There is no need to travel further than Winter Park for a gorgeous weekend of skiing and more.
On a recent trip to Winter Park we discovered excellent skiing and a new restaurant or two. Close to home, inexpensive and oh so relaxing. We drove up from Boulder on a snowy Friday evening and arrived 2 hours later. It was cold and snowy, with about 12 inches of new powder.
We stopped at Pepe Osaka’s for fish tacos. Check out the atmosphere, very fun. The tempura fish tacos are great as are the ahi tacos. Friendly if slow staff serves this up with complementary house made chips and salsa. The Tequitini is delicious. The price reasonable at just over $40 without tip.
We sleep in and head for Devils Thumb ski area in Tabernash for a day of track and some un-groomed trail skiing. The snow is beautiful as are the views of the continental divide. We meet and talk to visitors from all over the country enjoying our backcountry loveliness.
After a three hour ski we stop for hot chocolate at Hallowed Grounds coffee shop and then move on to the Devil’s Thumb Ranch Creek Spa for a well-deserved massage. The spa has steam and sauna rooms, a hot tub with a killer view and aromatherapy to enjoy before and after your massage.
Once we recover it is back to Winter Park to consider other restaurants, Deno’s has a lively happy hour and consistent food, The Ditch on 40 is another favorite with yummy Hatch green chili, they add it to everything, eggs, burgers, and all are definitely worth a try. Carver’s is a must for breakfast (you have earned it!) try their huevos rancheros or my favorite the Greek scramble. Order a cinnamon roll to share while you wait, you won’t be disappointed. The Rise and Shine Bakery is my favorite for lunch. They have mimosas!
For day two downhill skiing is legendary at Mary Jane and the Winter Park Mountain. Pack a lunch or try one of the mountain restaurants, the Lodge at Sunspot is my favorite; the views from the dining room are beautiful, watching people disembark the lift from the picture window can be very entertaining.
Managing the mountain traffic to and from the area is to be taken seriously. Either stay another day, there is sledding in Frasier or you can try snowshoeing or check out a movie if you don’t want to be outside, or plan to leave fairly early or very late on Sunday to avoid the crowds.
Guaranteed to be a ton of fun for everyone in your family!