Winter Park Resort Summer Opening 2012

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chris

Winter Park Base Opening

As this ski season is winding down with Mary Jane closing April 15th and the whole of Winter Park Resort closing April 22 it may be time to think when the resort will be opening up for summer activities. Winter Park Resort base activities and attractions include the Zephyr Lift opening with access to favorite attractions such as the Alpine Slide, Amaze’n Human Maze, Leaps & Bounds Bungee, Rock ‘n Roll Gyro, Mountainside Mini Golf and Outdoor Climbing Wall.

Winter Park Resort base activities will be opening June 16th, 2012. Summer hours of operation are 10am through 5:30pm, 7 days a week, from June 16 through September 3, 2012 (Labor Day) – and the same hours weekends in September. Ticket windows open at 9:30am. The Zephyr Express Chairlift closes at 5pm, while other activities close at 5:30pm.

Trestle Bike Park will be opening by June 16th if not before. This year new at Trestle will be Cruel and Unusual as well as 2 more new trails near the base. And DO NOT MISS the inaugural Colorado Freeride Festival – July 26-29, 2012 at Trestle Bike Park. The Colorado Freeride Festival replaces Crankworx Colorado. Trestle Bike Park passes will be available in early May.

Now is the time to get your Winter Park Resort Lodging to get all the rides you can on Colorado’s longest alpine slide. Check out all the Winter Park Resort summer activities. Winter Park Lodging Company provides the best Trestle Bike Park lodging at the Winter Park Resort Base.

Mark it down, Winter Park Resort summer activities open for business June 16th, 2012.

Grand Park Bowl & Cinema in Winter Park, CO

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Chris

New Theater and Bowling Alley in Winter Park, CO

We are getting a new bowling alley and movie theater here in Winter Park. That big ole’ building popping up right between The Grand Park Community Rec Center and the Winter Park Lodging Company offices will be the destination to catch a flick in the Winter Park area. The Village at Grand Park will house eight lanes of bowling, two digital cinemas with stadium seating, video arcade games and a bistro specializing in brick oven pizza. The project is scheduled to open summer of 2012. Rumor has it there will also be a bar serving at least beer and wine.

The above picture is an artist rendering of what the building will look like from the Winter Park Lodging Company parking lot. Below is the view from US Highway 40.

We are getting all fancy here in WP with lots of new things. Next thing you know we will be getting a Wallmart…. oh I hope not, but a Target would be really cool! Or our little town can stay just the same with the tasteful stores that we already have.

But hey, we are getting a new movie theater and bowling alley so no more driving to Grand Lake for guys night out bowling. Kids can catch a flick in a stadium seating theater and hopefully we will be able to have a brew while waiting. Now we have a perfect setting to view the Warren Miller ski movie each year.

We can’t wait for the new Grand Park Bowl & Cinema.

Snowmobiling in Winter Park, Colorado

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Chris

Grand Adventure Snowmobile Tours – Ride the Divide

Looking for some great fun of the Winter Park Resort slopes? Well, get your thrill on at Grand Adventure Snowmobile Tours.

At Grand Adventures, you have the unique opportunity to choose from a wide variety of snowmobile activities (guided or unguided). They will do everything possible to assure a safe and enjoyable experience.

The Grand Adventure Snowmobile staff of professional guides know how to customize each tour based upon the conditions and the group to “maximize” your snowmobiling and Colorado experience. Each of their guides is in constant radio communication with the base facility. Assigned are no more than 8 machines to one guide. All our guides are fully trained in first aid, CPR and back country Snowmobiling expertise. GAST guides have excellent understanding of the area. You’ll be in superior hands and will have a memorable experience.

For the advanced snowmobile rider, the machine rentals are the latest and creates with a staff to service therse beauties. Mountain performance and luxurious touring sleds are ready for you and your touring group. Grand Adventures will cover machine operation, map orientation and safety tips with each group before departure.

Grand Adventure Snowmobile Tours is on The Winter Park Lodging Company VIP Discount card so make sure to bring your card with you to get that extra 15% off on your day of snowmobiling. You do need to be a WPLCo guest to get that 15% of so make sure to get your Winter Park vacation lodging from Winter Park Lodging Company.

If you are looking for of some really fun adventure check out the snowmobiles at Grand Adventures. A day of riding the Continental Divide is a day not to be forgotten and you may even get that “sled addiction”, as they call it up here in WP, and will keep you coming back for more and more.

Grand Adventures Snowmobile Tours

www.grandadventures.com

970.726.9247

Devil’s Thumb Ranch Sleigh Rides

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Chris

Horse Drawn Carriage Rides Winter Park, CO

Looking for some fun for the kids and the whole family? Devil’s Thumb Ranch is offering guests of Winter Park Lodging Company a screaming deal for carriage rides through their Cabin Creek Stables. The stables have agreed to a special offer just for WPLCo guests…

Mondays through Thursdays, get four sleigh riders for the price of two (a $70 savings) on our feed sleigh rides offered at 10:30 and 3 pm daily. Reservations required, space limited.

The feed sleigh rides are when they take a small amount of guests out to help feed the cattle…they get to see the cows very close up and help give them hay…kids and people from the big cities love it.

You can check out Devil’s Thumb other sleigh ride offerings or do a special event out on their beautiful property.

Ski Magazine rated Devil’s Thumb Ranch in their top 5 Favorite Sleigh Rides and this what they had to say about DTR:

After a sleigh ride around the ranch’s 5,000 snowy acres, return to the stable to dinner around the campfire. Tabernash, Colo., near Winter Park; (800) 933-4339; devilsthumbranch.com .

Dinner at either The Ranch House Restaurant or Heck’s Tavern is some of the best eatin’ you will find here in Winter Park or the whole Fraser Valley. If you have never been out to Devil’s Thumb you are missing one of the top destinations in Grand County and Colorado for that matter.

So if your heading up to Winter Park let us here at the Winter Park Lodging Company set you up with the best deals and most fun activities that be had on your Winter PArk winter vacation. Check out all the special deals WPLCo has to offer guests of the Grand County and the Fraser Valley.

Come on up and get to horsin’ around and have a grand time in Grand County, Colorado.

Learning to ski at Winter Park Resort

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Chris

Skiing with Children in Winter Park, CO

Where was the first place that you skied? What was your favorite run as child? Well pretty much all my childhood memories of skiing are right here in Winter Park, Colorado. My oldest brother, David, would take me and my two other older brothers, Matthew & Stephen, and slog us up the hill and try to ski down with me between his legs. David is now up for sainthood. Even though I remember it being very hard and sometimes cold the biggest memory is of how incredibly fun it was to get out on the slopes on snow and shuush down the hill. Probably just a convenient memory because at four I was definitely not shuushing.

Anywho, it is time for me to pay back the teaching. We have been taking our twin boys, Nicholas & Willem, out to the teaching areas at Winter Park and Mary Jane and man what a kick they are getting out it. The above video is of Mom and Nicholas hitting Discovery Park. After a few runs at Mt. Maury we took Nicholas up the Gemini and let him get after some skiing. we then went back down and Nicholas fell in love with the magic carpet and trying to do pizza with his skis. The edgy-wedgy helps a lot with the young kids keeping the skis together.

At the end of the day we met up with Teddy, Niko and Theo for some french fries, PB & J and some nice sunshine. We will be heading out this weekend with both Nicholas & Willem and those two will be rippen’ up the slopes. A couple more trips to Winter Park and Mary Jane and the little tykes will be ready for Winter Park Ski School.

learn to ski winter park colorado skiing with kids at Winter Park mary jane

Winter Park, CO Festival of the Trees

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Chris

holiday trees winter park CO Christmas Trees Winter Park, Colorado

Looking to get a Christmas tree? How about get a tree and give to charity at the same time? Well, the Winter Park Festival of the trees is a great way to get a tree and donate to charity. Get out of the house with the kids and bid on a Christmas Tree.

Date: 12/14/10

Location: Beaver Village Lodge

Time: 4pm-8pm

This event benefits over 20+ Grand County Charitable Foundations and it’s FREE! It is a display and silent auction of Trees and Wreaths along with a specialty Dessert Auction. There will be food and refreshments, and Santa will be there for the kids along with a Christmas song sing-along.

Christmas is coming so you will need a tree. Why not get it at the silent auction and help out one of Grand Counties charitable foundations.

Horseback Riding in Winter Park: Steak Dinner Ride

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Chris

Bernie's Backside

My brother and his family plus my 77 year old dad were in town last week, so we decided to be tourists and headed to Sombrero Stables in Snow Mountain Ranch (a YMCA camp) for a steak dinner horseback ride.

We had to arrive by 3:30 to be matched with our horses (I got “Hitch” who liked to eat grass). We were riding by 4:15 in a straight line with our nice guide who rode looking back at us to be sure we were ok.

We rode the horses into a nice trail, thru some beautiful big aspens and by a meadow where our guide said she saw a moose just a few days before. We squinted and hoped, but no moose appeared. It was very peaceful and not scary in the least, since they don’t let you go any faster than a walk, although we learned the trick of holding the horse back a bit and then got to trot to catch up.

We arrived at our dinner spot – a wagon-looking grill and picnic area. By that point, one of my nephews was in the deep depths of a horse allergic reaction so they offered (and he accepted) to take some Benedryl and ride back down in the car. He hung out with us for dinner though which was surprisingly good. We had steak, excellent grilled potatoes, beans, and bread. They even had “Cowboy Coffee” for the caffeine addicted.

Wagon Grill

Got back on the horses and by that point we were aching a bit (knees, bum, etc) but we made it back before sunset and said goodbye to Bernie, Hitch, and the rest of the horses. One hint – if you tell them you’re an experienced rider, they give you the horses that act up a bit so for the most enjoyable time, swallow your pride and tell them you’ve never put your foot in a saddle.

Strongly recommend this fun activity for families with kids (age 3 and up) or groups that want to take enjoy the scenery and West without flying down a mountain on a bike or falling in the river on a raft. Thank you, Sombrero Stables!

Crankworx Bike Fest Winter Park, CO

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Chris

Colorado crankworx lodging Winter Park Bike Festival

The biggest Colorado bike festival of the year is almost here. Get ready for gravity defying mountain bike riding at the biggest and best bike park in the state.

Crankworx runs from July 29th to August 1st. Watch the world’s best freeride mountain bikers battle it out for over $35,000 in prizes in Winter Park’s Trestle Bike Park. Catch the high-flying action of Slopestyle, the intense speed and head-to-head competition of Dual Slalom, or watch the pros tackle most difficult trail in Trestle Bike Park in the UCI/Pro GRT Downhill competition. Plus, check out the latest in bike gear from a variety of manufacturers in the Vendor Village, free live music and parties in the evening and more! You won’t want to miss this event.

Crankworks 2010 events include:

July 29, 2010: Dual Slalom Slopestyle Qualifiers
July 30, 2010: Super Downhill Best Trick
July 31, 2010: Cross Country Slopestyle Finals
August 1, 2010: UCI/PRO GRT Downhill

Make sure to get your lodging at the Winter Park base close to where the competition will be going on. Last year the base are was full so make your reservation today to get the primo digs.

Winter Park Lodging Company is offering 3rd night free so come up and see the the festival and experience the whole Crankworx weekend.

When you’re not busy watching this incredible mountain biking event, you and your kids can also enjoy other activities in the Winter Park area:
•skateboarding at the skate park in Hideaway Park in downtown Winter Park
•horseback riding
•alpine slide
•miniature golf
•lift rides
•hiking
•mountain biking
•golf (at nearby Pole Creek Golf Course, Headwaters Golf Course, Grand Lake Golf Course, or Grand Elk Golf Course)
•fishing in rivers, streams, and lakes

Winter Park Colorado Mud Season

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park colorado off season Winter Park, Colorado off season, shoulder season or plain old mud season. We are smack dab in the middle of it up here in the Rockies. Snow, sun, mud, wind, snow and more mud seems to be how the weather is going this time of year. Not a lot going on but it is still beautiful up here now but remember to bring some clothing layers ’cause the weather will change at the drop of a hat.

What to do to in Winter Park in this mud season of ours? Well, I thoughtI would do a top five things to do in Winter Park, CO after the ski season ends. So here goes.

Grand Park Rec Center – I’m not sure what we have done in the past without the rec center but it couldn’t have been this fun. The kids love the place and it’d an escape from whatever crazy weather that is outside.
Ski Berthoud Pass – The snow keeps falling so lets just roll with the punches and continue skiing. There is some hiking involved but it is a great way to get in shape and some pretty good skiing. This can be dangerous so be careful.
Get ready for Winter Park Mountain Bike Season – weather can be an obstacle but there is riding that can be done especially on the roads. Get those legs working now and get the benefits come June.
Ski A-Basin - They have been getting good snow this spring and won’t close until June. Head on over through Silverthorn and spend a day skiing like we are in the middle of the winter.
Hit the Hot Sulphur Springs Mineral Baths – spend a day soaking the old bones in some healing waters and chase the cold away. Relaxing and invigorating all at the same time.

There is still a lot to do here in the mud season. Try one of the above activities and you can go hit one of Winter Park’s fine restaurants or bars that are serving food and drink right through this shoulder season. Check out Deno’s Mountain Bistro or The Sushi Bar.

Best Patio Deck to Have a Beer in Winter Park, Colorado

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Chris

Springtime under the colorado rockies on the patio Enjoy a Beer on the Patio in Winter Park, CO

It is that time of year here in the Colorado mountains to put the Sorrels away and break out the flip-flops, Tevas and Chacos and head out for an afternoon of cold suds on the patio decks.

We have plenty of bars here in Winter Park and almost all of them have some king of patio seating. Where to go though for the coldest beer, the perfect rays and patrons that will give up the makeup before the beer (the Miller add to the left is just a hoot). What happens when it comes down to beer or skiing, now there is a conundrum!

Anywho, here is my list of five best decks to have a beer in Winter Park, Colorado (in no particular order):

The Cheeky Monk – located in the Winter Park Village and featuring all European/Belgium beers on draft, this a great place to people watch after skiing. Great staff, great beer and a great deck to have a beer.
Deno’s Mountain Bistro – in the the town of Winter Park right on US 40 and not the biggest deck but it does have history and is a great place to see the locals and swill a beer. The building used to be the Old Swiss House from long ago. Teddy, the owner, says this is not not only a beer swillin’ deck but a wine swillin’ one too.
The Sushi Bar – another deck right on US 40 but at the north end of town. A great deck! And where else in WP can you have a saki-bomber under the blue sky? Offering select $1.50 bottles of beer currently.
Doc’s Roadhouse – located at the base of WP Resort in the Zephyr building. There is an upstairs and downstairs patio. Operated by Intrawest with a great location and it’s a great place to end a day of skiing/mountain biking/ playing around. Great people watching and an after work hang-out for Winter Park Ski Patrolers.
The Club Car – located at the Mary Jane base and open only during ski season. Probably the best place to have a beer at the Winter Park Resort. People watching is great and has a very party like atmosphere when the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the snow is fresh.

So there you have my picks for the best place to have a barley pop on a deck in the Winter Park area. Remember it is beer before makeup and skiing before beer!