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Colorado: Gunnison-Crested Butte, Family Vacations Beginning with Kids Fly Free.  Family-friendly is the name of the game in “Colorado’s Last Great Ski Town” where kids and winter fun just seem to go hand-in-hand. Family vacation fun includes not just Alpine skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, dog sledding but also fre-range sledding. There are snow angels to be made, snowballs to be thrown and snow man building, of course.
A plethora of outdoor fun and winter events are on tap, offering endless opportunities to get the kids away from those electronic gadgets and into the clean mountain air.
Here’s the deal. Crested Butte, Colorado once again is partnering with American Airlines to offer “Kids Fly for Free” which has obvious advantages for parents traveling with children aged 12 years or younger. The deal is actionable between 01/04/2012-03/09/2012 with some selected blackout dates. Bonus points: CBMR’s “Ski Free on Your Birthday” offer is valid throughout the 2011-2012 winter season. So if you or a family member were born in a snowy month you are in luck.
Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Kids are treated like superstars at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, which offers many amenities for the younger set. CBMR also is bringing back its popular Ski FREE program from Nov. 25 – Dec. 15, 2007. Just go to the ticket office during these days and one of CBMR’s ticketing specialists will smile, give you a FREE lift ticket and send kids and their families to the slopes to ski or ride.
Where on the map are we? Youngsters have their own trail map that highlights kids’ favorite trails and features on the mountain. The map is easy for children to read and filled with color and characters. Trail crews are enhancing the most popular children’s areas on the mountain.
Look for Painter Boy. · Families enjoy gathering at the top of the Painter Boy chairlift not only to access beginner and intermediate slopes but also for a kids’ terrain park and Camp 4 Coffee. Parents can take a break and sip their lattes in the sun while the kids test out tricks on introductory jumps, rails, tabletops and a quarterpipe.
Slip, slide and glide. A tubing hill is available at the ski area base after the lifts close for thrills and spills sure to have all ages laughing and heading up the hill for more.
Night time fun. Kids’ Night Out programs on Wednesday – Saturday evenings from 4 – 9 p.m. feature various combinations of torchlight parades, tubing, pizza, movies, s’mores and more.
·Meet Bubba and Betty. As always, young skiers and boarders might get to shake paws with CBMR mascots Bubba and Betty on the slopes. These loveable, larger-than-life polar bears can be seen frolicking with their young fans and skiing, telemarking and snowboarding with remarkable agility.
 Snowshoe by moonlight. Families also may try snowshoeing at CBMR, either as part of guided snowshoe outings or a Moonlight Atlas Snowshoe Tour. Enjoy the thrill of riding in a snowcat to the top of the Red Lady Express Lift and snowshoe the moonlit mountain trails back to the base area.
Here's a deal: Lift tickets for children ages six and younger are free. For more information about CBMR and dates for fun ski and snowboard competitions to watch, Toll-free 1-800-544-8448 or visit www.skicb.com
Crested Butte Nordic Center. In addition to being a great starting point for Nordic skiing and snowshoe adventures, Crested Butte Nordic Center is a hub of activity for ice skating, hockey and sledding. As the locale of an ice rink and sledding hill and a launching point for more than 45 kilometers of groomed trails, the Nordic Center. Located at Second Street and Whiterock, the Nordic Center will be open for the season and is connected to Crested Butte Mountain Resort and various stops in Crested Butte by a free shuttle bus. Nordic Center (970) 349-1707 or visit www.cbnordic.org
Other Winter Fun for Kids and Families.  Crested Butte’s and Gunnison’s historic central business districts are filled with locally-owned businesses, including two toy stores! Pooh’s Corner in Crested Butte and Circus Train in Gunnison are must stops for kids on vacation. Bonus points: A day-use admission fee to the Gunnison Community Center gives kids access to the rock climbing wall, gyms and game room (ping pong, air hockey, pool table and foosball).
Gunnison also has two ice rinks and Pac Man Pond at Jorgensen Park for ice skating and several groomed Nordic skiing trails. A jam-packed calendar of events also delivers plenty of fun for kids, including festivals and events such as Gunnison Night of Lights, Mardi Gras, Flauschink and more! To see Gunnison-Crested Butte’s winter calendar of events and “For Kids Only” information, visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com
Gunnison County also has its very own Kid Friendly Magazine published and written by people who live and have families in the area. The winter/spring issue has lists of resources, like where to rent cribs, babysitting services, sledding, ice-skating and activities for children. It also includes a section just for teens, tips on one-tank trips, resources for special-needs families, medical facilities, and feature stories by local experts. Kid Friendly Magazine is distributed free at numerous locations and is available online at www.kidfriendlymagazine.com
Content and images provided by Gunnison- Crested Tourism Association. Updated content, copyright 2011.
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