TRAVEL GUIDE: WINTER PARK, CO

My family and I just returned back from a magical 5-day winter wonderland getaway to Winter Park Resort in Winter Park, CO. We honestly couldn’t have picked a better time to go, the weather was absolutely perfect and it made for ideal skiing and snowboarding conditions. As someone who had never skied before, I was ready to experience the “fresh powder” and see what all the hype was about. I knew I was at the right place to learn since Winter Park Resort was named the #1 Ski Resort in North America by USA Today (!!!).

The great thing about Winter Park Resort is they have everything you need — from food to rentals — in the village located at the base of the mountain. So once you arrive, you technically don’t need to leave unless of course, you want to explore other areas of Winter Park.

WHERE TO STAY:

Depending on what you are looking for, Winter Park Resort has many different lodging options. Since we had a party of 6, we opted to stay at the Zephyr Mountain Lodge in a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom condo which was only steps away from the slopes. The condo was perfect for our needs and it even came with a mid-sized kitchen, living room, and a fireplace that really made us feel at home. Another thing I loved about the Zephyr Mountain Lodge was their 24/7 text concierge which can be used for quick questions, shuttle reservations, and requests. Having that kind of accessibility and knowledge at my fingertips was so convenient and so simple.

WHAT TO DO:

Ski Rentals
When we first arrived, we stopped by Village Rentals to pick up all of our gear for the week. All four of us received our ski pants, ski jacket, helmet, goggles, boots, skis, and poles. (Talk about a suitcase room saver!) I was especially thankful that we had the option to rent everything we needed because as a first-time skier, I didn’t want to purchase everything on my own before trying the sport out first. Everyone at Village Rentals was so friendly and took the time to ensure everyone was properly fitted in their gear and answered all of the questions we had.

Ski and Ride School
Once we had all of our gear, my sister and I headed to our Private Ski Lesson at the Ski and Ride School. Our instructor, Tom Hiccock, was so patient with us and ensured we learned all of the proper techniques before getting onto the mountain. In total, we spent about 4 hours with Tom and in that short amount of time we learned and understood the basic fundamentals, could get down a Green safely, and could properly get on and off the ski lift. Each lesson is dependent on the instructor and student, but after 4 hours, we felt confident to hit the slopes on our own! I’ll forever be thankful for the one-on-one time we spent with Tom because he focused in on our strengths and weaknesses and individually taught us based on our performances.

Book a Winter Park Guide
Since the guys were conditioned skiers and snowboarders, they opted to book a Winter Park Guide to personally show them around the mountain for an afternoon. The Winter Park Guide Experience is geared toward any ability level (novice to expert) and they will take you to whatever trail you want and you even get to skip the public line! A fast pass if you will. Needless to say, the guys had the best time with their guide, Tyler Macleod. Both of the guys agreed that this was their favorite part of the entire trip!

Coca-Cola® Tube Park
Fun for the whole family! The Coca-Cola® Tube Park features four individual lanes, exciting banked curves, and a conveniently covered conveyor lift ride back up to the top. We rode down about 5 times each and enjoyed every second of it. After you’ve had all of the fun you can have, you can pop inside the Hill House warming lodge and enjoy a specialty hot cocoa (the best I’ve ever had!) and freshly baked cookies to warm you up from the inside out.

Snowcat Stargazing Tour
Talk about a one-of-a-kind experience! The Snowcat Stargazing Tour is accessible by taking the gondola up the mountain where you then meet your driver and hop on an actual Snowcat. You know, the huge machine designed to move snow? Yep, that one.  Your personal driver takes you on an exclusive two-hour tour of the mountains where you can peek out over the highest mountains and explore new terrain. We were lucky enough to experience a snow storm on our tour, so we weren’t able to see many stars, but the snow was just as beautiful! Depending on your preference, you can take a Snowcat Tour during the day or at night.

Mountaintop Aprés at Sunspot
The Mountaintop Aprés at Sunspot is a hangout spot from 3:00-5:00pm Wednesday-Sunday where you can get light bites, drinks, and enjoy free live music on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. After a long day on the slopes, we all took the gondola up to Sunspot (the views are amazing!) and enjoyed delicious bites and had a few cocktails. It’s a perfect time to unwind from the day and connect with the ones you love.

Explore the Village
With so many shopping and dining options, you can make a day out of simply exploring Winter Park Resort.

WHERE TO EAT:

Pizza Pedl’r
Conveniently located in Winter Park Resort’s village and it was rated The Best Pizza in Colorado by TripAdvisor. I think that speaks for itself. So delicious!

Deno’s Mountain Bistro
A charming restaurant in the heart of downtown Winter Park with exquisite food and an extensive wine list. We had dinner here on our last night in Winter Park and I highly recommend it. The ambiance and service are wonderful!

**Note: since we had a kitchen in our condo, we went grocery shopping in a neighboring town and opted to have a majority of our meals there. However, there are many options in the village and everything we did try was great and did not disappoint! 

WHAT TO PACK:

Layers, layers, layers! If you’re hitting the slopes ensure you have a warm underlayer for your ski gear. I wore a thermal mock-neck turtleneck and highrise fleece-lined pants under my ski pants and jacket and I was completely warm. It’s not necessarily the quantity of clothes you wear, but more the quality. I highly recommend fleece lined thermals and wool socks for a day on the slopes.

Even when you’re not being active, layers are still key!

While our stay at Winter Park Resort was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are my own.