Highlights from the Blues from the Top Festival in Winter Park

JP Soars and his handmade guitar

It turned out to be another perfect weekend of beautiful weather and outstanding blues performances for the eighth annual Blues from the Top festival in Winter Park, Colorado.  This weekend is my personal favorite of all Winter Park music festivals because: 1) it kicks off the summer in Winter Park; and 2) you can dance to the blues music right in front of the stage. You must check it out sometime if you haven’t yet.

The festivities started on Friday night with Curtis Salgado followed by Andy Irvine’s Blues Collective at Music at the Mall at Cooper Creek Square, then moved over to Smokin’ Moes for the official Pre-Festival Jam with jam performances by the festival’s performers.   The dance floor at Smokin’ Moes was packed as usual and the musicians were probably having as much or more fun than we were!

I missed the show on Saturday, but the highlight (from what I’ve heard) was the Walter Trout performance preceded by the hail strorm that swiftly cleared the park out for about 10 minutes. The cooler air after the storm was welcomed by my festival-goer friends, who came back to enjoy Walter and his band close out Saturday’s show.

Sunday’s show started out with a mimosa followed by several beers. Oh, and the music was great, too. We had Curtis Salgado, Nick Moss and the Fliptops, Mike Zito, Theresa James, JP Soars and Trampled Under Foot.  JP Soars was especially entertaining with his handmade guitar (pictured). His high energy paired with a voice that seems to come from a much bigger body was definitely a lot of fun to dance to. 

There were a lot of vendors to peruse between acts, plus good food like BBQ, Fried Catfish and Mexican. I loved the authentic $3 tamale and the mint chocolate chip ice cream for desert.  The continual lathering of sunscreen was necessary with all the wonderfully bright sunshine, with no afternoon thunderstorm or hardly a cloud in sight.  The Australian hat vendor sure must have made a killing, although be warned, he doesn’t take bargaining jokes lightly.

Ah, just another fun summer weekend in Winter Park, with plenty more to come. Next up is the Free Hi Country Music Festival, the Winter Park Jazz Festival, the Free Fox Classic Rock Festival and the Crankworx Colorado Mountain Bike Festival. The summer was just kicked off wonderfully by the Blues from the Top Music Fest.

New Winter Park Rental: Zephyr Mountain Lodge 1215

Ski out your back deck!

Yet another ski in/out condo joins  the Winter Park Lodging Company family this week – welcome, Zephyr 1215!  Located on the 1st floor of the Slopeside building, Zephyr Mountain Lodge 1215 boasts something no other condo in Grand County can – it’s truly the only ski in/out condo at Winter Park Resort since they added a gate on their back porch allowing you to ski right out to the slopes.

Any other condo at the resort requires you to walk down the hall and out the main back door to the slopes (ok, that’s not too tough of a task) but for bragging rights, this spot allows you to beat the others to the slopes and click in your bindings right off your back deck.

It has one bedroom with a queen bed and the living room has another sofa queen sleeper. Enjoy a private kitchen as all Zephyrs have and the outdoor hot tubs just 50 feet from your deck as well.

The condo also is right next to the new village in Winter Park which includes some of our favorite spots – get good margaritas at Lime, tasty beers and fries at the Cheeky Monk, delicious soups and breakfast burritos at the Back Bowl Soup Company and grab a t-shirt there too.  If any of you aren’t skiing the resort, you can also sign up for snowmobiling in the village at Grand Adventures.

The condo was just listed on our website and wide-open for bookings so email us at info@winterparklodgingcompany.com or call 1-877-329-1383 soon to get your spot in this guaranteed to be booked-up condo this winter!

Winter Park Resort Vacation Deals

Winter Park Colorado Vacation Deals

Now is the time to get up to Winter Park, Colorado.  Deals are aplenty and the snow is starting to build up and get pretty good.  The Winter Park snow forecast calls for a few inches tomorrow and hopefully some more this weekend.

I was checking out some of the deals that the Winter Park/Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce is running at local restaurants and I stumbled upon a whole new Welcome Back to Winter Park Program that they are running this year.  Some great deals from restaurants, retail stores and activities:

Winter Park, Colorado Restaurant Deals

Winter Park Colorado Activity Deals

Winter Park, Colorado Spas and Heath Services

You can see all the deals that are being offered at Welcome Back to Winter Park Deals.  Lots of ways to save money on your vacation to Winter Park or for you locals, that read my mindless drivel, there are some good deals here.

There is a section of deals that I left out about lodging, for obvious reasons.  However, Winter Park Lodging Company will match any published offer that any other Winter Park Vacation Rental Company is offering.  Mind you, this needs to be on comparable accommodations and comparable times.

We here at Winter Park Lodging Company can save you more and will give you better customer service than any of our Winter Park lodging competitors.  Check out all the Winter Park deals that WPLCO offers.

Don’t be hoodwinked.  Stay with the Winter Park locals not the Winter Park jokels!

Welcome Back to Winter Park Deals

Want a quick list of tons of deals in Winter Park? Check out http://www.welcomebacktowp.com/deals.html where the Chamber of Commerce outlines all of the discounts and deals you can get right now in the area. Some highlights:

- 10% off your entire bill at Hernando’s Pizza and Pub

- Wild Horse Gourmet – 20% off your purchase of a soup and sandwich when purchased together as a meal. This place has incredible food. Rachel’s boyfriend is the head chef!

- Winter Park Resort – $20 off* All Adult Lessons