Colorado Review

Every Memorial Day Weekend, thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, conservationists and filmmakers descend upon Telluride to enjoy four days of thought-provoking movies that revolve around a certain theme; in 2008 the focus will be on water and the growing global fresh-water crisis. The mission of Mountainfilm in Telluride is “ to educate and inspire audiences about issues that matter, cultures worth exploring, environments worth preserving and conversations worth sustaining.�

But you don’t have to wait until May to view some amazing Mountainfilm in Telluride films. The Mountainfilm on Tour program brings a combination of classics and 2007 films to locations across the United States, including the ski resort town of Breckenridge

Mountainfilm on Tour will show at Breckenridge’s Speakeasy Movie Theatre on the first Monday of the month through March; January 7, February 4 and March 3 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for kids under 12. Tickets are on sale the first night of the show, starting at 5 p.m. Each evening will feature a unique playlist of award-winning films, so you can attend all three events without any repeats.

What’s super cool is that 80 percent of all show proceeds will benefit Mountain to Mountain (a Breckenridge-based nonprofit), in support of the dZi Foundation’s “Revitalize a Villageâ€? project in Nepal. In 2008, Mountain to Mountain is raising funds and awareness for the village of Gudel, one of the poorest villages in the world, located in eastern Nepal. Funds will support the village in community-driven projects such as building schools, teacher training and providing sanitary drinking water for the entire community.

My friend Lisa Raleigh of Redstone, went on one of the dZi Foundation’s volunteer trips to India and Nepal last year. She helped out with some kids’ vision and dental clinics, and she says the experience was life changing in so many ways. In fact, she’s leaving her corporate job to join the dZi Foundation staff and she’s leading a volunteer trip to India this spring! Read about her amazing philanthropic trip here.

From my home in the Colorado Rockies, I’ve got a choice of airports.

Aspen (ASE) is only 30 minutes away, but usually prices to fly in and out of this chi-chi resort are steep, especially in the high season (summer and winter).

Grand Junction (GJT) is about 90 minutes from me, but it works if I’m flying to the West Coast (usually via Salt Lake City or Phoenix).

Denver (DEN) is a nearly-four-hour drive, but since it’s a United and Frontier hub, I get the best deals here. If I’m flying somewhere with the whole family (four of us; five if my mother-in-law comes along) we’ll make the drive to Denver and stay overnight in an airport-area hotel before our flights. We typically do this for long-haul trips to Mexico or the East Coast.

My preferred airport, however, is Eagle/Vail (EGE). Why? That’s easy: FREE PARKING!

How many regional airports these days offer totally free short-term and long-term parking? Not many, I don’t think. All the parking spots are within walking distance to the main terminal–no shuttle service needed. That’s a beautiful thing.

For me, the airport is an hour from my home. That means it’s about an hour and a half from Aspen. It’s also less than 30 minutes to Vail’s slopes, and not that much further to Breckenridge.

Basically, if you’re coming to the Rockies to ski, consider EGE if you don’t want to make the lengthy drive from Denver International Airport. Colorado Mountain Express vans make scheduled runs from EGE to the various Western Slope ski areas.

The Vail/Eagle County Regional Airport also offers free wireless internet service throughout the terminal. It’s spacious and always clean. A newly remodeled coffee shop and deli offers healthy food before your flight.

And the airport does accommodate jet service, which is great for me, since I hate flying on small propeller planes (yes, the irony of being a travel writer and dreading small-plane flying does not escape me). Boeing 757s regularly fly in and out of EGE.

For your next vacation in Western Colorado, I highly recommend checking out EGE. It’s truly the most convenient airport to most of the Rockies resort locations, and has many non-stop flights from major U.S. cities. Read more about EGE here.

I’ve made no secret of my fondness for vacation condominium rentals. Why stay in a standard hotel room, when you can spread out in a multi-bedroom unit? Especially for ski vacations, when you’re packing lots of equipment, gear and warm clothes, you want spacious accommodations. Plus, a living and/or dining room gives you room to lounge around apres ski.

The amenities in many vacation homes–whether they are condominiums or freestanding houses–help take the hassle out of a cold-weather, equipment-heavy sport, and the camaraderie can’t be beat. Vacation home rental can even save skiers money, especially when you’re traveling as a family, or with a large group of friends.

ResortQuest, the nation’s largest ski vacation home rental company, has properties in Aspen, Breckenrige, Keystone, Steamboat Springs and Telluride. The company offers the following tips for those looking to rent a ski vacation home this ski season:

Look Before You Book
When shopping for ski vacation rentals, look for companies that offer a simple way to determine a home’s suitability for you and your winter sport companions. Go to the web site: it should provide photos as well as detailed descriptions of accommodations. It should also tell you the home or condo’s proximity to the slopes and available services.

Plenty of Perks
Many vacation rental companies offer renters special perks, from discounted lift tickets to free ski lessons and even entertainment or attraction tickets for time off the slopes.

Check Out The Amenities
Make sure the home has all of the amenities your group needs. Is there space for skis, poles. parkas, snowboards and other equipment to be stored safely? Is the washer/dryer large enough to accommodate all your gear? Will there be enough towels for everyone every day? Call in advance to make sure.

Word Of Mouth
What better way to gauge the quality of a ski rental property than to find out if other people liked it? Ask the rental company if a property has a high percentage of return guests. Or check online forums to see what people have to say.

Sleep Tight/Ski Right
Decide in advance who bunks with whom and where (especially, who gets the master bedroom). Take into account when travelers plan to hit the slopes and match roommates accordingly. Look for vacation accommodations where each bedroom has its own bathroom, or set up bathroom usage schedules in advance.

Feeding the Hungry
Everyone will be famished after a long day careening through the white stuff. Can arrangements be made in advance to have the pantry stocked? Are there places nearby from which food can be delivered? Decide in advance on how to share costs of food and beverage, who cooks and who cleans up. Could anyone arrive early to get the grocery shopping done and unpacked before everyone else arrives? Another option is to decide who will be bringing what from home.

Just in Case
Ensure that the property has the ability to help take care of urgent needs–from getting an extra toothbrush to assisting with accidents and other medical emergencies. This is best accomplished when there is a local management office or representative from the rental management company available to assist around the clock. Let’s face it–heaters and refrigerators can break down, so you’ll want someone on-site to quickly make it right for your ski group.

skiing, Colorado, condominiums

You’ve gotta love Travelzoo. I certainly click on its Top 20 email as soon as it lands in my in box. Even if I’m not planning on traveling anywhere anytime soon, I do like browsing the specials the staff has turned up — which could be anything from great cruise deals to cheap flights to incredible all-inclusive vacations at rock-bottom prices.

Again this week, there’s a deal at a Colorado hotel. This time it’s the Holiday Inn Summit County Frisco. Through December 24 you can stay at this three-diamond, centrally located hotel for just $59/night.

Don’t expect fancy accommodations. But if you’re in Summit County for skiing the fresh champagne powder, you won’t have the energy to do much at night anyway before pass out in a comfortable bed!

The Holiday Inn Summit County-Frisco is in downtown Frisco, 80 miles west of Denver and just off I-70. It’s close to Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Copper Mountain ski areas. It’s got a nifty indoor “holidome” with an indoor pool, two hot tubs (nice for soaking weary muscles after a day on the slopes), sauna and arcade room. The hotel is pet friendly.

To book the $59/night special, which also includes a $10 food and beverage credit at the hotel’s restaurant and lounge, call 970-668-5000 and use the code TRL. The only blackout dates are November 22-24.

Here’s another deal I first heard about on Travelzoo’s Top 20 list. It’s for a Crested Butte lodge.

There’s already glorious snow in the high country. So don’t delay and get up here to the mountains!

Travelzoo, Colorado, Frisco, Breckenridge

Trying to find people to ride with? Want to chat about all topics cycling? Then check out the Summit County Biking Forum, the newest way for local cyclists to unite and get organized. It’s a free forum and anyone can join.

Group Rides, Riding Partners, Race Reports, Race Schedules, Trail Conditions, Classifieds

www.summitbiking.com

Breckenridge is a town in Summit County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2000 census the town had a total population of 2,408. It is the county seat of Summit County. Breckenridge is also a popular ski resort during the winter months, servicing multi-difficulty ski slopes on the Rocky Mountains. Summer in Breckenridge attracts outdoor enthusiasts with hiking trails, wildflowers, fly-fishing in the Blue River, mountain biking, and nearby Lake Dillon for boating.