Just a couple of weeks ago I was excited to go on a press trip which included flight, accommodations, meals, and activities. It was an amazing trip and one of my favorite memories is zipping down the hills on a pair of skis in lovely Colorado. It was awesome, even though I was all bundled up and had a helmet on, I swear I could feel the wind whipping thru my hair!
We did a ton while experiencing beautiful Colorado on this press trip, our longest stay was at Winter Park Resort in Winter Park Colorado. Everything here was very classy, from the hotels and condos on the bottom of the mountain to the workers controlling the chairlifts on the very top of the mountain (and of course, everything in between!).
As a family man, I was focusing on how a family would enjoy a trip to Colorado. There is so much fun stuff to do and everything is outside, so a family trip to Colorado would be well received parents and kids of all ages. My overall experience at Winter Park Resort was amazing.
Winter Park Resort is much more than just a ski resort, don’t get me wrong, the skiing is great but there is something for everyone to do there, even if you or some members of the family don’t ski. Here are my top reasons you should not only visit, but stay at Winter Park Resort when you plan this trip.
Skiing
I know most of you are interested in the skiing, and my experience on the slopes as a (rapidly advancing) novice was grade A. We had the pleasure of taking a group lesson, so I was able to shake off some rust (there was a lot of it!) and learn some things that I never knew before.
Winter Park Resort does an incredible job keeping all the trails in great shape. The snow great and nice and soft (which was helpful the couple of times I fell). Another great thing you couldn’t help but notice was the happy interaction everyone had with all the workers there. Whether it was an instructor you were skiing by, or the friendly greetings received from the workers at the chairlifts, everyone was very courteous and fun.
I was also very impressed by how child-friendly the resort and ski hills were. All the workers went out of their way to make sure the kids were having fun. There were wagons available to help the little ones move their equipment (or help parents move the kids) this was a great little touch. On the mountains there were hundreds of kids zipping down the hill smiling and having fun (I refuse to say how many of them could literally ski circles around me).
I was glad we had a guide when we were there; Winter Park Resort had 19 lifts open and over 140 open trails, so an experienced set of eyes was very welcome. I have gone skiing in Ohio, Michigan and New York and those locations do not come close to comparing to the overall size, style or quality that Winter Park Resort offers
Much More Than ‘Just’ Skiing
Not everyone loves skiing, and even though skiing at Winter Park Resort is very child friendly, occasionally a child may not be a fan of skiing. Fortunately, there are plenty of things to do here in addition to skiing. There are options for snowboarding and even snow-biking – which I will have to try next time! There are also great tubing runs, you can ice skate, take a Snow Cat Tour up to the top of the mountain, or even go snowshoeing and take in the views of the property. In addition, there is so much to do in the summertime as well, mountain biking is huge and there are some great tracks and even a park, along with lot more summer activities.
Accommodations
They call the primary area of the resort The Village. The Village has many housing options, offering lofts, condos, a hotel and a lodge to choose from. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Fraser Crossing, a condo at the base of the mountain. I was just a couple minute walk from the base of the slopes. Rooms come with plenty of options depending how large your group is 1 bedroom to 3 bedrooms with full living room and kitchens are available. Best of all, there are plenty of hot tubs available throughout the property! Check out the room I stayed in at Fraser Crossing – it was awesome!
Ski + Ride School
We had a great time with our instructor, he made sure we were all comfortable, correct in our equipment, and then he went over the basics. Our instructor Larry, has been skiing for over 30 years and he was a real pro, he was willing to adjust his lesson based on our individual skill level. We learned basic techniques like slowing down and turning and going back and forth down the hill so you are not going too fast. I learned so much and by the end of the day I was very comfortable on my skis and was having a blast going much faster.
There are lots of options for lessons at Winter Park Resort, private lessons, group lessons, children’s lessons, snowboarding lessons, snow-biking lessons. If you can do it on a hill, they can help you learn how to get better.
You Gotta Eat!
To give you an idea of how big and how cool this resort is, there are 18 eating options. The options range from pastries and snacks to excellent dinners, with lots of variety and good tastes! On our trip I was able to check out 2 restaurants – Cheeky Monk- which is a Belgian Beer Café which makes a killer Bangers and Mash plate! We also checked out Doc’s Roadhouse for lunch – Doc’s has a kid friendly menu with a good variety of sandwiches – I tried the Grouper Tacos which were delish! Check out the other eating choices at Winter Park Resort. There are so many options to enjoy here, and they even put a restaurant in the middle of the mountain in case you get hungry while going down that Black Diamond!
The Village At Winter Park
The Village is like its own little city, in addition to the housing and restaurants there are plenty of things to keep you busy. You can pamper yourself with an Alpenglow Massage, enjoy the free weekly family activities, do plenty of shopping and my favorite – have some S’mores by the fire every Wednesday!
Winter Park Resort has it all; this is a family vacation location that has boundless opportunities for fun. Massive ski slopes and fun activities for the family guarantee every member of your family will have a great time.
As you are thinking about where to take your next family vacation, Colorado is a winner and a true outdoor experience that will help your family disconnect from your iPhones and enjoy your time in the natural beauty that is Colorado.
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Top 5 Adventures In Colorado That Have Nothing To Do With Skiing
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