Destination:
Brighton, Utah
Brighton is free to park but Ikon holders must have reservations. You can park and tailgate in the lot and it’s fine, if you get there fairly early you’ll definitely get a spot but the parking lot can fill up quickly on weekends and powder days. You can go to the main base area or go to the Milly Express which is Northwest a few hundred feet.
Overnight Parking – I park in the Walmart parking lot in Sandy, near the bus lines and Midvale stations. You’ll see other bums in their vehicles at this Walmart and there are several coffee places around. It’s also handy because it’s a Walmart and you can buy lots of stuff there if you need it. I will say, there are tons of signs about not allowing overnight parking at the resorts and in the canyons. You can try, but it seems like it may result in a cop tapping on your window. You may be able to park in the Brighton lot, but the other lots are basically off limits.
Bathing – There are tons of community rec centers, some have changed their operations due to covid but many charge just $1 or $2 for a shower and between $4-$5.50 for a day use pass. Cottonwood Rec Center near the entrance to the canyons was $1 for a shower and $5.50 for a day use. Copperview was $4 for using it and $2 for a shower but they had closed the locker rooms due to Covid.
Happy Hours – Let me tell you something about Utah: it’s a medieval, barbaric desert hell when it comes to crushing crispy boys. There are no happy hours allowed in Utah. However, restaurants can basically devote whole days to reduced prices. Our go-to was Chilis, you can get cheap beer on Sundays and they have cheap appetizers as well. Don’t forget to sign up for their rewards program because you get a free basket of chips if you do. Buffalo Wild Wings does a BOGO free wing thing on Tuesdays and Thursdays with $3 beers. There is a small chain of bars called “Bout Time” and one is at the base of the canyons. These places are cool, they have $3 pints of their house beer (Golden ale or IPA) or $4 steins. The steins are big and the beer is really pretty good. The food wasn’t bad either, however I don’t recall the food being discounted at a certain time.
Latest Posts
15 Romantic Getaways in the Southeast US
Planning a romantic weekend getaway in the southeast? You have probably heard of amazing (and popular) spots like Savannah and Charleston. While they are must visit spots if you haven't been, at this point those two cities are overrun with bachelorette parties, golf...
US Ski Resorts With The Highest Annual Snowfall
Those who love to ski and snowboard know that the best time to do so is when the powder is fresh. There is nothing quite like the feeling of knifing through a fresh mountain of snow with your skis or tablet, that was not made by a machine. We have outlined a list of...
Visitor’s Guide – Salzburg Austria
The country of Austria is often forgotten by backpackers as it sits between two hotbeds of nomad activity: southern Germany, with the Alps and incredible English Gardens of Munich and Budapest with its combo of the cheapness/funness/unknown. I think that is because...
Harvey Falcon Visits Prague
Everyone knows of the mythical and magical Czech capital of Prague. It first came on my radar when watching the original installment of my all time favorite movie franchise: Mission Impossible 1. Watching Tom Cruise run across the Charles Bridge with all the fog...
Harvey Falcon Visits Lucern, Switzerland
Lucerne (Luzern in German) sits in the dead center of the country of Switzerland on Lucerne Lake. Every major city in Switzerland sits on a huge lake, with the exception of Basel and Bern, though those two have the Rhine and Aare Rivers running through them. Lucerne...
Visiting Bern Switzerland
The debate over which is the best city in Switzerland is officially over. It’s Bern, the de facto capital of Switzerland. Bern is located in the center of the country, a three hour train ride to every corner of this mountainous paradise. The old town is fairly small...
Guide to Visiting Zurich Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland is on the short list of my favorite cities in Europe (the other contenders include: Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, Helsinki, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Athens, Lisbon, Salzburg, Budapest, Brasov, and Bruges - Moscow and Istanbul if you count those too). The...
The Harvey Falcon Guide to Visiting Switzerland
Ever since my first visit to Zurich in 2015 I have maintained that the entire world would move to this paradise if it weren't so goddamn expensive. On my two subsequent trips to Switzerland, there has been nothing to sway my mind off this take. I have since seen...
Guide to Visiting Karlovy Vary and Brno Czech Republic
I cannot tell you exactly why I became so fascinated with this beautiful town in the western hills of Czechia. The more research I did into it, the cooler it seemed. Karlovy Vary is the 22nd largest city in the Czech Republic (according to Wikipedia), a country with a...
The Harvey Falcon Guide to the Sziget Festival
If you google "biggest festivals in the world" the results will yield four festivals that are not really music festivals. They're one day events like Street Parade in Zurich every July or Summerfest in Milwaukee, USA. I have been to the latter and it ends at 10 PM...
Quick Links
Other Destinations
- Jackson Hole, WY
- Big Sky, MT
- Taos, NM
- Mt Something
Van Living Tips
If you are dreaming of fresh pow and the freedom of the road then you might need to buy a van and head to the mountains. We want to be a resource for anyone looking to bum it at ski resorts across North America. Van living tips, destination guides and experienced recommendations. Live the Ski Bum/Van Life