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.