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The best mountain towns — Bend, Boulder, Jackson Hole, etc. — are never just about skiing. They’ve been thriving long enough that someone somewhere eventually started thinking, “Okay, but what else can people do here? Like… when there’s no snow?” And with that philosophy as something of a guiding light, the best of them have gone on to become full-on “adventure towns” — biking, hiking, rafting, alpine slides, and yes, in the winter, a whole lot of snow sports.

Park City is aces at this. It’s become a scene that doesn’t need winter to thrive. (Though, to be fair… boy, does it thrive in winter.)

Like other mountain towns, when you’re in Park City the magic comes from being right in the absolute thick of the adventure. That’s why when I visit the town I head to the Grand Summit Hotel at Park City Mountain Resort — literally located on the “Canyons” side of the mountain at the bottom of the chair lifts and owned by a parent company that’s in charge of running the mountain itself. In fact, when you’re in Park City it’s nearly impossible to tell where the property ends and the rest of the city begins — which means you’re staying where all the action happens.

After yet another visit to Park City Mountain Resort in the skiing shoulder season — March and April — this past year, I feel like I definitely know the lay of the land and how to get the most out of your stay. Here’s what to eat, what to do, and (perhaps most fitting for a mountain town) where to party at this “hotel we love” — whether you’re there in winter for the peak or visiting in summer to catch the sun!

WHY IT’S AWESOME:

There are skiers who like to hike into the backwoods. There are skiers who take helicopters. I love carving up a mountain, but I hate lugging my gear and having it bang into my shins. So the fact that Park City Mountain Resort is ski-in / ski-out is literally my favorite part of staying there. You’re right where the action is and shin banging is kept to a minimum. Or to put a finer point on it, the mountain is the epicenter of the fun in Park City and the property is at the epicenter of the mountain.

Having everything feel turnkey — a place to store gear, a hot tub to relax in, restaurants for any occasion — makes the idea of venturing into the city less daunting. It’s not some mission where you have to go from the mountain to your hotel then to town then to the hotel then to the mountain the next day. Steps are removed, decreasing the chances of the very famous “we skied all day then accidentally fell asleep at 7 pm, thereby missing a party night”-issue that happens on so many trips when people are trying to blend adventure and nightlife.

That’s very important because downtown Park City is where the best food and drink is found. So you’d be remiss to not venture into the city because you were too tired.

IN-HOUSE FOOD & DRINK:

Because Vail Resorts, owners of Park City Mountain Resort and the Grand Summit Hotel, administers the whole mountain, the dining options are bountiful. And I’m very happy to report that a few of them are more than “mountain hotel basic” — which is what I’d call the super hearty mountain food popular at ski lodges worldwide. You know, chili, chicken Ceasar, mac & cheese made with bacon, loaded nachos, etc.

Not that those dishes aren’t great when you’re on the mountain. But they can get redundant.

Among the on-site dining options, Lookout Cabin — perched halfway up the mountain — features a surprisingly diverse menu. I ate there twice and got a very solid ramen the first time and a classic chicken pot pie the next. The chili verde poutine and the Rocky Mountain fondue are both exactly what they sound like but also absolute highlights.

It’s not too much of a detour from the hearty mountain food vibe, but the barbecue served at Tombstone Grill is very solid. In the winter, it’s also a full-on scene — with shared picnic tables and a lot of beers getting poured. I recommend the pulled pork and brisket sandwiches and the loaded tots.

Being a ski resort, there are plenty of other options. I didn’t find one that was not useful and functional for what it was. That said, my recommendation is to do lunches on the property and dinners off-site. There are just too many good Park City restaurants to be denied.

AMENITIES:

• Six different lodging options.
• Accessibility to access ski lifts, ski school, and other guest services.
• Snowboarding and ski lessons or rentals available for additional purchase.
• Proximity to shopping (with gear shops on-site).
• Public transportation.
• Onsite laundry.
• Complimentary high-speed wireless internet.
• Restaurants and lounges.
• Room service.
• Meeting and event space.
• On-site garage parking, and valet available.
• Ski-in/Ski-out access.
• Year-round heated outdoor pool and hot tubs.
• Fitness center.
• Spa treatments.
• Ski storage.

ROOM TYPES:

Room options at Grand Summit Hotel are as follows:

• King Room
• Queen Room
• Deluxe Room
• Deluxe Studio
• Deluxe Suite (one bedroom)
• Grand Penthouse (three or four bedrooms)
• Loft (two or three bedrooms)
• Penthouse.

THE BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A 10-MINUTE WALK:

You don’t need ten minutes of walking to find the best thing to do at Park City Mountain Resort. It’s two steps from your door. It’s the mountain. In winters, the choice is obvious — ski ’til you are… about an hour away from dropping (leave a little something in the tank). Then hit the hot tub with some whiskey and recharge for a night out.

Pro Tip:

Unless you are really, really good at skiing or snowboarding, get a guide. They don’t ever make you feel like an incompetent dweeb. Instead, they help you savvy out the lay of the mountain while also 1) giving you vital tips, and 2) allowing you to skip to the front of all lines.

I got a private snowboarding instructor for myself for my first day on the mountain. My buddy, who skis, tagged along with us. Over the course of the day, we crisscrossed the whole mountain, got whisked to the front of every line, heard a ton of “stupid tourist / crazy mountain town full of cool young people” stories, and I was given three tips that immediately and dramatically improved my performance.

I literally cannot think of a better way to spend money and I think I’ll have a private instructor every time I ever ski from now on. Period.

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If you’re visiting in summer, you can take the lifts up to mountain bike down (very fun and every bit the workout of skiing or boarding in the winter) or just lift up and go hike or picnic. Also, have you ever done Alpine Slides? Because if you do visit in the summer, that’s an unmissable activity. It’s just so much fun.

Right now, all but two lifts are open for bikers.

A note on rentals:

Whether it’s skis, snowboards, or bikes — get the premium option. I promise. Save money on drinks. Or fly coach in a middle seat. Or do whatever else you need to do to save. Your gear is so tightly linked to your overall enjoyment that you should always, always go with the best possible option.

***

One more pro-tip:

Anyone who doesn’t make maximum use of the hot tub at a mountain resort is doing it wrong.

THE BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A 10-MINUTE DRIVE:

This is a terrible picture for the same reason why this next recommendation should absolutely be taken — I was drinking whiskey! High West has made a monster name for itself in the whiskey scene and a tasting at the High West Saloon is an absolute Park City “must.” Moreover, the food at High West absolutely holds the standard of the whiskey and incorporates it in fun ways. The bourbon cobbler is one of the best dessert bites I’ve tasted all year while the deviled eggs and hot chicken also shouldn’t be missed.

Of all the “scenes” in Park City — and this being a mountain town full of millionaires, there are a lot of them — the scene at High West Saloon when you score a table is perhaps the best. Everyone is happy. Everyone is feasting. It’s a whole lot of fun.

When you’re done at the saloon, there are plenty of bars sure to be popping off. It’s really just a matter of vibe and since they’re all lined up neatly next to one another just wander between them until you find someplace you like. This is a vague recommendation but trust me: it’s easy — follow the crowd.

BED GAME:

These beds (and, by extension, the rooms) are comfortable… if a little more functional than purely comfortable. The rooms are built for high traffic and accommodating people clunking around in ski gear — so almost everything is built to last more than its built for luxury, aesthetics, or pure comfort.

The pillows aren’t bad at all, but they aren’t the sorts of cloud-like down pillows that you dream of. The sheets are good and the comforters are fine. All very passable but no touches so thoughtful or unique that you think back on the sleep you got as exquisite months later.

Pro Tip:

Bring a small humidifier. The mountain air is dry and the heat is often running at night, so you’re going to get dried out — which will amplify hangovers.

Rating: 6/10

SEXINESS RATING:

Welp… Park City Mountain Resort features kids. So that’s a strike against its sexiness. It’s also not so stylized or sleek that you constantly feel titillated — that’s just not the vibe. The bathtubs are relatively shallow and mundane and the public spaces get pretty mellow pretty early.

All of that said… This is an adventure haven and adventurers are sexy and after all the adventure there’s a hot tub and hot tubs are very sexy. So it’s sort of a toss-up with the tie going to the hot tub and all the beautiful cool people.

Rating: 6/10

THE VIEWS AND PHOTO SPOTS:

The hotel isn’t a thirst trap and Instagram haven but the mountain views are beyond impeccable. Seriously, the views are so intoxicating that they’re worth the cost of the trip all on their own. From the top of the mountain, you’re able to see the entire Wasatch Valley. There’s no better IG fodder than that.

Rating: 10/10

BEST SEASON TO VISIT:

Summer is underrated for Park City. There are fewer people, tons of activities, and so much adventure on offer. That said, this is a mountain town and if you only go to a mountain town once per year, it should be winter… ish.

My actual recommendation is to go in the spring shoulder season — with a few weeks left in the season. It’s less crowded, the sun is often out, and the vibe is very high. Rooms for next season are booking up now!

IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING:

I would kill for one really cool after-hours speakeasy bar on the property. If you’re coming back from a night in Park City, you’re going to be in a cab or shuttle for 10 minutes minimum. Being able to grab a last drink in an elegant setting would be such a great finish to the evening. That’s not to say there’s not a bar on property — there is — but it’s not much of a scene.

BOOK HERE:

Click here to check availability.

INSTAGRAM IMAGES TAKEN AT PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT:

It’s been about a year-and-a-half since Armie Hammer’s career imploded, all thanks to disturbing allegations of sexual abuse and his fondness for cannibalism talk. The actor lost one role after another; his presence in the ad campaign for the already-in-the-can Death on the Nile was minimized. So when a rumor spread that he’d found himself working as a concierge in the Cayman Islands, some thought it was possible — even if it was untrue.

Variety debunked the claim, which began when a flyer was shared on Twitter by Desus & Mero producer Muna Mire, featuring a picture of a beaming Hammer along with the words “I am your personal concierge and am here to help you get the very best from your vacation,” as well as promises that he can find spots for “swimming with wild turtles.”

Well, turns out it was a joke. A hotel staffer told Variety that Hammer, who spent part of his childhood living with his family in the British territory, was merely a guest there. He’s also friends with some of the staff, some of whom made the flyer as a prank and sent it to some of the hotel’s guests, to see how much attention it would get. Turns out it got a lot.

Still, it sounded like it could have been true. Silent film star Louise Brooks was once spotted working at Saks Fifth Avenue long after her movie career went flat. Still, this is a case where fiction is stranger than fact — even if the facts are pretty strange, too.

(Via Variety)

You start with the classics if you want a firm foundation for cinema appreciation, and you only get one first film. That’s why Quentin Tarantino accidentally watched Despicable Me 2 in 15-minute chunks with his 2-year-old son Leo. Empire recently dug deep into the pulp auteur’s son’s favorites and uncovered that Tarantino is just like us.

“[My son is] pretty young, so he’s only really seen one movie,” Tarantino said. “I thought I was hitting a Minions cartoon, and I realize it’s Despicable Me Part 2. And he seemed to be interested in the opening credits, so I go, ‘Okay, I guess we’re watching Despicable Me Part 2. He gets up and he walks behind the couch, but he’s still watching the TV. We watched it for 20 minutes, until it was time for him to go to the park, and then the next day we watched another 15 minutes of it. And so, in the course of a week, in small bites, the first movie Leo ever watched was Despicable Me Part 2.”

But what did he think about it??

All the obvious jokes here are obvious, and, let’s be honest, if Tarantino’s son’s first movie were anything from his father’s oeuvre this would be a very different news story.

To further prove he’s just like every other dad trying to make it in the modern era, Tarantino said he watches a ton of Peppa Pig with Leo and likes it a lot. Calling it “the greatest British export of the decade” feels like an exaggeration, but it’s definitely a kid magnet. However, the fact that Tarantino still watches a lot of it probably means he’s never heard of Bluey. Get with the times, old man. It’s the greatest Australian export of the decade.

(via Empire)

Tim Allen has been busy. Last week he crapped all over Pixar’s Lightyear, in which Chris Evans semi-confusingly voices not exactly the same character he played in the Toy Story saga. He followed that up by ruining some people’s Independence Day weekend plans.

As per The New York Daily News, when the Home Improvement alum and noted kid-hater, pulled his yacht into the dock at a marina in Michigan on Sunday, he did so while his vessel was leaking fuel all over the place. Allen didn’t notice that the fuel filter gasket had popped out until he rounded a corner in the bay, and he didn’t notice the mess he’d made until someone pointed it out.

By the time Allen, who grew up in the Wolverine State, was done, somewhere between 30 and 50 gallons of diesel had spilled into the water. As a result, the marina as well as a nearby beach had to be shut down for about 12 hours.

Allen didn’t only ruin people’s holiday weekend plans. The accident also claimed the lives of a family of ducks. However, it’s expected that the leaked fuel won’t cause any lasting environmental damage. It’s reported that Allen will be paying for the clean-up. Celebrities! You can’t take them anywhere.

(Via NY Daily News)

These days, the GOP is falling all over themselves to outdo each other with outrageous ads involving guns. Lauren Boebert’s “I will carry my Glock” ad comes to mind, as does Marjorie Taylor Greene’s assault weapon giveaway video, and it’s no wonder that SNL roasted this routine all over the place. Then there’s the more recent example of Eric Greitens (yep, the ousted Missouri ex-governor) pretending to “hunt” RINOs in his own ad, but another candidate out of Arizona feels intent upon outdoing them all.

Jerone Davison, a GOP candidate out of Arizona, unleashed a bizarre ad, in which he fends off a group of “angry Democrats in Klan hoods.” There’s a Negan-style baseball bat in there, of course, and it’s not quite clear why he’s putting Dems in outfits that symbolize white supremacy, but alright. Davison’s stance, apparently, is that assault rifles and a sh*t-ton of ammunition are necessary. “When this rifle is the only thing standing between your family and a dozen angry Democrats, you just might need that semi-automatic and all 30 rounds.” This ad is truly something to behold.

Given the proliferation of mass shootings in America, the timing was never going to be fantastic for an ad like this to arrive. It feels particularly ill-advised after a lone gunman brandished an AR-15-style rifle at a 4th of July parade near Chicago, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more.

Prepare your eyeballs for the unadulterated intensity that is Genndy Tartakovsky‘s Primal. Now in convenient trailer form just in time for the launch of the second season on Adult Swim.

The pre-historic fantasy series features a Neanderthal and Tyrannosaurus bound together by tragedy, revenge, and survival. The first season featured primitive witches, ape-people, and a host of bizarre, dinosaur-like animals as the caveman and dino pal traversed their strange planet. As ever, Tartakovsky stands in a class all his own in crafting an epic adventure-of-the-week as well as an enduring and enviable friendship between two unlikely allies. The animation is astonishing, and that trend continues here with what brief snippets we’re allowed in the trailer. A massive brachiosaur leaping into a field of lava spray! Hitching a ride on a huge vulture thing! Some kind of gargantuan, throned being with ungainly horns! The epic streak continues.

Thankfully it doesn’t dip into the plot at all, leaving that as ours to unwrap with each new episode. We’re not the only ones excited. Even our old pal Alan Sepinwall is begging to know when July 21st gets here:

That’s because, you guessed it, the second season of Primal lands on Adult Swim July 21st and on HBO Max the next day. For those who haven’t seen it, that leaves plenty of time to binge it and fall in love.

The Washington Wizards will keep Bradley Beal in town for quite a while. Despite seeing his name kicked around in trade rumors for years as the team has attempted to get back to being a consistent playoff squad in the Eastern Conference, Beal agreed to a 5-year supermax extension with the team that will pay him $251 million over the life of the deal.

Thanks to Bobby Marks of ESPN, we’re starting to learn some of the little details that come with the deal, and as it turns out, Beal might be the star who has the most secure future in the league right now. Marks brings word that Beal’s contract includes a true no-trade clause, making him the only such player in the NBA who has one in his contract.

Marks went on to note that Beal is the 10th player in NBA history to receive one of these in a contract, something that was confirmed by Marc Stein. Additionally, Marks noted that Beal has a hefty trade kicker should he sign off on a deal, while his contract includes a player option ahead of year five — he’ll have to make that decision ahead of the 2026-27 season, when he will be 33 and is projected to make a little more than $57 million.

This, of course, does not mean Beal is guaranteed to stay with the Wizards until his career ends, he simply has a whole heck of a lot of control over his future over the life of this deal.

At some point, all kids lose their teeth and usually that comes with a few coins or dollars under your pillow. But 6-year-old Lena’s tooth fell out at 35,000 feet, which prompted the sweetest gesture from the pilot. Good Morning America shared the story, and it’s so cute, we had to share as well.

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Lena and her mom, Lauren Larmon, were recently on a flight from New York to South Carolina when the little girl fell asleep and awoke to a missing tooth. She was in a bit of a panic. Do tooth fairies even fly coach? Lena told Good Morning America, “I was sleeping on the airplane. My mom woke me up…and we were going to go pick our suitcases up. And I said, ‘Mommy, mommy, I think my tooth fell out.’”

Having a wiggly tooth doesn’t always mean the tooth is ready to fall out, so it was a surprise to Lena after going through a few long travel days. When they realized Lena was missing one of her bottom teeth, the mother and daughter tried to get back on the plane but security had closed the doors. Lena told GMA that she was “very emotional” and “crying” due to her tooth likely still being on the plane. She said “I was like, ‘We’re never gonna find my tooth again!’”

See on Instagram

Turns out, Lena wouldn’t have to find her tooth to get her special visit from the tooth fairy. The United Airlines pilot of the flight she was on, Captain Josh Duchow, swooped in to save the day. “Captain Josh,” as Lena calls him, offered to write the tooth fairy a letter explaining why there would be no tooth under the 6-year-old’s pillow that night. The note read, “Dear Tooth Fairy, Lena had a tooth fall out on our flight to Greenville, please take this note in place of her tooth.” It was signed “Captain Josh.”

Surely the tooth fairy will take the word of an airline captain. Tooth fairies may not need planes, but for people who do, who better to trust than the captain of the flight? To Lena’s delight, the tooth fairy accepted the note from Duchow and Lena received a note in response, according to GMA. The response read, “Lena, it is OK that you have lost your tooth on the airplane. I will get it. Keep brushing.”

Larmon shared the story about the letter-writing pilot to her Facebook and Instagram pages, where her caption read, “In a world full of bad airline stories, @united came through when Lena fell asleep on her flight home and woke up without a tooth. Very concerned that The Tooth Fairy would not show up because the tooth is somewhere on the airplane, the pilot saw Lena trying to go back through security to get her tooth and helped her out. Thank you, Captain Josh! I’m sure the Tooth Fairy will accept this note in lieu of a tiny tooth. ✈️”

This is just the sweetest interaction between a quick-thinking pilot and an upset child. We’re so happy the tooth fairy was understanding and we’re sure Lena will take the tooth fairy’s advice to “keep brushing.”

It has been a while since we last heard any updates on the still-upcoming YNW Melly murder trial, but a preliminary hearing today yielded at least some information. We now know, according to XXL, no matter what the outcome, Melly won’t see the death penalty. After hearing out both sides, the judge in the case decided that the death penalty would be off the table should Melly — real name Jamell Demons — be convicted of murdering his associates Chris Thomas and Anthony Williams.

Melly is charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors say that he and fellow rapper Cortlen Henry shot both Thomas and Williams inside of a vehicle, then drove them to the Miramar Memorial Hospital, where they claimed they were shot in a drive-by on October 26 of 2018. After a four-month investigation, police arrested Demons and Bortlen in February 2019. Melly has remained in jail without bond since; Bortlen was released on bond in 2020 but was arrested again for a probation violation in April 2021. Melly was also denied an early release for a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Melly has since pled not guilty and the trial has been pushed back repeatedly as the defense and prosecution battle over what evidence to admit/omit and a contentious jury selection process. Melly’s mother posted about today’s ruling on Instagram, expressing thanks for the removal of the possibility of the harshest sentence.

Hailing from a rural western Kentucky town, rocker S.G. Goodman is here to subvert your expectations about Southern songwriters. A progressive queer woman who grew up on a farm in a church-going household, Goodman offers her take on country-twinged folk rock on Teeth Marks. The result is a hard-rocking and heart-tugging 11-track effort that preserves tradition while breaking boundaries.

Her twangy debut album Old Time Feeling quietly arrived in 2020, but with her self-produced sophomore LP Teeth Marks, Goodman takes her pastoral and anthemic songwriting to the next level. Infused with country spirit, Goodman sings of crop fires and choirs of cicadas in the summer. But Teeth Marks also touches on existential quandaries like the harm of lifelong labor and coping with the aftermath of losing a loved one to addiction and suicide.

To celebrate the release of Teeth Marks, Goodman sat down with Uproxx to talk about music, her love of old pugs, and adopting a deaf cat for our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Available to stream now.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

Well, hopefully I won’t be dead in 2050 and I can encourage them to check out my newest record entitled, I’m Still here!

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

My favorite city to perform in would be Murray, KY because I can sleep in my own bed.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Alan Jackson, because of music videos.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

At my Nana’s kitchen table.

What album do you know every word to?

Absolutely none. I have a hard time remembering my own lyrics.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

I saw Mavis Staples in New York a while back. She’s my hero.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

This is a tricky question. I have a couple of suits. It seemed like a great idea because I always know what I’m wearing, and they allow me to pack light. However, you can’t clean them easily, and you have to be creative not to smell like ass. Don’t come near me, thanks.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

I like to follow senior pug accounts. One day when I’m retired, I will adopt a couple of old pugs and name them Mawmaw and Pawpaw.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

“Roll-On Eighteen Wheeler” by Alabama. Go ahead and feel sorry for my band.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

How to know if the capacitor is out on an air conditioning unit.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

My label would like me to answer, Teeth Marks by S.G. Goodman. Thanks!

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

I think this question would be easier to answer if it was asking about the dirtiest place instead of weirdest.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

I have three little red birds drawn in a childlike manner on my wrist. It’s a southern belief that when redbirds appear, it’s someone you have lost bringing you comfort.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Waylon Jennings.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

People do nice things for me every day. This question is impossible to answer. #blessed

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Don’t adopt a deaf cat. You will love him, but he will ruin all of your furniture and you won’t be able to afford more.

What’s the last show you went to?

I saw The Chats play in Brooklyn, NY at Warsaw. It was everything I needed.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

I don’t own a TV.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I never hide my talents.

Teeth Marks is out now via Verve Forecast. Get it here.