Salt Lake City
Brighton Ski Resort - Lagoon Amusement Park
Red Iguana -
Settebello
Friday March 31st - Monday April 3rd, 2017
Click each picture to make it bigger, then back to return here.
Prelude - Robert visited Salt Lake City, went skiing one day (22 degrees) and rode roller coasters the next (50 degrees).
Day 1 - Friday March 31st, 2017 - Here I am blasting off from FLL on American. Stopped in Dallas and continued on to SLC.
This is where I stayed for 3 nights, the
Laquinta Salt Lake City Airport. I've stayed here before.
They have a free shuttle that runs to/from the airport. This let me
return the rental car a day early.
http://www.lq.com
I rented my ski equipment from Canyon Sports. Then I headed
to Costco and bought a discounted Lagoon ticket for $46.99.
http://www.canyonsports.com/
Day 2 - Saturday April 1st - Here I am arriving Brighton ski resort. The temperature was 22 degrees. In the afternoon it warmed up to 50. The mountain faces to the north, that's one reason why people can ski here so late in the season. Brighton is where the locals ski. It's a no frills resort that cost less than Park City or Deer Valley. My single day ticket to ski here was $76 purchased at Canyon Sports when I rented my equipment. The mountain is made up of 4 peaks. Not as big as the major resorts, but plenty of trails to ski.
The resort opened at 9am and I was in the first group up. No crowds and groomed trails (Corduroy) which is the grooved lines in the snow.
Stunning views from the top of the Snake Creek lift. Everyone stops and snaps a few pictures.
My thoughts on Brighton. Great resort, no frills, cost less than the majors. However, the runs are shorter, which means you'll be spending more time on the lifts. The Crest Express is the most crowded since it's at the base. I enjoyed the Snake Creek lift the most as there were less crowds on that side of the mountain.
Can it be? Yes it is, the Red Iguana.
I came here at 2pm on a Saturday, and the place was full.
However since I was a single, they had a small table available for me and I went
in. I ordered the same thing as the previous year.
Pictures of chips with mole sauce, veggie fajitas, salsa with guac, and a side
of rice. I ate half, and took half back to the hotel to eat later.
All of that for $15.30 plus tip, amazing. It's funny
because most places that have been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives tend
to drop off and become average. However, the Red Iguana has stayed
at the top of the review sites, and the crowd waiting out front proves it.
http://rediguana.com/
Day 3 - Sunday April 2nd - Here I am at Lagoon Amusement Park. It was 50 degrees out with a cold front passing through. This dropped the temps to 45 degrees with a light rain. However, the rides were operating.
This is main reason I came here, to ride Cannibal.
This ride appeared on the GTA "The List" at the end of 2016.
This meant I needed to ride it, which I did making my bucket list current.
Top USA Steel Coaster Bucket
List
When the park opened, Cannibal was not operating. Would this be similar to Lightning Rod with the problems? Did I fly all the way here for nothing? No. I went on the other coasters, and Cannibal opened an hour later. I got 2 rides and checked this coaster off my bucket list. How was the ride? Good, but not my favorite type of ride. This is a carnival coaster on steroids. An elevator lift takes riders to the top, then drops them beyond verticle of 116 degrees, this is the best part of the ride. An out and back twice, then an inline twist which they call a "Lagoon Roll." This is the part of the ride I didn't like because I was hanging upside down. A helix and the ride is over. Lucky for me my wallet, keys, and phone were in a zipper pocket of my ski jacket. This ride eats cell phones, as they have many signs warning people to put valuables in a locker. Cannibal is 208 feet tall, 2,735 feet in length, 70 mph, 116 degree first drop.
If you like carnival rides, Lagoon is your park, because the other coasters are this type. WIcked and Cannibal have the same restraint system. It locks down hard if you don't hold the handles and push forward.
Moochies was closed since it was Sunday.
Turns out many food places were closed. However I found Settebello
in Station Park Mall on the west side of I-15 across from Lagoon.
http://settebello.net/Menu.php
This is a chain franchise located in CA, NV, and UT.
I ordered a beet salad and a margherita pizza, tasted great. That night I returned the rental car and took the free shuttle back to the La Quinta. It picks up at door number 6. When you get to the airport, call this number and request a pickup. 1-801-366-4444. The driver will show up 10 minutes later and take you back to the hotel.
Day 4 - Monday April 3rd - Checked out of the La Quinta and took the shuttle to the airport at 04:30am. My flight boarded at 05:18am and pushed back at 05:48am. The plane landed in Dallas (DFW) where I connected to the next flight which arrived FLL at 2pm.
Observations: Great trip visiting Brighton and riding Cannibal at Lagoon. Amazing that one day I'm skiing, the next I'm riding coasters.
End of Report. Thanks for reading.
Email me at skiguy777@bellsouth.net.