For the past few years now, we have made it a new tradition to, instead of buying into the overly commercialized whatever that is “Valentines Day”, treat ourselves to fresh cold mountain air, breathtaking scenery, and hot tub snuggles.

This year, we were fortunate enough to partner with the amazing team at Winter Park Resort in Winter Park, Colorado to spend the weekend partaking in as many of the activities we had time (and energy) for. Voted by USA Today as the #1 Ski Resort in North America for multiple years, this resort has literally everything you need to pull off an epic weekend trip or extended mountain stay, even for some winter sport rookies like us. You could stay here a complete week and not have time to see it all! So many restaurants in walking distance and endless amounts of fun activities for the entire family in any season!

Usually, we work on our own to put together these types of trips and typically base the journey off our tastes and what we think might make for the best photo content for the blog. This time however, we stepped out of our comfort zone and worked with the resort team to help showcase what #ventureout means to them….. and venture out we did! We strapped on snowboards and snow shoes, jumped on ski bikes, and hopped in snow cats, exploring all over the Seven Territories.

In this post, we will take you for a ride on our favorite parts of the resort. For more of what you can expect and to plan your own trip, visit www.winterparkresort.com. Our recommendation, make sure you check out the resorts events calendar. The winter months are usually packed with special events that cater to the different crowds and the resort plays host to events like U.S. Skiing Competitions, Vans King of the Grommets, and The Big Wonderful Beerfest. Holiday weekends can also get pretty busy on the slopes so make sure you plan accordingly.

KICKING SOME WAX -

Just Excited We Made It Down The Kiddie Slope!

Neither one of us had ever tried snowboarding and really only half of us ever cared to. However, since this seemed like the perfect opportunity to test our skills on the slopes… When in Rome, right?

Coming from Austin and embracing the “Lake Life” mentality, we have been avid wake surfers for years now and have gotten pretty good at it. Not that we were naive to think that this would be anything close to similar, were at least hopeful. It’s a board, you stand on it, and you move in a forward direction using your feet and legs to dictate your speed and direction… how hard can it be?? Well…. After many falls, near head on collisions with safety fences, and about 10,000 burned calories, we realized pretty quickly why water sports might just be more our cup of tea. Luckily, our amazing personal instructor (Chris) had us shredding down the bunny slopes like we were the King and Queen of the mountain in less than half the day.

Not a snow gear connoisseur? Having trouble foregoing your mortgage payment for the month in order to purchase all of the gear that might be necessary to at least look like you know what you are doing? Or maybe you already have your checked bag allotment full of 23 different jackets in the hopes that 3 of them make the cut like us? No worries. The resort has you covered from head to toe for rent or purchase. They even make in room fitting calls. Priceless for all of us over packers.

Brian….. Not So Much.

SKI BIKES (Yes, Its A Thing) -

After 5 plus hours of tumbling down the mountain and another 2 hours soaking our (rookie) muscles in one of the amazing hot tubs on the property, we got up the next day and decided to try our hand on the Sno Go Ski Bikes. I’m not sure if Brian had set this up thinking these were similar to the Fat Bikes that the resort offers as well, but I am convinced he was just trying to play dumb to trick me into trying this as he usually does. These beauties are actually tricycle looking pieces of equipment with skis attached to the bottom that you ride down the side of a mountain on… And they can go VERY fast! Do not let this deter you though. These are so much fun! Easy to handle and the resort offers guided tours to help you along the way. We definitely made sure to get our content shots before the tour in case our sore bodies decided they had enough and gave out half way down the slopes. If you are a newbie to stuff like this, we would definitely urge you to spend some quality time in the hot tub and maybe even some Snowga in between sessions. DISCLAIMER - Some ski knowledge is recommended.

SNOW SHOEING -

Now that we had some time to adjust to the altitude a bit… And still had some pent up energy to release, (probably from us Texans feeling like we were in the polar plunge all weekend), we decided it was time to strap on some snow shoes to hike through some of the most amazing trials with un-compromising views of the Continental Divide. If you have never tried your hand in snow shoeing like us, it takes a little while to get used to walking like a duck but it’s really one of the best ways to go searching for some amazing photos. In the past, we have always just laced up our duck boots and sloshed our way through the snow… Mental note - The snow shoes are sooo worth it. Especially when you are walking through knee deep pow pow.

(Fun Fact - The Continental Divide Trail passes along side Winter Park Resort at Stanley Mountain.)

THE SNOW CAT -

Ever wondered what it’s like to ride up the side of a mountain in a giant snow plow?? We hadn’t either and had no idea you could actually ride in one as a tour! Since our bodies probably could not handle any more action, it felt like the perfect time to sit back, relax and let this massive tank of a machine called the Snow Cat take us around to enjoy the rest of the sights. Plus, a small blizzard decided to descend upon the area so, perfect timing!

This renovated snow plow took us in style up and down the mountains at a mind blowing speed of 8mph and really made us wish at this point that we had just stuck with this in the first place. Looks like Brian must have really done his research otherwise this would have just been a post about Snow Cats. For a really unique and relaxing way to explore the area, this is where it’s at. They even offer night tours equipped with stars and s’mores.

Can You Tell We Don’t Ever See This Much Snow??

THE DINING AND ALL THE REST -

When you are looking to fill in the downtime between the slopes and sleep, Winter Park Resort has everything covered so you never even have to leave. Dining, check. Shopping, check. Booze, check. You will want to go to their website to see all of the different options but trust us when we say they have it all! You will also want to make sure that you do not miss out on their Mountain Top Apres at Sunspot. Amazing panoramic views at almost 11,000 feet and the drinks are not bad either.

Some of our favorites included -

Sunspot Mountain Top Lodge - Great views on top of the mountain with more upscale dining options.

Derailer Bar - Fun spot at the foot of the slope. Great for watching the great (and not so great) skiers coming down the mountain. Also the perfect spot to watch the slope side fireworks show on the patio. The resort puts these on during selected weekends.

Pizza Peddl’r - Amazing pizza! Enough said.

Lime - A little taste of home that actually past the test. Margaritas are on point.

Vertical - Not sure about the rest of the menu but all you need to know is LOBSTER ROLL SLIDERS

There are definitely some other options that we are sure are worth trying if we had more time but we will definitely be back and promise to update you next time we are there! If you do get the chance to check them out, please reach out to us and let us know what you thought!

I Really Hope This Ice Does Not Break…….Ice Skates Rentals Available!

Nothing Is Better Than A Hot Tub In A Blizzard!

Thanks again for following us along on our journey. We love comments and feedback so please feel free to reach out to us and if you want to keep up to date with us and the resort, follow us on Instagram @nachoavgblondies and @winterparkresort

Mountain Highs At Winter Park Resort

KICKING SOME WAX -

SKI BIKES (Yes, Its A Thing) -

SNOW SHOEING -

THE SNOW CAT -

THE DINING AND ALL THE REST -