Steaming in the New Year

For my birthday this year Ruth surprised me with a getaway to Midway to stay at the Homestead Resort in Midway. On the way to the resort we made a stop at the Tanger Outlets in Park City for a little shopping. Ruth was able to find a few good deals on clothes and I found a great deal on some spices and seasonings. After we'd had our fill of shopping, which didn't take that long, we made the last leg of the drive and got checked into our room. Little did we know that we were going to the most secure room in the entire resort. The key-card to our room appeared to be working, but we couldn't get through the door. After several minutes of unsuccessful attempts to get into the room we had to return to the front desk to ask for help. They dispatched a maintenance man to our room to look into the problem. It was a little embarrassing how quickly he was able to get us into the room, but he told us that the cold weather causes the locks to stick a bit. Even though he showed us the trick to get it open, it gave us trouble throughout our stay.Just after we got settled into our room we headed to the on-site restaurant called Simon's. Here is a sample of what we enjoyed for dinner:

Each table received a hot pot of bread

We shared an appetizer of fried cheese curds fresh from Heber Valley Artisan Cheese

Ruth ordered a chicken flatbread

I opted for something a little heartier and ordered the steak

The au-jus served with the steak really added to the flavor, and tasted great on the fries

To finish off the meal we were treated to some complimentary birthday ice cream. I was very grateful that this was not accompanied by a song from the staff.

After we finished with dinner we went back to the room for a quick pit-stop and to change into our swimsuits for the main event of the evening, a trip to the famous Homestead Crater. The crater is a hollowed out dome that has a geothermal spring running through it. The water temperature is always between 90-96 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is crystal clear. The temperature of the water was perfect for me because it wasn't as hot as a hot tub, which made it comfortable to stay in the water for a full hour. Everyone that goes into the water is required to wear a life jacket, which I was a little bit annoyed with at first, but it turned out to be a good thing for a couple of reasons. Because the crater is fed by a spring there is a current to the water, and it was very relaxing to just lay back and float around. The other reason is that the crater does go down about 65 feet. It is deep enough that there was a group working on their scuba certification while we were there.   

The tunnel entrance to the crater

This display gives an idea of what it's like inside the crater

The next morning we enjoyed a breakfast buffet at the other on site restaurant, Fanny's. After another great meal we spent some time wondering around the grounds to take in the scenery It was cold enough that we couldn't spend a lot of time outside, but here are a few pictures that show some highlights of what we saw:

The trip was definitely an unexpected surprise, and I really appreciate the effort Ruth made to make it happen. Thanks babe!