Five Best Places for a Quick Breakfast in Winter Park, Colorado

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Chris

Winter Park CO breakfast burrito

Winter Park, Colorado Breakfast

Now that ski season is upon us I thought that I should start thinking of where to grab a quick bite to eat as we are headed to the Winter Park Resort slopes to make some turns. Winter Park is full of breakfast restaurants from Mikky D’s to a sit down meal at the Rise and Shine Cafe. I thought I would give my five favorite places to grab a quick bite to eat befoere strapping the skiis on. You will notice most of the places below I mention breakfast burritos. I am particularly fond of these concoctions and they are just about perfect for eating quicky. The restuarants are in no particular order as I had a hard enough time coming to just five.

Mountain Rose Cafe: Great breakfast burrito! Friendly service and great bakery items. Sometimes not the quickest place to stop though.

Rudi’s Deli: The Heart Attack Burrito is darn good and big enough to keep you going most of the day on the ski hill. Very quick stop in the morning to get your munchies in. Say hi to Tim the owner and talk some politics.

The Back Bowl Soup Company: Just opened today, opening day of ski season, in the Winter Park village. Hev not had their breakfast yet but after trying their soup I’m sure they will have breakfast burrito to die for. Woody explains that they will make their breakfast burritos to order ala Chipotle style.

Goodys: Winter Park Villages own crepperie. No breakfast burrito but you can get a breakfast crepe. Kinda like a french version of the breakfast burrito, No? Great looking store and very convenient.

McDonald’s: When you’re in a hurry you’re in a hurry. Enough said!

Intrawest sells Copper Mountain | What’s in store for Winter Park Resort?

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Chris

Does this Right the Intrawest Ship or is the Ship Sinking?

Intrawest has plans to sell one of it’s Colorado ski resorts the company announced yesterday. Intrawest has agreed to sell Copper Mountain to Powdr Corp. based in Park City, Utah and one of the larger North American ski resort operators.

Reasons for the sale were not announced by the private company but Intrawest and Fortress, it’s parent company, have taken a beating in the last year with the recession. This puts Intrawest at nine resorts it now operates. Intrawest spokesman Mr. Galbraith on Tuesday would not say whether more assets will be sold. He said the reason Intrawest sold Copper Mountain is because the new company strategy is to focus on nine winter resorts rather than 10.

So, what does this mean for Winter Park Resort? Well, if you take Mr. Galbraith at his word then nine is a pretty special number of resorts to be managing. Why could nine not become eight, or eight then seven and on and on? Intrawest can not sell Winter Park, though, as it is the resort management company for the City of Denver with a 50 year lease.

The tightening of the Intrawest belt can be seen at Winter Park Resort. There are no on mountain improvements this year even though there has been quite a few the last five years. Intrawest also just announced plans to charge guests staying at the base in the three buildings they have lodging operations - Zephyr Mountain Lodge, Fraser Crossing & Founder’s Pointe – will now be charged $14.00 a night to park a car. I guess they must be hurting with trying to charge the Winter Park guest, ie families, $14.00 a night in this economy for a garage that is never full. Well $14.00 a night per car will help that bottom line.

Anywho, it will be interesting what more changes we will see coming from Intrawest and what effect they will have on Winter Park Resort. We will keep you posted.

Winter Park has Snow! | Opening Day

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Chris

Town of Winter Park & Slopes

Winter Park Resort Opening Day

There is snow on the ground and on the slopes in Winter Park. Winter Park Resort opens Wednesday November 18th and there should be plenty of snow for opening day. The mid mountain depth right now is 16 inches of the fluffy white stuff. Check Winter Park Resorts snow report for the latest on the powder. This should be a great year for snow with the El Nino weather pattern bringing more moisture to the Winter Park area and slightly warmer temperatures.

Lots of changes in Winter Park for the 2009/2010 ski season. The Village now has four restaurants and two shops. In the Village will be The Cheeky Monk, Lime, The Back Bowl Soup Company, and Goody’s. Stores so far are The Shirt off my back and Powder Addiction/Grand Adventures.

The fore-cast for the next week calls for snow on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

On Wednesday Winter Park launches its 70th season, making it the longest continually running resort in Colorado.

With 70 years under their belt Winter Park says they have opening day figured out. Here’s what’s going on at the Park:

Start your day off with .70 cent Pancakes at Doc’s Roadhouse and then enjoy a .70 cent fountain drink on all Coke products.

Stop by the prize tent from 7:30am to 11:00am for lift ticket giveaways, a live broadcast, and your “5 minutes of fame” with an on-air interview!

Ski and Ride School will be giving 50% off all group lessons all day, and Rentals will be running at 2 for 1 tuning pass to help you get ready for the season.

Try to plan your lift rides because you might be on the 70th Anniversary Platinum Prize Chair! Winter Park will be picking 1 chair an hour at 9:07am, 10:07am, and 11:07am.

Winter Park Ski Train | How to Buy Tickets

Posted on November 16, 2009 by Chris

Winter Park Ski Train Tickets

Well it looks like the Winter Park Ski Train will officially be back for it’s 70th year. The Rio Grande Scenic Train is selling tickets for trips up to Winter Park /Mary Jane Resort. They still need final approval from Amtrack but they are sure they will get it and you can now buy tickets. We heard that there will be some positive changes in the operation of the train. A Winter Park executive was overheard saying that the train will now accommodate destination and return travel on different days. That means now you can come up from Union Station in Denver spend the night or a few nights and return on the train when you choose. This makes the train an actual travel option for skiers other than the Denver Front Rangers.

Skiers and travelers can get more information about schedule, prices and options at 877.726.RAIL or the Winter Park Ski Train website.

The ski train is expected to run from December 27th to March 28th running around 50 trips between Denver’s Union Station and Winter Park Resort on weekends, holidays and some other weekdays. Pricing looks to be $49.00 for a coach ticket up to $99.00 for a premium level ticket. There will also be a limited food and beverage service.

Nice work on bringing the ski train back and hopefully with better operating rules so it can be enjoyed by all.

Activities in Winter Park – More than Just Skiing

Posted on November 14, 2009 by Valarie

Looking for something to do besides skiing in Winter Park? To some that just seems unusual – “why wouldn’t you want to ski?” – they might ask. Well, from our experience, it’s much more common than you may think.

Let’s say you just don’t want to ski every day you’re in Winter Park, or have an injury and you don’t want to sit at the condo all day. Fortunately, there are many other activities, both outdoor and indoor, to keep you busy. To start, here are a list of outdoor activities:

Snowshoeing
1. The Winter Park Visitor Center hosts free beginner snowshoe tours including free snowshoe rentals on Friday-Sunday from Dec – Mar. For info or to sign up, contact them at visitorcenter@playwinterpark.com or 970-726-4118.
2. Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center has 100km of groomed trails and snowshoe rentals (970-887-2152).
3. Devil’s Thumb Ranch also has tons of groomed trails and rentals (970-726-1099).
Sleigh Rides
1. Sombrero Stables at Snow Mountain Ranch does several hot cocoa sleigh rides per day as well as dinner sleigh rides nightly. See our discounts on sleigh rides and call 970-887-1999 for reservations.
Snowmobile Tours or Rentals
1. Grand Adventure Snowmobiles has rentals so you can go out on your own snowmobile adventure, plus does several group tours daily. We also have guest discounts on snowmobiling!
Cross-Country Skiing
1. Nordic Centers such as Snow Mountain Ranch and Devil’s Thumb Ranch have hundreds of kilometers of trails, rentals and lessons.
2. Rentals from Ice Box Rentals if you are experienced and want to try out some national forest trails on your own (970-722-7780).
Sledding and Tubing
1. FREE Sledding Hill in Hideaway Park next to the Winter Park Visitor Center in downtown Winter Park. Sleds are provided, too! Email visitorcenter@playwinterpark.com or call 970-726-4118 for info.
2. Colorado Adventure Park is the coolest and newest place to go tubing in the area. They have several different lanes for tubing, with varying levels of bumpiness and speed, a magic carpet conveyor lift to get back up the hill, plus mini snow-scoots (like snowmobiles just for kids). For kids three and under there is a free sledding hill and free sleds just for them. Plus, a terrain park is opening February 2012. Click here for details and pricing.
3. Fraser Tubing Hill is a HUGE tubing hill with a rope tow. When heading to Fraser from Winter Park, take a left at the light where Safeway is and you’ll see it on the left. Pricey, at about $17/hour, but worth it. They’re open from 12pm to 9pm weekdays and 10am – 9pm on Sat/Sun. The best time to go to avoid crowds is during the day while everyone is still out skiing (970-726-5954 after Dec 1st).
4. Snow Mountain Ranch sledding and tubing hill. This is the best value if you’re looking for something bigger than the free hill in town, but don’t want to pay as much as the Fraser Tubing Hill. About $15 per person for the entire day includes sled and tube rentals. If your a member of YMCA, it’s free. They have a rope tow and an ice skating rink next to the hill (970-887-2152).
Ice Skating
1. Village Ice Skating Rink next to Cheeky Monk at Winter Park base area. Outdoor rink with nice views of the slopes. Free to use, but you need to rent skates from Winter Park Resort Rentals if you don’t bring your own.
2. Cooper Creek Square Ice Skating Rink – partly covered rink next to the free parking garage and the Cooper Creek Shopping Center in downtown. Rentals also needed, which are available next door at Christy Sports or the Viking Ski Lodge. Call the Visitor Center at 970-726-4118 for more info.
3. Devils Thumb Ranch has an outdoor rink as well, with rentals.
4. Snow Mountain Ranch also has a covered outdoor rink located right next to their sledding and tubing hill. Rentals are included in the day pass to the rink and the sledding hill for $15. (Call 970-887-2152 for info).
Hot Air Balloon Rides
1. Yep, Grand Adventure Balloon Tours operate during the winter, too. The air is warmer as you get higher and they also supply warm blankets and champagne! Our guests get 10% off!
Dog-Sled Rides
1. Lots of fun and definitely something different. Get pulled by a team of Siberian Huskeys through the beautiful forest. Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park also offer our guests discounts.

For indoor activities, you can choose from these:

Wine Tasting

Winter Park Winery in Fraser, on left when heading from Winter Park, past the stoplight where Safeway is. Great folks who make the wine right here in Winter Park (970-726-4514).

Apre Ski Bars (just some personal favorites)
1. Derailer Bar – right at the base of Winter Park, with great views of the skiers coming down the slopes. Pricey appetizers that aren’t that great, but the view and the atmosphere make up for it.
2. Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe– great selection of European brews as well as some very tasty appetizers and a cozy atmosphere. They have a huge patio great for sunny days. They offer our guests a free draft with appetizer (970-726-6871).
3. Winter Park Pub – locals favorite for watching the game, with great burgers and wings (970-726-4929).
4. See more ideas!
Movie Theatre
1. Nightly showings at 7pm, and the Winter Park Visitor Center (visitorcenter@playwinterpark.com / 970-726-4118) can tell you what’s showing if you don’t see it on the marquee in downtown Winter Park.
Cafés – with WiFi
1. Rocky Mountain Roastery is a locals favorite with freshly roasted coffee (they have their own roaster in Fraser). Two locations, one in downtown Winter Park next to Rudi’s Deli and one in Fraser in Alco Shopping Center (970-726-4400).
2. The Mountain Grind Coffee & Bistro– right in the Cooper Creek Square shopping center, a nice place to grab some Italian Gelato or a sandwich, too (970 -726-0999).
Hot Sulpher Springs
1. Well, this is technically outdoors, but it’s a more relaxing activity. About 45 minutes to an hour from Winter Park, depending on the roads. They have about 20 outdoor pools of different temperatures of natural spring water. The Ute Indians used to use the very same springs. www.hotsulphursprings.com.
Massage
1. Bella Vita Wellness Spa and Salon – they have thermal massage tables as well as massage therapists and salon services. The thermal massage tables are great for a quick & affordable treat. They offer our guests $10 off 45 min massage or 10 mins additional for free (970-726-9505).
2. Devil’s Thumb Ranch – for luxurious pampering this is the place to go, but be prepared to spend a pretty penny (970-726-1099).
Fraser Valley Recreation Center
1. They have yet to open, but they will be in January from what I hear. They will have an indoor swimming pool with water slide and lazy river, basketball courts and a lot more.
Snow Mountain Ranch
1. Besides the Nordic center for snowshoe hiking, cross-country skiing and tubing, they also have an ice skating rink, an indoor climbing wall & an indoor swimming pool.

So, there you have it. A nice list to get you started on planning what to do in Winter Park. You can also click here to see more winter activities. Have a fun time on and off the slopes!

Winter Park Colorado | Five Best Places to Have a Beer

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Chris

Best Places to Have a Beer in Winter Park, Colorado

There was a time when there wasn’t even five places to have a beer here in Winter Park. But growth is the name of the game and Winter Park has done some growing and we have lotsa lotsa places you can belly on up and have a cold one. I thought I would share my five favorite locals were I can have a frosty and relish that we live here in the grandest of places Grand County, Colorado.

Cheeky Monk: Less than a year old and located in the Winter Park Village the Monk serves up some of the finest beers known to man. An all Belgium beer draft menu and a whole lot of bottles to choose from, this is where you go to savor the beer. Great place after skiing and really good people/tourist watching.

The Winter Park Pub: An old favorite that has what you are looking for - live music, Guinness on draft and the NFL Sunday ticket. Smells a bit like stale beer when you walk in but that is what makes a local bar a local bar.

Tabernash Tavern: They call themselves a wine bar but I do see most men drinking beer here. A bit of a stretch as Tabernash Tavern is in Tabernash but they have a great bar and a good selection of beer, I don’t think they serve Schlitz though. Also, I could conceivably walk home from here if I had a few too many.

Hernando’s Pizza Pub: They have a great selection of beers on tap and their bartenders do a great job, maybe the best in all of WP. Can be crazy busy around traditional dinner time but great fun if you can wedge yourself into a seat at the bar. Best pizza in Winter Park so get some to go or have a pie at the bar.

Heck’s Tavern at Devils Thumb Ranch: The architecture and the atmosphere make it worth the drive out to Devils Thumb Ranch. If you are a cross country skier it couldn’t be more convenient. Ski Grand County’s best cross country trails and stop in to see a spectacular room.

So there are my favorite places to have a beer in Winter Park or maybe in Grand County. Feel like sharing, leave your faves in the comments below.

Lime at Winter Park Village

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Chris

Lime Winter Park Colorado

Lime in Winter Park Will Open for Ski Season

Lime in Winter Park will open back up for this coming 2009/10 ski season. After having liens from Intrawest on their front door for non-payment of rent for the last year they have now negotiated some kind of settlement and will open back up sometime next week. This we hear from an unnamed Intrawest employee. Could we have a Grand County version of the AIG bailout? Too big to fail in in Winter Park Village? I guess if you are 50% of the market, as Lime was last year in Winter Park Village, that is pretty darn big. Well, kudos to Lime. I would have missed their Taco Tuesday and they have very good margaritas.

We will now have four restaurants in the Village this year: Cheeky Monk, Lime, Goody’s and The Back Bowl Soup Company. Oh yes, lets not forget Doc’s, Intrawest’s eatery in the Zephyr Mountain Lodge building. So that gives us five eateries or bars, almost New York like. All kidding aside, it should be a much more happening base now we are getting some fill in of the new village space.

As a former restaurant person I have some suggestions for Lime for the coming year and take it or leave it as it’s only my humble opinion. First and foremost, make sure your employees want to be in Winter Park. When your bartender tells you he hates Winter Park and can’t wait to leave, it leaves a sour taste in your mouth, especially for those of us that get to live in this paradise. Hire a manager that will stick around for more than two months. Figure out how to keep the cold air from freezing the patrons when the front door opens. Winter Park/Fraser has been known as the ice box of the nation for years, I hope that somehow went into construction planning. Lastly, if you have an open display kitchen make it worthy of being on display. If not, build a wall and hide the mess. Again, just the restaurant side of my brain wanting to help.

So, I guess a welcome back is warranted to Lime. Glad you are back in the village and you will see me after a day of skiing at the bar with a beer and a shot of Patron.

Winter Park Resort Lift Bus Shuttle

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Chris

Winter Park Free Bus Service

The Lift, Winter Park’s free shuttle bus service, is changing some of it’s lines and operations for ski season 2009/10. Service will start again November 18th for the opening of Winter Park Resort.

Day routes between downtown Winter Park, Fraser and the resort will remain mostly unchanged. Buses will run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., making stops every hour pre-season and every half-hour during the peak season.

The Black Line Shoppers Express will only run on weekends and during holiday periods this year starting Dec. 19.

The Winter Park Resort–Granby bus will continue making runs every few hours from 7:30 a.m.–11:45 p.m. Peak travel times on this route are reserved for employees only, so be sure to check the schedule.

Some night routes in Winter Park will be changing to an on-call system.

The night bus service will start Nov. 19, departing from Cooper Creek Square and running roughly every half-hour as needed.

The new Winter Park express, which takes the place of the former Black and Green lines, will make stops every half hour, from 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m., along U.S. Highway 40 between the resort and Safeway in Fraser.

The Purple Night Line through the county and residential Fraser will remain unchanged.

Night riders traveling to and from Winter Park’s residential communities will see some changes to their routes. From 5:30–11 p.m., passengers will be required to call The Lift’s headquarters to schedule a pick-up along the former Yellow Line (Beaver Village area), Orange Line (Silverado area), Brown Line (Elk and Moose Trail area) and Blue Line (High Country Haus Condos). Shuttles will continue to only pick up and drop off passengers at designated stops.

Some of these stops were not previously serviced by the night route, so this will be an improvement in service for those areas.

On weeknights, the Winter Park express shuttle will service the on-call route during its return run. On Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, a dedicated shuttle will service these on-call night routes. There will also be a new night shuttle within the resort, running between the resort’s lodging areas and the village.

The Day Shuttle Bus Map and Night Shuttle bus map can be seen here.

Stops can be scheduled by calling The Lift at 970-726-4163 beginning Nov. 19.

The finalized schedule will be printed in the 2009-2010 Winter Park guest guide, due to be release Nov. 14. It will also be available online at www.winterpark-info.com/maps.

If the Lift shuttle service does not work for you make sure to call our friend Kurt at Valley Taxi:

78260 US HWY 40, Winter Park, CO

(970) 726-4940‎ – (970) 726-4914

‎

Winter Park- Lots of Snow and Ready to Go!

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Chris

images One of our inside sources (who also happens to be a snowmaker at the ski area), has good news for all of us chomping at the bit for the lifts to open. Last weeks huge storm and more snow forecasted for this week has helped create a substantial base – at least twice as much now compared to this time last year- in the highcountry. This early season accumulation has aided the snowmaking crews in mixing the natural with the man made white stuff. Another bonus is that they’re now making snow on 50% more trails than this time last year. If this keeps up (and we hope it does!), we can look forward to a stellar opening day.

We heard a little something about the possibility of cloud seeding this year in WP. We recently learned that it is official. Denver Water and Winter Park Resort are teaming up to help clouds produce greater amounts of snowfall for the 09′-10′ ski season. So get your flight, book your lodging with Winter Park Lodging Company, and come join us for an Epic Season!

Winter Park Ski Resort

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Chris

Winter Park ski resort

Winter Park Ski Area

Snow is on the slopes at Winter Park Resort. Last week we got over 16 inches from an early El Nino fall storm and it is looking like we will see plenty more big early storms this year. The photo above was taken November 5, 2009 from Pole Creek Meadows in Tabernash outside of our home. If this doesn’t get the ski juices flowing then I guess you aren’t quite as addicted to the sport as your truly.

This year at Winter Park Resort is shaping up to be a fantastic year. The Winter Park Village will have it’s first full year of operation with new stores, restaurants and full year to get it’s act together. We now have a Snow Cat skiing operation based here in Winter Park, Colorado: Powder Addiction. After five years of on Mountain improvements it is time to enjoy all that has been improved. Yes, I’m regurgitating Intrawest’s line of why there are no on mountain improvements this year but they kinda do have a point (even though it’s all about money).

Deals are aplenty up here in Winter Park but make sure you know what you are getting. Is free skiing really free? Are you getting a smokin’ deal for your Winter Park Lodging because you are in a place that no one else wants. Photos!!! Ask for photos of the unit you will be paying for.

There are deals to be had on most things here in Winter Park. Check out Winter Park Lodging Company’s discounts. Save on restaurants, activities, ski rentals, lift tickets, yoga, sleigh rides, snow mobiles and the list goes on and on.

2009/10 ski season is shaping up to be a great year here in Winter Park. Don’t overpay and don’t miss the fun!