Winter Park Hill Climb Kick Off Race

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Chris

The Winter Park Mountain Bike Race Series kicks off Saturday June 13, 2009 with hill climb race 1. The course is a 5.3 mile non technical climb with a 2,062 foot gain in elevation. Race starts at Winter Park Resort with the finish line at the top of Mary Jane at Lunch Rock. Views from the top are fantastic looking down on the Frazer Valley and the Continental Divide. Here is a topo of the course. Race times start at 10:00AM and each division three minutes after. Check in starts at 8:00AM. This is a great way to start off the Mountain Bike Series. It’s a great ride that is not technical to start off the mountain bike season.

2009 is the 17th year of The Winter Park Mountain Bike Series and it is the largest in Colorado. Make a great weekend and ride some of the 600 plus miles of mountain bike trails before or after the race or just soak your sore legs in a hot tub!

Mention you saw Winter Park Lodging by Owners Winter Park Hill Climb Race blog and receive 15% off of your lodging.

New Lodging at Winter Park Lodging by Owner

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Chris

Winter Park lodging has added two new properties, Sawmill 104 and Telemark 588. These are both very nice and classy properties to get away to your Winter Park vacation! We are looking to add a few new properties this summer and drop a couple also. We will keep you updated with the new properties as they are added. Summer is coming upon us quickly so don’t put off getting your vacation lodging. Winter Park Jazz fest 2009, The Fat Tire Classic and the Winter Park Blues Festival are all going quickly. Don’t delay book today!

Grand Elk Golf Course Set to Open May 2, 2009

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Chris

Grand Elk golf club will open May 2, 2009. Mike Ritter, PGA Golf Pro at Grand Elk, thinks the course will be better than last year as it has another year to mature. The Grand Elk Player’s Club will be available again in 2009. Program is $150 registeration and this includes first round of gold and deep golf discounts for the season. The Grand Elk Club Championship will be held August 15th - 16th, 2009. Check Grand Elk for rates or online tee times.

Mention that you saw in Winter Park Lodging by Owners (WPLBO) Grand Elk Golf blog post and receive 15% off your lodging.

Hot Sulphur Springs Mineral Baths

Posted on April 24, 2009 by Chris

Have any of Y’all been out to Hot Sulphur Springs to relax in the mineral baths? What a fantastic place! These baths were originally discoverd by the Ute Indians who believed that they held natural healing powers. Then they were acquired by William Byers, of Byers Peak fame, and the pools were turned into a resort that has been operating for the last 140 years.

There are 22 pools varying in temperature from 95F to 112F. No chemicals are added nor is the water re-circulated or filtered. The water is drinkable straight from the springs if you can deal with some really hot water. Tea anyone?

There is a coupon on the resort’s website to save you a little bit of cash if heading that way. The pools are located in Hot Sulpher Springs, very original name, which is Grand County’s county seat. Just on the other side of the town is Byers Canyon. If heading to the mineral baths I recommend taking a drive through the canyon as it is breath taking in it’s beauty. Continue west after the canyon and you will come to Parshall, population 48. Here in the middle of nowhere sits the Parshall Inn. A very cool old bar that serves up one of the best burgers in Colorado. The place has been remodeled in recent years and is very family friendly. Great place to quaff a few beers down after lounging in the hot springs.

This makes for a very fun day trip from Winter Park or Fraser.

Winter Park Spring Splash 09

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Chris

Dance, Dance, Dance

The C-lot at the base of Mary Jane once again did not disappoint on the last day of the season. Affectionately known as “Splash” – the alternative to the official Spring Splash at the base of Winter Park (sponsored by Coca-Cola), all of the locals and Winter Park diehards dress in their best costume and hang out for the afternoon in the parking lot.

We put our shoes and food in a friend’s car the night before which was already parked in the c-lot. We arrived that night to find bonfires and camper vans filled with the true diehards. We on the other hand slept in our homes, skied in the morning (with a wig and Steelers jersey) and arrived to celebrate a great season by 1pm.

I actually skied in this

The photo opportunities were endless so we’ll be posting more this month. It turned out to be another gorgeous last day of ski season and this time with tons of powder to boot!

Winter Park Ski Tain Ends Service

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Chris

The Winter Park Ski Train has made its last run from Denver to Winter Park. After 69 years of bringing Front Range skiers up to the mountain slopes, service has ended with the train being sold to Canadian firm Algoma Central Railway Inc. The firm is owned by the Canadian National Railway Company. The company operates a ski train from its headquarters in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario were the train will be relocated. The train has been owned by the Ansco Investment Group a subsidairy of the Anschutz Co . Reasons for the sale of the line, first run in 1940, was non-profitability and future concerns with the redevelopment and use of Denver’s Union Station. The sale will cancel all summer trips previously scheduled. The trains last run was March 29, 2009.

During the 1997 Summit of the Eight meeting of world leaders in Denver hosted by President Bill Clinton, first lady Hillary Clinton hosted a trip up to Winter Park on the Ski Train for the spouses of other leaders attending the summit.

The closing of the train will be a blow to skiing enthusiasts who counted on the Ski Train for their trip up to Winter Park. The downside of the Ski Train had been that all trips up Winter Park had to be single day adventures. There was no way to book a trip with a stay of a night or two at the resort without paying for two roundtrip tickets. For those still wanting to travel by train to Winter Park can still take Amtrak service that runs from Denver’s Union Station to Fraser.

Winter Park Live Music Thursdays in Hideaway Park

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Chris

The highnote music series is back at Hideaway Park in the town of Winter Park this year. Thursday nights through July and August come out to watch some great live music up in the Rocky Mountains. Each performance starts at around 6PM and will end around 8PM. Great fun to bring a picnic, some beer or wine and relax and best of all it’s free. The schedule is as follows:

July 2 - Quemando Band, an eleven piece orchestra that does traditional and contemporary salsa.
July 9 – Tempa and The Tantrums, a Denver blues favorite that has been compared to Aretha Frankln and Bonnie Raitt.
July 16 – Cedar Ridge Ramblers, a local bluegrass band that are Winter Park crowd pleasers.
July 23 – Jennifer Lane, promoting her new album In a Magazine.
July 30 – Kort McCumberland & The Kumberland Gap, Americana music that is a little folk, country, blues and bluegrass.
August 6 – An Italian band to be named.
August 13 – Slopeside, the front range rock band that plays most of the roadhouses in the denver area.
August 20 – Hunker Down, playing their special blend of bluegrass they have dubbed “stewwed romp grass”.

So get your picnic baskets and blankets ready and come out to listen to some great music.

Mud Season is Here!

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Amy

open

Just because it’s mud season in the Valley doesn’t mean there’s no where to eat. There are still plenty of restaurants that aren’t closing down. I’m sure I’ve missed some, but here a few who are staying open…The Pub, Smokin’ Moe’s, Deno’s, Cheeky Monk, Pizz Hut, New Hong Kong, Star of India, Fraser Thai, and Hernando’s.

Some other places are just closing for a few weeks. Here is a list of when they plan to reopen…Mirasol Cantina- reopens May 11, Sushi Bar- reopens May 6, Green Olive-reopens May 22, Untamed- reopens May 16, Carlos and Maria’s- closed May 6-15, Randi’s- reopens May 4, Tabernash Tavern- reopens April 30. The Tabernash Tavern at the Iron Horse will be closed for the summer.

Whitewater Rafting in Winter Park

Posted on April 19, 2009 by Valarie

Ever since I moved to Winter Park, I’ve made it a point to go on at least one rafting trip each summer. There are two options for river rafting near Winter Park, the Clear Creek for a more adventurous time and the Colorado River for a more relaxed time. I’ve had a great time on both rivers every time. The company I’ve gone with is Adventures in Whitewater. They have experienced and very friendly guides that always make your trip a fun and safe adventure.

Adventures in Whitewater gives all guests of Winter Park Lodging by Owner 10% off. Plus, they have a photo crew at the Colorado River, and they give all of our guests who take a trip on that river a free photo CD. We have coupons at our office for our guests, just swing by to pick one up or mention you are our guest when booking your whitewater adventure in Winter Park. Call Adventures in Whitewater at 877-321-RAFT or go to their website for more info or to book your trip.

Earth Day April 22

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Amy

earth_day With Earth Day just a few days away, now is the perfect time for Winter Park and Fraser to start up a new recycling center. Currently, there is no public reclying center in Winter Park or Fraser. The closest center is at the dump in Granby, quite a ways to go, and always a challenge to navigate in a smaller car. Please take just a minute to send a quick note to the town mayors of Winter Park and Fraser urging them to restart this great program. After all, isn’t Colorado known as one of the more earth friendly states?

To contact Jim Myers, WP Mayor, write to jmyers@wpgov.com. To contact Jeff Durbin, Fraser Town Manager, write to jdurbin@town.fraser.co.us.