The Grand Park Rec Center – Winter Park, CO

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Chris

Winter Park Recreation Center

Ohhh, the cold has hit us here in Winter Park. It has been almost too cold to ski, almost. For the kids though when it dips to the negatives or hoovers around the zero degree mark it may be better to take a day of and let that arctic cold front just move on through.

And what to do with that day not spent on the ski slopes? The Grand County Recreation Center is the answer to that day not on the skis or board. There is not a better way to get away from the cold than our state of the art rec center right on Winter Park’s main street. Here is some of the specifics of the facilities at Grand Park Recreation Center:

Natatorium with 20ft loop slide, spray & play feature, lazy river, zero-depth entry pool and 4-lane, 25-yard lap pool
Whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms
Locker rooms and family changing rooms
Climbing and bouldering wall
Multi-sport gymnasium
Gymnastic center including a foam and tramp pit (scheduled programs only)
Running / walking track
Cardio, circuit training and free weight area
Aerobic / dance studio room
Drop-in childcare
Pool party room for rent
Multi-purpose classrooms for rent
Beautiful lobby area with fireplace, TV and game tables

Enough activities here to keep the most active of kids and parents busy for the day.

Grand Park Recreation Center hours:

Monday – Friday    6:00am – 9:00pm
Saturday             7:30am – 9:00pm
Sunday               10:00am – 6:00pm

If you are a guest of the Winter Park Lodging Company you can get discounted day passes for only $8 instead of $10. If you’d like to take advantage of our discounted day passes, just swing by our office in downtown Winter Park to purchase them. Call the WPLCo office, 877-329-1383 or 970-722-0707, to get your discounted Grand Park Rec Center passes.

We are here in Winter Park and if the winter part becomes a bit much take a day and enjoy our little piece heavenly summer, The Grand Park Recreation Center.

Mary Jane Powder Skiing – Pine Cliffs

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park Resort Powder Skiing Video

Man, have we had the snow up here at Winter Park and Mary Jane. The Pineapple Express moisture pattern has dropped a bunch of snow on us here in the Colorado Rockies. Winter Park Resort’s snow totals for the year are above 125 inches and Santa hasn’t even been around to hand out his presents to the little girls and boys (and where are my new skis, Kringle?) The snow looks like it will be flying pretty much all through the new year. Yeaaaaahhh La Niña!

The above video above was shot over at Mary Jane after ten inches of snow the day before and another seven dropped as we were skiing. It was a spectacular day of skiing with most of the usual suspect locals out trying to find their own little private stash of un-skied powder. As they say – “no friends on a powder day”. Well, that’s not entirely true as it should be - “not many friends on a powder day, they do slow you down.”

The Mary Jane runs were the Pine Cliffs between Golden Spike/Arrowhead and Sleeper. The second part are the cliffs that run to skiers right of the Challenger lift (not sure what they are called).

As you can see by the credits I was following Mr. Ed Raegner of Tabernash, CO until he got a phone call from his mom and had to stop and take the call (is there a rule about calls from mom on a powder day?). That is ZB all dolled up in his Winter Park Lodging Company garb to start out the video. Music is by Mick and the boys on Loving Cup and Davis Allen Coe’s Jack Daniel’s if You Please.

As Mick so perfectly says “What a beautiful buzz”, I don’t think powder skiing Mary Jane could be described any better.

Where to Demo Skis in Winter Park, CO

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park, CO Ski Demos

Are you looking to buy new skis or snowboard? I have been in the process the last few weeks and the whole experience has been so fun. Demoing skis is the way to go. When you demo skis you take out different brands and models and check out how the ski feels to you up on the ski hill. I have been working with Epic Mountain Sports here in Winter Park and it has been a blast.

Here is how Epic Mountain Sports Demo then Buy program goes:

Each demo day is $30.00
The $30.00 is deducted from price of skis/bindings when you buy your skis

This is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. I have demoed 4 pairs of skis so far and all ski very different and all have been a blast to ski. There are so many different nuances going on with skis nowadays. There is the traditional stiffness and flexibility, the width of ski underfoot related to width at tip and tail, rocker vs camber, twin tip or no twin tip and on and on. Many different skis that behave differently and perform in complete unlike ways in varying conditions. In the three ski adds above where all three (Olin, K2, Rossignol) skis look and act the same is a thing of the past. This would sound rather complex and it can be but it has been such a blast getting to know each ski up at Winter Park Resort. If I could just demo skis all year long I would be happy.

The guys in Epic have been great. The two Ryans, Ben, Chad and owner Katherine all rock. Take your pick of models from Volkl, Rossignol, Dynastar, K2, Nordica and Icelantic. The techs at Epic know the equipment and know the mountain and will help you pick something fun for you to try. Ask them about the new “rocker/early rise” technology in the new skis.

Needing new skis? Get to demoing with Epic and make an informed buy and have some fun doing it.

New Favorite Restaurant – Deno’s Winter Park, CO

Posted on November 13, 2010 by Chris

Deno’s Mountain Bistro Winter Park, Colorado

We have a new favorite restaurant here in Winter Park, CO. The place has been here for a long, long while but the food and wine have become very good u=in the last year or so. We had a chance to get out of the house and have what the wife is calling a “date night” this past week. The meal we had was exquisite.

It was a slow off season Wednesday night and the snow was falling. We walked into Deno’s at about 7:30PM to a half full bar and a few tables in the dining area. The service was great with an attentive but not overbearing waiter. We had a bottle of Cambria Pinot Noir that was great and at $32 was very fairly priced. Sarah, the wife, had a filet that was incredibly tender and cooked just as ordered. I had the the chicken marsala that was perfect. Tender chicken on top of spinach all over a bed of orzo was just what I needed on a cold night in Winter Park.

The best part of the night however was after the meal was over. Heading to the bathroom I ran into Teddy, Deno’s son and now owner, and he invited Sarah and I up to the new wine room upstairs. I’m thinking on the way up what have they thrown together up here at Deno’s? Well, what a wonderful room that Teddy and company has put together. The wines in this room some of the best wines that can be found in Winter Park and for that matter all of Colorado. The Wine room has a table that will seat six comfortably surrounded on all sides by some fantastic wine. It is really a cool setting. If you would like to resrve the table for a private dinner at Deno’s give them a call at 970-726-5332.

Check out Deno’s menu and wine list.

Denos’ has come back and is one of the best restaurants here in the Fraser Valley. Looking for a nice meal out with the boys or a “date night” with the lovely wife you can not go wrong with Deno’s.

Winter Park, CO Mountain Bike Video

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park, Colorado Mountain Bike Trails

The weather has been just spectacular up here in Winter Park, CO this fall. I would have to say it has been the best fa weather that I have seen in the last ten years. We have had the first Winter Park, CO snow and that about seems to have been the only inclement weather we have had here this fall. And this great weather has made for perfect mountain bike weather. There is not a better time to hit the bike trails than when there is good fall weather in Winter Park.

The above video was shot on Saturday, October 16th a few days after Winter Park Resort received 10 inches of snow at mid mountain. The snow was still around on the north faces of the hills but pretty much gone everywhere else. The trailhead was in the Rendezvous subdivision between Winter Park and Fraser, CO. The trip starts up meadow trail to Cross trail up to the Corona Pass Road to the old town of Arrowhead and then into the James Peak Wilderness. From here it continues down Broken Thumb to Twisted Ankle and back into the Idlewild Trail system on South Fork Loop. Then up and out on the Winter Woods trail and back down Cross Trails and out on Meadow trail. Total ride time of this trek was about two hours give or take some time for a couple of crashes. The above video is about 15 minutes long as almost all the uphill climbing is cut out. Y’all wouldn’t want to watch that.

Check out the video and I hope you find it entertaining. Sarah has said it is too long and bores her. I find it kinda cool but maybe thats because I made the vid and did the riding. Let us know in the comments bellow what you think.

Steve Worth and I are the riders and the songs are:

Hot House Flowers – I Can See Clearly Now
Sunvolt – Drown
Red June – Run Boy Run
Red June – Biscuits & Honey

Again I hope you enjoy the vid and do let us know what you think of it down below.

Warren Miller’s Wintervention in Winter Park, CO

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Chris

Ski Movies in Winter Park, CO

Ski season is on the way. The hills around Winter Park were covered with snow this morning and the annual celebration of skiing is almost here in WP. That celebration is the Warren Miller ski film and this years edition is Wintervention.

Date of Show
10/28/2010

Show Times
Show times: 6pm and 9pm

Location
Silver Screen Cinema in Winter Park, Colorado

970.726.5390

Narrated by skiing icon Jonny Moseley and presented in striking high-definition, Warren Miller films showcase incredible cinematography that will get you craving vertical lines, deep powder and epic adventure. This year’s film takes you on a breathtaking global tour of some of the world’s most impressive terrain, including Canada, Antarctica, California, New Zealand, Utah, Austria, Alaska and more. Warren Miller film premieres are an experience and a phenomenon not to be missed.

Check out the Wintervention trailer . If this doesn’t get you psyched for ski season then you may want to put the boards out on the curb and call it quits.

Wintervention features acute cases of classic snow-diction from across the globe. There are the skiers who sail from Argentina to Antarctica searching for some of the last untouched descents on Earth; there are confessions from a man whose six ski passes simply aren’t enough. There are the skiers and riders who venture deep into the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, chasing rumors they overheard in a language they don’t speak. And there are the skiers who tour far into the northern reaches of the Arctic Circle… where they won’t just climb peaks — they’ll reach the top of the planet.

Make sure to get your tickets early as the Silver Screen Cinema is very intimate and the Warren Miller show almost always sells out.

Lets go ski season.

Best Coffee in Winter Park, Colorado

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Chris

Best Cup of Joe in Winter Park, CO

Coffee, it seems to be every man’s early morning addiction. It makes the morning a little better, a little warmer and cleans the cobwebs out of the noggin’. Well, we have a few caffeine dealers here in Winter Park, CO and we thought we would share Winter Park Lodging Company’s favorites place to get a steaming hot cup of coffee.

Sooo, here is the top three list of best places to get a cup of coffee in Winter Park, CO. These are in no particular order:

Rocky Mountain Roastery is one of the local shops here in WP and is a favorite of the WPLCo girls. The Roastery has two stores one in Winter Park and the other down the road in Fraser (this store is the locals choice). Here is what the Roastery has to say about themselves:

Rocky Mountain Roastery and Coffee Company was founded in 1993 in Fraser, Colorado, near the famous Winter Park ski resort. Since then we have become known for our unique high mountain roasting process, which allows more flavor to develop in each bean we roast. Each batch is slow roasted by hand at 8,550 ft. to ensure that your coffee is the very best it can be. We are family owned and operated business and always strive to outperform your expectations. We guarantee that you will love this coffee, or simply return it for an exchange or full refund!

RMR offers a $1 cup of coffee if you bring your own cup. Great deal but they do charge for wireless internet.

Mountain Grind is another local choice and they are headquartered in Winter Park at The Cooper Creek Square. Serving great coffee, fudge and creamy Italian gelato. Lots of food items and serving beer, liquor and wine. Here is what Mountain Grind has to say about themselves:

Come see Mountain Grind for free unlimited wifi, breakfast, lunch, dessert, coffee, or catering and treat yourself to something special! Visit us fountainside at Cooper Creek Square. You’ll love Winter Park’s friendliest (and lots more) coffee shop!

Lastly we have Starbucks. Two locations in the Winter Park/Fraser area. One at the Winter Park Resort Village and the other at Safeway in Fraser. I won’t go on as anyone who drinks coffee and most who don’t have been into a local Starbucks.

Wakeup! Have a cup of coffee.

Winter Park, CO Breakfast

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Chris

Sharky’s Grill Winter Park/Fraser, Colorado

I had a chance to finally get out on a weekend morning try the local eatery Sharky’s Grill after a early morning mountain bike ride. I have been meaning to head over and try Sharky’s after several people had told me they have great green chili and a killer breakfast burrito. And I now whole heartedly agree.

I wrote a piece about Winter Park breakfasts and specifically breakfast burritos about a year ago. There were a couple of comments on that blog about not including Sharky’s on the five best list and I said I would check them out. Well about nine months later I have finally had a breakfast at a restaurant in the area (2 year old twins seem to make restaurant trips not so fun).

Anywho, after a day biking with Ed Raegner, Mike Ayers and Dr. Steve up on the Broken Thumb and Twisted Ankle trails back behind old Idlewild ski area Ed and I were able to have a bite at Sharky’s. I had the special, a chorizo breakfast burrito, and Ed had corn beef and hash. Ed’s looked very good and my burrito was just awesome. Big, spicy and topped with fresh avocado, sour cream and a great green chili sauce. We sat outside at a nice little two top and service was efficient. Food took a tad long but it was a Sunday at brunch time and there was a wait for tables.

Overall the food was great, probably the best breakfast I’ve had in Grand County, and the service and atmosphere were commendable also.

Give Sharky’s a try for a truly great breakfast burrito. You can check out their Sharky’s Facebook Page or find them on their Google maps page.

Winter Park July Recipe of the Month

Posted on July 18, 2010 by Chris

It’s sunny and warm in Grand County this month but most likely a lot cooler than wherever you are if you’re not here. Come on up and stay in one of our properties with big outdoor porches and grill up some marinated flank steak, summer-fresh aspargus, and mashed potatoes with garlic. Here is my mama’s recipe for the flank steak marinade. Probably my favorite thing to eat. Don’t tell ma that I published it on the internet!

Grillin' in WP!

In a bowl, mix:

- 1 & 1/2 cup salad oil

- 3/4 cup soy sauce

- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

- 2 T. dry mustard

2 & 1/4 tsp salt

1 T. course, freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup white or red wine vinegar

1 & 1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes (i skip that sometimes)

2 crushed garlic cloves, if you aren’t a vampire (can leave out if so)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

In a casserole dish, lay out flank steak. cover with the marinade and put in the fridge. Turn at least once so both sides get good and tasty. Best if you leave overnight. My mom says you can reuse the marinade a second time but that sounds a little gross to me.

Now you have to book your lodging so you can grill out without sweating to death. We even had our fleeces on this week after dinner!

Winter Park Beer Festival

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park Beer Festival Pricing

The Winter Park Beer Festival being held at the Winter Park Base Saturday August 14, 2010 has set the beer tasting prices. See list below.

The WP Beer Fest will be held in Hideaway Park and there will be over 25 breweries sampling there products with live music onstage and vendors vending all that you will need to celebrate a beer festival high in the Rocky Mountains. The WP Beer Fest benefits the National Sports Center for the Disabled, one of the most worthwhile causes that I know of.

Winter Park Beer Festival tickets:

Unlimited Tasting!
From 12-5pm
Only $25 (Save $5)
Live Music and Fun Included
Pre-Sale Price
Expires 8/12/10 at 5pm
$30 At The Door

VIP Tasting!
Unlimited Tasting From 12-5pm
Only $45 (Save $5)
Includes:
Commemorative Glass Mug,
Private VIP Patio, Private VIP
Seating Near The Stage, Lunch
Buffet and More!
Pre-Sale Price Expires 8/12/2010
$50 At The Door

Click Here to Purchase Winter Park Beer Festival Tickets

Here is hoping that the above three young ladies will be attending and serving some cold suds at the WP Beer Festival.

To get your Beer Festival lodging visit Winter Park Lodging Company.