Winter Park, Colorado
We booked a trip to Winter Park, Colorado just 6 days out. We had always wanted to make a trip to Colorado but just kept putting it on the backburner. We knew we wanted to take the kids skiing at some point this winter though and looked ahead at my calendar and realized that January was really the only chance we had to make a trip. Since it was a 3 day weekend and the kids were out of school, we booked a last minute flight for $60 to Denver and got a cabin on VRBO. It was our first time in Colorado so we really didn’t know what to expect.
Where We Stayed
We booked a home for my family to all stay in and went in together between the 4 families. It was right across the street from Winter Park Resort and had a shuttle that came every 20 minutes to take you over to the resort for skiing or activities. The house was great and everyone fit comfortably. The kids all slept in the bunk room and the basement had games and a hot tub outside!
What We Did
The first day we went Skiing at Winter Park Resort. I had never been skiing in my life so this probably wasn’t the easiest slope to learn on. I stuck to the bunny slopes but it still took me the entire day just to get used to it. The views from the slopes were absolutely stunning though. I already want to go back and spend a day at the ski school to learn so I can spend time actually skiing and not falling down the slopes.The resort also looked like it would be worth staying at next time. It had quite a few restaurants and other activities for kids and families.
Snow Tubing
With booking our trip so last minute, it was pretty hard to find tickets to events but we were lucky to get a 2 hour session for Snow Tubing at Colorado Adventure Park. The kids absolutely loved this part of the trip. Jackson even went on the fastest hill with me and laughed the entire time. I walked away slightly sore but still made so many amazing memories.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Part of the reason we selected Winter Park, Colorado was to be close to the Rocky Mountain National Park so that Jackson could check off another National Park from his list. We woke up early on the last day and drove just about 45 minutes North to the park for the day. We stopped first at the sign to get our photo before heading off to snow-mobile in the mountains.
SnowMobiling
Once we got the sign photo out of the way, we headed to On The Trails Rentals to start our 2 hour snow-mobiling excursion. Since I was used to driving a Jet Ski, I didn’t have any issues with learning how to drive a snowmobile but probably wouldn’t recommend it for anyone that has no experience with that type of machine. The only thing that I wasn’t prepared for was the slick road and trails that we went out on. We only had 2 hours for our excursion so we didn’t make it all the way up the mountain but the views were still absolutely breathtaking.
Recommendations On What To Pack
One thing I always do on vacations is overpack so here is a tip on what you do need to pack and what you may be able to leave at home.
Thermals- These are a must to layer under your ski or tubing clothes. I bought 2 pairs here from amazon and wore them daily under my snow clothes.
Snow Pants/Overalls- I ended up taking a pair of snow pants and waterproof overalls. I wasn’t sure if I would have time to wash and dry them each day so wanted to have more than just one option. I wore both several times during the trip and never felt cold or uncomfortable when I was out in the snow.
Waterproof Coat- This was a must to bring. I usually just wear a puffer jacket when I go out in the cold in Kentucky but there is no way I would have stayed warm without investing in an all weather jacket for the snow. I wore this Obermeyer Coat the entire time and it was incredibly warm. I had no idea that all coats weren’t waterproof so I’m glad I did a little research prior and made the investment.
Ski Goggles- I wore these during all of our outdoor snow activities. Ski Goggles help keep the snow and wind out of your eyes so I highly recommend these!
Snow Boots- I also had to research shoes before going and it’s a great thing I did. I bought these snow boots and ended up wearing them the entire time I was out in Colorado. It was much easier to throw these on even with leggings to make sure my feet didn’t get cold or wet from the snow.
A few other items I recommend taking are socks, gloves, beanies and sunglasses. I wouldn’t worry about packing anything super fancy if you are doing outdoor activities. Most people just walk around the town in their snowsuits or ski outfits!
Winter Park is a gorgeous ski town and I know we will go back in the future. I hope you can use this blog post as reference if you ever visit.
