It's almost sacrilegious to say you're visiting Colorado this winter and
don't plan any skiing. But visitors who shun any type of downhill racing can
also find plenty of other wintertime activities.
Visitors not on the expensive slopes will also find many of these
alternatives to be both affordable and inexpensive, appealing to singles,
couples or families.
Snow-covered
Telluride, for example, with its steep terrains and
spectacular views, is widely known as a skier's heaven, particularly for
experts. But the area off-the-beaten track -- about 335 miles from
enver -- offers a wide variety of non-skiing activities such as sled dog
rides, ice-skating, glider rides, and dinner sleigh rides. Then, there are
also 69 shops and galleries.
Ever-popular Vail has 5,529 acres of skiable terrain offering challenges to
downhill racers of all stripes, from beginners to experts, but there are
also health spas. The 291-room Vail Cascade Resort opened its 14-treatment
rooms last October.
The resort
also offers winter activities that include snowmobile
tours, winter driving courses and wildlife watching tours that range in
price from $75 an hour to ride snowmobiles to $195 for the winter driving
tour.
Fly Fishing
Outfitters in Vail takes anglers out year-round. It'
s the only Ovis licensed shop in town. Women are increasingly common
anglers, perhaps because of the price, which for a half day of guided
fishing including tackle and equipment is $175.
A very
popular adventure for non-skiers here is dogsled rides
pulled by a dozen huskies that attain dizzying speeds up to 25 miles an
hour. A seven-mile, two-hour journey costs $150 and includes transportation
from local hotels, a drink and a snack. After the ride, the tame dogs from
"Mountain Mushers" that weigh up to 80 pounds will reward riders with a
kiss.
Adventure
Ridge is Vail's on-mountain headquarters for
non-skiing children's fun. It features laser tag, among other activities.
Prices range from $20 for a 16-minute snowmobile ride to $12 for a laser tag
game.
A frequent
competitor for visitors is Aspen, which offers
non-skiers a 77,000 square foot Aspen Club & Spa. Health and fitness
programs for all ages include aerobic classes, fitness hikes, yoga, spinning
and personal training.
Visitors who stay at the nearby St. Regis Aspen are hosted by the area's
most luxurious hotel. Visitors staying on the Club Floor can partake of four
daily meal presentations, as well as a private living room and concierge who
can arrange activities ranging from horse-drawn carriage rides to sleigh
rides.
Non-skiers might opt to just stay in Denver because in the winter crowds are
fewer and prices are lower. Perhaps the best way to view the area is to ride
the trails that encircle the city. Visitors can rent bicycles at Blazing
Saddles in downtown Denver, which has Computrak-equipped vehicles for easy
self-guided tours. Prices start at $5 an hour.
The
gold-plated dome capital is worth a look. Visitors who climb
the steps are exactly one mile above sea level, where there's a panoramic
view of both Denver and the Rocky Mountains.
While in the
area, many visitors also take in a historic rural
oasis only four miles from downtown at Four Mile Historic Park. The 12-acre
historic park features Pereheron draft horses, goats and chickens. A lot
cabin built around 1859, displaying the pioneer lifestyle, is the area's
oldest standing structure. Admission is $3.50 for adults.
Vega State Park, which is about an hour's drive from Grand Junction, has
long offered a wealth of family-oriented outdoor recreation such as hiking,wildlife viewing and ice fishing. But now Colorado State Parks is offering
comfortable and inexpensive alternatives to traditional camping with its
recently opened yurts and cabins.
The yurts are
reminiscent of shelters used by nomads on the
steppes of Mongolia. The round tents have comfort features such as skylights
and ceiling fans. Camper cabins and yurts start at $30 a night plus $5 per
person.
Cooper Mountain located 75 miles west of Denver in the Colorado RockyMountains has various off-slope activities that include a tubing hill,
snowshoeing, storytelling and nightly laser light shows. Visitors can watch
chocolate being made in the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
A must-see in Colorado's famous Pikes Peak Country is the aptly named
"Garden of the Gods," which has towering sandstone rock formations set
against the snow-capped Pikes Peak. Children can climb the tall rocks while
adults can simply appreciate their beauty.
Motorists can take a scenic highway from the gateway to Pikes Peak at 7,400
feet to its 14,110-foot summit. It's a 19-mile journey with spectacular
scenery as motorists overtake the clouds and find, at the end, the
inevitable rainbow of gift and souvenir shops.
Estes Park located 60 miles northwest of Denver in the Rocky Mountain
National Park is a quaint village that offers much for families, including
the Esters Park Area Historical Museum that includes a hands-on area.
Admission is only a maximum of $10 per family.
Other
activities for all ages include visiting the aquatic
center where public swimming is available all year long, free Sunday
afternoon recitals, and biking or strolling along the Riverwalk or the Lake
Estes Hike and Bike Trail.
For couples
leaving the children behind, Gold Lake Mountain
Resort & Spa offers a Couples' Spa Weekend where principles of massage can
be learned.
Couples are
taught in the comfort of their room at the resort
only about 90 minutes from the Denver International Airport. Weekend prices
of as low as $828 include two night's lodging in one of 18 unique rooms,
daily breakfasts, an all-day massage class, a three-course dinner and a lot
of free time to roam the resort's mountain setting that features lakeside
hot pools.
A footnote: Hiking and backpacking are so widely available in Colorado that
the above resorts don't even bother to list them when describing available
activities.
