Planning
a Frugal Family Vacation
Did
you know that Winter Park has a fleet of free Radio Flyer wagons at
the base area to help guest haul their gear, that Telluride offers free
iceskating, or that the Snowmass’ Mountain Dragon restaurant serves
free après-ski appetizers?
This
kind of inside information makes a ski vacation to Colorado easy to
plan (and easy on the wallet). Whether your family is two, four, six
or eight, knowing the inside scoop on resort programs, packages and
promotions can add up to a memorable family winter getaway this year.
Because
of its location, Loveland is a great choice for many day-trippers and
vacationers who are looking for a quality skiing experience at an affordable
price. Transportation costs are minimal as the drive is short from Denver
and the close-in parking is free. Guests can also bring their own food
to grill at one of Loveland’s three on-mountain cabins equipped
with gas grills.
Savings
on lift tickets can be had with the Loveland 4-Pak, consisting of four
discounted lift tickets, which guests can use any day of the season
and are available Labor Day through mid-November.
Those
just learning to ski can take advantage of Loveland’s 3 Class
Pass Program. This program gives first-time skiers and riders who complete
three lesson packages (starting with a first-timer lesson) a free season
pass after they complete the third lesson package.
Beginners
at Arapahoe Basin can take advantage of the resort’s Guarantee
to Succeed program, which includes a 2009-10 A-Basin Only season pass,
three two-and-a-half hour group lessons and free rentals during lessons.
If a skier or rider is not skiing blue terrain by the end of those three
lessons, A-Basin will continue to provide lessons until the skier or
rider does.
The
newbie crowd can also get a guarantee to learn at SolVista. SolVista
offers the Guaranteed Start to Ski/Ride package that provides an allday
lift ticket, equipment rental, and a full day of instruction for never-ever
beginners.
Also
for never-evers at SolVista, the Get on the Snow Learning Program includes
two days of lift tickets, equipment rentals, and two allday lessons.
The resort gives participants a season pass after they complete the
two days of instruction, and a $20 credit to use at the SolVista mountain
shop.
Freestylists
looking to expand their repertoire can sign up for a session at Woodward
at Copper. Woodward offers park and pipe progression with the 20,000
sq ft Woodward at Copper Barn giving campers access to Snowflex®
jumps, foam pits, a spring floor, Olympicgrade fly-bed trampolines and
indoor skateboarding features.

Visitors
who plan an earlyseason getaway to Crested Butte can take advantage
of the Free Lifts and Lessons with Lodging package featuring free lift
tickets and a lesson to guests who purchase lodging. Crested Butte Vacations
also allows kids 12 and younger to ski for free when lodging is purchased
through their services.
During
the holiday season, Crested Butte will offer the Grandest Christmas
package—a family vacation available to a family of four, which
provides four nights and three days at Crested Butte for under a grand.
Then following the holidays, Crested Butte is offering its 4th Night/4th
Day Free deal. As part of this deal, a fourth night of lodging and a
fourth day of skiing are free with the purchase of three nights of lodging
and three days of lift tickets at Crested Butte. Additionally at Crested
Butte, guests who purchase two airline tickets get a third ticket free.
Steamboat
this year offers an Early Rewards Package, which saves guests 25% on
any package when they visit between December 18 and March 31, if guests
book by October 8. This package is also available during the holidays
with a 10% discount on packages. Additionally, guests can purchase lift
tickets at last year’s rates in advance through Steamboat Central
Reservations®.
For
early and late season vacations, Steamboat offers the Ski Free Package,
allowing guests to ski free in Steamboat when they purchase three nights
of lodging through Steamboat Central Reservations for vacations before
December 18, 2009 and after April 1, 2010.
Steamboat
also makes bringing the entire family to Colorado easy and affordable
with the kids Ski Free and kids Rent Free packages. Any children ages
six through 12 receive free lift tickets and rental equipment for each
parent or grandparent who purchases tickets and rentals for five or
more consecutive days.
In
addition, visitors to Aspen/Snowmass have more opportunities than ever
before to save on their vacation all season long. The resort kicks off
the season with the Thanksgiving Package, which allows guests to ski/ride
for $25 per day. In the heart of the winter, visitors can check out
the Perfect Winter Package, which gives guests a free day of skiing
and a free night of lodging with the purchase of a minimum four-day
lodging/lift package. In the spring, guests can take advantage of the
kids Ski Free Package through March, or ski/ride for less than $29 per
day in April with the Mini Spring Vacation package.
Some
hidden benefits of vacationing at Aspen/ Snowmass include free buses
that run from Aspen to each of the resort’s four mountains, mountain
ambassador stands that provide guests with free sunscreen, free Nature
Valley granola bars, and free coffee and hot cider, and a free ambassador
tour around the mountain.
This
year, Monarch throws in ski days at 10 other mountains with its season
pass. The season pass not only gets riders ski days at a growing list
of partner resorts, but it also can get a friend in to ski at Monarch
at a reduced price.
For
the 2009-10 season, Powderhorn
will freeze lift ticket and season pass prices at last season’s
levels. Additionally, Powderhorn offers a Buy One, Get One Free deal
through a partnership with Suncor. When guests purchase $10 of gas or
more at any Phillips 66 station, they can receive buy one, get one free
lift tickets.
Purgatory
makes skiing affordable for the whole family with the Family Fun Pack,
which includes lift tickets and rentals for a family of four on select
weekends. Purgatory offers a Buy 3 Get 4 / Buy 2 Get 3 deal. These packages
offer a third or fourth day/night free with the purchase of two or three
nights. This package includes lodging, lift tickets, group lessons,
and rentals.
Celebrating
its 10th anniversary this year, Silverton is the only ski town in Colorado
where winter is the off season. This means that lodging and food is
discounted or offered at unbeatable, off-season rates during the ski
season.
Sunlight
offers the Ski Swim Stay package that includes a day of skiing at Sunlight,
a swim at the largest hot springs pool in the world, and a night of
lodging in Glenwood Springs. Additional vacation packages are also available
that include deals on lift tickets, snowmobile tours, and tickets to
the Glenwood Caverns.
Telluride
Ski Resort offers reduced early-bird pricing on a variety of ski passes
to get people excited about the coming season and to help the resort’s
guests save some money at the same time. The resort is also busy planning
other lodging deals and ski packages that it will offer throughout the
season.
Winter
Park insiders take advantage of some lesser known money-saving tips,
such as free parking available at Mary Jane, free lift tickets for volunteers
at the Winter Park Competition Center, and unbeatable deals found at
the ski swap, which the resort holds every fall.
To
celebrate 70 years of operation this year, Wolf Creek will offer discounted
lift tickets during special events held throughout the season, such
as local appreciation days and college days.
Freedom
of Choice
Many
resorts have launched activities for guests of all winter enjoyment
persuasions. Below are some examples of what resorts are doing off of
the ski trails to keep families together on family vacations.
A-Basin
guests can ride the chair lift to the summit, enjoy 360-degree views
of the Continental Divide and have lunch at the Black Mountain Lodge.
Copper’s
kids in the kitchen classes invite kids into the kitchen to make their
own pizza. Copper’s chefs provide the dough and the “junior
chefs” add the toppings of their choice to invent their family’s
pizza.
Crested
Butte Mountain Resort just introduced the base area Adventure Park complete
with year-round ice skating, and a three-lane, lift-served tubing hill
during the winter.
At
Powderhorn, a varied network of Nordic trails criss-cross the resort’s
boundaries, giving guests the perfect opportunity for scenic snowshoeing
and cross-country skiing.
Purgatory
at Durango Mountain Resort’s Durango Mountain Club offers a new
outdoor pool and spa with a water slide, family game room, and a private
dining room for families that stay at Purgatory.
SolVista
complements night skiing activities with lift-served tubing on Saturday
evenings twice per month. Sledding, crosscountry skiing and snowshoeing
are also popular activities.
Steamboat
is home of the country’s first “heavy equipment play arena”
that offers guests the unique experience of handling bulldozers and
excavators in a controlled environment.
Sunlight
invites guests to experience expansive views of Mt. Sopris, the West
Elk Mountains and the Flattop Wilderness via snowmobiles or from the
resort’s Nordic trails.
Telluride
pulls an open sleigh behind a snow cat for a ride that ends at Gorrono
Ranch with a gourmet dinner served following the ride.
Winter
Park offers a program for those wanting to try a Snowcycle, which is
like a bicycle, but on skis. Guests can experience biking on snow as
an instructor teaches them how to maneuver a Snowcycle down the slopes.
For
the 2009-10 ski season, Wolf Creek will open the Raven’s Nest
day lodge on top of the Raven chairlift, which will offer food and beverages
as well as a warming area. |