Getting away close to home: favorite winter getaways in Utah.

• Author: Burningham, Lucy

WELCOME to the middle of winter in Utah, a stretch that can seem like an endless stream of bad movie previews before the much-awaited feature. Maybe the snowplow missed your street again. The weatherman just predicted that the inversion should stick around, so don't plan on seeing the sun anytime soon. Your hands are starting to crack from dryness and static has turned your laundry into an inseparable ball.

It's time to get away.

Sure, Hawaii sounds inviting, but for real rejuvenation and relaxation, there's no need to head to an expensive tropical destination. Utah itself offers a wide range of activities and locations to help you forget winter's woes. Where do local business leaders go during the worst winter weekends?

Karen Olson, owner of the Metropolitan restaurant, says that Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort has been her favorite Utah getaway for 25 years. Olson's parents bought a timeshare at Snowbird after the family spent a few winters vacationing at other ski resorts. They traveled from their home in the Midwest to Vermont, Colorado and New Mexico, but fell in love with Utah's ski slopes and everything Snowbird has to offer.

"Snowbird is the best ski mountain in the state," Olson asserts. "It's beautiful and challenging, and the powder is phenomenal, but for me it has sentimental value. My family always looks forward to gathering there each year."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Olson family also enjoys the friendships they've made at Snowbird with families who have timeshares during the same holiday weeks. "We've watched kids grow up and shared the joys and sorrows that families go through," Olson says. Snowbird is how Olson initially discovered Utah and Salt Lake City, where she eventually decided to open her award-winning restaurant.

Bill Cutting, president of New Moon Media in Salt Lake City, says his favorite getaway location should be defined by where he spends the most time away from home, making Snowbird his favorite as well.

"I've been skiing there for 26 years, so I know who I'm going to see and ski with," Cutting says. "It's a comfortable place to ski aggressively, so it's great for stress reduction. You can take it all out on the steep terrain."

But Cutting prefers not to spend the night at Snowbird, noting that the resort is a mere 40-minute drive from his Emigration Canyon home. "We live in paradise here. I can ski during the...