colorado travel Archives - Have Sippy Will Travel

Copper Mountain, Ski Colorado

March 31, 2018 by Admin 1 Comment

Hit the Slopes Here on Your Next Vacation

Whether you slip your boots into skis or a snowboard the important part is where you get to ride. When in Colorado and the Rockies a top choice is Copper Mountain Resort for lodging, entertainment, dining, and of course the trails. The views from the top of Copper Mountain are absolutely stunning. I could have spent all day at the top if it wasn’t so fun going back down!

Copper Mountain is just 75 miles from Denver and a great balance of size, navigability, and easy travel. With three central locations or villages there are plenty of options to approach the mountain. They have more than 140 marked trails to keep everyone in your family occupied.

The trails breakdown as 21% beginner, 25% intermediate, 36% advanced, 18% expert. Keep in mind certain levels leave from one village or another so be prepared to keep track of everyone, but there are buses to take you anywhere you need to get on the ski resort. If you are looking for multiple days of skiing and snowboarding fun this is the place. The shear size of the resort and number of trails means there is always a new path to master.

Copper Mountain Tubing Hill Colorado There are so many more activities than just skiing to offer during your visit to Copper Mountain Resort. Some are snow going like the tubing hill, or the outdoor Rocky Mountain Coaster, and the iceskating pond. When you are ready to get out of the cold, but still want some thrills it is time to hit Woodward Copper. Their Woodward Barn is designed as an action sports training ground! Indoor ski and snowboard training, trampolines and foam pits, skateboards, scooters, and bikes are all options for private lessons with their amazing instructors or just take the intro, then sign up for free time. You can find out all about it in our post HERE.

Staying at Copper Mountain makes your visit one seamless adventure. We stayed at Copper One in the Center Village and could not have been happier. Being right in the center of restaurants, bars, shops, and most importantly a ski lift made everything wonderfully simple. The little details are sometimes the most delightful, covered parking, nearby equipment rental pickup (in the case of Copper One and performance rentals from Camp Hale we just went downstairs in our same building and they even stored it for us overnight, though our room came with a locker we figured this was just easier), heated walkways to keep the ice away, these are just a few of the bonuses.

Copper One at Copper Mountain in Colorado

View from our room in Copper One of Center Village

The rooms are lovely, exactly what you might expect from a ski lodge in decor. Having a home away from home with a kitchen and fireplace after a long day on the slopes makes a big difference when it comes to relaxing and enjoying your vacation to the fullest.

Copper Mountain Resort has plenty of tasty options for when you are ready to refuel. Meat eaters will love Eagle BBQ, while sushi cravers can grab seafood creations at Storm King Lounge or warm up with some ramen. Sweet treats? The items for offer at Mountain Top Cookies and Crepe Shop are so innovative you can’t leave with just one. I highly recommend the s’mores cookie. Fancy night out? The C.B. Grille fits the bill. My favorite, not to be missed, is Toast & Co.which is open for breakfast and lunch and I rave about in full detail HERE.

French Toast at Toast & Co at Copper Mountain Colorado Eat, drink, and have a great stay at Copper Mountain Resort while enjoying the natural beauty of the Rockies. Favorite parts of the visit, 1- Tubing Hill – this is so much fun. You can go down solo or in groups while hanging on to each other which is a blast. 2- Center Village – Being in a fun all access ski village. We loved stepping out on the balcony and hearing the music playing and watching the outdoor fires from the nearby bar. 3 – Woodward Copper – because jumping into foam pits is just that much fun.

To plan your trip to Copper Mountain visit their site at Coppercolorado.com or find them on Social Media – Twitter – Facebook – Instagram

Filed Under: travel, Uncategorized Tagged With: Colorado, colorado travel, copper mountain, copper mountain colorado, ski resort, skiing, snowboarding

White Mountain Snowmobile Tours Colorado

March 23, 2018 by Admin Leave a Comment

Sail over the Snow in this Mountain Adventure!

If you love speed and beautiful sights White Mountain Snowmobile Tours is a perfect activity for your next visit to Colorado. Whether you are a rider, a driver, or the tour you choose this is an experience not to be missed when visiting the Leadville area. It maybe a noisier way to get up in the mountains than its skiing/snowboarding counterpart, but also one of the funnest!

White Mountain Snowmobile Tours is a year round operation that offers a variety of their namesake snowmobile tours as well as zip lining (which is the year round part). You can go for the Family Prospector Tour which is a laid back 2 hour ride perfect for couples looking to ride double or those with kids. There is even a break for kids up to 70lbs to ride their own mini snowmobile, which they will LOVE.

The next step up is the Performance Tour, taking you higher into the mountain and for solo riders only. You want to push your limits and are already an experienced rider you can graduate the the Extreme Tour and really tear across the countryside. Any level of experience is welcome and there are options for everyone of all ages.

I confess I preferred being a passenger though I gave driving a go. When I got lapped for the third time on the makeshift test track I called it a day and hopped on the back for a more relaxing trip. I wanted to look around not concentrate on driving! Meanwhile my companion was all about faster and further so me stepping back worked out well. Just call me Miss Daisy.

You can come bundled up in all your ski gear or they have everything you need, from boots to helmets and googles. White Mountain Snowmobile Tours is a large operation and everything runs like a smoothly oiled machine. Everyone we dealt with was awesome, our guide, Terry, in particular. He made even a nervous driver like me comfortable and since I ended the ride on his snowmobile being confident in your driver is a gift. He really made the trip with his knowledge of local landmarks and by taking us to all the best lookouts.

Even when I am posting the pictures I find it hard to believe how beautiful it is in the mountains outside Leadville and Twin Lakes. Riding the trails with crisp wind in your face and the sun shining on the white expanse of snow was magical. Get your engine revving and get on out there.

Find out more about White Mountain Snow Mobile Tours and the options they offer year round on their website: Whitemountainsnowmobiletours.com

Check out more on their Social Media – Facebook

Filed Under: travel Tagged With: Colorado, colorado travel, leadville, leadville colorado, snowmobile colorado, snowmobile tours, travel, traveling, white mountain snow mobile tours

Ski Monarch Mountain Colorado

March 21, 2018 by Admin Leave a Comment

Ski Independent, Embrace Family Fun

See what real Colorado skiing and snowboarding is like outside of the resorts and take a trip up to Monarch Mountain.

Whether you are local or traveling in to get your share of winter fun, skiing/snowboarding is a great adventure for all ages and skill levels. There are a lot of things to consider when looking for the perfect destination and Monarch Mountain is a great match for the top items on my list. Plenty of varied levels of ski terrain, natural snow (Monarch receives more than 350” of natural snow each year), one lodge (makes it easy to keep track of all the members of your group), short wait times, affordable prices, and quality food make an ideal mix of family friendly fun.

For the newbie skier like myself there are great class options offered at Monarch’s Ski + Ride School, whether you want to separate or even take a family lesson. Parents might consider sending the little ones off to learn while they get some runs in or brush up on technique with expert help. The covered magic carpet and learning area was great, with plenty of room for classes while still being accessible for independent riders. This section was ideal for those working their way up to the lift.

Your littlest ones even have their own section to get the hang of things. Starting as young as 3 your munchkin can begin to get their ski or board legs under them. Monarch Mountain has group lessons that are kids only, grouped by age and experience or if you are looking to be hands on try the Mini & Me program that introduces children, ages 3-6, to skiing, while the grown up gets tips from an expert. There is also a children’s center with indoor activities to take breaks in.

Once you hit the mountain the action is non-stop. There are long runs at all levels from all over Monarch, but a highlight is getting to the top of the mountain and straddling the continental divide while looking out over the San Isabel National Forest. You can go up and visit the metal Monarch, or Peak Locator for a breathtaking destination. Turn this little butterfly and she will let you know exactly where you stand and the local landmarks you are looking out over. From there coming down the mountain is a choose your own adventure of green, blue, or black to get back to the base.

Since we have a big gap in ski proficiency in my family so having a good mix of advanced and beginner runs was one of the first items I looked for. The breakdown is 22% Green (easiest), 27% Blue (more difficult), 37% Black (most difficult), and 11% Double Black (extreme) at Monarch Mountain. As the most beginner in the group that made me happy. Traveling with a speedster I also wanted to keep everyone on the hill for a while so Monarch’s longest run is 1 mile and the mountain has a vertical drop of 1,162 ft. to keep my thrill seeker occupied. Keep in mind that your base elevation is 10,790 ft. so you might be short of breath if like me you are coming from sea level, but there is nothing like looking out at all of that natural beauty to inspire your soul and body.

For all you dare devils out there that want to go higher, meet the Cat. You can hop in one of these bad boys for a tour or take it up beyond the ski lifts for the really extreme stuff. You could hike up part of that way too into the part of Monarch Mountain known as Mirkwood, but trust me the Cat Skiing is where it is at for views and going outside the beaten path. With a longer Cat Skiing tour you get to eat lunch in an exclusive mountainside yurt and explore 1,635 acres of expert terrain.

When you are ready to eat there are a few options, the Sidewinder Saloon for a sit down meal, the Gunbarrel Cafeteria for grab and go quick eats, and the Java Stop for your caffeine kick. Early morning is great at the Java Stop. They serve Brown Dog Coffee, the freshest locally roasted coffee and espresso for those that are passionate about their morning joe. If a Bloody Mary is on the menu I have to mention the carnivore. It is a spicy meat lovers dream (yes, you do really see a slice of bacon, a piece of steak, and pepperoni in this spicy libation), that is breakfast and a cocktail all in one at Elmo’s Bar, a full service western style watering hole. There are options for all tastes and budgets at Monarch.

Monarch Mountain is a drive in ski and snowboarding destination, but parking is free and there are nearby spots to rest between trips to the slopes. Local towns like Salida, a super cute and fun town to visit when in the area, offer accommodations for your trip and other exciting activities. If you are coming in from Denver it is just under three hours, and about 2.5 hours from Colorado Springs. Picking the right location can go a long way to enhance everyone’s experience so think about what will make your trip. Monarch Mountain is a perfect place for great winter sports without resort fees and commercial mark-ups.