The Top 5 Off-season Activities for the Unemployed Ski Bum
By, Barclay Idsal
The off-season can be tough for locals living in a ski town. Tourism and service industries shut down, leaving many ski bums to fend for themselves for up to 6 weeks. In order to help with your shoulder season suffering, here are the “Unofficial Top 5 Off-season Activities for the Unemployed.” Because while some may hate the slow pace, I agree with Robin from Aspen Extreme when she says, “I kinda like the off-season.”
1) Cheap… Cold… Unemployed BEERS!
Some of the best times of your life can be spent on a rainy spring or fall day with a few friends, drinking heavily through happy hours that include 2 for 1 entrees and half priced drafts. Although cheap thrills are scarce this time of year, six pints of Pabst for the price of three will make you happy you stuck around instead of flying to New York to hang with your working stiff friends and drink $15 Budweisers. So crank the football or baseball (depending on the season) and keep em coming… Off-season will be over soon.
2) Moab
Utah would be the coolest state in this country if it weren’t for a certain religious group that makes up 62% of the state’s population and their 3.2% beers.
However, Moab is the ultimate home away from home for many ski town residents during their unemployed sojourns. Also drinking unemployed beers is a lot easier when the weather is warmer than 50 F.
3) Fall is About Thanksgiving and Spring is About Easter.
Holidays are a chance to give thanks, sit back, and drink Bloody Mary’s till you start peeing Zing Zang. Enjoy this time of tranquility before the winter routine of wake, work, ski, eat, and sleep takes over your days for the next 6 months.
4) See Your Family Back Home
A weekend maybe… But 6 weeks. Get real. (See Below Instead)
5) VIVA LAS VEGAS
You haven’t seen attractive strangers in a while. You haven’t spent time in a big city in years. And you want to make some money in the off-season.
Look no further than Sin City AKA Las Vegas, NV. Just grab a couple buddies and head to the “Silver State.”
Flights are cheap, drinks are free (if you spend the night at the 5 dollar black-jack table), and strange women from all over the world are looking to make bad decisions… As are you. Find the most budget airline, get a hotel off the strip, and do it big. I mean “Leaving Las Vegas” BIG. And maybe… just maybe, you come out with a big win on 36 black at 4 AM. Let’s go to Alaska!
[image credit: shutterstock]
