Park City for less: no skiing but plenty of deals in Utah's chic mountain resort town

My mother was moping because she had nothing fun planned, so I took her to Park City for a weekend of hikes, art appreciation, and Olympic tricks. She had a great time, and we spent about $400 for a three-day, two-night stay, including tax and tips.

My mom's a masterful bargain hunter, so she was pleased that we saved by going in September, when lodging rates can be half of their winter zenith. The place is known for skiing and January's Sundance Film Festival, but we found hiking in the surrounding peaks stunning. Days were warm, and nights were crisp. And many locals told us it was the best time to enjoy restaurants and shops without the crowds.

Our condominium in the Lodge at the Mountain Village was spacious and located in Park City Mountain Resort, just up the hill from Main Street, downtown's shopping and dining center. My mom had a large bedroom with a private bath, I got the Murphy bed, and we had a dining area, a living room, and a full kitchen for only $88 a night.

We also found good off-season deals at the Yarrow Resort Hotel & Conference Center, a 10-minute walk from downtown.

DAY 1: Hitting Main Street

My mom's first move was to drive to the grocery store for breakfast supplies--a good money-saving approach when you have a kitchen. A lifelong brand loyalist, my mom was thrilled to find Tab on the shelves; the soda is no longer stocked in the San Francisco Bay Area, where we both live. I couldn't say Tab is a good start to a healthy day, but I wasn't going to argue with Mom.

Next we hit Main Street. A landscape painter, my mother was thrilled with the number of galleries in town. We admired abstract sculptures and colorful oil paintings at Coda Gallery and Phoenix Gallery. The nonprofit Kimball Art Center had two exhibits showing, one of locally inspired landscapes and the other of colorful pop art.

Park City is high--more than 6,500 feet in elevation--and the business district runs along a hillside. I was wearing out, so we stopped for drinks at Le Bar Boheme. Because of Utah's strict liquor laws, we had to become club members before we could order a glass of wine on the patio.

Refreshed, we popped into Mountain Body, a skin-care spa and store, and my mom got a free hand-moisturizing treatment. I sampled lavender-tangerine lotion, vanilla body butter, and pina colada cream, and we both came out smelling like a tropical bouquet.

Shops are open late in town, and there was lots to look at, so we just kept browsing. As the sun faded and the sky warmed to a deep blue, the balcony of second-story Wahso restaurant drew us in. Once inside, I glanced at the menu and told my mom to turn around. "It looks great, but it's too pricey," I said.

The restaurant's manager heard me and leaned over. "Do you know about the 'locals' special?'" he asked. "Two entrees for the price of one." The coupon was in the local paper, The Park Record, which we'd picked up. We were sold and sat down to one of the best meals of my life, with a grilled pork chop for Mom and scallops and a sake cocktail for me. It was a splurge, but even after a tip based on the pre-discount tab, Mom agreed it was worth it.

DAY 2: Hiking and history

Mom and I see eye to eye on one thing: Mornings shouldn't start too early. We took our time making tea and toast in the room, then shuffled out to a brilliant sunny day. A free shuttle ride took us to nearby Deer Valley Resort. We were ready to get some perspective on the Wasatch Range.

"Shouldn't there be more than just this little safety bar?" my mom asked as the chairlift swept us up and away. I was feeling good because I'd found a two-for-one coupon in the hotel lobby's This Week in Park City brochure, making the ride $10 for both of us. Then I made the mistake of moving my legs. "Don't rock the chair!" she shouted, white-knuckling the bar. But finally, as we rose higher, the views took her breath away.

Mom had brought her sketchbook, so she set up to draw atop the mountain. I explored, hiking to the highest point of Bald Mountain for incredible views of Flagstaff Peak, Empire Canyon, the Uinta Mountains, and the Jordanelle Reservoir far below. Then I wandered along Silver Lake Trail, past rocks spotted orange and lime with lichen along a route springy with pine needles. The hiking was easy. Too easy, I soon realized: The trail was only descending. Fortunately, it ended at the midmountain chairlift, and the nice operators there called up the hill to let my mom know where I was.

She rode the chair down to meet me, and I, feeling sheepish, treated her to a delicious lunch of duck-filled lettuce wraps and soup on the deck of the Royal Street Cafe at Deer Valley's Silver Lake Lodge.

Back in town, we ventured into the small but interesting Park City Museum, where we learned about the town's mining history and the beginnings of its ski industry. Then we headed to another building with ties to the city's past: the ornate Egyptian Theatre, a replica of Pasadena's famous theater. Its lively resident theater group stages musicals, plays, readings, and concerts here all year. Mom and I saw a funny rendition of Little Me; this year the Park City Literary Festival runs September 9-12 (and most events are free).