January 16, 2016: Tanya's Ski Trip to Vail & Breckenridge, Colorado - Day 2

Tanya's Daily Scoop
CURRENTLY TRAVELING IN: DILLON, COLORADO

How to Spend the Best Day in Denver

Happy Saturday and Greetings from Keystone, Colorado!
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Today is a very exciting day...
It's our first day hitting the slopes!!!

However being that we got in soooo incredibly darn late last night, or I should say early this morning.

We could even say that I was awake nearly 24 hrs from Friday morn to Saturday morn.

So it's certainly not gonna be an early morning for us. And we'll probably only get in a half day.
​We don't want to be sleepy skiers, plus I'm not looking to torture this crew, and they are completely wiped!

I suppose that even a half day should be a good warm up for this nice long ski trip in the Rockies!

Partial reasons to our insane long day being:
When Dave arrived late last night to join us for what's to be a mighty fun weekend, the airlines lost his skis and between that and meeting us, it took nearly 3hrs - that's so insane! Ugh
 
Before meeting up with him the kids and I had a few moments of absolute delirium laughter over the silliest things. Those babes sure needed some rest.

Of course this is coming off of an already mighty fun Friday - where I guess I ran these kiddos around a bit much. But there was just so much to do...

Yesterday was our first full day here in Colorado, and we took full advantage of each and every moment of the day...and night!

Spending the day in Denver, we started the day out with plans of a lovely breakfast at City O City.

​Everything was going pretty much according to schedule, until we arrived to find a hand written note on the door explaining a maintenance situation and that they'd be opening late...UGH!

​Which meant taking a later than planned tour of the Capitol. And which hopefully meant nothing else getting effected or bumped - and luckily it didn't.

Our breakfast was quite delish and then the Capitol tour was quite interesting.

DID YOU KNOW: The original budget for buliding the capital was a $1 million dollars, but with all of the elaborate plans and materials that architect Elijah E. Myers had required, the final budget was pushing $3 million dollars.
Causing Mr Myers to be fired in the process.
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This was obviously a pretty penny back in the day, but most recently the state shelled out $17 million dollars in restoration efforts!

The interior is filled with a plentiful amount of shiny brass, several portraits done in stained glass, and panels upon panels of the very rare and the priceless Colorado Rose Onyx or "Beulah red", the red marble that gives the Colorado State Capitol its distinctive splendor.
Cutting, polishing, and installing the marble in the Capitol took six years, from 1894 to 1900. So rare that all of the "Beulah red" marble in the world went into the Capitol.
It cannot be replaced, at any price!

The tour ended with a climb up to the observation deck of the 180' high 24 karat gold plated dome - that has only been open to the public for 2 years...Lucky us!
​We even were able to step outside and take in a great view of the mile high city and all the Rocky mountains that are surrounding.

Next up was Dinosaur Ridge and what turned out to be a private tour with volunteer Paleontologist TJ, who enthusiastically showed us walls upon walls of Dino tracks (footprints), Fossils galore, and Dinosaur bones!!!

Although the Dinosaur Ridge area is one of the world's most famous dinosaur fossil localities, little had been known about this location for many years, and it was just abandoned. 
This area is literally just on the side on the road - which was uncovered accidently during the construction of West Alameda Parkway in 1937 upon blasting through beds of fossil to build this  parkway!

How crazy is that?!

Gives new meaning to Roadside attraction!

A slab full of tracks!

Brontosaurus Footprint

Surrounding Red Rock Hills (C) Travelin' Cousins

Anyhow this was a great place to visit and the tour was super cool. Even Cosette enjoyed it, although still not impressed by Dinosaurs!

Think I'm gonna go wake the kiddos now, and get in some runs. But I guarantee you one thing - I will be going to sleep much much earlier tonight!

Enjoy your Saturday!
​-T

Elisa's Daily Scoop

A Closer Look At Keystone, Colorado

GREETINGS FROM RIVERHEAD, LONG ISLAND!

I am so happy it's the weekend and a three-day weekend, to boot! 

We will be spending two days this weekend at the barn. I can't express just how excited the kids are for a Saturday and Sunday of riding!

Our little gang arrived here a little before 9am and the girls ran into the stables.

As for me, it was the first time, I didn't trek into the barn with them.  It is so rainy and muddy here, that I decided to just drop them off and head over to Riverhead (about 10 miles away) and just hang out in the lovely Tanger Outlets in the Food Court. 

This place is way cool. They have internet stations and charging stations throughout with food court!

Great place to hang out for a few hours - enjoy my yummy hot chocolate (from Starbucks, right next door) and get my blog done for the day!

Tanger Outlet Food Court - Internet and Charging Stations

Hey, did you catch Tanya's blog yesterday describing the start of her trip to Breckenridge, Colorado -- her first ski trip of the 2016 season!!!

She spent the day yesterday in Denver touring the Denver State Capitol, as well as a tour of Dinosaur Ridge - don't miss the full scoop!!
 
Today, she heads to Keystone for her first day on the slopes of Colorado!
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How much do you know about KEYSTONE, Colorado?  Well, here are some Fun Facts!!

(credit: coloradotravelmaster.com)

   16 THINGS TO KNOW  
​               ABOUT
  KEYSTONE, COLORADO

1. Keystone is the home of the Keystone Resort, originally built in the 1970's by the Ralston-Purina Company and owned today by Vail Resorts.

2. The Keystone Resort ski area occupies 3 separate mountains: Dercum Mountain, North Peak, and The Outback; outdoor activities, lodging and dining in two unique villages.

3. The resort has many summer and winter outdoor activities. The winter activities include alpine skiing, snowboarding, tubing, ice-skating, cross-country skiing, horse-drawn sleigh ride dinners, and snowmobiling. The summer activities include hiking, mountain biking, fishing, trail running, golf on two championship courses, and paddle boating on Keystone Lake.

4. There are 5 main areas of Keystone:, East Keystone, River Run Village, Mountain House Base Area, The Lakeside Village and Keystone Ranch.

5. A51 - Keystone Resort has one of America’s best terrain parks, boasting 60 acres with over 100 features and a park specific lift.

6. The largest mountain in Summit County offering 3,148 skiable acres, 20 lifts and two gondolas, all nestled at the foot of 2 unique villages.

7. Keystone is only a short drive from other resorts in Summit County - about 10 minutes to Arapaho Basin, 20 minutes to Breckenridge, and 20 minutes to Copper Mountain.

8. Day lift tickets and season passes at Keystone are also honored at Breckenridge and Arapaho Basin.

9. Kids 12 and under ski free with any 2 night stay at Keystone.

10. Keystone is home to Adventure Point, one of Colorado's best tubing spots is at the summit of Dercum Mountain at Adventure Point.  

11. The largest Zamboni -maintained outdoor skating rink (5 full acres) in North America can be found here.

12. Keystone is home to multiple AAA 4 Diamond, Wine Spectator and Zagat Survey-rated restaurants.

13. Located within the Keystone Lodge is a 10,000 square foot luxury spa.

14. Nine trails that remain open into the evening equaling 243 acres, making it the largest night ski operation in Colorado. 

15. Eleven and one-half hours of daily skiing and riding available at Keystone, making it the longest ski day in Colorado.

16. 146,000 chocolate chunk and white chocolate cherry cookies are baked annually by Executive Pastry Chef Ned Archibald for Keystone’s check-in cookie bag program.

Sounds like a pretty awesome place to be!!!  Can't wait to read all about Tanya's personal account tomorrow!!

Here's to an amazing day to you!!

-E
xoxo