The definitive guide to skiing, travel and living a life of freedom.
Harvey Falcon Visits Prague
Everyone knows of the mythical and magical Czech capital of Prague. It first came on my radar when watching the original installment of my all time favorite movie franchise: Mission Impossible 1. Watching Tom Cruise run across the Charles Bridge with all the fog...
Harvey Falcon Visits Lucern, Switzerland
Lucerne (Luzern in German) sits in the dead center of the country of Switzerland on Lucerne Lake. Every major city in Switzerland sits on a huge lake, with the exception of Basel and Bern, though those two have the Rhine and Aare Rivers running through them. Lucerne...
Visiting Bern Switzerland
The debate over which is the best city in Switzerland is officially over. It’s Bern, the de facto capital of Switzerland. Bern is located in the center of the country, a three hour train ride to every corner of this mountainous paradise. The old town is fairly small...
Undeniable Freedom. Affordable Living.
We are big fans of van living, and feel there is no better way to get a sense of adventure, see a ton of the country, and ski your ass off for a better price. We at SB/VL want to empower as many people as possible to embrace the lifestyle and get out and see some cool stuff.
Looking to start a van adventure but don't know where to start?
Wondering how you can live on the cheap in ski resorts?
Want tips on how to wire up a van for proper living?
Want an idea of how to plan your ski journey?
Hiking + Travel Guides
We not only want to be a guide for you on skiing and van living, but we have some other travel and hiking guides that we think are helpful and fun. From Hiking Acadia to spending the perfect 3 days in Charleston, SC we have been tons of places and would love to share some great advice, pictures, tips, and picks.
Find your next adventure in our hiking and travel guides.
Blog
Guide to Visiting Zurich Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland is on the short list of my favorite cities in Europe (the other contenders include: Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, Helsinki, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Athens, Lisbon, Salzburg, Budapest, Brasov, and Bruges - Moscow and Istanbul if you count those too). The...
The Harvey Falcon Guide to Visiting Switzerland
Ever since my first visit to Zurich in 2015 I have maintained that the entire world would move to this paradise if it weren't so goddamn expensive. On my two subsequent trips to Switzerland, there has been nothing to sway my mind off this take. I have since seen...
Guide to Visiting Karlovy Vary and Brno Czech Republic
I cannot tell you exactly why I became so fascinated with this beautiful town in the western hills of Czechia. The more research I did into it, the cooler it seemed. Karlovy Vary is the 22nd largest city in the Czech Republic (according to Wikipedia), a country with a...
The Harvey Falcon Guide to the Sziget Festival
If you google "biggest festivals in the world" the results will yield four festivals that are not really music festivals. They're one day events like Street Parade in Zurich every July or Summerfest in Milwaukee, USA. I have been to the latter and it ends at 10 PM...
Harvey’s Guide to Visiting Romania
One of the highlights of Eastern Europe is undoubtedly Romania. Tucked in a forgotten corner of Europe and bordering a multitude of different kinds of countries, Romania is a diverse place with some incredible features of its own. Although I am partial to the smaller...
Harvey’s Guide to Visiting Czech Republic
Nothing in the Czech Republic is very big. The cities, doused in incredible history, are all pretty close together and not large, even by European standards. The nation that was formerly a region of Europe known as Bohemia (when a neighborhood around the world is...
Aspen
One of the most famous resort towns on earth, get our take on Aspen, CO.
Arapahoe Basin
A long season + great local vibes make this a good stop on your journey.
Copper Mountain
Naturally divided terrain and a mix of amenities make this a great stop.
Big Sky
The ultimate outdoor paradise, tons of activites along with great skiing.
About Us
With the introduction of passes such as Epic, Ikon and Mountain Collective among others; chasing powski and discovering new ski resorts has been foremost on many people’s minds. Much to the chagrin of the local population, we descend on the resorts like biblical-era locust plagues to devour the freshies and overpay for beer.
However, despite a healthy (and growing) population of van, truck, SUV and the occasional Subaru dwellers, many people are hesitant to take the plunge. Why? Because they’re crybaby candyasses who couldn’t last a subzero night in their vehicle while their breath instantly freezes to the inside of the windows? Maybe, or just maybe they don’t know where to start. That’s where we come in, with roughly 2 seasons of van-living knowledge I will impart on you wisdom gleaned from the ultimate transient lifestyle.
Frank by the legendary Toyata Sienna
Welcome all, my name is Frank Buchanan and I love slumming it in a van. I don’t have to bathe that much and I can justify multiple apres beers due to not paying for lodging. My girlfriend, who is a saint if you’re reading this Michele, and I bought a van in December of 2019 after a 4 month trip in Asia. We got a 2009 Toyota Sienna minivan then drove to my father’s in Florida to outfit it before heading to Denver, slapping some snow tires on it and then finally going to the mountains. We traveled around until March 15, 2020 when Covid shut the ski industry (re. world) down and we limped back to Houston, Tx with our tails between our legs. Well 2021 was the triumphant return of myself and the van back into the Mountain West region. Let’s get started on the burning questions everyone has.
I use an Ikon pass but many times the principles, locations and fun overlap and sometimes they don’t. Park City? Park in Salt Lake or just in the grocery store parking lot, same as the Ikon resorts. Vail? I don’t know a thing about Vail except pack toe warmers so you don’t get frostbite in your hour lift lines you fucking animals. Regardless, I’m putting a comprehensive list together for what I do know and you guys can interpret it how you will.
Read fun, adventurous travel guides from our secret correspondant, Harvey Falcon. Harvey is a man on a mission to live life to it’s fullest and shares advice, guides, and stories like meeting icelandic girls in a hostel in Spain to playing one of the most beautiful golf courses on the island of Rhodes. Read his blog by clicking the banner above.
