KEYSTONE, COLORADO: THE BEST FAMILY WINTER VACATION EVER

(The precursor to the actual vacation: 24 hours of being stranded! And how we found our cloudy day’s silver lining):

THE UNINTENTIONAL ADVENTURE – Making Limoncello out of Lemons

When I set out to book a fun-filled, mother-son winter vacation in Colorado, I had no way of knowing how unexpectedly “adventurous” our adventure trip would wind up being! I couldn’t have known that the state was about to get some of the craziest weather in years, on the exact day we were to fly in. But I fully believe that things happen for a reason, and sometimes the worst weather days are what bring the most epic rainbows in the end. 

In our case, it was not just some clouds, but rather 24 inches of snowfall, crazy windstorms, and freezing temps causing icy roads, that met us when we landed at the Denver airport. The hazardous conditions closed down the Interstate heading up to our mountain resort town of Keystone, and called for avalanche mitigation (which, when you live in Hawaii, sounds a bit unfamiliar and totally scary, to say the least). Our shuttle bus company informed us that they didn’t know what time the roads would reopen, but maybe noon at the earliest. Having landed at 6:00am, that was not the best news. Especially when traveling solo with a restless, energizer-bunny, 10 year old boy. 

We managed to make the most out of what ended up being NINE hours stranded at the Denver airport though— Lots of book-reading, i-Pad action, and playing in the freshly fallen snow, over the concrete blocks and rocks of the airport bridgeway. (Hey! Whatever you gotta do to keep your kid happy, right?) We had a nice little meal at Tom’s Urban Cafe – if you’re stranded at the Denver airport, I recommend it! And at 3:30pm, our shuttle bus finally arrived to try to make our way up the mountain. “Try,” being the operative word.

About 30 minutes outside of the Denver airport, we and our shuttle-mates felt relieved to be on our way…… until the call came in from dispatch saying the roads closed once again! “Maybe they’d reopen around 3:00am”, was what we heard. What?!?!?  Right when I was picturing a scene from Artic-Survivor , where we would all have to huddle and sleep in the van, eating the leather on our backpacks to make it through the night….. our awesome driver, Rick, pulled in to a gas station across from the most adorable, free-standing boutique hotel in Golden, Colorado. The Origin Red Rocks Hotel was one of the cutest hotels I’ve stayed in – with fun, colorful art, trendy furnishings, and a lobby restaurant and bar that served up not only hot totties, cocktails, wine & beer, but also some cool live music for happy hour! Awesome! The rooms were super comfy and spacious, and for the rate of $106 – $189 per night, I would highly recommend it for anyone stranded in Golden, or visiting there intentionally. 😉

What started off as an evening trying to deflect my son’s disappointed worried questions about whether we were ever going to get up to Keystone, turned into one of the best nights we could’ve not planned for! Our bus-mates turned out to be an awesome, fun, young group of people, who got along great, stayed optimistic about our situation, and embraced the schedule change with a positive, make-limoncello-out-of-lemons attitude! We banded together, came up with a game plan of leaving first thing in the morning at 4:00am to make it up the mountain before all the backed up traffic, and decided to meet up for dinner together at the restaurant across the street, called Vice Kitchen Wine Whiskey. After a massive snowball fight in the fresh two feet of snow in the garden area of the hotel, Lucas and I joined our newfound friends, and enjoyed a great meal and great company for our detoured “stranded” night outside Denver. (We were so lucky too, because we found out later that some people spent 12 hours in their vehicles, stuck on the I-70, not being able to go forward or back, while the roads shut down.) 

As planned, we met up again at 3:55am in the lobby, our Summit Express Shuttle Bus driver, Rick, was there to the minute, and we were, for real this time, (and almost 24 hours later), on our way……. Up to KEYSTONE!!!!! 

And when we finally arrived, it was the most glorious blue sky, clear visibility day, with 2 feet of fresh powder and moderate 37 degree temperatures. We had been told that the day before had been foggy and windy, with heavy snowfall and no visibility, and most of the activities (skiing, tubing & dogsledding) had to be shut down that day. So, we ended up getting to Keystone right when the conditions were best! (Silver-lining rainbow!)

ACTUAL KEYSTONE:

First off, why Keystone for this winter-fun vacation with my son? 

Well, those of you that know me, know that I do tons of research before I book things. And I wanted a ski resort town that was easily accessible (Ha!), beautiful & charming, and chock-full of family-friendly activities that would keep both me & my son entertained for four days. Plus, it had to have good skiing, as it would be my son’s first time ever.  

Keystone Resort is one of the closer ski resorts to Denver airport (normally a 1.75-2 hour drive), and is an adorable alpine-esque town, that people have told me resembles a mini Vail. While I myself haven’t been to Vail yet, I have been to the amazing alpine village of Zermatt, Switzerland, and Keystone’s River Run Village, where we stayed, definitely reminded me of Zermatt, with it’s pretty streets lined with cute shops, café’s, ski-sport stores, bakeries, and decorated in little while lights dotting the town, and making it twinkle by night. The lodges all around River Run Village in Keystone also are reminiscent of quaint European towns, and most have hot tubs for warming up after a full day on the slopes. Our AirBnB was a lovely one bedroom condo in the Black Bear lodge, and along with the Jackpine Lodge, is the closest building, just steps away, to the gondola and chair lifts to take you up the mountain! (Very convenient when having to walk in ski boots!) But even if you aren’t staying in the absolute closest lodge to the lifts, Keystone conveniently provides free red wagons all around the whole town, that you can just grab-and-leave, and use to tote your ski equipment to & from lifts and your condo, or tote tired children who don’t want to walk. Tons of families were using these, and I thought it was brilliant to offer it as a free self-serve.

Side note: If you use this link to book an AirBnB for the first time anywhere, you will get up to $55 off!

Whether you love to ski, or don’t want to at all, Keystone also has loads of fun non-ski activities, like tubing, ice skating, a snow fort, and oversized checkers, connect-four and bean bag tosses scattered throughout the streets of the town. They also have a multitude of different ski runs for all ages & levels, and a popular 3.5 mile family run down the whole mountain, for us to do together, if he got the hang of it right away (which he did! Yay!)

SKIING IN KEYSTONE:

Keystone has a terrific ski school too, about which I had read great reviews, and I promptly signed him up for that online, since there was no way in hell I was going to take it upon myself to teach my incredibly stubborn child how to ski. For those of you looking at possibly doing this, let me tell you, it was probably the best $189 I spent on this trip! It covers 6 hours + lunch + the blissful sound of your child NOT yelling at you, while you get 6 hours of your own uninterrupted heaven, flying down the mountain on any level slopes you choose, at your own pace, in some sweet, glorious “me-time”. 

Don’t get me wrong— I loved seeing how my son had become a little “shredder” himself, as his ski instructor called him after his lesson, and sharing the thrill of skiing with him, but it is definitely nice to be able to ski on your own too for at least half a day.  His lesson was a group lesson (they also offer private & family for higher prices), but I liked the idea of him being with other kids his age & level and letting them inspire him to do his best.

Helpful tip: Whatever you decide you want to book as far as skiing— equipment rentals, ski school, lift tickets, etc,— I would do it online before getting there. It is much cheaper to purchase these things online, and in bundles, and there are even early bird rates, if you book days or weeks before. I did this and definitely saved at least $100-$150. Also, this will save you from waiting in ticket-purchasing lines. The lines for online purchases are more express.

There is also more than one peak, all adjoining and accessible by gondolas and lifts, so you have numerous options of varying slopes to keep you occupied for a good, long time. Keystone is also one of the few ski resorts that offers night skiing, if you can’t get enough during the day. The slopes stay open until 8:00pm, where most close at around 5:00, I believe. So you can grab a bite to refuel, and continue skiing until your body just shuts down in the dark, cold night. Haha.  

Another helpful tip: Don’t eat up at the top of the mountain, at the Summit House, if you can help it. It is helpful that there’s a warm place to rest, use the restrooms, and get a drink or food if you want, but the prices are pretty astronomical ($7.50 for about 20 French fries, and $17 for a bowl of chili, for example).  I brought granola/power bars to snack on, and when we needed some real food, there are a bunch of restaurants to choose from right at the base of the gondolas in town, just a few steps away.  The InxPot and Kickapoo Tavern were among our faves! 

And Keystone certainly is still alive at night too- if you still have some energy, you can grab a cocktail and dinner at one of the bars and restaurants, enjoy some desert-to-go, or just soak in the jacuzzi to soothe your muscles for the next day!

DOG-SLEDDING!!!!! (If you’ve had enough skiing, or even if you haven’t):

This was by FAR one of the most awesome guided-activity experiences of my life, and one that my son and I will never forget. If you have time, I would do this, if you are in the Keystone/Breckenridge area!! Scratch that. You should make the time!! It’s not often that you will get the chance to be able to drive a team of amazing huskies through a winter wonderland of snow-capped, pine tree corridors, with a stunning mountain backdrop, while the fresh air blows a smile on your face from ear to ear. (Unless you live in the Alaskan outback, in which case, never mind.)  

I booked this excursion through Good Times Adventures Snowmobiling & Dogsledding, located above Breckenridge, just a short bus ride from Keystone, again, after reading awesome reviews about this company and their dogs & guides. I called about a month in advance, as I read that they get pretty booked up early, to make the booking and am 1000% glad I did! The staff were incredibly sweet & helpful, especially since we weren’t able to make our day 1 booking (because of being stranded in Denver), and they helped us reschedule and fit us in for two days later, even though they were booked. It was $125 per person, and for $10 extra, they will pick you up from Breckenridge town, which is very worth it, if you don’t have a rental car, which we didn’t.  

Transportation side note: The entire Summit area has a free public bus system between all towns, so we were able to get from Keystone to Breckenridge in 30 minutes for free. The buses also connect to the towns of Dillon, Frisco, etc etc etc. and are all gratis.

Our guide’s name was Julia, and she was amazing. We got to personally meet all 8 of our huskies, who were not only beautiful, but friendly, lovable, and very cuddly. And verrrry excited to run. We learned a lot about huskies, got to pet them and take some selfies with them, and then we were on our way! 1.5 hours through the beautiful mountain wilderness with plenty of breaks to switch sled drivers (“mushers”) and riders, and those riding in the snowmobile-pulled sleigh that Julia helps direct the team from.  There were five of us in the group (three cute gals from Texas and Lucas & me), and we all had plenty of time riding & driving the dogsled. Even when you’re riding in the snowmobile sleigh though, it is incredibly fun, because you get to see the dogs running towards you, and the amazing landscapes behind them. It’s a visual wonderland.

Be sure to tip your guide if you go, as they sure do deserve any and all gratuities. I can honestly say that this excursion was worth every penny!

A BRIEF JAUNT IN BRECKENRIDGE:

Even though we didn’t stay in Breckenridge, we had the chance to walk through the adorably quaint town with the cutest Mainstreet ever (even the Starbucks is charming!), before we caught the bus back to Keystone, and managed to have some amazing Churros at Mimi & Pin’s (right off of Mainstreet, near the Breck Transit station). They gave us lots of free samples, and the interior is so damn cute & cozy, you’ll want to spend more than a minute there! Their Nutella-filled churros were my favorite! 

TUBING RUN in Keystone:  

After a morning of dog sledding in Breckenridge, we headed back to Keystone for some tubing fun. Keystone has one of the largest tube runs in the state, and Lucas had been looking forward to it for a long time. Tickets are $45 per person for an hour of unlimited tubing, and include the round-trip lift ticket up the mountain. They have a handy enclosed-tunnel with a magic carpet moving sidewalk, so that you can warmly and easily transport your tube back up the mountain, all to the sounds of rock and roll music piping through.

You can go down the hills solo, or hang on to each others tubes, and even ask the attendants to spin you around in a mind-numbing haze, as you hurtle down the tubing hill. They’ll ask you if you want a level 1-10 spin, and if you’re the type that wants a level 15, then ask for Chris. 😉

SNOW FORT:

The snow fort, right next to the tubing hill, is way more impressive-looking from afar, with its snowy turrets and castle-like exterior, than it actually is, when you get up close. It has a few little slides, and a tunnel or two, and is more intended for little kids to run around and kill some time, as my 10 year old was over it in about 10 minutes.

PLACES TO EAT:

Keystone has a ton of cafè & eatery options, from your typical grab-n-go places like Starbucks, the Frozen Yogurt Snack Shack, and the Crepe stand (yummmmmm!), to more full-service sit-down restaurants. We loved the InxPot for a lunch and comfy atmosphere, and great coffee drinks. (It’s also a bookshop!) And Kickapoo Tavern was yummy, reasonably priced, and had plenty of kid-friendly options. And it is located right at the base of the gondola, so it’s a great mid-day stop, if you want to take a break for some real lunch fuel in between ski runs. 

My favorite though, was Montezuma (Zuma) Roadhouse which had ‘elevated’ dining and an indoor fireplace. This was a little pricier, but it was the best salmon I’ve had in years, and for $26, with asparagus and jalapeño mash potato sides, it was well worth it! If you go during the dinner hour rush, expect to wait 30-45 minutes for your food to come. The apple crisp for dessert was awesome too! My son left there particularly happy.

Another thing of Note: everyone in Colorado was incredibly friendly, helpful, and full of positive vibes. Strangers on the bus offered up fun new book titles to my son, when they saw he was reading, and even the bus and shuttle drivers was always willing to lend a helping hand or suggestion. Maybe it’s all that fresh mountain air, or the legality of weed in the state, that has Colorado natives pleasant to be around and loving life, but no matter what the reason- it was definitely noticed and appreciated!!

So in a nutshell, Keystone really does have it all. You don’t have to be a skiier to enjoy this resort village, but if you do plan on skiing, prepare to be stoked! The convenience of (free!) public transportation between nearby towns, like Frisco, Dillon, & Breckenridge is awesome for exploring and for other excursions, and within Keystone, there are free red wagons located all around the town, that you can grab and leave anywhere, to tote around bags or ski equipment, instead of having to carry things wherever you go. Awesome! Combine the location, and all the ease and convenience, with cute shops, good food, lots of activities, great skiing, and even fireworks every Saturday night, and you’ve really found the perfect little ski resort with something for everyone! Plus, did I mention how unbelievably beautiful it is there? …….

Until next time, ……. Aloha, Keystone! We’ll definitely be back!

DAPHNE’S TOP TEN THINGS NOT TO MISS IN KEYSTONE:

1. Skiing! Even if you’re a novice, you have the option of ski instruction, or if you opt for self-teaching, there are lots of super easy mini hills with moderately increasing levels of difficulty that you can graduate to, to start with. And plenty of intermediate slopes, when you’ve conquered the beginner hills. For experts, there are plenty of runs for you too, with moguls, terrain parks, and jumps. No matter your level, see if you can find the small, hidden tunnel to ski through 
2. Tubing – Take your Dramamine before you go, because this is not for the weak-stomached. You can get away with just whizzing down the hill straight on, but c’mon, what’s the fun in not throwing up?!?! Lol
3. Dog-sledding – You’ll have to go to Breckenridge for this, but this is one experience I would say is a must-do! Especially if you’re a dog-lover. But even if you’re not. Just the views alone are incredible, but meeting the huskies, and getting pulled through the forrest by them is another level of thrilling.
4. Take a stroll through Breckenridge – Only a half hour (free!) bus ride from Keystone, this awesome town is not one to miss! It is cute on a whole other level, and walking down Main Street is an activity all on its own. You’ll love all the unique little boutiques, bars and museums, and I’ve heard there are some awesome restaurants there to enjoy too! Make sure you stop by Mimi & Pin’s on Main to grab a few churros. The owners are so sweet, and will make you feel entirely welcome from the the second you step foot inside.
5. Ice skating – Even though we didn’t fit this in, because we lost a day due to the weather, we had wanted to go ice skating in the rink in the center of River Run Village. We saw others ice skating and vowed that we would do it when we came back.
6. Play a game of bean bag toss or life-sized checkers on the street, in front of one of the many open-air public fire pits scattered around the village. Or just stop by one to have a seat, warm up, and talk story with some other winter-adventure seekers who are vacationing there too.
7. Take a nighttime plunge in the hot tub where you are staying— it’s guaranteed to have one. There is nothing quite like a soothing soak in a warm jacuzzi to unchill-your bones, while snow flurries fall all around you. It’s pretty amazing actually. Make sure to take your beanie or cap down with you though…. Your ears might still feel the chill.
8. Get an gooey-gooey Nutella-marshmallow crepe from the Crepe Stand. ‘Nuff said.
9. Book a special dinner at Der Fondue Chessel on top of the North peak at the Outpost. These reservations need to be made in advance, and they are open only Friday and Saturday nights (something I realized too late, when I tried to book for Sunday night). The dinner, which is an experience on its own, is a multi-course meal of cheese, meat and chocolate FUNdue! Heh heh. (And it includes the gondola ride up and back down the mountain). If you’ve never had fondue (a Swiss specialty), you should most definitely try it!!!
10. Drink as much hot cocoa as you possibly can. There are better hot cocoas in some places, but I try not to discriminate. When my bones are chilled, I get my hot cocoa craving, filled!

*This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but I may earn a small commission, which helps me keep this website running. So, thank you!!!

DAPHNE’S MUST-HAVE’S FOR A SKI TRIP (Anywhere!):

Coming from Hawaii, you can imagine how ill-suited my son & I were for a trip to sub-zero temps. With basically no freezing-weather clothes in our closets, I had to buy pretty much all the clothes and accessories that we would need for a cold-weather trip. And a ski trip to boot!

And as you can probably also imagine, there are not many stores on Oahu that sell ski-wear, and definitely not for any reasonable prices! Thank Goodness for Amazon! 

1. Kids ski/snow pants. I bought two pairs for Lucas, although he basically wore the same pair the whole time. These bib overall ski pants were his favorites. But I had also gotten him a pair of regular-waisted ski pants, which were incredibly thick and warm. Almost too much so. (Picture Ralphie’s brother, Randy, in a Christmas Story, who can barely move because his snow clothes are too thick. Lol)
2. Ninja head/neck cover. I bought a two-pack, and we both used ours and loved them! They fit under our ski helmets, and kept our heads, faces and necks completely warm as we flew down the mountain in the cold air.
3. Fleece lined neck warmers/mouth covers: If you don’t need the head cover, I also bought these two-pack multi-use neck warmers that I wore when dog-sledding, and regularly when I wasn’t skiing. It’s awesome. I got one for Lucas too, but he loved his ninja head-gear.
4. Ski Goggles. Got these adult-sized ski goggles for me. And these kid-sized ski goggles for him. We both loved our goggles, and the reflectiveness made for fun photos. Plus neither of them ever fogged up even once! And they are very easy to adjust.
5. Waterproof Ski gloves. Got these adult-sized ski gloves for me & my alien-like extra-long fingers, and these kids/small adult sized ski gloves for Lucas
6. Hand warmers. You can NEVER have enough of these! I bought the 20-pack.
7. Fleece-lined long johns/leggings. These are a must to wear under your snow pants. They are soft and will keep you warm!  Adult fleece-lined leggings for me. Kids fleece-lined long johns for Lucas. 
8. Beanie Hat
9. Fleece-lined woolen hat with fur pom-pom. This hat is definitely the ‘fun one’. But it will also keep your head and ears hella-warm! Love it!!!
10. Fleece-lined woolen woven hat with rim. This comes with me on every cold weather trip. It keeps the sun out of my eyes, is super warm, and it’s stylish- I’ve gotten several compliments on it already!
11. Fleece-lined mittens with pull back flap-cover. I take out my phone A LOT when I’m traveling— for photos, to answer work-related messages, and mostly to see where the heck I am, because I get lost a lot. Lol. These mittens are adorable, but most importantly, they let me use my fingers when I need them, while still keeping my hands toasty.
12. Fleece zip up: essential! Mine is from Patagonia and while it’s a bit pricey, it’s worth every penny & then some. It comes on every single trip I take, as I love to wear it on airplanes too. It was perfect for skiing, and it keeps me warm, but also stays cool and doesn’t make you feel hot once the temperature spikes up. This particular one is from North Face, and is about 1/3 the price and same functionality.
13. Winter Coat: I bought my Michael Kors $250 down-filled winter coat with faux fur-lined hood at Ross for $74. But I loved it, and would’ve paid more for it for sure. It’s stylish, and warm, and covered my tush too, and I wore it skiing. There’s a similar one here on Amazon.
14. Fanny pack for skiing: Sometimes I ski with a lightweight backpack, and sometimes, I just use a fanny pack, to keep my phone, go-pro, money, keys, chapstick, etc etc.
15. My over-all favorite lightweight all-purpose small day-backpack. I’ve used my Patagonia one for years, and LOOOOVE it. I ski with it too, when I want to carry more things, like snacks and a water bottle. This one is the same size with all the same conveniences, for 1/4 of the price.
16. Winter waterproof snow boots for kids: Lucas’s feet were entirely warm the whole trip. And for this price, it’s a no-brainer.
17. Stylish winter waterproof snow boots for adults: I’ve had my Sorel boots for years, and they’ve kept my feet warm through some snowy days! And they’re cute!

If you prefer to see the actual products/clothes Lucas and I used, here you go! You can click though this way as well….