THE HIVE

Cirque de la Symphonie runs at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24 at Abravanel Hall. For tickets and info visit utahsympony.org.

PHOTO CREDIT UTAH SYMPHONY AND OPERA HIGH-FLYING FEATS OF SYMPHONICS

THIS APRIL, THE UTAH SYMPHONY will provide the classical score for a three-ring circus in Abravanel Hall, that is more cirque than circus. Its spring performance, Cirque de la Symphonie, will showcase the dramatic feats of acrobats, aerial flyers, strongmen, jugglers and contortionists. This we have to see, but our only question is how they’re going to get the elephants on stage. Kidding. There are no elephants. Visit utahsymphony.org for more.

BY CHRISTIE PORTER

SPRING IS THE SEASON of fresh start and renewal. It’s when we plant the first seeds in the garden or tackle the big cleaning projects we’ve been putting off all year. While we might not look forward to spring cleaning, spring reading is a reason to celebrate and can offer the same refreshed feeling and sense of accomplishment, only for our brains. Diane Etherington is the owner of The Children’s Hour Bookstore in Salt Lake City, and she gives us new book recommendations, for all ages, to get everyone reading this spring.

Diane Etherington

George and His Nighttime Friends by Seng Soun Ratanavanh (2021 Princeton Architectural Press) George has trouble sleeping, but he learns to overcome his fear of the dark with the help of his new nighttime friends, a cast of adorable animals. “This is a cute story and the illustrations are just stupendous,” says Etherington. “They have to be for me to have it in the store.”

Are: Book of Numbers by Oliver Jeffers (2021 Philomel Books) Charming board book companions, one all about the animals we share our planet with and the other a counting book about the planets themselves. “I truly believe that it’s a good idea to buy books you like to read as much as your children, so you don’t get bored,” says Etherington. “These books are so interesting, your 2-year-old will love them, and so will you.”

For 38 years, The Children’s Hour Bookstore has been a local purveyor of books in Salt Lake City’s 9th & 9th neighborhood in some form or another. Owner Diane Etherington, a voracious reader and book collector, started out by selling hardback children’s books. But, as more and more people started asking her, “what books have you read lately?” she didn’t want them to have to go somewhere else to buy her recommendations. Now, The Children’s Hour Bookstore sells books for all ages, as well as cozy gifts, toys and home goods (also for all ages). 898 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-359-4150, childrenshourbookstore.com

This is a Gift For You by Emily Winfield Martin (2021 Random House Books for Young Readers) This book is billed as “a poetic tribute to the simple joys of life and nature, and a reminder that the greatest gift we have is time spent together.” Of the author and illustrator, Etherington says, “She’s a wonderful artist. A new book from her is a special event.” She adds, “It’s not so much a story as it is a celebration of you, the reader. It’s for kids, but it’s a meaningful gift to adults as well.” Etherington pulled one stanza as an example of the book’s poetry and universality, “The gift of quiet / and the gift of loud, / your hand in my hand / out in a crowd.”

PHOTOS ADAM FINKLE

Gables written by Kallie George & illustrated by Abigail Halpin (2018 Tundra Books) This is the first book in a series that imagines the early beginnings of the beloved Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables. “Darling illustrations,” says Etherington. “Perfect for an early reader in first or second grade.”

Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr (2018 Candlewick) With energy similar to Pippi Longstocking, this is the story of a girl in a mountain village whose motto is “speed and self-confidence.” Etherington says, “An engaging cover and story. She [Astrid] is very outgoing and goes on lots of adventures.”

PHOTOS ADAM FINKLE

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (2021 Knopf) The story is told from the perspective of Klara, an “Artificial Friend” observing strange human behavior as she waits in a store for someone to buy her. “This book raises a lot of interesting questions about artificial life,” says Etherington. “It makes for great discussion and conversation.”

BOB written by Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead & illustrated by Nicholas Gannon (2018 Feiwel & Friends) Livy visits her grandmother in Australia, where she is reintroduced to Bob, a strange, green creature who lives in a closet. In this tale of friendship, they try to solve the mystery of where Bob came from while keeping his existence a secret. “This book is hilarious and a lot of fun,” says Etherington, “but it’s also warm and touching.”

The Beatryce Prophecy written by Kate DiCamillo & illustrated by Sophie Blackall (2021 Candlewick) A princess survives a coup, escaping the castle and taking refuge in a monastery, but someone is still after her. “Everyone gets excited about her new books,” says Etherington of DiCamillo, the author of The Tale Of Despereaux, which received the Newbery Medal. “This is another excellent addition.”

Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen by Anne Nesbet (2020 Candlewick) A staged kidnapping turns very real, and 12-year-old Darleen, silent film star, comes to the rescue of a young heiress. “This is a fun mystery-adventure story,” says Etherington. Pax: Journey Home written by Sara Pennypacker & illustrated by Jon Klassen (2021 Balzer + Bray) A sequel to Pax, Journey Home follows the diverging paths of a boy and his pet fox, who reunite after a year apart under dire circumstances, making for a nuanced wartime story about heartbreak and finding home.

Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin (2017 Random House Books for Young Readers) Another offering by Martin, but this one for middle readers, is a reimagined fairytale about “Snow White and Rose Red.” Etherington praises Martin’s original take on the story and her “beautiful illustrations.”

Novel by Annie Lyons (2020 William Morrow) An elderly woman believes she is ready to die until a little girl moves in next door and becomes entranced by the older woman. “This is a story about what happens when you care for other people and how that love can affect a giant change in others,” says Etherington. “You’ll be dying to know what’s going to happen.”

Blitz by Erik Larson (2020 Crown) Splendid chronicles Winston Churchill’s first year in office as Prime Minister—from the Nazi invasion of Holland, Belgium through Dunkirk and London during the Blitz—as he works to keep both his country and his family together. “This book gives you a window into what happened. Things you would never know,” says Etherington. “It describes the outrageous characters in Churchill’s family and shows how people go ahead and live their lives, even as the bombs are coming.”

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee (2019 G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers) In the post-Reconstruction South, Jo Kuan works as a maid for a wealthy Atlanta family, but moonlights as an advice columnist, writing under a pseudonym. She challenges society’s narrow views on race and gender, and some people aren’t too happy about that. “You get to know this fabulous character as you learn about her life and the mistreatment she faces,” says Etherington.

BY JEREMY PUGH

THE GRAND AMERICA is Salt Lake City’s landmark hotel. As in, it is literally a landmark. Its greygranite facade is visible from all over the valley. For 19 years, Bruce Fery has been running The Grand and also, since 2011, the Holding family’s portfolio of independently owned properties including Little Americas in Arizona, Wyoming and Utah; The Westgate Hotel in San Diego; and two iconic ski resorts, Sun Valley and Snowbasin.

Not bad for a kid who started working at his dad’s hotel in Idaho.

Fery grew up in Boise, where his father was in the timber business but also owned two modest hotels. As a young man, Fery started working at the properties. He comes by his passion for the hospitality business honestly. “I worked everything from housekeeping to the front desk and I loved being around the guests,” he says. “I fell in love with this work.”

Fery has only worked for three companies his entire career and all have been family-run businesses. He started with the Holding family (the owners of Sinclair Oil) in 2003 and says he’s never had the displeasure of working in the corporate world.

“Working for a family business is a unique situation,” he says. “We’re able to be nimble and quick. We enjoy a lot of autonomy. We use that freedom to focus on our guests.”

That ability to pivot quickly was essential over these last two years. “Who would have guessed that we’d experience a worldwide pandemic?” he asks. “It brought on challenges and hardship that were previously unimaginable for both our company and our employees.”

In the interest of public health, Fery had to shutter the two ski resorts at the height of winter and end the season early in what was at that point a record year for Sun Valley and Snowbasin. “How do you do that? I grew up going to Sun Valley and it was one of the hardest things to end the season early,” he says. “I’m proud of our employees who had the courage and loyalty to help us quickly close down to safeguard our staff and guests. It was such a tough time.”

Then, like everyone, especially hoteliers they had to entirely reimagine business across the board. “We had to establish a new normal.”

To help employees who were either furloughed or on limited hours during the height of the lockdown, the company set up a foundation, called Serve, that has helped by doling out more than 400 grants to help with medical bills, rent and other needs. And through it all, he’s

Grand America General Manager Bruce Fery shows off the hotel’s new bar/restaurant space The Laurel, for more see page 99

proud to say The Grand, the flagship, never shut its doors and also completed some major renovations. “Our approach was to create a safe environment and hold on for the day when people would be comfortable traveling again,” Fery says. And a funny thing happened; while business travelers dropped off for a while, the locals showed up.

“We started seeing this high rate of staycations,” he says. “Our guests weren’t coming on a plane, these were families who were working remotely with kids who were still in school, learning online who just wanted to come and get out of their own places. I’m still amazed.”

Locals (and nonhotel guests) can enjoy the spa and pool areas at The Grand America with the purchase of a $100 treatment or spa service. Find out more at grandamerica. com/grand-spa/.

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Secret Garden Square Wood Trays, $12-20, Salt & Honey, SLC; Dana Rebecca Designs Jennifer Yamina Single Circular Flower Studs, $825, O.C. Tanner Jewlers, SLC; Loveshackfancy Georgina Cardigan, $425, Koo De Ker, SLC; Wildflower Vase, $33, Hip & Humble, SLC; Old Gringo Hippy Dance Boots, $470, Sundance, sundancecatalog. com; Rifle Paper Hair Scruncie, $15, The Children’s Hour Bookstore, SLC; Poppy California Flower Bath $6, Atelier, SLC; Tokyo Milk Handcreme, $32, Amy Boutique, Holladay; June Capiz Floral Flush Mount, $348, Anthropologie, anthropologie.com

BY BLAKELY PAGE

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS about living in this ultra-tech time is our access to seemingly unlimited information. And yet, with all our means of communication, we struggle to do just that—communicate—but we still want our voices heard.

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) provides a space for conversations in their new show For Freedoms. Founded in 2016 by artists Hank Willis Thomas, Eric Gottesman, Michelle Woo and Wyatt Gallery, For Freedoms describes itself as “a platform for creative civic engagement, discourse, and direct action.” The name is a riff on Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms, a series of portraits referencing the four freedoms outlined in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. Decades later, For Freedoms combines artistic projects with social activism. “A nexus between art, politics, commerce and education, For Freedoms aims to inject the anti-partisan critical thinking that fine art requires into the political landscape,” explains the artists.

Most museum exhibitions focus on tangible art, but this show will be different. “There’s an expectation for art to be a singular object. A painting, a sculpture, a photograph—that is what most people think of when you say art. But this show focuses on art in terms of something that is idea-based, or a call to action—it’s that type of art,” explains UMOCA curator Jared Steffensen. “For Freedoms functions like an artist’s political action committee. They make stuff, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it art. Rather than producing art, they make ways for people to engage with their work, allowing them to have an interactive voice within it.”

ART COURTESY UMOCA

Although this show will feature various art displays, community interaction will play a critical role. Signs with the prompt “Freedom for…” allow each visitor to fill in the blank about what issues are important to them. In this project, the venue and location provide the context; what’s important to the people of Utah might not be the things that are important to people in another state. For Freedoms portrays the artists’ design aesthetic, and the creators provide resources and activist tool kits with designs, posters and T-shirts, allowing communities to decide what ideas artists need to emphasize and amplify UMOCA hopes this show will allow the community to engage in larger conversations about art and social issues. “Sometimes when people come into the museum and look at an individual object, they’re finding their relationship with that work, and it’s a solitary experience and that’s what it’s intended for. This is different,” Steffenson explains. For Freedoms invites visitors to share their perspectives, listen to other voices and find inspiration for their own work. “That’s the excitement. Building a larger community outside of the art world makes it accessible,” Steffenson says.

In 2018, For Freedoms began the 50 State Initiative, which commissioned more than 150 artists to create one-of-a-kind billboards, at least one billboard in every U.S. state. The UMOCA show features two large-scale replications from the project, one acknowledging native lands and another referencing the internment camps in Utah. Beyond the billboards, a must-see of the show is the cloak display of the Wide Awakes, an artistic homage to the 1860s abolitionist group of the same name. Historically, cloaks were used to insulate or shield abolitionist candidates from threats of violence so their ideas could be spread. Each group member wore these cloaks and carried lamps with the candidate concealed among them so they could move through the cities free from harm.

UMOCA is hosting various community events in coordination with this show including a cloak building class, film screenings, talks, free posters, billboard designs and yard signs. UMOCA has also partnered with the Salt Lake County Library to curate selections of books with progressive ideas for kids and young adults. “I think of some kid growing up in the suburbs, progressively minded but they don’t feel like they don’t have any peers, so they go to the museum, and they see all these other voices, and they feel like they’re a part of it, and they can be loud about it and they can buy-in,” says Steffensen. To create real change, it’s time to start calling in rather than calling out.

The For Freedoms exhibit runs through June 2022 at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (20 S. West Temple, SLC). For more information, visit forfreedoms. org, wideawake.org or utahmoca.org.

BY CHRISTIE PORTER

THERE WERE THREE different birthday celebrations happening the Sunday we walked into Chang’s Food in West Valley City. The family parties that packed the house are testament to the popularity of the Chinese-Venezuelan restaurant. After the third round of “Feliz Cumpleaños,” an older man unwrapped a brand new Cuatro, its high-lacquer shine catching the afternoon light. He tuned the instrument—similar in appearance to a ukulele—and began to play. It didn’t stop there. Multiple sets of maracas emerged from unknown places and an impromptu concert broke out in the middle of the restaurant, with the patrons and staff singing along to traditional Venezuelan songs. It was the rare (for Utah) fusion of food from Venezuela and China that brought us to Chang’s Food, but we stayed for the party.

Chang’s Food gives a look inside a community and culture that many readers might not have known existed, and it is just one example of the pockets of rich culinary heritage dotting the Utah landscape, courtesy of food fusion pioneers.

If you want to continue on the South American-Asian fusion journey, there’s the family-owned Mixturas in Orem. The name of the restaurant literally means “mixture,” and they offer a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese food. The roots of this culinary combination (you may hear it referred to as Nikkei) are familiar, with a Japanese diaspora in Peru leaving their mark on the local cuisine. Mixturas signature dishes include Peruvian-style sashimi and Lomo Saltado (steak, tomatoes and onions, stir-fried in soy sauce base).

845 N. 100 West, Suite 103, Orem, mixturasfusion.com

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

PHOTOS COURTESY YUM YUM FOOD TRUCK AND MIXTURAS Chang’s Food

Fav Bistro bills itself as a “Thai + Fuzion” experience. It has a wide menu of veggie and fruit-packed dishes that skew on the health-conscious side and are inspired by Thai, Vietnamese, European and North American culinary classics. This results in exciting specials like Steak Massaman Poutine and Seafood Pad Thai In A Blanket. Chef and owner Anny Sooksri is from Thailand, where her grandmother inspired her to cook, and behind the Thai restaurants Chabaar Beyond Thai and Tea Rose Diner.

1984 E. Murray Holladay Rd., Holladay, bestthaifoodinutah.com

Two brothers—King and Johnson Chang—with mixed Venezuelan and Chinese heritage opened the restaurant in 2020, pioneering a cuisine in Utah that has been a staple in Venezuela for some time. In their homeland, Chinese immigrants to Venezuela brought their culinary traditions, started families and opened up Chinese restaurants in Venezuela. Thus began the fusion of Chinese-centric cuisine cooked Venezuelan style.

The plates at Chang’s Food are served family style and meant to be shared. If you order nothing else on the Chang’s Food menu, get the fried rice. You can thank me later. The Venezuelan influence on the Chinese standard is subtle but savory and delicious. The Lumpias (egg rolls) are another standout, along with the Chinese Ribs. After you’ve stuffed yourself to the brim, do yourself another favor, ask for the pour-over Venezuelan coffee at the end of the meal.

3576 S. Redwood Rd., West Valley City, Instagram @chang.sfood2020

At this point, we might acknowledge that Asian fusion could have an edge on other food fusions (it’s probably the egg rolls). And, you can get it without engaging in the traditional dine-in experience. Based in Layton (but by no means inhibited by city boundaries) the World Famous Yum Yum Asian Food Truck serves up Filipino-inspired Asian fusion cuisine. The food truck had a rough year in 2021 after it was the target of anti-Asian hate and experienced a fryer explosion, but now it has bounced back with the help of community support. Through special orders and catering, they’re back to offering up dishes like traditional Filipino Sisig both in a rice bowl or in a taco, Filipino Spaghetti (featuring Filipino hot dogs and banana ketchup) and, of course, Lumpias.

Serving Northern Utah, 801-719-1222, yumyumasianfoodtruck.com

TOP TO BOTTOM: Yum Yum Food Truck Chicken Adobo; sushi from Mixturas

BY TONY GILL

STARING BETWEEN MY SKI TIPS dangling from the chairlift at a disordered pack of skiers zigzagging down a narrow run, I noticed how loud my skis’ steel edges sounded as they struggled to gain purchase on the firm snow. It was early December, and open terrain consisted of a single white ribbon. Typically, the overwhelming din of blazing snow guns supplementing the dearth of natural snow would drown out all other noise, but temperatures weren’t cold enough to run the snowmakers. Things were getting dire in the Utah mountains.

Early season conditions can be fickle, even here in the land of the Greatest Snow on Earth. Still, ask around the bar stools where the crusty locals post up, and they’ll tell you warm temperatures and early season droughts are more common. Sure, they’re pining for the glory days, but they’re not wrong. According to a 2021 Utah State University (USU) Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism (IORT) study, the average minimum daily temperature at Utah ski resorts has increased an average of 2.6 degrees Celsius from 1980 to 2018. It’s no secret to resort managers who’ve invested heavily into snowmaking infrastructure to bolster the early season, but is snowmaking a reliable long-term solution?

While locals know the best conditions come in the second half of the season, the early season— and the holidays in particular—is enormously important for overall season profitability. Resorts are working to enhance snowmaking capabilities to protect that crucial period.

Deer Valley Senior Communications Manager Emily Summers said even though the resort has 250 snow guns, 40 miles of pipe and 1,150 hydrants, the resort invested more than $1 million in snowmaking infrastructure and equipment this year alone. For this story, Summers tried to schedule an interview with a member of Deer Valley’s snowmaking team, but they simply were too busy making snow ahead of the holiday rush.

Other resorts are following suit, but it might not be enough in a warming climate. “The percentage of the ski season where we can actually make snow is rapidly declining,” says Dr. Patrick Belmont, Watershed Sciences Department Head at USU.

“Generally without using additives, you can’t [make snow at] temperatures much above 23 degrees Fahrenheit.”

The additives Belmont is referring to are known as “nucleating agents,” tiny grains of biodegradable bacterial protein—the common brand name is Snomax—expelled with pressurized water to facilitate ice crystal growth. Using these additives substantially increases snowmaking costs, which at a certain point could become prohibitive. Although resorts don’t release specific figures, snowmaking is also incredibly energyintensive. “For a lot of resorts with extensive snowmaking, it accounts for a majority of their annual power consumption,” veteran snowmaker Tim Valcourt says.

We haven’t even addressed the fact that all snow starts as water. “Utah is the second driest state in the nation, and we’ve been treating snowmaking as a non-consumptive activity,” Belmont says. “But even when water is pulled from reservoirs rather than groundwater, it’s reducing groundwater recharge, and a decent percentage—15% to 40%—evaporates or sublimates. Reservoirs around the state are getting pretty empty.” The Catch-22 is that more snowmaking will be required with a warming climate, while the conditions and resources required to make snow are also vanishing. Resorts, while avoiding chicken little proclamations, are quietly adapting. The USU IORT study’s authors interviewed numerous resort managers who say they’re diversifying offerings with more off-season infrastructure like mountain INGREDIENTS: biking in the summer. 1. WATER AND AIR TO TASTE In the short term, snowmaking 2. A PINCH OF NUCLEATING AGENTS, AS NEEDED may be able to pad season length. Even so, it may not be able to save

Gather water and air, mix under pressure and expel them from a snow gun in cold the ski economy. In statewide temperatures. There are fan guns, big air guns and low-energy guns that work most analyses, the USU IORT study efficiently under different conditions, so be sure to have a combination of all three on found winters with high levels of hand. Use a nucleating agent if the temperatures are a little warmer than the ideal snow contributed an additional of 15 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Pro tip: Have a dedicated crew of snowmakers who $49 million to the state economy don’t mind working hard, frequently at night, when snowmaking conditions are a go. while low-snow years resulted in a seven percent decrease in skier visits and more than $50 million in losses to the Utah economy. Call it the backyard syndrome. When it snows people go skiing. When it doesn’t? They don’t. Snowmaking alone can’t save us. Protecting future ski seasons will require systemic change that appears very difficult in today’s social climate. “The only thing that matters right now is how quickly we get the fossil fuels turned off,” Belmont says. “The pollution we’re putting in the atmosphere is the problem and climate change is the symptom. We perceive this as a problem of politics and economics, but ultimately it’s physics, and the PHOTO DEER VALLEY - ALTERRA physics are unforgiving.” For too long we snow lovers have had our heads buried in the snow when it comes to facing these issues. That’s going to become a lot harder when all that’s left is human-made hardpack.

BY JEREMY PUGH

IT’S EXACTLY WHAT YOU EXPECT. The subdued lighting, plinky global music, trickling Buddhish water features, a hint of eucalyptus in the air and, of course, the robes. I always find it strange to strip down and cruise around in a fluffy robe and mingle with other people, also in robes.

Am I part of some new-age robe cult? But this is what we do at the spa, specifically the Alpine

Serenity spa at Stein Ericksen Lodge, where I’m about to experience a healing massage with CBD oil, the latest addition to the rubdown routine.

The therapist collects me from the ultra-mellow waiting area and in soft,

ALPINE SERENITY hushed tones directs me to the treatment room. Spa at Stein Ericksen Lodge One hour later, I will 7700 Stein Way, Park City, feel like I’ve undergone 855-876-4395, an Egyptian Pharaoh’s steinlodge.com preparation rites for the afterlife, without mummification or actually dying. Instead, I’m a be-robed pile of blissed-out skin and bones settling into the remaining pleasures of sauna, steam, hot pools and cold plunges that await to revive me for my return to the mundane everyday world. Every year, you schedule a trip around the kid’s spring break. Pile the whole crew into the car and get out of town. But how about this year, you ditch the kids and take time for yourself. Spas, like the spa at Stein’s, are the essence of escape. Once

PHOTO CREDIT TK

PHOTOS COURTESY: THE EDGE SPA AT THE LODGE AT BLUE SKY; GRAND AMERICA; THE SPA AT GOLDENER HIRSCH TOP TO BOTTOM: The pool at Grand America; spa products from The Spa at Stein Erickson Lodge; The Spa at Stein Erickson Lodge; The Edge Spa at The Lodge at Blue Sky

you’ve got that robe on, there is no going back. And, while you might feel a little guilty, there are only your fellow robe people around to judge. And hey, they’re here too, so what can they say? They’re all guilty, too. Why not turn it all off and enjoy?

Utah is home to some of the best spas in the world to experience this wonderful euphoria. Last winter, we visited seven luxury spas (tough gig) in anticipation that folks like us would come out of yet another pandemic-tainted season needing a reason to disappear for a while.

The Grand America is literally a Salt Lake City landmark. The giant, granitegray building can be seen from all over the valley. And while traveling film scouts and NBA teams call it home when passing through, we like to think of it as our hotel. The Grand has always made it a point to cater to locals and the Grand Spa is no exception, offering deals and staycation packages for those of us yearning to go somewhere but need to stay here. Book a spa treatment for $100 and afterward relax in the indoor and outdoor pools and lounge in the heart of Salt Lake City, while wearing a robe, of course. Bonus: Maybe you’ll see an NBA player taking a schvitz.

The Grand Spa at The Grand America 555 S. Main St., SLC, 800-304-8696, grandamerica.com

Goldener Hirsch, located in the heart of Deer Valley’s upper base area, Silver Lake, recently became part of the Auberge resorts and completed a massive renovation making the marquee of its spa the rooftop pool and infinity edge hot tub that overlooks the surrounding peaks. After a big spring ski day, there are few spots in Deer Valley that rival a rooftop soak at Goldener. The spa, or “wellness program” in hotel speak, also has an adjacent fitness center (indoors) with equally stunning views. Book a yoga session and then chill out in the zen garden. Namaste.

The Spa at Goldener Hirsch 7570 Royal St., Park City, 435-571-0046, aubergeresorts.com/goldenerhirsch

With all the fuss about the popular Kevin Costner vehicle Yellowstone, there seems to be a “cowboy moment” happening. Last year, the producers of the hit series, set in Montana, relocated the production from Utah to actual Montana after a tiff with the Utah Governor’s office over funding subsidies. But the original backdrop for the Dutton family’s machinations didn’t go with them. Utah is still here and Blue Sky Lodge is smack dab in “Dutton” country. (A stretch of river where the Lodge takes guests for fly fishing lessons was used as a location in the show.) Fittingly, its Edge Spa has some western twang to it. Offering treatments accented with wild-harvested ingredients and a relaxation pool overlooking Alexander Creek. But in addition to all this mindfulness, you can book the aforementioned fly-fishing lessons, “natural horsemanship” classes or fire off shotguns on Blue Sky’s sporting clay range. That’s right. Serenity and firearms.

The Edge Spa at The Lodge at Blue Sky 27649 Old Lincoln Hwy., Coalville, 435336-2646, aubergeresorts.com/bluesky

TOP TO BOTTOM: The entrance to The Stillwell Spa at Snowpine Lodge; horsemanship classes offered at The Lodge at Blue Sky; The pool at Snowpine Lodge

Six treatment rooms compose the tranquil Stillwell spa along with a posh relaxation room and a serenely lit grotto replete with a plunge pool encased in granite walls. A yoga and fitness center add to the rejuvenating experience. Swen’s Restaurant indulges with breathtaking mountain views and delicious, locally-sourced fare. Similarly sited nearby, The Gulch Pub cheers with creative cocktails and a relaxed, après-ski menu. Lounges on every floor invite convivial gatherings and The Nest—a fully equipped game room—invites fun off-the-slopes competition. A large, heated outdoor pool treats guests to dips surrounded by breathtaking scenery.

The Stillwell Spa at Snowpine Lodge 10420 Little Cottonwood Rd., Alta, 801-742-2000, snowpine.com

While Utah has its share of luxury resorts, we’d be remiss if we didn’t encourage you to travel farther afield to one of America’s grand spas. The Spa at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs has a history going back to the late 1800s and is the kind of place generations of travelers have visited to “take the waters.” Its founders, Spencer and Julie Penrose, were world travelers who came to Colorado to create an “oasis of culture” in what was then considered the “uncivilized” West and succeeded. Today the Broadmoor lets you step back in time and is truly a bucket list destination.

The Spa at The Broadmoor Resort, 1 Lake Ave., Colorado Springs, Colo., 800-755-5011, broadmoor.com

PHOTOS COURTESY: THE STILLWELL SPA AT SNOWPINE LODGE; THE EDGE SPA AT THE LODGE AT BLUE SKY; THE SPA AT THE BROADMOOR RESORT