Fall Colors in Winter Park Colorado

Changing of the Colors Winter Park, CO

Every summer comes to this in Winter Park.  It always seems to come to early and without warning. driving under the Rocky Mountain peaks and you notice an aspen that is starting to turn from green to yellow.  Well, it is here in Winter Park this year.  The neighbors aspen are about half yellow and some of trees on the hills are getting a little yellow also.

The change in colors comes early up here in WP-CO.  Best time to see the trees is in mid-September.  There is plenty to do in Winter Park and Grand County, Colorado in September and it is unbelievably beautiful this time of year.  Check out some of the activities here in Winter Park the last half of September.

Also, don’t forget that Trestle Bike Park is open everyday through Labor Day and Fri, Sat and Sun the following three weekends.

Mountain biking Winter Park in general in September and early October are at their best.  The weather is a bit cooler, the scenery is amazing and a lot of the crowds have settled in for school down in the lowlands.

So now is the time to plan your fll getaway to the mountains and get a great discount from Winter Park Lodging Company.The WPLCo offer for fall and early booking is:

Labor Day Sale! Get 50% off your 2nd night for stays between Aug 1st and Nov 15th. OR get 20% off on stays between Nov 16th and Dec 16th. Book by August 31st.

More on Weddings in Winter Park!

As more and more engaged couples catch on to the appeal and popularity of our quaint and beautiful town, it seems that new businesses that cater to weddings in Winter Park keep popping up. Recently I’ve stumbled upon a couple of well kept secret gems that I’m happy to be able to share with everyone.

First, wedding cakes! Evelyn Stowers has been in the business of making delicious and elegant wedding cakes for 44 years. In fact, the first wedding cake she ever created was for her own wedding (they’re still happily married, likely due to her sweet personality and the cakes she’s always whipping up in their kitchen). Evelyn showed me a binder filled with hundreds of cakes she’s created over the years, and I have to say that I melted completely into giddy girl mode! She has fun and gorgeous ideas for decoration, and after almost half a century of baking, you better believe she’s got more than a couple delicious cake recipes on hand. So ff you don’t feel like hunting down a big banner to post on your car that says “wedding cake on board” while you drive up our curvy mountain pass, then send Mrs. Stowers an email at evelynstowers@yahoo.com. She’ll be happy to hear from you!

Second, and a little more unique, is Ear 2 Ear photo booths. A couple of locals, Jeff Skinner and John Vella, have found great success with their small business of delivering, setting up, and operating photo booths at all kinds of events, including weddings. And yes, you’re thinking of the right photo booths: the same ones you laugh like crazy in at carnivals with your best friends. Photo booths are a creative and fun addition at any event; we think it’s worth your time to check it out! You can read about all the details and see some sample photos at www.ear2earphotobooths.com , then give Jeff and John a call at 970 509 9778.

And as always, if you have any questions about other great services in the area or are interested in lodging, give Winter Park Lodging Company a call at 877-329-1383. We’re always happy to hear from you!

Rudi’s Deli Specials to Celebrate Opening Week of Ski Season!

Maybe it’s just us in Winter Park, but we like to eat good, hot, homemade food, especially when it’s a chilling thirty below during the depths of winter (and we eat a little extra in the fall too, so we can pack on some winter fat to keep us warm…). One of our longtime favorites is Rudi’s Deli, located right in downtown Winter Park, because of the incredible homemade soups and hearty sandwiches. What’s best about this place, aside from the turkey avocado melt and the toasted reuben panini, are the cheap prices! (Remember, I’m a broke snowboard bum, so when I say cheap, I mean it).  

Here’s the best part: Rudi’s Deli is going to be offering HALF OFF their ENTIRE MENU from ski season opening day, Nov. 18, through Thanksgiving day. Take advantage of that deal to try a couple new additions to the menu, including 3 new entree salads (Ahi, Greek, Chef’s, and Pasta salad with tomato, edamame, and feta), 3 new soups (stop in to find out!), and a new Ultimate veggie wrap. Don’t forget that Rudi’s also offers tasty burritos and bagels for breakfast, as well as coffee from the famed Rocky Mountain Roastery. New winter hours are 10 am to 8 pm every day. Check out the website for the complete menu!

www.winterparkdeli.com

Winter Park Pub Open all Fall!

To those who have never visited, the Pub probably seems to be a pretty standard bar. Beer, pizza, flat screen TVs for Monday night football…but what you may not know is that the beer is an ever changing selection of local brews, the pizza is incredible homemade deep dish, and you can have that pizza for free while you’re watching Monday night football on the flat screens. Still not convinced? Then head over to the Pub on Taco Tuesday for $1.00 tacos, or on just about any Friday or Saturday to check out some great live music.

More important than the pizza, more important than the tacos, and almost more important than the beer, the Pub is going to become your bar after you vist, no matter who you are. Locals, bikers, families, fishermen, tourists, snowboarders and skiiers, mountain bikers: no matter what you do, if you want a good beer, good food, and a good atmosphere at the end of the day, the Pub is it. Unlike lots of other bars and restaurants in Winter Park and Grand County, the Pub stays open year round for both its loyal regulars and those just visiting. See ya at the Pub.

Fall Fun in Winter Park

Fall is upon us and there are still quite a few fun activities to check out during October. Here are some highlights…

October 9-10: 24th Annual Ski Swap. Come on down to West Portal Station to get huge discounts on new and used ski gear and outerwear for the whole family.  The swap is a primary fundraiser for the Winter Park Competition Center and scholarship funds, so help the cause! For more info, call 970-726-1590

October 15: Scary Movie Night @ the Fraser Library- “Children of the Corn”. Be prepared to get spooked- show starts at 6pm. For info call 970-726-5689

October 28: Showing of Warren Miller’s Dynasty. Head to Winter Parks Silver Screen Cinemas to check out the best in the ski movie biz. Showings at 6 and 9pm. Contact 970-726-5390 for more details.

October 31: Cooper Creek is hosting the 9th annual Trick or Treat Street and Haunted House. From 4-7pm, come out with the kids for some spooky family fun! Here are a few of the activities planned-

• trick or treating througout the mall                                                                                            
• haunted house and spooky graveyard                                  
• phantom photo booth
• free spooky supper at Moe’s
• Scarecrow scare-off contest announced at Moe’s at 7pm

here’s the WPLC scarecrow holding down the fort….

Dog Cart Rides in Winter Park

People aren’t the only ones who enjoy the crispness of fall and start to look forward to the first snowfall, the huskies of Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park are also howlin’  with happiness about the cooler temperatures and predictions of big snow.  They will be running one cart ride on both Saturday and Sunday mornings through mid October. After that, they will  run multipe rides throughout the day.  The cart ride is $125 for 1 or 2 people. If you aren’t into the riding, but would still like to see the dogs, you can go on  a kennel tour for $15/ adults and $7.50/kids. If you happen to visit on October 18th, be sure to wish a Happy Birthday to Zeus! Winter Park Lodging Company would love to host you at one of our great condos just minutes from the dogs and the ride of a lifetime.

Fall Drives in the Winter Park Area | Fall River Road

Winter Park Colorado Drives

When driving up I-70 I have wondered what Fall River Road was.  I saw this article about a fall aspen tree viewing drive in the Winter Park area and thought I would share it with you.  This is taken from the Intrawest Homeowners September 2009 newsletter:

Old Fall River Road

Are you looking for a nice place to go and see the fall colors this September? Although the beautiful Aspen trees cover many areas of our valley and county, there is one drive worth seeing if you have the chance. Old Fall River Road was the first road to cross the Rocky Mountains in northern Colorado. The construction of this road was started by state prison inmates in 1913, before Rocky Mountain National Park was established. The job was slow and eventually completed by contractors in 1920. Although it became a very popular road, it proved to be very difficult to travel as well as maintain. In fact, some motorists had to go up this road in reverse, to make it over the steep grade with their weak engines and gravity-fed fuel systems. Not only was this a problem, but often times avalanches would cover the road in 40 feet of snow for months at a time.  Because of the difficulty in maintaining this road, as well as the steep grades and sharp switchbacks, construction began on the Trail Ridge Road, which was completed in 1932. At this point, half of Fall River Road became a one-way scenic drive from Endovalley up to Fall River Pass, leaving the western half abandoned or overbuilt by the new Trail Ridge Road. This drive offers spectacular views, above and below tree line, and will be a great spot to see the beautiful fall colors. It would certainly make a great day trip over to Estes Park via Trail Ridge Road, and back to Grand County, utilizing the one-way Old Fall River Road. Several sights to see while traveling the Old Fall River Road are the Endovalley Overlook, Chasm Falls and 5 Mile Canyon. All offer breath-taking views and are sights worth seeing if you can.

Things to keep in mind if traveling over Old Fall River Road:

GRADE: steepest grades up to 16%

TURN RADIUS: tightest radii of 16 switchbacks is about 20’.

ROAD WIDTH: rarely exceeds 14’

Rocky Mountain National Park urges visitors to stop by one of the Rocky Visitors Centers and pick up a copy of the “Old Fall River Road” guide for just $1. This will help explain history as well as what you are viewing along the way.  Visit the Kawuneeche Visitors Center at the West entrance of the park for more information.