Snow Trip in Colorado for Family Who Don't Want to Ski
Whil Colorado is known across the world for its incredible ski resorts, not everyone who visits ends up hit the slopes. Every flavor, friends, coworkers, and family members travel to Colorado's ski towns and sit on the sidelines while the residuum of their groups shred.
Whether it's an injury, a disinterest in snow, or fifty-fifty a lack of athleticism, it doesn't matter considering Colorado's mount towns have plenty of incredible not-skiing activities to offering. If yous're looking for things to practice while your companions spend the day skiing, rest assured, there'south a slew of wintertime activities to enjoy in Colorado that is not skiing.
And if you lot aren't heading to a ski town, consider one of these unexpected Colorado winter experiences off the beaten path.
From stellar music venues and fine art galleries to historic saloons and terrific shopping, here's how to make the most of your time in Colorado's ski towns.
Winter Activities in Colorado that are Not Skiing
Some of the most well-known ski towns besides make the best vacation destinations for nonskiers. You'll find everything from frozen recreation like tubing and ice skating, to desultory festivals, and yr-round fun such as mesmerizing museums and restaurants.
- Cantankerous State Skiing
- Dog Sledding
- Hot Springs
- Ice Climbing
- Ice Fishing
- Water ice Skating
- Sleigh Rides
- Snow Tubing
- Snowmobiling
- Snowshoeing
Here are the all-time Colorado wintertime vacations for nonskiers:
Aspen
Aspen is a rewarding place to visit even if information technology didn't host internationally fawned-over skiing. This western Colorado mountain boondocks is a place of great political and cultural importance.
It's habitation to the Aspen Institute, an international nonprofit recollect tank, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Aspen Art Museum, a 33,000-square-foot, four-level building known for showcasing drawings, paintings, sculptures, multimedia installations, and electronic media from pioneering contemporary artists.
For beer-loving non-skiers, Aspen Brewery is a spot that shouldn't be missed. From delectable seasonal pours to unique butt-aged selections, you'll love knocking a couple dorsum at their tap house. After a drink or two, a massage tin can do wonders, which is peachy since Aspen is habitation to a couple of world-renowned spas.
History buffs will get a kick out of Aspen's Hotel Jerome, a mannerly and storied institution that opened in 1889. Hotel Jerome is also home to J-Bar, which serves up a boozy milkshake with a bizarre and unappetizing name. The "Aspen Grime" was a favorite drink among the Tenth Mountain Division soldiers that trained in Aspen during WWII.
The Aspen Historical Society currently offers tours of the hotel Tuesdays and Thursdays at ane:30 pm. And, though shows usually take place during the evening, Belly Up is a mandatory stop if y'all're a music fan. This sleek venue is relatively small-scale but manages to bring in artists you'd normally see in a sold-out amphitheater.
Abdomen Up has hosted The Killers, Widespread Panic, The Chainsmokers, Jack White, Lil Wayne, The Avett Brothers, Snoop Dogg, B.B. King, Phoenix, Jimmy Cafe, and many other honey musical acts since opening its doors dorsum in 2005.
Breckenridge
Coloradans and out-of-staters alike savour Breckenridge's fun, historical atmosphere, plentiful bars and restaurants, and its rewarding cultural offerings. Breck has its ain Arts District which hosts drop-in classes, musical performances, and events celebrating ceramics, drawing, printmaking, metal-smithing, textiles, and painting.
If y'all're looking to sip on something tasty in an iconic, historical Colorado setting, head over to the Gold Pan Eating house and Bar. This charming spot was established in 1861, the aforementioned yr America'due south Civil War bankrupt out.
Cajun food is probably the furthest thing from people's minds when they caput up to a place like Breckenridge, just the Lost Cajun serves up accurate and highly addictive Louisiana cuisine that's earned a considerable amount of buzz and accolades over the years.
Belongings the title for the Western Slope'southward oldest twelvemonth-round theatre company, Backstage Theatre puts on shows like A Christmas Ballad, The Great Gatsby, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Breckenridge's Celebrated Commune is one of the largest in Colorado, with smashing offerings like walking tours and fascinating museums, all within view of the astounding Tenmile Range of peaks.
For how modest of a town Breckenridge is, it hosts an impressive amount of bars and restaurants, many of which feature live music. If you're dying to explore gorgeous, snowy terrain surrounding Breckenridge but don't care for skiing, try snowshoeing on 1 of the many scenic trails surrounding the town.
And if you're lucky plenty to be in town during the annual Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships, information technology'southward an issue you admittedly have to see. Teams of skilled snow sculptors travel to Breckenridge from around the world every year to create delicate and massive works of fine art out of snow that will ignite your imagination.
If you lot're also early for that event, check out Ullr Fest, Breckenridge's wintertime festival, and 1 of the rowdiest parties you'll find in the Rocky Mountains all winter.
Crested Butte
Crested Butte is one of the about scenic spots not but in Colorado just also in all of America's mountain west region. Exuding a quaint mountain vibe, this boondocks is great for spending time with family. Start your trip by being pulled around Crested Butte on a equus caballus-drawn sleigh.
Afterward, head to Secret Stash for a bite to eat. Earning a cult post-obit since it opened in 2002, Stash'southward pizza is an absolute favorite on the bill of fare. However, if pizza isn't your thing, you'll have lots of other restaurants to choose from.
The Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum gives visitors a captivating window into the by. If you're interested in the history of coal mining, the railroad, or how life in Colorado's mountain west, this is a can't-miss destination.
Elk Avenue, Crested Butte's colorful primary street, is a charming place to shop, check out an art gallery, or take a quiet stroll. It'south likewise i of 17 Creative Arts Districts in the state that have been designated past the state of Colorado. The Center for the Arts offers an impressive plethora of fine art classes ranging from culinary teaching to writing to visual arts.
If you're a voracious reader, Townie Books would love to meet you. This Elk Avenue staple has a deep passion for sharing its honey of literature. And if yous're into loftier-quality outdoor gear, Chopwood Mercantile's plentiful offerings volition go on you busy for a while. Have an early drink while yous're waiting for your group to wrap skiing upwards for the day, we won't judge you.
The female-founded Montanya Distillers dishes out sophisticated rum cocktails and fine food that people have been raving about. Beauty, culture, rum, adventure, and lots of snow. Crested Butte has a lot to offer non-skiing folk.
Durango
Durango is a xxx-minute bulldoze from Purgatory Ski Resort and is a dandy place to spend time if your friends and family. Habitation of Fort Lewis College, Durango is a college town. Boasting plenty of bars and restaurants, beer-lovers from all over flock to Durango to visit Ska Brewing, an internationally beloved brewery that routinely cleans up at the Great American Beer Festival.
If you lot're a fan of trains and western history, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad offers stunning excursions through the San Juan Wood. The Southern Ute Museum celebrates the history and modern culture of the Southern Ute people through engaging exhibits.
Meanwhile, Durango'southward historic downtown is home to award-winning restaurants, spas, accurate western bazaar hotels, and confined. Despite being relatively small, the boondocks is abode to 30 art galleries, and if you like contemporary art, the Durango Arts Middle should be on your centenary.
Whether you're in the mood for a cup of tea while y'all read a book or a fine dining experience, Durango can accommodate you. B*tchin Cookies is a local favorite that lives up to its namesake, while Due east By Southwest serves delicious, intricate Japanese dishes that look so ethereal and surreal that they await like they came straight out of a dream.
Hailing from Principal Street, Diamond Belle Saloon is considerably less ethereal than one of East Past Southwest'due south dishes, but its gritty, wild west trappings are every bit as surreal. And if you're in town during Snowdown, a wild wintertime party filled with costumes, alcohol, and copious shenanigans awaits you.
Keystone
Keystone is definitely a place focused on skiing and snowboarding, however, it's in shut proximity to many other heady activities. Located at Keystone Resort, the Dercum Water ice Skating Rink volition make for a fun-filled twenty-four hour period. Local yoga studios also offer a variety of excellent classes designed to assist practitioners meditate, stretch, and strengthen.
If y'all want to reward yourself after a session, check out the Keystone Spa & Salon. You'll detect all the luxurious nuts here, including detoxifying scrubs, massages, micro-treatments, and more. For those willing to have a short drive outside of Keystone, Frisco is an excellent boondocks to check out.
The Frisco Adventure Park is opened up to snowfall tubers every wintertime, and the town has an excellent brewery, sushi restaurant, and plenty of stores to store in. If eating at Keystone sounds similar a better plan, you'll accept much to cull from, including a fondue eating house, soup bistro, and a AAA, 4-Diamond fine dining restaurant called the Alpenglow Stube.
After lunch, have a scenic sleigh ride through the regal Soda Creek Valley. Just because you're not skiing doesn't mean y'all don't deserve to bank check out one of the best mountain views in Colorado. Keystone offers scenic gondola rides that volition transport y'all to heights of 11,640 feet.
If you're traveling with kids, they'll dear the snow fort atop Dercum Mountain, and you can relish drinks and lunch at the multiple elevated restaurants the expanse has to offer. And while you lot're at it, check out the Family Adventure Bout. Y'all'll ride in a heated snowcat to the Erickson and Bergman bowls that sit high atop Keystone.
Pagosa Springs
Pagosa Springs is a southern Colorado precious stone and a fantastic placed to be holed upwards in while your group hits the slopes. The town is home to the world'southward deepest geothermal hot spring, which extends over 1002 anxiety. That'due south a fun fact, but you'll undoubtably get much more satisfaction from the hot spring's warm, relaxing pools and the multiple spa facilities the area offers.
You'll soon find that Pagosa Springs locals are enthusiastic most the unique geothermal weather that be in their boondocks. The Riff Raff Brewing Company prides itself on existence the earth's offset brewery that's exclusively powered through natural geothermal heating.
This town offers loads of fun year-round activities, from sleigh rides to ice skating to local theatre. If you lot're the angling type, you'll love ice angling on the frozen lakes around Pagosa. If yous don't have the requisite gear, at that place are multiple outdoor shops in town to rent or buy from. Winter fly fishing on the San Juan River is likewise a smash if ice line-fishing is besides much trouble.
Pagosa Springs is surrounded by mile after mile of gorgeous hiking trails and pristine Rocky Mountain scenery. Snowshoeing is the but way to admission these trails during the wintertime, but once y'all get out there, you'll have a vast winter wilderness all to yourself.
The boondocks is also home to excellent fine art spaces ranging from hip modern studios to eclectic woodworking galleries. The free Pagosa Springs History Museum gives visitors a broad historical context about the boondocks's history, Colorado railroads, and local wildlife. And if y'all're hungry, Pagosa Springs is fix for you with food trucks, Mexican restaurants, delis, and brunch joints.
Steamboat Springs
Steamboat Springs might call itself "Ski Town U.s.," but it offers enough of memorable things to practise aside from skiing. While some perceive Colorado'south ski towns are pretentious, Steamboat Springs prides itself on being welcoming and open. Case in signal, Steamboat Springs has its own bowling alley, an institution usually associated with working-class folks than wealthy jet setters.
At a quick xx-infinitesimal bulldoze up the mountains from Steamboat Springs, Strawberry Park Hot Springs will give you a unique hot springs experience that y'all'll probably never forget. While Colorado has a lot of hot springs to choose from, Strawberry Park is special being nestled in the woods surrounded by copse.
When you're finished taking in the natural wonders of Strawberry Park, check out Butcherknife Brewing Visitor. Locals and tourists alike love Butcherknife's beers, which are served upwardly in cans that characteristic surreal and sometimes cryptic artwork. Additionally, the town has its own Restaurant Week, which offers special deals at the best restaurants in Steamboat.
If you lot're looking for a one time-in-a-lifetime experience and don't mind getting out in the cold, consider giving dogsledding a attempt. Grizzle-T is a company that gives people genuine dogsledding experiences and will teach yous to "Mush your own team" of Alaskan Huskies.
For those interested in seeing Steamboat Springs and northern Colorado'southward pristine, snow-capped peaks, Wild West Airship Adventures will give yous a thrilling, unforgettable experience. Their prices include continental breakfast, a champagne toast, and flight certificates.
And if you're lucky plenty to exist in Steamboat Springs during their almanac Winter Funfair, yous'll be treated to fireworks, a parade, and "people on shovels beingness pulled down the main street behind horses and skiers jumping through fiery hoops," according to Steamboat Springs' website. The result was founded over a century ago as a manner for locals to cope with cabin fever during the wintertime months.
Telluride
To many, Telluride is the ideal mount boondocks. Information technology's a gorgeous, charming identify with loads to offer, merely you lot won't spend every bit much here equally you lot would at a identify like Aspen. With stately wood and brick celebrated buildings lining its streets, Telluride looks and feels authentic. And with fancy amenities like spas, a thriving nightlife, excellent restaurants, and great places to shop, y'all'll never get bored.
Looking for a vivid, fun place to hang out in? Consider Black Iron Kitchen and Bar. With a stylish wooden interior in a warm, open setting, this is a solid place to eat a snack and catch a beer. Anyone willing to brand the one-hour drive outside of town should head to the Orvis Hot Springs. Orvis' pools achieve temperatures of 112°, and they offer access both in and outdoors.
If you lot're itching to explore your creative side, check out Telluride'due south Ah Haa School of the Arts. Offer an array of classes ranging from writing and cooking to ceramics, Ah Haa can teach you something special. Meanwhile, for those interested in viewing art, Gallery 81435 is definitely worth a visit. Information technology showcases work from contemporary artists living in the region.
Telluride also has amazing outdoor winter recreation options, including sleigh rides, horseback riding, winter fly fishing, ice skating, snowmobiling, and fat wheel riding.
If you're feeling adventurous or are in the mood to stand in awe of someone who is, ice climbing at the nearby Conjugal Veil Falls will be worth checking out. At 365 feet tall, Bridal Veil Falls is Colorado's highest gratuitous-falling waterfall and one of the most challenging ice climbing routes in all of the US.
Vail
If you're looking for fun and aren't agape of the cold, Vail offers outdoor activities that are great for kids and adult thrill-seekers. Gamble Ridge hosts tubing, ski biking, a non-powered winter roller coaster, and scenic gondola rides.
Located atop the Eagle Bahn Gondola, Bistro Fourteen gives diners incredible views of Mount of the Holy Cross, a full bar, and both casual and fine dining options. For visitors searching for less crowded adventures, snowshoeing through the wilderness might do the trick.
From cooking classes to huge alive concerts, Vail hosts numerous exciting events throughout the season. Revely Vail welcomes winter with ice skating celebrations, a gingerbread competition, and tree lighting. Meanwhile, Snow Days brings in huge complimentary outdoor concerts from big music artists and a wild party.
And if y'all're non into snowboarding but love watching it, the Burton US Open will give y'all a front-row seat to watch the best snowboarders in the world compete.
Avid shoppers love Vail'due south three villages, hundreds of stores, boutiques, and galleries. And if pampering yourself sounds overnice, you'll have loads of spas to choose from. Art enthusiasts have multiple galleries in Vail to bank check out, with art ranging from paintings and sculptures to contemporary works. If sipping a beer in a cozy spot sounds prissy, y'all'll probably dig seven Hermits Brewing Company.
Winter Park
USA Todayreaders have voted Winter Park America'south All-time Ski Resort 2 years in a row, but you tin have enough of fun here without strapping on a snowboard. If you're the not-skier adventuring type, scenic snowcat tours through the Arapaho National Forest will evangelize a unique wintertime mountain experience. Snowshoeing tours through the surface area can besides be quite a fleck of fun.
After you're through adventuring, take a gondola ride up Winter Park Mountain for lunch, afternoon drinks, and live music. The Sunspot Mountaintop Lounge boasts an tiptop of 10,700 ft and stunning panoramic views of the Continental Divide. Hideaway Park Brewery has a taproom you lot'll savour camping out in if you lot love thoughtfully crafted beer and cozy spaces.
If yous happen to exist in Wintertime Park during Venture Out Fest, they'll be plenty of live music, ax throwing, dogsledding, and fireworks to enjoy. For folks with a penchant for bizarre, free activities, snowga will pique your involvement. This free upshot, which is essentially outdoor yoga with snow gear, takes place every Fri during wintertime.
A short trip up the road will lead you to the Cozens Ranch Museum, a spot that explores what pioneer life was like for early homesteaders living in Colorado in the late 1800s.
Native Winter Parkers and visitors are large fans of Fraser Valley Hot Dog, a local staple specializing in gourmet hot dogs and other meaty delights. If you're craving something a scrap fancier, try Volario's, a swanky Italian spot with a large fireplace. And for those interested in making their Winter Park experience as fun equally possible, a snowmobiling tour through the expanse will do but that.
Thank you for checking out our favorite destinations for a Colorado wintertime without skiing! Drive safe and enjoy your time off the slopes!
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Source: https://www.uncovercolorado.com/colorado-winter-vacations-for-non-skiers/
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