Keystone and Kids

As I anticipate watching this month’s Winter Olympics from the coziness of my Overland Park living room, my thoughts turn to a recent family vacation, one of my favorites because we were able to unplug and enjoy God’s beautiful creation together. While not as exotic as Sochi, Russia, our ski trip destination of Keystone Resort in Colorado was a perfect fit for the family and quite accessible—a doable 10-hour drive to the Denver area (plus, good airfare deals can shorten the trip affordably).  Keystone Resort has long been a place where kids rule. From specialty family friendly après ski offerings to mountaintop snow forts, the resort is a winter wonderland that allows kids and parents alike to truly enjoy their well-earned vacation time together.

Affordability was a big factor in our decision to choose Keystone Resort. If you stay in a Keystone property for at least two nights, kids 12 and under ski free. Keystone itself manages more than 800 different types of lodging units, and when you factor in www.VRBO.com and other options, vacationers can choose from a wide range of accommodations. For our family of six, we choose Red Hawk townhome with a fully stocked kitchen and an easy walk from our doorstep to the main gondola lifts. 

After we got settled, we took some time to walk to the quaint River Run Village, boasting restaurants, stores, coffee shops, ice skating, a small grocer and amazing ice sculptures, to grab some dinner.  We arrived at Pizza on the Run and although everyone claimed they were not very hungry, we nearly finished off two large pizzas! The braided crusts were piled high with our favorite toppings making for a yummy meal. Next, we went to get our ski rentals situated.

I always feel like getting ski rentals is just a hassle, but we had a different experience at the Keystone Ski & Ride School/Rental tent. We were immediately greeted by a friendly staff member who assured that our experience would be efficient and successful. In less than 30 minutes, we were out the door with six people fitted for skis, boots, poles and helmets.

Breathtaking views at the top of the peaks thrilled us on our first day of skiing. Our family quickly got acquainted with a 3.5-mile green run named Schoolmarm, which meanders all the way down the mountain.  Located within Schoolmarm, the Schoolyard features Rockin’ Rollers, terrain with small bumps, and Tornado Alley, an area with changing terrain, to encourage families to take their skiing to the next level.  Our family has only skied a few times, and I was surprised how confident everyone felt by lunchtime of our first day.  In the River Run Village, we grabbed lunch at Luigi’s Pasta House, which became our favorite and most-frequented restaurant in the village. We finished out the day skiing and made a wise decision to rent an inexpensive ski locker at the base of the gondola to avoid carrying our gear back and forth to the townhome. 

The next day, we ventured onto some new slopes and graduated up to a few blue runs, with the family favorite being Spring Dipper. We took some time to play in Keystone’s signature giant mountaintop snow fort complete with tunnels and snow slides for both the young and young at heart. Exploring the snow fort made our troops hungry, so we headed to the Kickapoo Tavern in the River Run Village and enjoyed the best burgers in the county! No trip to Keystone Resort is complete without an afternoon of ice skating or an evening of night skiing! We opted for the ice skating this trip. Keystone boasts two skating areas, a smaller one right in River Run Village and then a 5-acre lake just a few miles down the road at Lakeside Village.

We thought we’d mix things up a bit on the third day of our trip, so we booked a Mountaintop Cat Tour.  We climbed aboard a warm snowcat and were taken to the top of Dercum Mountain to take in incredible views of the local mountain scenery, as well as the Continental Divide.  After skiing all afternoon, we celebrated the first day of 2014 at the Der Fondue Chessel. Traveling to dinner via two scenic gondola rides, we arrived atop Keystone’s North Peak at 11,444 feet. With its old-fashioned Swiss Bavarian charm, Der Fondue Chessel welcomed us to an evening that will remain a highlight for 2014. We enjoyed a four-course traditional fondue dinner, complete with Bavarian music and dancing. The smoked gouda cheese fondue was my personal favorite, while the kids are still talking about dipping assorted fruits, marshmallows and pound cake in the decadent chocolate fondue.

We awoke on our fourth day to picture-perfect ski conditions. It had snowed the day before and, with not a cloud in the sky, the sun beamed down on the fresh powder that was groomed to perfection.  Although the family skied that entire day, I snuck out for a few hours to enjoy the spa at the Keystone Lodge and Spa. Treated like a queen, I enjoyed every minute of my treatments. That night we enjoyed another one of Keystone’s memorable family friendly activities, a sleigh ride dinner.  Pulled by 2,000-lb. draft horses, we took a 20-minute sleigh ride through a snow-covered valley to a historic ranch homestead while a wrangler explained to us a bit about the history of the area. Arriving at the homestead, we were greeted with hot chocolate, warm stew and biscuits followed by a delicious steak dinner topped off with homemade apple pie and ice cream.  On the sleigh ride back home, we even spied a few elk grazing in the meadow.

Our last day in Keystone Resort was another picturesque day filled with abundant sunshine. We first headed to the Adventure Point Tubing Hill, right at the top of Dercum Mountain, for an hour of tubing. The park’s five tubing lanes provided exhilarating fun as we whizzed down the hills. The unique enclosed carpet lift gave us easy access back to the top of the tubing hill.  After tubing, we hit the slopes for a few final runs to close out our snowy vacation.

Prior to our getaway, I was a bit concerned that Keystone’s size might be too much for our amateur ski family. I was wrong! Although the resort has all of the amenities of really large ski resorts, it caters to families and really is a perfect fit for both the beginners and the more advanced skiers. Keystone has really pulled out all the stops to earn the title “best family ski experience” in Colorado. Without limiting restrictions, kids truly ski free every day through the middle of April.  Keystone has loudly declared itself “the ski resort family destination” and certainly lives up to its name!

Keystone by the Numbers:

• 662– acres of terrain fixed with snowmaking capabilities, helping Keystone be one of the first resorts to open each season.
• 171– days kids 12 years and under ski free at Keystone with two nights of booked lodging. No blackout dates. No restrictions. No red tape. Just you, your family and Keystone.
• 9– trails that remain open into the evening equaling 243 acres, making it the largest night ski operation in Colorado, including a segment of the terrain park (Colorado’s only night park).
• 0– number of ski school programs in the nation like Keystone’s Mom, Dad and Me lesson: A one-hour private instruction at the end of the day to review your child’s progress and learn how you can help your child’s continued progression.
• 400-650– length, in feet, of the Adventure Point tubing hill.
• 150– approximate number of red wagons available for easier transport of gear to and from the slopes.
• 1– number of chicken dances performed each night at Der Fondue Chessel.
• 146,000– chocolate chunk and white chocolate cherry cookies baked annually by Chef Ned for Keystone’s check-in cookie bag program.