a refreshing way to get comfortable and begin new friendships and settle in, and the meals just kept getting better each day from there! The cooking staff has old fashioned taste and cooking down to a modern science. Yet many of the meals and recipes have been handed down for generations and are definitely served Country Style in the common eating area. Which also allows you to get to make great new friendships with "new hands" from around the World.

The accommodations range from individual rooms in and old country style lodge rooms to small cabins that are right in theme with the rest of your surroundings, comfortable, quite and relaxing. With over 30 years of experience, and over 600 acres the Fosha family has been running this ranch since the 1970's and have things down to an entertaining and first class vacation. Between the fantastic and comfortable accommodations to the great down home cooking, that alone is worth the trip.



And no matter what level of Western Wrangler you are, from someone that has never been on a horse, to the experienced rider, you'll walk away from this trip with few new skills and renewed respect for the incredible animals the Drowsy Water Ranch has among their herd. The ranch has over 100 head of horses and they regularly rotate out the animals to ensure each animal gets good food and rest and guests always get a top notch animal, matched to their riding experience. The Drowsy Water Horse Wranglers are carefully chosen for their experience and knowledge as well as their great sense of understanding how to help each guest get the most out of the rides. Cowboy stories on the Trail where a highlight of our day's.

Activities both on horseback, and off abound for all ages. This is the perfect family vacation even for the little Wranglers who have their own separate programs so the adults can head out for the day on a ride and know the excellent staff have the children to young to ride entertained and learning about the old west too. For downtime, you have an outdoor heated pool for all ages, and adult only hot tub, and a kids fishing pond.

Although our trip was short compared to the normal stay of a full week on the ranch, our time will be remembered as some of the most memorable on a trip. We had entertainment at every turn. One night consisted of learning to square dance and line dance, and no one was excluded! All the staff was on the floor, ready to help everyone learn and we all laughed till be about dropped from all the fun and laughter. The Fosha's family motto is we are here to entertain our guests and they take that commitment very seriously. So much fun, that one of the guest there has returned from New Jersey every year for the last 8years and his young Son said they were for sure coming again next season. Several of the guest's had been there before and came back with friends to share the excitement and fun they had experienced at the Drowsy Water Ranch.



We have also posted a Photo Gallery on our web site of this trip and hope you enjoy some of the great views from the Drowsy Water Ranch!

Or visit the Drowsy Water Ranch web site to book your trip today!