Ski and Snow in Utah
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A more intimate but similarly upscale option is the Blue Boar Inn, a dramatic stone-and-timber chateau with 12 plush guest rooms named for noted poets (Kipling, Dickinson, etc.), and one of the state's finest restaurants. Grilled sockeye salmon with arugula and charred-tomato orzo, and center-cut beef tenderloin with cognac-roast-garlic cream are among the specialties served in this dramatic, high-ceilinged room. For an offbeat, small-town culinary adventure, head to Dairy Keen, a family-run burger and ice-cream place famous for its astounding variety of milkshake flavors (including pumpkin, coconut, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup). Why the funny name? It had formerly been a Dairy Queen, and when new owners bought the place and turned it into an independent business, they could afford only to replace the "QU" with a "K" on the sign outside - hence the name, Dairy Keen.

U.S. 40 leads southeast from the Heber Valley up high into the Wasatch Mountains, where you'll find the premier snowmobiling resort in Utah, Daniels Summit Lodge. Whether you're experienced at or new to snowmobiling, this handsome lodge on the fringes of Uinta National Forest is your best bet for getting out in the snow. The resort offers instruction, equipment, and both guided and unguided touring along its 200 miles of groomed trails, and it owns a fleet of 75 state-of-the-art snowmobiles. It's just a 35-minute drive from Park City, making it easy to visit for the day, but the lodge also has 48 cushy rooms, an indoor pool with a hot tub, and a down-home restaurant serving hearty, well-prepared country fare.

If you're looking for some winter alternatives to traditional downhill skiing, the Wasatch Mountains have all the ingredients for a great trip: easy access from a major international airport, the hip bars and restaurants of Park City (and proximity to the gay nightlife of Salt Lake City), and some of North America's most exhilarating venues for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, tubing, and snowshoeing. All you need to bring is enthusiasm, energy, and - of course - some stylish winter-sports gear.

Andrew Collins is the author of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA and as well as numerous other guidebooks.