Winter Park, CO, Airfare Deal Alert – May 2011

 
 

At first glance, you may look at these prices and think – “where are all of the REALLY cheap flights?”  Don’t worry, they’re still out there, but  I decided to make sure that every city on this list was different than last month’s. So, for those $88 flights from Albuquerque, just go to Airfare Watchdog and plug in that city in the search for “flights from a city” to find the cheap flight to Denver.

May is the time to start planning your summer trip to Winter Park. All of our condos and lofts at the Village at Winter Park Resort have super-low prices through May 31st, starting at just $59 per night. Rates go up on June first, so don’t delay. Click here to search for a Village condo or loft today.

Remember we have deals all over town, from the fastest-growing downhill bike park in the US, Trestle Bike Park, to horseback riding and whitewater rafting, from discounts at restaurants to spa treatments. Click here to check out all discounts offered by Winter Park Lodging Company.

Go down the Winter Park Alpine Slide!

$120 RT Casper, WY
$168 RT Chicago, IL
$168 RT Detroit, MI
$140 RT Fayetteville, AR
$148 RT Houston, TX
$148 RT Killeen, TX
$148 RT Long Beach, CA
$158 RT Milwaukee, WI
$148 RT New Orleans, LA
$108 RT Omaha, NE
$108 RT Phoenix, AZ
$148 RT Portland, OR
$138 RT Provo, UT
$148 RT Raleigh, NC
$158 RT Rochester, MN
$148 RT Santa Ana, CA
$158 RT Sioux Falls, SD
$138 RT Spokane, WA
$140 RT Springfield, MO
$148 RT Wichita, KS

 

Remember to check with us for availability at a vacation rental in Winter Park for your dates first, then book your flights! Search Winter Park Lodging Company now to see what options await you.

Fall Discount with Winter Park Dog Sled Kennels

 
 

Guests of Winter Park Lodging Company visiting this fall are in for a treat. Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park is offering a generous 30% discount for the following activities, until November 24, 2010. Plus, we hear they just had puppies. Who doesn’t love to play with puppies?

Give them a call or book your tour today.

Cart Rides: www.dogsledrides.com/winterpark/carts.php – Designed for two adults or two adults and one or two children.  One of the adults must use the steering and braking to control the cart.  The carts have four wheels and are pulled by nine or ten dogs.  We follow our open trails for 3.5 miles.  The ride is about 45 minutes and the guests are here for about 75 to 90 minutes.

Scooter Rides: www.dogsledrides.com/winterpark/scooters.php - One rider aged 14 or older per scooter.  The scooters have two wheels and are pulled by one or two dogs.  We follow our open trails for 3.5 miles.  The ride is about 45 minutes and the guests are here for about 75 to 90 minutes.

Kennel Tours: www.dogsledrides.com/winterpark/summer.php – The kennel tours are for people of all ages and ability levels.  We learn a lot about how to care for our dogs, see where they live, see the sleds, and get to mingle with the dogs in the exercise yard.  Depending on how many questions are asked, the tour lasts about an hour or so.

Call Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park at 970-726-8326 today.

Night Ranger Rocks Winter Park!

 
 

This weekend in Winter Park is filled with good times and good tunes. Today, the free 103.5 Fox Winter Park Music Fetival kicked off at 10am in Hideaway Park. Local vendors set up shop  for food, drinks, and fun for the whole family. The playground and skate park were packed all day and we got geat weather overall, with just a few sprinkes late in the afternoon. There was a great line up including Pat Travers, The Groove Hawgs, and the headliners- famous for their 80′s power ballads and melodic hard rock- Night Ranger. They brought everybody to their feet with classics like ‘Don’t Tell Me You Love Me’ , ‘Sentimental Street’ and of course, ‘Sister Christian’. Here they are, singing the emblamatic 80′s tune in downtown Winter Park…

Needless to say, we all had a good ol’ time rockin’ to the 80′s, and the music continues through the weekend all  around town. Our visitors who booked their lodging with Winter Park Lodging Company even enjoyed free VIP tickets to the festival. Come up to Winter Park for some fresh mountain air, Summer mountain music,  and free fun for the whole family. It can ‘t be beat!

Winter Park Village Events: The Back Bowl Soup Company Specials & Music

 
 

Back Bowl Patio

Back Bowl Patio

We wanted to spread the word on the latest Summer special at The Back Bowl Soup Company, located in the heart of the new base village.  Starting  Thursday, 7/29, Jeremy Farmer will be playing live music on the patio every Tue./Thurs.  from 5:30-7:30 pm for the Mountain Employee Happy Hour.  Enjoy a frosty beverage or a tasty appetizer, while the little ones play on the new Adventure Train playground. They even have free parking close by, right across the walkway from the Back Bowl.  Come out with your friends and family to enjoy good times in the Colorado sunshine, and remember to book your lodging with Winter Park Lodging Company for the best deals and sweetest digs in town.  Here’s a quick list of the specials~

Drinks- 2 for 1 draft beers and house wine

Food- 20% off food orders and complimentary animal crackers and pretzels

Winter Park Rafting w/ Adventures in Whitewater!

 
 

One of our favorite summertime activities in Colorado is rafting. Whether you want a high paced adventure down Clear Creek, or a more scenic ride on the mighty Upper Colorado, Adventures in Whitewater offers both.  Safety and fun are the top priorities of this local company, and the professional guides will reassure you of that. Rob was our guide down the Colorado this week. He gave us plenty of fun and colorful history facts of Colorado

River history during our 2 1/2 hour trip down river. Eight of us shared a big boat and had an oar that we maneuvered through a few level1 and 2 rapids during the ride. About half way down, we reached a large rock that you could jump off of into the river.  Although the water is pretty chilly, you’ll warm up quickly in the dry air. Overall, the trip was great fun for the whole family and we were all excited to get the Winter Park Lodging Company 15% discount! Make sure to get on the river during your Summer vacation in Winter Park, and get a great deal on your lodging with Winter Park Lodging Company. For more info on rafting trips , call Adventures in Whitewater @ 1-877-321-RAFT.

Winter Park Snow Pack still growing, Great News for Rafters!

 
 

We get an average of 365 inches of snow in a season up here in Winter Park. Since we didn’t get all of that during the ski season, it’s coming down now. That’s great news for summer rafters. The better the snow pack, the better and longer the raft season. Adventures in Whitewater, a local WP business, offers guided trips on both the Colorado and Clear Creek Rivers. Check out their website, http://adventuresinwhitewater.com/, or give them a call to schedule your adventure, 1-877-321-RAFT or at (970)726-3279. Be sure to mention that you are a guest of Winter Park Lodging Company for a great 15% discount!

Winter Park Rec Center: Video and Photos

 
 

Need to take a break from skiing? It costs a family of four about $200 to ski at Winter Park (with coupons from Winter Park Lodging Company) but for only $40, the same family can take a day off of skiing and enjoy the fun of the new Fraser Valley Grand Park Rec Center.   It’s a state of the art facility with a lazy river, toddler water park, three story water slide, four lane lap pool, diving board, hot tub, steam room, sauna, basketball courts, gymnasium with a tramp-aerial jump pit, and an entire 2nd floor of workout equipment each with their own flat screen TVs.  Don’t forget to try out the climbing wall or one of the many classes offered (yoga, spinning, aerobics, etc).  

Book with Winter Park Lodging Company and use the facility for $8/day with our special passes. Stop by our office on the way to the Rec Center to pick up as many as you need.

Activities in Winter Park – More than Just Skiing

 
 

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:

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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!
  4. 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).kids.sledding
  5. 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).
  6. 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).
  7. Eastom Town HallHot 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! 
  8. 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.

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

Winter Park Ski Resort

 
 

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!

Winter Park Spa, Bella Vita Open House!

 
 

BellaVita_logoWhat better way to relax those sore muscles after a day on the slopes? Whether your in the mood for a massage, pedicure or a haircut, Bella Vita Salon is your one stop shop for relaxation. Come check out our favorite local spa this Thursday, November 5th for Open House. The Bella Vita Wellness Spa and Salon is located in the Alco shopping center in Fraser (right across from Safeway). From 4-7 pm there will be refreshments, a raffle, and special deals on spa services for attendees. Another bonus for coming out Thursday night is a free 35 minute thermal massage

Remember, when you book your ski vacation lodging with Winter Park Lodging Company, you’ll get an additional discount on some great services at Bella Vita. Make sure to ask us at the time of booking!