Things to do in Winter Park, CO: Grand County Museums

Grand County Colorado Museums

Looking for something to do in Grand County and Winter Park?  Well, a day at one of our three museums is a day well spent.  Informative, interesting and fun and all on the cheap, take the kids and explore and see what brought us all here to the Fraser Valley.

The Grand County Historical Association has three museums in Grand County: The  Pioneer Village Museum Complex in Hot Sulphur Springs, Cozens Ranch and Stage Stop Museum in Fraser, and Heritage Park in Kremmling.

Pioneer Village and Heritage Park  Winter Hours are: Wednesday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm and Summer Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm

Cozens Ranch is closed in Winter and Summer Hours are: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm

ADMISSION
Grand County Historical Association Members free
Adults – $4.00 | Seniors (60 and older) – $3.00
Students – $2.00 | Children below Six – Free
Call 725-3939 for more information

To become a member of the Grand County Historical Society they can be contacted at:

Grand County Historical Association
110 E. Byers Avenue, PO Box 165
Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80452
970-725-3939 – FAX: 970-725-0129

Website: http://www.grandcountymuseum.com/

Top Five Winter Park Kids Activities

Winter Park, CO Kids Activities

After hitting the slopes and the Grand Park Rec Center with our twins I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of the top five activities with kids here in Winter Park, Colo.  These are the can’t miss things to do when coming up to Grand County with your little ones in the winter.  For summer there will be a whole other list.

Learn to Ski at Winter Park Resort - This is a no-brainer as most everyone coming to Winter Park this is the main reason that they are heading to our little piece of paradise.

Spend a Day at The Grand Park Rec Center – Our Rec Center sitting just at the end of the town of Winter Park is a kids and parents dream.  With two pools , diving board, lazy river, water slide. steam room, dry sauna, basketball courts, climbing wall, trampoline and lots and lots of exercise equipment for the adults this a great place to take a vacation from the snow outside.  Grand Park Rec Center also offers day care for kids.  This is especially helpful for those parents with the wee little ones.

Go Sledding or Tubing at Winter Park’s Colorado Adventure Park - The Adventure Park  offers Tubing, Airboards, Snow Scoots, and Sleigh Rides.  They are conveniently located just minutes from the Winter Park Ski Resort, in Fraser, and an easy 70 miles from Denver .  From young to young at heart they have something for you!  This is an exhilarating place.  The hill you go down is big and you can get some serious air.

Take a Dog Sled Ride at Winter Park Dog Sled Rides – We bought a ride for our niece and sister-in-law and they loved it.  When the the sled takes off it looks like a rocket.  The ride goes through some secluded forest area and it just amazing how fast the dogs go and how quiet it is in all the trees.  They are located just a short drive from Winter Park Resort on Grand County Road 5.

Sit in the Hot Springs at Hot Sulphur Springs – There are enough hot springs for the whole family with temperatures  for everyone.  There are  22 pools and private baths, which include a solarium pool, the therapy Elk Pool, and a summer swimming pool.   They are known as one of the nation’s oldest, largest and finest natural hot mineral springs resort and spa.  Relax and enjoy the sacred waters where the Ute Indians once bathed, healed mind, body, and spirit.

Enough activities to keep the adults and the little tykes busy for a week or so.  Stay tuned for the top five summer activities for kids in Winter Park, CO

Winter Park Shopping | Silver Creek

Ah, shopping!

Silver Creek at the Winter Park Resort Base

I was hanging out at the base area during the Wells Fargo Cup this weekend and popped into the Silver Creek shop, located in the Zephyr Mountain Lodge.   Not sure why I never had gone in there before (maybe it has something to do with always having ski gear on not in the mood to try on clothes).  Well, what a nice surprise it was.  I thought I had to go to Denver to shop for cute stuff!

I quickly found a True Grit vest that is now my favorite piece in the closet.  And my friend and I both bought Xob baseball-style hats made out of recycled sweaters.  We think we’re adorable.  Marc, the owner, said no one ever tries the hats on and doesn’t buy one.

Silver Creek is open every day, 9 – 7 Friday and Saturday, and 9 – 6 Sunday thru Thursday.  The True Grit clothing line is really fun mountain-chic and the Home line of jewelry is all around for picking and choosing some great accessories for your cowboy style.

Phone number: 970.726.5424.

Valentine’s Roses for your Sweetie in Winter Park

Nothing is more classy than giving a dozen roses to your Valentine. Whether you’re a local or a visitor in Winter Park for the romantic holiday, you can surprise your sweet heart with a dozen red roses for Valentine’s Day.

Kara and Rami with Pick Me Floral Design and Event Planning are just the people you need, offering a Valentine’s rose deal for either pick up or delivery. For delivery the cost is $75 and for pick up it’s $65 (pre-orders only).  A deal either way, for beautiful roses to brighten up your Valentine’s Day. Email kara@lovethisday.com or call 970-531-9237 today.

Winter Park Village Free Events

Free Events in Winter Park Resort Village

There are many many activities in the Winter Park Village and almost all of them are absolutely free.  The new Village is in its first full year of operation and there are now four eateries up and running:

Goodys is a European creperie offering made to order crepes and homemade ice cream.

Lime is a modern Mexican eatery with great tacos and margaritas.

The Back Bowl Soup Company offers homemade soups, breakfast burritos and fantastic breads.

The Cheeky Monk is a Belgium beer bar with great Flemish food with some of the best beers known to man.

Enjoy all these restaurants and spend a night in Village with some of their free events.  From Mardi Gras celebration to free ice skating lessons there something for everyone in the Winter Park Village.

DISCO SKATE NIGHTS
Thursdays, January 7 & 21, February 4 & 18, 6-8pm

Get down tonight! Grab your skates and come dance to funky disco music! You are sure to have fun with your friends while ice-skating on the Village Ice Rink to a dj playing 1970’s disco music while the disco ball lights up the ice! Bring your costumes!

KIDS’ NIGHT OUT
Thursdays, December 17 – April 8, 5:30-8:30pm

The Village at Winter Park introduces Kids’ Night Out! This fun, activity-filled evening is for 4-12 year olds, and is loaded with activities – including dinner and s’mores by the firepit! Kids’ Night Out is a worry-free night out for Mom & Dad and a convenient alternative to at-home babysitting.

Details:
▪ Kids’ Night Out is held at Kids Ski and Ride School on Thursday evenings from 5:30-8:30pm
▪ Kids’ Night Out is a FREE childcare service offered to parents on the condition that $30 per child is spent in any commercial outlet at the resort during the hours that your children are in the program. We do require original receipts to verify the expenditure. If less than $30 per child is spent, parents will only be charged the difference.
▪ Kids’ Night Out includes dinner from Doc’s Roadhouse and indoor activities such as games, seasonal crafts and movies
▪ Please reserve your child’s space by 3pm on Thursday. Call Winter Park Guest Services at 800.729.7907 to reserve your child’s space. Enrollment is limited and is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

MINI RAIL JAM
Fridays, January 15 - March 19, 4:30-6pm

*No Mini Rail Jam on February 19

Little jibbers come practice and show your tricks! Hit the mini rail park, Bouncer, in the Village for some fun after the mountain has closed for the day. Practice your rail slides and jumps in a training mini terrain park.

Details:
▪ Recommended for skiers and snowboarders ages 6 – 12 years old. Helmets are recommended.
▪ Located at the Bouncer Terrain Park located across from Doc’s Roadhouse and adjacent to the Discovery Center in the Village

FIRESIDE STORY-TELLING

Saturdays, January 9 - March 27, 3:00-4:00pm Join around the Discovery Center Plaza firepit for an animated story retelling the history of Winter Park Ski Resort, the railroad, early settlers and mountaineers. This FREE story-telling series is offered weekly from January through March and will include the stories of Fraser Valley locals such as: Doc Susie Anderson, the Byers family, the Cozens family and David Moffat. A perfect event for the entire family!

COWBOY SING-A-LONG
Fridays, December 18 – April 18, 4-5pm Come and join us by the campfire for our fun Cowboy Sing-A-Long just outside of the Village Gazebo, located at the base of Winter Park Resort. Cowboys and cowgals of all ages will enjoy this laid back and entertaining live show featuring all your campfire favorites! This FREE family entertainment is available Fridays from 4–5pm in the Village Gazebo.

ICE-SKATING LESSONS
Daily*, December 19—mid-March, 4-5pm

*Saturdays are Blade Capades, ice-skating games

Come join a FREE lesson to learn how to “hit the ice” (after “hitting the slopes”) or improve your skills on ice. An instructor and hot chocolate will be provided for each lesson. Bring your own skates or rent skates near the Village Ice Rink.

*Sign up by 3pm at Village Rentals on the day of the lesson

MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION
Saturday, February 13, 12:00-5:00pm

High Altitude Style! Come join the party in the Village to celebrate this New Orleans tradition Winter Park-style! This event features bands, street performers, festive decorations, food and plenty of beads to go around!

Music (in Starbucks Plaza)

12:00pm-1:00pm:  Louisiana Clan Dogs
1:20pm-2:20pm:  Aden Harrell & Friends Jazz Quartet
2:40pm-3:40pm:  Otones Brass Band
4:00pm-5:00pm:  Dikki Du & The Zydeco Krewe
Performers (throughout the Village)

12:00pm-5:00pm:  Salida Circus Performers (includes flame throwers, jugglers, trapeze artists, jesters & unicyclists)
12:00pm-5:00pm:  Face-Painting and Caricature Drawings
12:00pm-5:00pm:  Children’s Crafts – masks and crowns
1:00pm-3:00pm:  Giant Puppetry
2:00pm-4:00pm:  Ear2Ear Photobooth

Food (in Starbucks Plaza)

Jambalaya, crawfish, etouffee, gumbo, crepes, bread pudding and beignets provided by Village restaurants

Lots of things to to do for free at “the Village”.  If you would like to have a free family night out, the Winter Park Village can not be beat.

Winter Park Spirit of the Month

Winter Park, Colorado Booze of the Month

VanGogh Acai Blueberry Vodka.  This fantastic Dutch vodka is naturally infused with Blueberry and Acai fruit.  Acai is one of the new “superfruits” from the rainforest.  High in antioxidants and vitamins this fruit is great for you.  However, when mixed in 80 proof vodka,  it just tastes delicious.

Handmade in small batches by Master Distiller Tim Vos, Van Gogh Vodka is painstakingly crafted using only the finest fruit, grains, and purified water.  The grain alcohol goes through a multiple distillation process followed by an all-natural double infusion flavoring process.  This innovative,  six-week procedure, pioneered by the Royal Dirkzwager Distilleries, creates Van Gogh Vodka’s signature smooth taste.

For the at home mixoligist, VanGogh Acai Blueberry is available at Rocky Mountain Moonshine.  If you’re out on the town you can find this wonderful vodka at Albertos, Tabernash Tavern or at Fontenot’s where it is featured in the Alpenglow cocktail.  A phenomenal drink dreamt up by the Fontenot’s crew.

VanGogh Acai Blueberry mixes well with soda, 7-Up and tonic it is also delicious just on the rocks.

This blog post is courtesy of Mr. Ed Raegnor of Tabernash, Colorado.

Blues Show at Smokin’ Moes in downtown Winter Park this Saturday!

Grand County Blues Society is at it again! If you’ve never heard of the Grand County Blues Society, you’re missing out on some of the most passionate Blues supporters out there. Once or twice a month these guys bring the Blues to Winter Park by hosting a great band at our very own Smokin’ Moes Ribhouse and Saloon, located in Cooper Creek Square. Check out their website where you can read more about what they do and check out upcoming shows. The shows are always a blast; be ready to dance to some fabulous live music and enjoy Smokin’ Moes’ famous ribs.

If you take a break from tearing up the dance floor during the show, track down one of the Blues Society members with your questions about blues music , you won’t be disappointed! This Saturday, they’re hosting John Richardson and the Jelly Roll Bakers (Johnny O and Andy Irvine) at 9pm. You can check out a quick bio about these guys on the Blues Society website.

Hope to see you there!

Ski Broker in Winter Park continues to keep us happy!

Well,  I did it. I finally bought a new snowboard. I’ve been riding on the same one for five years now, and while it    was a very sturdy, balanced, reliable board, it was time for an upgrade. (I promise this blog is not just a justification of my purchase to avoid buyer’s remorse).

So, after contemplating, researching, and saving pennies, I called Ski Broker in Fraser (one of their three locations) to ask if I could pretty please borrow a demo board to try out and possibly purchase (demo boards are brand new models that ski and snowboard companies send over to rental shops so customers can try out this year’s new gear). When Alissa, one of many knowledgable and helpful staff members, heard I was interested in buying, she went above and beyond to track down a board that would be perfect for me. With the help of Alissa, Paul (owner, check out his story: http://www.wpskibroker.com/AboutUs/tabid/54/Default.aspx), and Jamie (who assured me a snowboard was a necessity), I am now looking at a brand new Arbor Push snowboard. When it finally snows here, I’ll absolutely take a picture on the slopes to show it off

When I am about to spend half my rent money on a snowboard, I want to purchase one from someone who I know, trust, and is passionate about skiing and snowboarding themselves. Isn’t that what you want when you’re renting gear or having someone polish and tune up your own gear? Well, good news, that’s exaclty what you’ll find in our local, family owned Ski Broker. These guys do it all: they have a fantastic selection of rentals (of everything, including snowshoes and clothing) and gear for purchase, as well as extensive tunes and repairs. Check out their website for everything they have to offer: http://www.wpskibroker.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx. Since we trust them so much we wanted to share them with our guests, so don’t forget that when you book with us you receive 22% off your rentals at Ski Broker!

Grand Adventures in Winter Park has new snowmobiles!

Grand Adventures, our local go-to for snowmobiling in Winter Park, has purchased brand new fleets of snowmobiles for the winter season! The new snowmobiles are 2 seater Yamaha Venture Lites (for guided tours) and 1 seater Yamaha Phazers (for unguided tours). Here are the specs, with translation for those of you who aren’t professionals:

Fourstroke: Quieter, more efficient, and larger than two stroke engines. Also, the professionals over at Grand Adventures tell me  you won’t get any of the fumes that come with two stroke engines.

Ergonomic: They are designed to fit your body, resulting in a super comfortable ride that requires less work from you.

Smoother acceleration: So you don’t have to deal with whiplash while you’re cruising on the continental divide at almost 12,000 feet

Heavier: In the words of the Grand Adventures professionals again, this means that the snowmobiles “won’t dance around, but will plow through the snow.”

AND, these new snowmobiles burn 1/2 as much fuel, making them more environmentally friendly. Plus, they’re quieter, making it easier for you to get a good look at all the wildlife you might run into.

Check out Grand Adventures’ website: http://www.grandadventures.com/ for more information on rentals, tours, rates, and more. Snowmobiling really is one of the most fun ways to check out some incredible views of the mountains and Winter Park, not to mention being quite a bit easier than hiking up a mountain in the middle of winter. Have fun!

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