A Quick Spring Getaway to Aspen
Hank and I went on short spring getaway to Aspen. Although only 12 miles as the bird-flies from where we live in Crested Butte, in the winter it takes about 4 hours to drive around the mountains.
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Tips and pleasures for late season snow fun on and off the slopes
Wherever you opt to ski this spring break, expect plenty of sunshine, great deals and packages, even at the poshest resorts.
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Finding hidden gems in snow country
There are other hidden gems like Ski Cooper elsewhere in Colorado and around the country for snow-loving families, suited especially for those with young kids and families just learning. Here are five good bets:
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Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
Snow Shoeing, Back Country skiing and horseback – Vista Verde Guest Ranch
Vacation days don’t often get better than this. After a hearty breakfast at Vista Verde Guest Ranch——think fluffy buttermilk pancakes, sausage, oatmeal and eggs all varieties—we head out together snowshoeing
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Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
Far from the ski crowds: Vista Verde Guest Ranch in Colorado
Vista Verde Ranch, about 25 miles north of Steamboat Springs, is about as opposite a downhill mountain resort as possible. Set on 540 acres in the middle of Colorado’s Routt National Forest, this is the place to come to explore the wilderness on cross-country skis, horseback, fat bikes or snowshoes away from the crowds.
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Breckenridge CO: Plenty for families on and off the slopes
What I love about Breck, as locals call it, is there is plenty to do even if you aren’t a skier or rider. There are more than 200 restaurants, bars and shops
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Why Colorado’s Keystone Resort is such a hit with families
On the first day of his first trip with his grandchildren to the slopes — at Keystone Resort just 90 minutes from Denver — he couldn’t help getting emotional as the family dropped off the two grandkids, 4 and 8, at ski school.
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Families & Groups | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
At Ski Cooper – a half hour and a world away from Vail and Breck
It feels as if I have the entire mountain with its fresh snow all to myself—and it’s Saturday. Welcome to Ski Cooper, just outside of Leadville with 39 trails and four lifts spanning 400 lift-served acres and no artificial snow
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
In Leadville CO — the highest town in the USA!
Just an after dinner stroll. In 10,000-plus feet altitude. In the snow. What could be more fun after a delicious dinner in a Yurt cookhouse?
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Woodstock VT: A Winter Weekend of Outdoor Activities
Vermont is loaded with quaint villages and covered bridges, but Woodstock stands tall even in state that’s chockfull of adorable.
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It’s time again for families to have some fun in the snow
Peanut M&Ms are good, too. The Aspen, Colorado, middle-schoolers I interviewed for my “Kid’s Guide to Denver and Colorado Ski Country” opine that it’s always smart to have “power candy,” in your pocket
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Gift suggestions for your favorite travelers during the holidays
There’s always that one thing you wished you had brought for the trip, but didn’t. Why not give your favorite travelers something that will genuinely make them happier and more comfortable on their 2017 travels? The best news: They’ll think of you, and your thoughtful gift, every time they travel.
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Families & Groups | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
Angeleno Goes Full Cowboy in Colorado
At the Vista Verde Guest Ranch, it turns ranch life ain’t so bad. It also turns out, a city slicker can really look really really ridiculously awesome wearing a Cowboy hat.
At the Vista Verde Guest Ranch
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Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
In Aspen, a hotel with great vibes and amenities – The Limelight
We’re atop Ajax—as Aspen Mountain is known—with just a handful of others for “First Tracks” at 8:15 a.m.—before the Mountain has opened.
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Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
The mountain or the ranch – so many great choices
The staff at Vista Verde Ranch, about 25 miles outside the ski town of Steamboat Springs has obligingly left us an Evening Sky Map for this month.
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Families & Groups | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
A visit to Strawberry Hot Spring Park in Colorado
Nestled in the hills about 10 miles outside the town of Steamboat Springs, Strawberry Hot Springs is a natural hot springs fed by heated underground aquifers that come to the surface to make a number of heated pools
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Families & Groups | Destinations | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
Combining ski vacation and dude ranch in the Colorado Rockies
This year, I decided to mix it up—opting to spend half our winter ski week at a dude ranch, Vista Verde Ranch, on 500-plus gorgeous acres about 25 miles outside of Steamboat Springs and as far away from the crowds and tumult of a major ski area as you can get.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Weekly Column
Getting the whole family outdoors in winter
There’s nothing more fun than trying something new — wasn’t that one of your new year’s resolutions — especially in such spectacular country? And there’s no better time than January, which is designated Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month.
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Remembering Stein Eriksen; Rooting for Jake Burton Carpenter
Stein Eriksen, a founder of modern skiing, has died in Park City, UT at 88. Meanwhile, Jake Burton Carpenter, 62, is making an amazing recovery from a life-threatening illness.
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Fun in the snow off the ski slopes
It may be Christmas week, but we’re as far from a mall and city crowds as we can get. We’re hiking the Crawford Trail, the longest continually used trail in the country, snow crunching under our feet
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To a Colorado resort that’s no longer hard to reach
Tiny Telluride is a popular place. Nestled in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, the mountain range has the highest concentration of 13,000 and 14,000 foot peaks in North America
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Boarding, burgers and teen bonding in Bolton Valley, VT
A high school junior and scholar in the A Better Chance program writes about a weekend of snowboarding fun and bonding time with his housemates in Bolton Valley, VT.
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Telluride: An A-Lister’s Dream; a No-Lister’s Playground
Skiing down the “Galloping Goose,” it hit me — Telluride has something for everyone, even the 1 percent A-listers.
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Tapping his inner rebel at Crested Butte Mountain Resort
A die-hard snowboarder since his teens, Chris Yemma decided to try skiing on a blue-bird day at Crested Butte to see if his inner rebel still lives.
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Off the slopes and into the Spa: At The Peaks in Telluride
My daughters and I head up to one of Colorado’s biggest Spas at The Peaks Resort in the Mountain Village, where kids love the indoor-outdoor heated pool complete with water slide and is ranked a top spa by Conde Nast Traveler
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Let it snow! Transformational day at Telluride Ski Resort
After a week of bluebird weather, a much-needed winter storm has moved into Colorado and it is dumping snow at Telluride Ski Resort.
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Telluride CO: historic mountain town welcomes modern families
Welcome to Telluride Ski Resort, about an hour from Montrose and 2.5 hours from Durango (both of which have regional airports) in Southwest Colorado with just 2500 year-round residents who happily live in a box canyon 8750 feet above sea level. Yes you feel that altitude.
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Special challenges for special kids in Crested Butte CO
Tony suffers from dwarfism and is autistic. But here at Crested Butte’s Adaptive Sports Center, he literally is king of the hill.
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Our family trip back to Crested Butte, where memories were made
The 6 year old was determined to set herself apart from her older brother and sister on vacation. My youngest daughter declared she was a “big girl” and could decide for herself what fun she would have in the snow that week in Crested Butte CO
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Conquering my mountain meltdown with the help of a ski instructor
We’re at the top of the mountain in Crested Butte, CO, elevation over 12,000 feet, and I suddenly am too scared to move. To be fair, the wind is blowing hard and the conditions are a bit icy but it really wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle — or hadn’t handled many times.
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Plenty to do on and off the slopes in Crested Butte, CO
For a town of 1500 people, Crested Butte, CO has enough restaurant choices to please any palate, promises David Wooding, co owner of the popular new Mexican restaurant Bonez
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Returning to our favorite ski resort when the kids were young – Crested Butte CO
When my kids were small, we often skied at Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Southwest Colorado. This trip we’re back with family and I remember quickly why I love this place and so do the other families I meet.
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A weekend ski getaway to family-friendly Southern Vermont
Situated between Southern Vermont ski resorts Bromley and Stratton, Manchester is home to shops, restaurants and more small cozy inns than you can count. The Inn at Willow Pond was a quant rustic place that can fit the needs from couples to families, even allowing pets.
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Making sure Mom gets out to play in the snow
Come on, moms! Got your snow pants and mittens? Let’s go have some fun in the snow — on the ski slopes. No watching the kids, no trying to keep up with your husband!
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Off the slopes snowshoe fun at Northstar California
Rather than ski, I’m going to have some fun in the snow a different way—hiking on snowshoes in the woods, though the lack of snowfall does impede us a bit.
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Families love concierge level for informality
“I love it here,” said Martha Kramer, enjoying an early dinner with her two kids, including one with special needs. She could have gone to the first rate restaurant downstairs Manzanita with her husband and his business colleagues, she said, “But this is more relaxing.”
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At Northstar CA, moms get pampered with special ski progam
This program at $295 is less than an all day private lesson. The women are grouped according to their ability, no more to four to a group. They might end up with a private coach all day. The day includes a lift ticket, the latest demo equipment and at the end of the day, champagne and canapés during a “tech talk” about equipment. Considering that a lift ticket is over $100 and demo equipment $70, this is a bargain.
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Fun in the snow at YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado
You’ll certainly be warmly greeted at the YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch, and many of the welcomes will come in the way of furry kisses by the adorable and powerful Snow Mountain Ranch dog sled team.
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Fun off the slopes: learning to build a snow sculpture in the mountains
Mountain resorts across the country offer an ever-growing array of off-the-slopes activities where the kids — and you — can get inspired to build your own sculpture either at home or near where you are vacationing in mountain country
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Kid tips for hitting the slopes for Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
If you are a newbie, there is no better time than January, the nationally designated Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month to hit the Colorado slopes.
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To Deer Valley, where guests say ‘no snowboarders!’
Instead of frustrating hours at the airport, we spent a blue sky day on Deer Valley’s famously groomed slopes, stopping for an excellent lunch. (Deer Valley is as famous for its eats as it is for its grooming and customer service.)
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Mellow Monarch Gives Families a Place to Chill
Don’t worry about buying new ski gear. Just pull your old ski gear out of the box in your garage; you’ll feel right at home at laid-back Monarch Mountain.
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Back to Bolton Valley with the ABC boys — many lessons learned
Why would three sane adult males drive five hours for a day-and-a-half of skiing and snowboarding with a group of five high school boys when there are bigger and fancier ski areas much closer to home? A guys weekend of course.
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Finding a New Shared Passion on the Slopes of Winter Park
We had a lot on the line for our first ski trip out west together. I wanted my fiancé, Jonathan to fall in love with skiing. I knew Winter Park would win him over.
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Why families love the quintessential ski town of Breckenridge, CO
Challenge is a good thing for all ages on vacation and Breckenridge offers it up in spades, whatever the kids’ ages and ability — from the Four O’clock run, which is 3.5 miles long, the terrain parks, the kids’ trails through the trees and kids’ terrain features with names like Rip’s Ravine and Dragon Trail.
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Ostracized snowboarder finds welcome at Snowbird and The Canyons
As the only snowboarder of the family, I constantly have to defend myself and my brethren that we’re not a bunch of sliding reckless criminals one strike from being locked up. I still have two strikes left, thank you.
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Something for every family in Park City, including snowboarder nephews
Until this year, I had never snowboarded in Utah. When I thought Utah, I thought tiny martinis and tabernacle choirs . When I thought Park City, I thought fancy film festivals. Turns out, Utah, and specifically the former silver-mining town of Park City, are pure gold.
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Mammoth Still Formidable in California Drought
With a trip to Mammoth planned back in October, it never occurred to me that in a few months I’d be hearing news about one of the worst droughts in California history. Sure, that’s bad news for the state’s water supply, bad news for agriculture, bad news for just about every facet of life. But most importantly — it’s bad news for ski trips. Call me an only child.
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At Deer Valley, the consensus seems to be no snowboarders
The families I met here like Deer Valley—one of Park City’s three ski resorts— because of the groomed runs but more important, because there are no snowboarders allowed. Deer Valley, in fact, is one of only three resorts in the country that don’t allow snowboarders.
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When the snow is falling, the spa is a perfect backup plan
I admit it. When it comes to skiing when the wind is howling and I can’t see in front of me, I’ll pack it in, even at such a wonderful mountain as Snowbird.
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Outwitting the storm for once for a family ski reunion in Park City, Utah
When the forecast got worse by the hour for the latest storm primed to hit the East Coast, I figured our flight from New York to Salt Lake City would invariably be cancelled the next morning.
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Unleashing your family’s inner Olympian at the North American sites
This year, do a lot more than just watch the Olympians as the Winter Games get under way in Sochi, Russia on Feb. 6. Tap into the Olympic spirit right here at home.
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Families getting out of the comfort zone above the tree line
It’s dumping snow on Breckenridge Mountain and we’re above tree line at the new Peak 6 bowls. Some of the terrain is hike-to expert — some of the most extreme at the big resort — but all of the buzz here has been about the above tree line blue terrain.
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Family central at Breckenridge CO and its new Peak 6
The mountain—it’s huge, even larger with the newly opened Peak Six that has added 543 new acres of terrain, the biggest ski resort terrain expansion in over a decade. There are Kids’ jumps and small trails through the trees and kids terrain features with names like Rip’s Ravine and Dragon Trail.
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Carving snow and ice In Breckenridge CO — you can do this at home!
With much of the nation covered in snow this week, and temperatures well below freezing, this is a great family cabin-fever-reducing activity. But here in Breckenridge, snow carving is a huge event each winter.
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Learning to ski and ride and doing it for FREE in Pennsylvania
Do you have kids that are in 4th or 5th Grade and are looking for a way to keep them busy this winter How about skiing or boarding for FREE in Pennsylvania?
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Learning a snow sport — more than just fun in the snow
Snow sports can be more than about fun in the snow. They’re about persistence and courage, trying something new (just ask the cold-hating Los Angeles boy who was with us) and empathy for those who may be struggling more than you might be.
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Take the Kids Skating at The Rink at Bryant Park
this time of year also means winter fun and what better way to ring in the season than to go ice skating in Bryant Park in the heart of Manhattan.
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To Keystone CO – one of the most kid-centric ski areas in the country
Keystone is Vail Resort’s most kid-centric resort, with kids-ski free (as long as you book a two-night stay), night skiing tweens and teens love and daily “Kidtopia” activities. There’s a parade through the village on Saturdays with kids being twirled around in tires, free cookies and hot cider in the ice-skating rink, the chance to meet and greet the avalanche dogs and ski patrollers, free kids sundaes and more.
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In Aspen, kids playing with their food is encouraged!
Never were two boys more unlike one another than mine when it comes to cooking. My elder son, Tanner, age 8, abhors anything remotely culinary, while my younger, Brady, age 5, was all but born with an apron wrapped around his waist, a wooden stirring spoon in his hand. The consummate chef and critic.
