Colorado’s Favorite Front Porch is set to open under new owners full time June 6th, 2011.  Last summer the Lodge opened for a short time with limited food and hours as a kind of audition for the new owners.  This season will see the Grand Lake Lodge up and running at full steam serving breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as getting back into the wedding business.

GLL is now owned by an investor group out of South Dakota and managed by Regency Hotel Management.  The full restaurant menu has not come out yet but that should be available in the next few weeks.

The new Grand Lake Lodge website (partially completed) can be found at http://grandlakelodge.rtrk.com/

If you have never been out to the Lodge, it is quite a treat.  Some of the best views in all of Colorado.  The Lodge sits above the town of Grand Lake which is on the banks of Colorado’s largest natural lake.  Grand Lake has been a summer playground for some of Colorado’s most wealthy and famous residents.  The entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park sits just outside Grand Lake Lodge’s entrance.  If are looking to explore the high country or just get away, there is not a cooler place than the Lodge.

Word on the street is there will not be too many changes coming to GLL at least this year.  The Lodge will be open from July 10, 2011 and will close September 11, 2011.  Wouldn’t it be really nice of the new owners could keep GLL open in winter months also?  That may be too tall an order though.  It is very nice to see Grand Lake Lodge reopening and we wish them the best!

Sarah & Family's Horseback Ride & Cowboy Dinner with Sombrero Stables

Amy & Family’s Visit to Rocky Mountain National Park

We’ve had another great summer in Winter Park this year, and it’s pleasantly lingering on into a beautiful Indian summer. We hope you had a chance to share it with us, but if not, we’ve compiled a few photos of some of the fun we’ve had. Click on the photos to see the full stories and try to make it up next year.

Chris Killin' it at Trestle Bike Park

Sarah on Mountain Bike Ride with Amy on Blue Sky Trail just 1 mile from downtown Winter Park

The Winter Park Lodging Crew in full downhill gear for a day at Trestle Bike Park

Val at the Blues from the Top Festival with friends

Sarah and Chris took their boys Nicholas & Willem for $1 ice cream cones in Grand Lake

Rachel took a ride with Adventures in Whitewater and saw some cliff jumping in the Colorado River

 

 

Labor Day Mountain Bike Pond Crossing at Winter Park Resort

 

Some may think that fall in Winter Park, being a shoulder season in the mountains, is a time where we all sit around and long for the snow to start flying.  Those people are soooo wrong!! Winter Park has had the most glorious fall ever and I, for one, could live with another month of warm sunny days and cool clear nights, as long as it snows a bunch in November.  I hope the weather gods agree. 

Here are a few of the fun things I have done this September and hope to do in October:

Elk Viewing –  We made a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park one evening last week to see the elk and listen to them bugle.  We go every year, but it is always exciting to see and hear them. It amazes me how  they are not bothered by the people a bit.  We had a few walk within 10 yards of us.  The ranger said that the elk usually hang out in the meadows for 5 weeks, so there is still plenty of time to get out there to see them.

Fall Foliage –  The Aspen trees are in their prime right now with all shades of yellow, gold, orange, and red.  In the sunshine, they look like a painting in the doctor’s office. Nothing will relax you more than a drive through the mountains to see the fall colors.

Golf – This is the best time of year to get out there and play 18, or even just 9 holes.  There are no crowds, the courses are in fabulous condition, you can get great deals, and the weather doesn’ t get any better.  Be sure to stock up on snacks and drinks before you head out as the cart girls have abandoned their carts to squeeze in a few rounds themselves before the snow flies. Pole Creek  (package rate available for our guests),  Headwaters at Sol Vista, or Grand Elk  are some fantastic courses for late season golf. 

Dog Cart Rides — The dogs like to run all year long and it is cool enough again for them to take you on an adventure.  You’ll ride in a cart instead of a sled, but it will still be exhilirating.  When your ride has finished be sure to stop in to Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park and see the puppies that just arrived last week! Our guests save 30% on cart rides, scooter rides and kennell tours this fall until November 24th. Click here for details.

Hot Air Balloon Rides — What a great way to get up and see the folliage. Temperatures rise up to 40 degrees when you get high in the air, so you’ll be nice & toasty. Call Sue and Jack at Grand Adventure Balloon Tours to schedule the ride of your life, and get $10 off per person as a guest of Winter Park Lodging Company.  You have never experienced anything so peaceful as being up in a balloon!

Hot Sulphur Springs Resort — One of the best ways to enjoy the fall scenery, while getting a bit of well-deserved rest & relaxation at the same time, is to take the scenic drive through Byers Canyon to the Hot Sulphur Springs Resort, located about 45 minutes from Winter Park in the town of Hot Sulphur Springs. Choose your favorite pool filled with natural hot spring water from out of the twenty or so pools of varying temperatures and sizes. The Native Americans frequented these springs for years and believed they had healing effects.

Mountain Biking with Bears -  well, not exactly. But we have been seeing quite a bit of wildlife, including bears, while on our mountain bike rides. Not only is it wonderful to be amidst the beautiful fall foliage on the trails, it’s exciting to know that you could see a moose, fox or bear around any bend in the trail. See more about a bear sighting or read about a recent moose sighting.

Maybe we’ll see you up here in our beautiful backyard this fall. We’ve got a list of lots of other fall activities in Winter Park & Grand County and would be happy to share some ideas with you. Give us a call at 970-722-0707 or 877-329-1383 or email us at info@winterparklodgingcompany.com anytime.

The second edition of the hike of the week is back for Winter Park, Colorado.  This week the hike takes a little drive from WP up to Rocky Mountain National Park.  This week’s hike is a relatively easy and short hike that goes to a beautiful waterfall and continues to a stunning meadow with great mountain views and small ponds teaming with fish.  There is a charge to get into Rocky Mountain National Park but this hike is a hike in and there is no fee.  If you continue to drive into the Park there is a charge

On the way back stop in Grand Lake and check out Colorado’s biggest natural lake with some of the best views in Colorado.

Adams Falls, East Inlet Trail – Winter Park Hike of the Week

(Rocky Mountain National Park)

BEGINNING ELEVATION: 8400ft.

ENDING ELEVATION: 8480ft.

Miles one way: .5 miles to Adams Falls, 1 mile to the glaciated valley

Rating: Easy

Trailhead Location: From the Winter Park Visitor’s Center drive north on US HWY 40 19 miles through Granby to US HWY 34 and turn right. Continue for about 15.3 miles to the Grand Lake Visitor Center and turn right in to the village of grand Lake. At the Mountain Food Market, the road will veer to the rights into Grand Lake (a wooden sign days “Welcome to Grand Lake”) veer left and follow the road for 2 miles to the end of the road to a parking lot, the trailhead is well marked.

Trail Information: This is an easy hike up to a beautiful waterfall. It is suitable for all ages. Be careful at the top of the waterfall as the water is fast and strong. Keep small children well away from the water’s edge at the falls and stay on the trail only. If you decide to, you can continue on another .5 miles past the falls in to an alpine meadow with gorgeous views of “Mt. Baldy” and ponds full of fish.

Special Trail regulations: This hike is in the Rocky Mountain National Park so no dogs or bikes are allowed.

Stay tuned next week for the third installation of the Winter Park Hike of the week.

Winter Park Hike of the Week No. 1

Summer is on the way and nothing announces it’s arrival better than the opening day at Rocky Mountain National Park. May 28th, 2010 will start the summer season for the Alpine Visitor Center located on the Continental Divide on Trail Ridge Road.  Crews are hard at work clearing the pass to have it open in time.  Be sure to make the drive over the divide this summer, the views are incredible. You might even see some wildlife too.

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to make the drive over the Continental Divide on Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park.

Summer officially begins for the park on May 28th, 2010, when the Alpine Center opens.  This drive is a “must do” for tourists and locals alike.  The views are unmatchable and we have seen a wide variety of wildlife every time.  Be sure to put it on your list this summer!

This living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, with elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Longs Peak, provides visitors with opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures.

Elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, black bears, coyotes, cougars, eagles, hawks and scores of smaller animals delight wildlife-watchers of all ages. Wildflower-lovers are never disappointed in June and July when the meadows and hillsides are splashed with botanical color. Autumn visitors can relax among the golden aspens or enjoy the rowdier antics of the elk rut – mating season.

Trail Ridge Road and Rocky Mountain National Park are are national treasures that are not to be missed if you are up this way in Colorado.  Make a coupe days of it and you can see beautiful Grand Lake, Colorado and spend some time with us Winter Park.

Head up to the Rocky Mountain National Park and you can see the bugling elk and get the last glimpse of the aspens changing their colors.  This weekend, the first of October, is the time to see the elk and see the changing of the colors.

We have had our first snow and more is sure to follow so get out of the house now and enjoy fall in the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Check out Winter Park Lodging Companies specials and deals on fall lodging.

It’s also the time of year for the elk to start making their way down into the valley. We were lucky enough to see a herd of elk way up at the top. The bull was gigantic and made the females run when he bugled. In the next few weeks, they should be down in the valley just inside the Park. It is a great place to view them, since they are very close to the road and not really bothered by people. Best time to go is early evening, just before dusk. Bundle up, it gets cold once the sun goes down and you won’t want to leave.  September is a gorgeous time of year in Winter Park, be sure to make your reservation to come up and enjoy the colors and wildlife. Give us a call to book 877 329 1383.

Winter Park in September

It is getting to be Fall up here in Winter Park, Colorado.  September is my favorite month with the changing of the colors and the cool, crisp mornings and evenings.  It doesn’t get any better for scenery and it is the best time of year for mountain biking.

A perfect day is waking up to a nice hot cup of coffee to be enjoyed on the deck followed by fresh pancakes and eggs.  Off to mountain biking up behind Rendezvous for a few hours and then a good soak in a pool or hot tub.  Evening comes around and it’s a great dinner at Tabernash Tavern or the Cheeky Monk followed with a bottle of good wine sitting around the fire on the patio.

It is the time for all the aspens to change colors also.  The last couple of weekends are when we get the most colors from the aspen.  Nothing more fun than a drive up to Grand Lake a trip through Rocky Mountain National Park to see the changing of the colors.

Come and get your Winter Park, Colorado lodging for the September activities going on.

And there are still lots and lots of events up here in the Rocky Mountains for September: