Vegas, SLC, Sun Valley

The winter season is in full gear and we’re living our best life! Sharing some highlights of the last month(ish)…

Skiing:

• Solitude (Utah) – Unlimited on the Ikon pass, this is our bread and butter. They open their lifts at different times (staggered openings) so on a powder day you can game the system and get fresh lines all day!
• Brighton (Utah)- Right next to Solitude, they have night skiing and some killer terrain on the edges of the map for powder stashes long after the storm and some gated terrain for those of us looking to get spicy.
• Sun Valley (Idaho) – World class! Just far enough from the rest of the world to keep the crowds away. Plenty of parking, super nice lodges, and a 3,300 vertical foot lift/ski run — the biggest I’ve ever seen!
• Deer Valley (Utah) – Just as fancy as Sun Valley but even bigger (but no 3k run). Soon they’ll be doubling the size of this resort, which is pretty unbelievable. They keep the crowds away with a reservation system so you never have to wait in a line all day!
• Backcountry in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons (Utah) – This zone is what made us fall in love with Utah. We’ve been re-skiing our favorites and checking out new summits. I’ll probably write more on this later in the season. For now, check out last year’s backcountry adventures in Big Cottonwood here: snackboxtravels.com/blog/utahbc/

Top Housesits – Houses:

• Sun Valley, ID – Incredible mansion walking distance to town. Their sons were Olympic-level ski jumpers and their house was outfitted with all the modern accoutrements.
• Holladay, UT – Complete with it’s own fancy entry gate, my favorite feature was a top of the line massage chair that Stacey had to pry me out of.
• Park City, UT – Overlooking Park City resort, this is probably the fanciest home I’ve ever stepped foot in. From the $300K sound system to the $10K toilet, every feature was the best money could buy!

Top Housesits – Pets:

• Kali – An award-winning blue ribbon dog. Her best trick is if you say, “What’s a dog doing in the kitchen?” she slinks over to her bed and sits patiently.
• Mini & Daisy – Two pygmy goats that would follow me around the yard like dogs. One flapping it’s tongue in a crazed manner. Five stars.
• Twiggy – Stacey’s favorite dog ever. Very sweet, smart, and doesn’t shed. She even let her sleep in the bed!

Other Fun Stuff:

• Viva Las Vegas! Joined Don (Stacey’s Dad) in Las Vegas for his birthday. We broke even on gambling (or up if you count the free drinks!), ventured the new and old strips, and rode the High Roller for the first time
• The Skiweegie – My ridiculous ski basket project continues to occupy my time. I’m getting close to a final product and am starting to give out baskets to testers! You can follow along here: snackboxtravels.com/jds-stuff/skiweegie/
• RV Show – We visited the RV show in SLC and had a blast seeing all the different types of RVs and new features. We’re still happy with our little camper, but it’s fun to see what’s out there.
• SLC Exploration – Housesitting has provided the perfect outlet for us to explore this whole city, as we bounce from neighborhood to neighborhood checking out the local scene (restaurants, breweries, ski shops, and even escape rooms).