Beaver Creek, Colorado

This is a short story about a short trip to Beaver Creek, Colorado.

We arrived in Denver on a non-eventful, smooth, hassle-free, nonstop flight on Frontier Airlines from Florida. Of course, the first thing we noticed when disembarking was the dramatic drop in temperature! The air was crisp, cold and awakening.

Bundled up, we headed to the car rental center. It was there that we met with a very friendly agent that welcomed us to Colorado. After speaking for a few minutes, she offered us a complimentary upgrade to a larger vehicle. Score! Because we were heading into the mountains in the middle of Winter, we gladly accepted and were appreciative. Kudos to Avis at the Denver Airport. We hopped in out Toyota Forerunner and headed to the nearby Marriott Courtyard. Because we were arriving in the evening, I checked in earlier in the day on the Bonvoy App. Trip Monkee Tip: Download the hotel’s app, to check in online to ensure your room is ready and waiting for you. Some hotels will issue you an electronic key on your phone and you can bypass the front desk. After settling in and adjusting a bit to the albeit small time change and not so small change in altitude plus a good night’s sleep, it was off and running to the Rocky Mountains. We drove west on I-70 about 2 ½ hours to Beaver Creek. The weather was fantastic! Very cool temperatures, but glorious, cloud-free blue skies. It was perfect weather for skiers and winter sports enthusiasts and those that just enjoy being outdoors.

Our room at The Charter Condominium Hotel wasn’t quite ready so we wandered around the Beaver Creek Village where we enjoyed lunch at the Park Hyatt. This Hyatt sits at the base of the ski area and is a perfectly located for ski in and out access. Plus, all of the services needed for a Winter vacation are conveniently located on property. Including a fantastic new spa. We didn’t have time to indulge, but it looked great – a sure thing for next time.

Late in the day, we met up with friends and colleagues for a go at ice skating. The rink is in the heart of the village surrounded by big overstuffed chairs and fire pits to warm up in the freezing temps. It’s been a few years since we’ve been on skates, but it’s kind of like riding a bike – it came back to us. After a few loops and clumsy spins, the blades came off and it was off to dinner.

We selected The Golden Eagle Inn, which was just a few steps from the ice rink. We checked in early for our reservation, hoping we could be seated. The host found a table for us almost an hour ahead of our planned dinner time. That was a plus at the height of the dinner hour during peak ski season. Kudos to the Golden Eagle. We ordered an appetizer of Duck Wings which looked a lot like chicken wings and they were delicious. I won’t belabor the dinner, but I had the Bison Meatloaf and Ineke had the Carpaccio. The meatloaf lacked a lot of taste, but the accompanying vegetables were tasty. I’m told the carpaccio was very good. We would return to the Golden Eagle.

Saturday’s weather was great once again. Skiers bustled around us as they looked forward to great snow on a “bluebird” day. Although I regret not skiing for the one day we were there, I did enjoy watching those that did partake.

Instead, we opted for a few other activities. We had lunch on the mountain and arrived there in style on a snow cat. That was a new experience and one that we enjoyed.

We also visited one of our favorite consignment shops to look for something or anything we couldn’t pass up AND could fit in the overhead bin. Although we enjoyed looking around at THE NEST, we had no success in this area. Better luck next time.

Like all good things, this trip had to come to an end, but not without a few more things to tell you about. Sunday morning we rose early enough to get on the road to beat the traffic going back to Denver, but late enough to stop in to one of our favorite bakeries – The Avon Bakery. In fact, we went there both mornings! It’s full of freshly made baked goods to include, but not limited to scones, croissants, muffins, coffee cakes and even breakfast burritos. It’s a great stop the next time you are in the area. Once down the mountain and back in Denver, we had a few hours to kill before heading to the airport. We decided to visit one of our favorite haunts from our days of living in Denver. The Stanley Market located near Central Park (formerly known as Stapleton) is a converted aviation manufacturing plant. It now houses 50+ shops and restaurants. We left our mark on the local economy by doing some shopping and dining. We enjoyed a chicken biscuit with pimento cheese at the Denver Biscuit Company.

It was off to the Denver Airport where we returned our car and headed to the gate. I took advantage of an upgrade offer which gave us the opportunity to sit in First Class for our 4-hour flight home. It’s been a long time since we were served a hot meal on a domestic flight and it was actually quite good. (I have never been one to complain about airline food. I’ve always been amazed that a fresh, hot meal can be served at 35,000 feet!)

We arrived home in one piece and we look forward to our next adventure. Thank you Colorado for a great weekend!