Winter Park, CO...anything to do there besides ski?

[Denise L]

My DH's family will be in Winter Park, CO during week 52. We weren't planning to go since my DH had to work, but we just found out that his company is shutting down that week. Still, airfare is not cheap and then where to stay and what to do? If the kids and I don't ski (DH does), is there anything to do there? Is there anywhere nice to stay? I've looked at the timeshares in the database and nothing jumps out at me.

I'd rather go to Maui , but I'll entertain the idea of seeing his family if there is anything to do there. My kids have never met their aunts, uncles and cousins on that side of the family!

 

[mecllap]

It's been several years since I was there last, and it's pretty much just skiing/snowsports this time of year. Very pretty area, and a fairly good place to learn to ski. If you will be renting a car, you might consider staying in Denver and going up there on a couple of day trips to see the family. There are tons of things to do in Denver. There's probably a Winter Park Web site you could check out for current info. The Denver airport is quite a ways to the east out of town. And WP is to the west, of course.

 

[CATBinCO]

Denver will be about an hour away, but consider that there may be a little bit of snow around. Once you get out of the mountains, I-70 is usually better. Lots to do in Denver.

If you don't ski, the kids could always go sledding or tubing up there or you all could take lessons to ski or snowboard. They have good packages which include lift ticket and equipment rental.

There is also a train that runs from Denver to Winter Park ski resort and back. I wonder if you could take that train to Denver, and then back. Worth a look!

 

[bogey21]

If your kids are of the right age to learn to ski, it might serve them well to know how. Like not feeling left out of a high school or church group ski trip

George

 

[zentraveler]

My kids have never met their aunts, uncles and cousins on that side of the family!

Go. Your kids will appreciate developing a connection with their family (though appreciate the sentiment about Maui ). Agree with the posts about other winter activities or letting them learn how they feel about skiing. I wish I had been exposed to it earlier.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Winter Park is just beautiful in winter. It's very high in altitude, and so different from where you are, Denise. There are sleigh rides with cocoa, a sledding hill, and other winter activities. Our kids' favorite is snowmobilng. (We used to own snowmobiles, but now we just rent because we don't want to have to worry about old machines.)

Timeshares in Winter Park/ Fraser are plentiful, though they are all very average and not fancy at all, but week 52 is the busiest week of the year, and even these average places are booked solid. You could stay in Granby instead, which is a short drive down the road. There is a brand WorldMark going up in Granby somewhere, and I have no idea if they finished it. That would be a nice place to stay, if you could get into it. Maybe someone will have more information???

I love Winter Park.

 

[Denise L]

Thanks for the ideas for Winter Park. We would probably have to rent at the Lodge (I think that is where the rest of the families are staying), and fly into Denver or else take the train overnight. Hmm. The Lodge didn't get any great reviews and so I'm not sure I want to spend $2-3K on lodging for a yucky place. But I will look at some of the locations you guys suggested.

It would be fun to get my DS6 into ski school. DD9 has low muscle tone and has difficulty with regular P.E. type activities, so I don't envision her in ski school or even walking very far in ski boots. We got her to try some sledding earlier this year in Lake Tahoe, but even that was a challenge for her.

My family never had the money for ski trips when I was growing up, so I didn't try skiing until I was 15. Loads of fun at the time.

 

[mecllap]

One of things WP used to be known for, and probably still is, is its skiing program for people with various kinds of mobility difficulties, including serious "disabilities" -- they may have something that would suit your daughter very well and allow her to have a wonderful fun in the snow experience.

 

[PA-]

My DH's family will be in Winter Park, CO during week 52. We weren't planning to go since my DH had to work, but we just found out that his company is shutting down that week. Still, airfare is not cheap and then where to stay and what to do? If the kids and I don't ski (DH does), is there anything to do there? Is there anywhere nice to stay? I've looked at the timeshares in the database and nothing jumps out at me.

I'd rather go to Maui , but I'll entertain the idea of seeing his family if there is anything to do there. My kids have never met their aunts, uncles and cousins on that side of the family!

There are a number of good restaurants and shops. The Rocky Mountain National Park is very nearby, and is worth a trip. You can't drive up the mountain in the park, but you will be able to get very close and personal with the moose (or is it meese if there's more than 1 of them, or moo if only one??), fox and other critters looking for food (don't feed them, please).

There is a tubing hill with a lift on the west side of Fraser (the little village connected to winter park). It can be fun to just be in a snug condo with that much snow all around, especially over the christmas holidays. You'll enjoy hanging out at the ski village while kids ski, but you might decide to ski yourself. It's fun and they have a special package for never skied before people.

 

[HollyGoLively]

Winter Park

Not sure how old your kids are but mine love to snowboard! The gear is expensive though (like ski gear) to buy but rentals are reasonable. Depending upon when you are going, the Ski Train---which is America's largest scheduled passenger train---is a fantastic day trip through the peaks of the Rockies! Winter Park has a cute village too with an ice rink for skating!

 

[Denise L]

Not sure how old your kids are but mine love to snowboard! The gear is expensive though (like ski gear) to buy but rentals are reasonable. Depending upon when you are going, the Ski Train---which is America's largest scheduled passenger train---is a fantastic day trip through the peaks of the Rockies! Winter Park has a cute village too with an ice rink for skating!

Hi and thanks for the information! The rest of the family actually went to Winter Park over New Year's, but we stayed home since my DH had to work. It actually worked out fine. We saved about $4000 (which we didn't have to spend anyway), and from what I hear, the skiiing was not good that week.

Thanks again for all the info!