It’s not like we plan it in advance but it seems like the Andersons are usually among the first to arrive and the last to leave every party we attend. Fortunately for us, this habit paid off at the St. Regis Big Stars Bright Nights Concert on July 3 featuring Martina McBride at Deer Valley Resort‘s Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater.

Arriving early gave us plenty of time to find our seats, meet all of the folks sitting around us and pick up our picnic basket full of delicacies to enjoy.

Have you ever seen a beautiful blue sky and felt raindrops coming down at the same time? We did. When a few sprinkles landed on us, we noticed the locals were non-plussed. They pulled out their wraps and umbrellas to cover up until it blew over — all while the sky was still a nice, bright blue color.

It was worth the wait when Martina and her band came out and ventured away from their normal country genre to play some songs from their new album, “Everlasting.”  She sang some classics including Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds”, Sam Cook’s “Bring it on home to me,” and Etta James’ “I’ve been loving you too long.”

Though she commented on the altitude (at 7,200 feet) and having to catch her breath, we didn’t notice it when she belted out crowd favorites, “In My Daughter’s Eyes,” “Broken Wing” and, of course, “Independence Day.”

When the concert ended, the celebration continued.  Now we were fast friends with everyone around us and we all headed to the “after party,” enjoying some treats and libations.  Joined by Deer Valley guests, band members and even a few roadies, everyone kept the party going.

After chatting it up with friends, we looked around and noticed as usual, the Andersons were the last ones there.  As we hit the parking lot, we noted an added bonus. No traffic! The lot was almost empty!

Unless you have a babysitter to relieve or a lonely pet waiting for you at home, consider adopting our habit of enjoying every possible minute of a wonderful night out with the Big Stars, Bright Nights concerts. Make it a late night too, at Deer Valley Resort. Have you attended a concert at Deer Valley’s Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater? Tell me about it on Twitter @Nancy_MoneyDiva or @Deer_Valley