We locals like to claim High West Whiskey as our own but with skiing at its roots, High West owners were bound to spread the love to other ski areas. The award-winning whiskey has teamed up with Mammoth Mountain for a brand-new pop-up experience. God, I wish we did something like that here!
It all started in Park City, Utah. The High West Saloon set up the first ski-in gastro distillery in the world in 2009 and has been packed to the rafters ever since. I gave up trying to get in for après long ago. Maybe if they were able to sprawl across a mountainside, I could actually buy a Deadman’s Boot when I wanted one.
Now, High West is taking its signature après-ski experience to California at 11,053 feet. Makes me so jelly! Despite us Utahns having better all-around skiing, Mammoth Mountain parties down way better than the beehive state. Can you imagine, Vail Resorts allowing pop-up bars on their mountain? Well, Mammoth is hosting TWO High West pop-ups serving up their whiskey and cocktails to thirsty skiers through March 13, 2022.
Blue Run to the Bar Crawler
Only real powder rippers and shredders can reach this exclusive bar by heading to the backside. Soak up the beautiful vistas from the new High West snowcat bar at The Outpost, while enjoying one of three specialty High West cocktails: Old Fashioned, Horse’s Neck, and of course, the Hot Toddy. Set against the snowy surroundings, it’s the perfect respite between runs to pop off your skis. Open every Thursday–Sunday from 11AM – 2 PM.
Après-Ski Sips
End your afternoons with a cozy cocktail at The Dry Creek Bar Deck at Mammoth Mountain Inn for more High-West style hospitality. The Western-inspired Whiskey Lounge features High West specialty cocktails onsite. Open every Thursday–Sunday from 3PM – 6PM.
Games & Giveaways
Try your hand at corn hole or grab your crew for a shotski round. Then, spin the wheel for a chance to win special prizes like headbands, flasks, candles, pins and keychains. Each drink purchase includes a raffle ticket so you’ll go home with a High West souvenir from your trip.
I had no intention of going to Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash. I did Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas at Disney World some years back and thought it was pretty much a waste of money. The store bought cookies were stale and there wasn’t nothing extra special about the event except a couple of lame dance parties. There was nothing I couldn’t experience with a normal ticket. I forever after I wrote off the overpriced “special events”. The trouble was that this year I had promised Sage a trip to Disneyland in 2021 and, with the early winter coming, the year was running out.
Sage at Disneyland 2018
I purchased Hopper tickets thinking we would spend a day at Dizzyland after visiting my mom for Fall Break. Surprise. I couldn’t find an available reservation date except for Tuesday Oct. 19; the same night as The Bash. Just like skiing last year. You can buy a ticket but you can’t actually go unless you get a reservation for a particular date. With a hopper ticket, you start at one park and you can “hop” to the other at 1:00 p.m.. Here’s the rub. Depending on crowd levels, Disney may decide for you which park you can start your day in. This Tuesday, I would have to start at Disneyland and could only go to California Adventure after 1:00 p.m. Because the Bash starts at 6:00 p.m. at California Adventure, we would be forced to leave unless we had the special ticket. That’s only five hours at DCA when it is notoriously crowded because of the new Avengers Campus setting.
That’s just not worth a regular ticket. If I was going to spend $150 but not be able to to stay all night what’s the point? I might as well postpone those tickets as they are good until next December and join the party.
What Is This Oogie Boogie Bash??
Oogie Boogie Bash happens three nights a week (Tues, Thurs., Sun.) from 6 p.m- 11 p.m at Disney California Adventure from mid-September to October 31. You can’t attend without a separate special ticket. Regular Park guests are pushed out at 6 p.m. but Bash ticket holders can enter the Park at 3 p.m. They actually get three extra hours of the normal rides and attractions before the party starts. After 6 p.m., Oogie Boogie welcomes guests to explore 10 treat trails where you get to collect gobs of candy, see “villains” like Cruella, The Evil Queen or the Mad Hatter improv and chat with guests, ride attractions with half the wait times, watch a special Halloween Parade, take photo ops with a free Photo Pass download and stroll through a forest filled with spooky lights, sounds and smells. Yes, it’s totally different than a normal day at the park but with the price of admission, it doesn’t make sense to buy a regular ticket and a Bash pass. Sleep in and go to DCA in the afternoon.
Oogie Boogie Bash tickets cost $114-$169. Tickets went on sale on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, and sold out in mear weeks. If you ask most people they’ll tell you it’s impossible to get a ticket once they’re sold out. However, consider this: if you are buying something in July for an event in October, what are the chances that everyone in your party is still going to make it? Disney gets this and doesn’t want to deter people from plunking down huge amounts of money for something they might not use. They personally won’t give back your money, but you are free to recoup how you see fit. The Bash tickets are fully transferable up until the date they are activated and used. Ticket holders are permitted to pass any unused ticket to a friend or family member so they can assign the spares to anyone if they want.
How I landed two Oogie Boogie Bash tickets for the night I wanted in less than an hour
You can first check eBay, Craigslist and a site called Ticketswap. Nothing was available for Sunday October 17, but I had seen people make pleas on Facebook group pages. I searched “oogie boogie 2021” on Facebook and came across three pages that I needed to join- Disneyland Secret Society, Discount Disneyland Tickets and Oogie Boogie Bash 2021. I posted on all three that I was looking for two tickets for October 17. As I read through the comments on the pages, I saw that scammers were out of control. People lamented paying for tickets and never receiving valid ones. I myself was immediately contacted by three scammers. One even began to threaten me after I said, “I’m sorry but you appear to be a scammer and I’m not interested, thank you.” Luckily, a very nice member of one of the groups took me under her wing and showed me what the OB scams looked like and how to find a legit sale. The same member had created her own page- the Oogie Boogie Bash 2021 one. She said she uses the Discount Disney page to identify the scammers and block them from her page. There, another very nice lady responded to my post that she had tickets.
Who Do You Trust?
At this point I was wary. I was instructed to ask whoever offered to sell tickets to video chat with me because most scammers won’t be willing to go live. They’ve stolen somebody else’s profile. They would need to show the email confirmation for the Oogie Boogie Bash tickets which has a very specific header and instructions. They would need to hold it up and raise a pinky or something so that I would know it’s not a photo that they’ve copied from someone else.
Sherry and her husband immediately called to video chat. They said they saw that I was from Park City and they immediately knew I wouldn’t be scamming them. They had lived here and owned property all over town. We spoke for nearly an hour. I felt safe as well. They asked for the face-value of the tickets just to recover what they paid because some in their party couldn’t make it. We didn’t use ticketswap (which takes a fee). They emailed their vouchers and I Venmoed their money. The next morning, I connected the tickets to my Disneyland app.
Not only was it a safe experience but it was also fun! I look forward to running into this couple tomorrow at my inaugural Oogie Boogie Bash. I hope this tale helps you find tickets if you really want to attend.
Signs you are being scammed
They won’t video chat They want you to pay cash up front or half up front. She says she’s a mother and just wants to spread good karma. They get belligerent if you ask for details or a photo of the confirmation letter Their name comes up in other comments and people call them scammers. They’re trying to sell their ticket for well below face value. They don’t have a profile or their profile doesn’t match the photo that they send to you when you chat
Playing it safe, being cautious and suspicious, doesn’t make you stupid, it makes you human. Those Oogie Boogie Bash tickets aren’t cheap and who wants to be swindled out of $300 or more because of a 5-minute snap judgment with a dirtbag?
Ready to Go? Disneyland Increases Ticket Prices
I will be taking my campervan there and back so I don’t need a hotel but if you have big plans for Anaheim and Disneyland, talk to the ladies at Get Away Today. They’ll be able to hook you up with some great deals.
BTW, Disneyland just announced a last minute price increase on their theme park tickets. Yep, WAY WAY LAME. It’s not like they didn’t just raised prices. But if you hurry, you can still get last week’s pricing through Get Away Today.
By buying with them now, you can save up to $45 per ticket. Here are the details so you don’t miss out:
Save up to $45 over gate prices by booking your Disneyland tickets with Get Away Today by November 3, 2021 – If you know you’re going to go to Disneyland between now and Dec. 2022, don’t wait. Buy now.
If you don’t know when you’re going, you’ll just need to enter a general date to purchase your tickets. The date that you enter will be the date that Get Away Today sends your reminders to make theme park reservations, which are required. The date you entered is not tied to a theme park reservation and the dates you choose are flexible.
Get Away Today’s tickets are refundable, have no blackout dates (subject to theme park availability) and you can make theme park reservations 120 days in advance.
Here are the exact savings based on ticket type over current gate pricing:
Yosemite National Park’s temporary reservations system for day-use vehicle comes to an end on Friday, October 1. Good news for fall travelers hoping to explore Yosemite Mariposa County in full. That’s one less thing to worry about in your trip-planning process.
The expiration of required reservations which went into place during the pandemic comes at a great time as lodging prices drop for fall and into the winter and Yosemite National Park remains open at all entrances. Also dropping are the temperatures, which means that Yosemite will be wide open for the best time to hike the park’s hundreds of miles of trails.
Visiting Yosemite Mariposa County this autumn and winter means you’re supporting tourist-based businesses, some of which have created Special Offers to show their gratitude and help make a trip even more affordable.
Even with the end of the reservation system, trip planning is still a key component of making a vacation a memorable one for all the right reasons. There is so much to see and do that planning an itinerary in advance is key to having a great experience. Arrive at the park’s gates early and stay late to maximize your time in this natural wonder and enjoy stunning sunsets from places like Taft Point and Glacier Point.
Landscape of Mirror Lake in Yosemite National Park, California. Photo by Public Domain.https://www.goodfreephotos.com/
The Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau urges visitors to travel safely by wearing a mask, social distancing and respecting Nature’s Rules while in Yosemite Mariposa County and all outdoor destinations.
In Other Parks
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park has a 50-mile scenic drive called Going-to-the-Sun road. Driving this road is one of the most popular activities in the park and as of now it will still cost you a $2 reservation per vehicle. The rest of the park is unrestricted.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park still has a reservation system to prevent overcrowding through October 11.
The timed-entry permit system offers two kinds of permits. One gives you access to the entire park, including the Bear Lake Road Corridor. The other lets you enjoy all park sites and excursions except the Bear Lake Road Corridor.
They base reservations on parking capacity. When the lots hit 85 percent, they stop letting people in.
Ready to shake off those cobwebs and travel in 2021? As the borders begin to loosen their velvet ropes, there is still a ton of confusion surrounding restrictions, quarantines, spikes, and vaccinations. Here’s what the CDC has presented this week:
Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19. However, international travel poses additional risks and even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading new COVID-19 variants.
CDC recommends delaying international travel until you are fully vaccinated.
If you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine:
You should continue to follow CDC’s recommendations for traveling safely and get tested 3-5 days after travel.
You do NOT need to get tested before leaving the United States unless your destination requires it.
You do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.
But despite this announcement, misinformation continues to swirl around us. Here’s a quick roundup of truths and myths when it comes to traveling this spring-
You Will Need To Have A Covid Vaccine Passport To Travel
Covid “Vaccine passports” aren’t a thing, they don’t exist; at least not like those government passport blue ‘books’ you have to spend $110 on and wait an eon to receive. A vaccine passport is more like a concept where you show the vaccination card you got from the place that gave you your shot and it gets you past certain quarantine restrictions like those two-week waiting periods Hawaii had during the winter. It’s not a physical card you would have to pay for.
Furthermore, right now you could hop a plane to Mexico or Costa Rica (although it’s not recommended) without any testing or quarantine required, or proof of vaccination. Dozens of other countries, i.e. Kenya and Aruba, just ask for a recent negative test. (CNN has an up-to-date list here.)
There are a handful of countries—Belize, Ecuador, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Montenegro, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Iceland—where proof of vaccination currently allows you to bypass testing or quarantine requirements (though Iceland still requires all visitors to take a free, rapid Covid test upon arrival and quarantine until it shows negative). That list will likely grow, especially for travel to Europe, where officials just announced American travelers will be welcome this summer (exact dates/details still TBD).
But in almost all cases, unvaccinated travelers are still permitted.
BTW, free digital apps are coming —Travel Pass and CommonPass are two —that would allow you to store and flash your vaccination record so you didn’t have to worry about losing anything.
No Vaccine Means No Entry
There’s a lot of murmur out there that in order to travel internationally you’ll need proof of vaccination. Not exactly. Not one single destination has announced only vaccinated travelers can enter. What your vaccine does do is ease your entry. Many countries require a recent negative test or proof of recent infection like a positive antibody test in order to gain entry. But if you have been vaccinated, you get to bypass those requirements and step right in. Of course, restrictions vary from country to country and, with the COVID-19 variants, even fully vaccinated travelers need to pay close attention to what’s going on with their particular destination.
For example, anyone coming into the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated folks, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the US.
You Have to Be Vaccinated to Travel Within the U.S.
Not even close to being true. Hawaii is the only state that currently requires all visitors to show a recent negative COVID test before flying. Without one, travelers must quarantine for 10 days. But Hawaii plans to soon allow vaccinated travelers to bypass that requirement. The other 49 states simply ask that you stay six feet apart and recommend you wear a mask. To find out what states specifically request, sign up for alerts through the CDC or go here.
A viral TikTok video floated around the web warning Americans that their white cards were no good for travel. They would need a yellow WHO vaccine “passport” to go overseas. Phooey. There is no country in the world that has confirmed this. Your little white CDC card is solid proof of Covid vaccination. The yellow vaccine passports—International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis— is a legit product and countries like those in Africa have required it for years – but as proof of other vaccines. but zero countries require it for Covid-19.
To Be Fully Vaccinated, It Needs To Have Been At Least Two Weeks Since Your Final Injection
Yep. No getting around this one.
You’ll Need Proof Of Vaccination To Fly
If your destination doesn’t require a vaccine, neither will the airline you take to get there. That said, if you’re flying to where vaccinated travelers can bypass testing/quarantine requirements, expect the airline to ask you for proof of vaccination before your flight and when you arrive at your destination.
Kids Can’t Get A Covid Vaccine Passport
Currently in the U.S., only those over 16 can get vaccinated. (Pfizer is waiting for FDA approval to vaccinate 12-15 year olds.) If you’re traveling somewhere that lets vaccinated visitors bypass Covid requirements, your kids won’t be able to skip those. The simple solution is to have them Covid tested before departure and upon arrival. Every country that’s adopted covid vaccine passports is allowing in unvaccinated kids with a negative test.
Now that you’re clear on this stuff, on your mark, get set, go! Put those Revenge Travel panties on, along with your mask, and stop wasting away like Miss Havisham.
I once invited a guy I barely knew to take a ski trip to Canada with me. Big FREAKING mistake. You see, my boyfriend at the time bailed at the last minute and I had to punt. I didn’t want to go alone and I wanted Brad to know he wasn’t the only one in my life that could keep me company. So I asked Anthony; a guy who had been pursuing me and who seemed “nice enough”. Long story short- DO NOT EVER TRAVEL INTIMATELY WITH A STRANGER. Duh. Halfway through the trip, Anthony was sharing a hotel room with someone else and I wished he was dead. Plus, the snow sucked that year.
Traveling with family is tough enough but planning a ski trip (road or otherwise) with friends is even more risky. At least with family you are aware of the dynamics, buttons and personalities of the parties and have had practice dealing with them.
You could go it alone and I usually prefer traveling that way. But while solo adventures can be amazingly satisfying, sharing your adventures with your tribe can be even better…sla you know them before you go if you want to have the best ski trip with friends.
Together you brainstorm activities, plan and share your explorations, and split expenses. But just you wait before diving into booking that condo and lift tickets for six. Without preplanning you might find yourself without a best friend or boyfriend by the end of the trip.
The close quarters of a 6-hour drive or six-night hotel room demands compromise. Are you good at politics? Is your friend? Does one person want to plan everything while everyone else follows sheepishly? Who gets the master? On a group ski trip to Japan, I shared a hotel room with a girl who spent every day trying to sell me on her MLM health supplements, telling me that they would make me feel better and bring me more income when, no, I just needed a moment of peace and my Cup o Noodles.
Here are some ski trip tips for those who don’t want to hate each other by the time you check out.
Who’s Going On Your Ski Trip
Will this be a girls’ trip, a guys’ trip, a couples trip, a multiple-family trip? Will everyone know each other? Not everyone will like each other but you can minimize some of the drama when you vet your future bunkmates. Who snores? Who hates Trump? Who has issues with altitude? Who doesn’t drink? Who’s on a tight budget? That kind of stuff should be considered when you’re hoping for the best ski trip ever.
Plan Ahead to Have The Best Ski Trip Possible
Before you book the room, rental car, restaurants, gear, or lift tickets have an open conversation. Are you splitting the booking responsibility but sharing in all expenses? Are you going to book everything individually including the hotel rooms and meet on the hill or for dinner? Will there be down days and are you all going snowmobiling or tubing? Who would rather spa than ski? Any vegans in the group? Beginners who should be taking ski lessons so they don’t get hurt trying to keep up with more aggressive skiers? Cooking in the condo or dining at expensive restaurants? Up all night in the hottub or early to bed/early to rise? When it comes to a ski vacation, leave no stone unturned.
Compromise when taking a Ski Trip with friends
It’s likely that one member of your group will rise as the leader, especially if they are familiar with the resort or the most experienced ski traveler in the bunch but still check in with each participant so they feel included and validated.
Make sure everyone gets something they want out of the trip. Maybe someone hopes to stroll Main Street or try that hip new restaurant they read about in Forbes. Maybe one friend can’t wait to go snow tubing or someone ALWAYS gets to the lifts before they open. Try to find ways to make everyone feel like their interests are considered even if there isn’t enough time to do everything.
Don’t be afraid to split up on your Ski Trip With Friends
Even if you think you’re totally in sync, we can’t all be soulmates. Make sure everyone knows it’s okay to do your own thing so there are no hurt feelings when the time comes to split up. Besides, you’ll still be together more than apart. Plus, getting personal space provides a chance to regroup before a fight breaks out or heads explode.
Set boundaries
If you must sleep in, let your party know that you won’t be bullied into rising at 7 a.m. When you don’t want to go out to a $100 dinner every night speak up. You would be surprised how quickly the knot in your stomach forms when you are coerced into doing something that goes against your grain. If you are clear about your expectations up front it’s hard to take it personally when you shut the door in their face. Even in close quarters try to give others privacy and space.
What are the Non Negotiables?
Make sure everyone creates their “must do” checklist. Compare and see what you can do together and what you’ll need to factor in for yourself. For example, if someone wants to learn to snowboard at Park City, three others want to ski Deer Valley and one wants to hang at the condo by the fire, you can split up without anyone feeling bored, guilty, or like they’re missing out because it was on the list.
Are you ready to start planning?
We’re here to help with any questions about visiting Park City so feel free to leave comments!
