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Colorado: Gunnison-Crested Butte, Kids & Winter Rock.
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. If there is a
snow angel to be made, a snowball to be thrown or a sledding hill to zip down at
the speed of light, there is sure to be a youngster making the most of it. Take
winter merriment up a notch this season and add alpine skiing, snowboarding,
tubing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, dog sledding and more to
the mix.
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 and fun, laid-back
spirit of Gunnison-Crested Butte. Don’t forget to bring the whole family, as
pets are welcome, too!
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Kids’ World
continues offering top-notch programs for young people ages 3 – 16 and a nursery
for infants as young as 6 months. Programs encompass beginners to rippers, with
tag-a-long lessons and evening activities as well. The Kids’ World Corral
features a Magic Carpet for kids to ride 150 feet up a gentle play and ski slope
and make fast friends with their new playmate: gravity.
Families
also can try snowshoeing at CBMR, either as part of guided snowshoe outings
offered at 9:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. every day or a Moonlight Atlas Snowshoe Tour
on Dec. 23, Jan. 22 or Feb. 21. 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. Voted the best steeps, best snow and best groomed corduroy in
Colorado, CBMR offers skiing and snowboarding terrain and instruction for all
ages and abilities, with 15 lifts accessing more than 121 trails. The superpipe
and other terrain parks also are popular “playgrounds” for older kids. Lift
tickets for children ages 6 and under are free. For more information about CBMR
and dates for fun ski and snowboard competitions to watch, contact (800)
544-8448 or visit
www.skicb.com. CBMR will be open from Nov. 17 –
April 13. 
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
sells trail passes and rents all types of Nordic gear, ice skates, sleds and
snowshoes. Located just a few blocks off Crested Butte’s historic central
business district, the Center also offers private lessons in all Nordic
disciplines, as well as ”Learn to Skate Ski for Free!” clinics on Dec. 6,
Jan. 3, Feb. 7 and March 6.
The Nordic Center’s major event for the season is the 22nd
annual Alley Loop Nordic Marathon on Feb. 2. Even though there is a serious
side to this event as a qualifier for the American Birkebeiner, it also is
Crested Butte’s biggest winter costume party and a laid-back affair with many
families dressing up and competing in the shorter race categories, which include
1.5K, 3K, 5K, 10K, 21K and 42K. The course begins in the heart of downtown on
Elk Avenue and runs through snow-lined alleys, behind stores and restaurants,
over footbridges and alongside residences before heading out to pristine trails
along the outskirts of Crested Butte. Alley Loop begins at 9:30 a.m., with
staggered race starts. There
is nothing quite like family bonding around a campfire, especially at the Nordic
Center’s annual Progressive Bonfire Dinner on March 22. Enjoy a unique
four-star, four-course, four-fire dining experience on Nordic skis or snowshoes
along a luminary-lit 4K trail. You won’t get cold on this outing with hot
beverages along the way!
Located at Second Street and Whiterock, the Nordic Center
will be open for the season from Nov. 17 – April 13 and is connected to Crested
Butte Mountain Resort and various stops in Crested Butte by a free shuttle bus.
For more information or to register for Alley Loop or the Progressive Bonfire
Dinner, call (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. Other great indoor
activities include catching a movie at Crested Butte’s Majestic Theatre,
performances at the Crested Butte Center for the Arts and Gunnison Arts Center,
and spending time at the new Gunnison Community Center. 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
More Family
Vacation Ideas
Colorado: Gunnison-Crested Butte, Kids Fly & Stay Free.
Here’s the deal if you are searching for a family ski vacation United & American
Airlines are offering outstanding ski vacation deals. So if you are still
dreaming about family memories made schussing down the ski slopes, laughing
hysterically on the tubing hill, snowshoeing through a pine forest while the
snowflakes fall slow enough to catch on your tongue or sitting by a warm fire
drinking hot cocoa? Do not wait make your dream a reality.
More
USA: Aspen/Vail, Destination Resorts, Fun Family Winter Vacation, Skiing,
Fireside Chats and a Snowman Kit. This season imagine miles of snowy
white powder high in the clouds and more fun than you can shake a ski at.
Getting away with family and having fun is what winter time is all about. This
season Destination Resorts locations in Aspen and Vail, Colorado as well as Lake
Tahoe California welcome families to share the fun.
More
Colorado: Steamboat Springs, Family Snow Ideas. Known by many as “Ski
Town USA,” community maintains old-fashioned charm and conveys a friendly
welcoming atmosphere. More than 40 Olympians call Steamboat home and smile at
the mention of Howelsen Hill, their in-town ski hill. Steamboat Ski area is the
second largest ski area in Colorado and receives more than 300 inches of snow on
average, and has plenty of room and terrain for skiers and riders of all levels.
A free shuttle service transports visitors from town to the base of the
mountain. In addition to being one of the top family ski destinations in the
U.S.A. providing great skiing and boarding for all ages, there are plenty of
other reasons for families to select Steamboat Springs for a winter holiday.
More
Content and /images/ezine provided by Gunnison- Crested Butte Tourism Association.
Copyright 11/2007. |
