Olivia and I recently took a life-changing trip to the beautiful mountain resort of Beaver Creek, just outside Avon, Colorado. About a two hours drive from Denver, Beaver Creek truly is a one of a kind experience. Although I was fortunate enough to visit pretty frequently with my family (growing up), showing Olivia the ropes for the first time was a treat. Be sure to check out the video recaps below to get a taste of our vacation:
We began our journey with the relatively painless nonstop flight from RDU to Denver–just over three hours gate to gate. In terms of skiing out west, this is for sure the most convenient option, save perhaps flying the extra 500 miles to Salt Lake City in Utah. Since we didn’t land until about 6pm on a Sunday, we decided to spend some of our Marriott points and stay at a hotel just off I-70 in Golden, Colorado. This would allow us to get an early start on the drive up to BC the following morning, certainly aided by the two hour time change. We were up and ready to roll by 6am, and after a quick bite to eat, we were on the road headed up the mountain.
The drive was excellent–great weather and no traffic to speak of. With such an early arrival (around 8am), we made a quick pit stop at the grocery store in Avon to pick up some breakfast and snack items for the room. For our accommodations we decided to go with the Osprey of Beaver Creek, a resort perfectly situated right at the base of the main mountain. It is as ski-in/ski-out as it gets, and between the concierge, the front desk staff, the ski valet, and the hotel bartender, everyone was as nice and welcoming as could be. I would highly recommend the Osprey to anyone visiting.
Thankfully, our room was cleaned and ready to go by the time we arrived. It was by far the best at the hotel, with (corner) views of both mains village lifts, a nice big balcony, and a sleek gas fireplace. After admiring the digs for some time, we changed into our ski clothes and were ready to hit the slopes.
The first day started pretty slowly as we were just trying to get our legs under us. After returning to the room for a quick lunch, we ended up getting a decent amount of riding in, even with the somewhat limited terrain. For so early in the season, the snow conditions were even better than expected. The snowmaking and grooming at Beaver Creek is world-class, so even with the absence of natural snow the team did a great job with what they had to work with. Check out the video below for a taste of the snow conditions on our trip:
After a full day of riding, we decided to call it and head back to the room. The fire was perfect after a long day on the mountain, but even better was the resort’s pool and hot tub. We spent plenty of time recovering in the jacuzzi, and with the lack of mid-week guests at the hotel we always had it to ourselves. With a quick rinse in the shower back at the room, we were changed and headed off to the village to explore.
The village is quite possibly the coolest aspect of Beaver Creek, as it truly reminds you of a Bavarian/Swiss alpine village; it certainly does not feel like Colorado at all. There are plenty of delicious restaurants and quaint shops, so there is always something to do even when you aren’t skiing the world-class mountain. To enjoy a few pre-dinner drinks and an appetizer, we landed at the Dusty Boot Saloon at the far end of the village. Olivia and I shared an order of buffalo chicken tots that were to die for, and after a few adult beverages we were ready to head over to try the main course.
For the first night at the resort I had to take Olivia to my family’s all-time favorite pizza joint, the Blue Moose. The pizza was as good as I remembered and even Olivia agreed it lived up to the hype. With a quick stop for gelato on our return trip, we were back at the room and settling in for the evening.
The second day brought even more shredding, as this was essentially our last full day on the mountain. The plan all along was to ski the first two days (Monday/Tuesday), then have a nice chill rest day (Wednesday) before riding one more morning prior to our flight home on Thursday. This turned out to be an excellent proposition, as we were able to get in plenty of time on the hill but also time to rest, recover, and explore more of the resort.
Tuesday also brought another longtime favorite restaurant in The Coyote Cafe, a Tex-Mex spot that has always been a staple for warming up with some lunchtime margaritas. For dinner, we were back at the good old Dusty Boot. Technically a sports bar, we were able to take in some college basketball that was on that evening. Another fantastic day in the books.
Wednesday was our off day, and we were excited to be able to sleep in a bit for a change. Once we were able to get ourselves going, we hopped in the car and made the quick fifteen minute drive over to the Vail Village to explore and potentially grab some lunch. Vail is of course another world class ski resort but I always enjoy checking out it’s village area as well. After perusing the shops for a bit, we were some of the first customers of the day at a popular Mexican restaurant (Los Amigos) backing up to the main lift at vail. Although we only snacked on some chips and queso, it was great to take in some sun and enjoy the afternoon with Olivia.
Just a few moments later, this afternoon would also bring one of the best moments of my young life as I proposed to Olivia on the ice rink in the center of the village. It was absolutely amazing and everything fell into place so perfectly I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better. Olivia was incredibly surprised and thankfully she said yes. I had previously hired an awesome photographer (Michael Rawlings, ) to hangout at the rink and snap some pictures of our special moments. Mike was so awesome to work with, and afterwards he spent another hour or so with us getting more engagement shots around the resort. It was definitely a whirlwind but so incredibly exciting. I’ll be posting a more in-depth recap (with all our photos) sometime in the near future.
We returned to a thoughtful letter and a bottle of champagne from the amazing concierge staff at the Osprey–I cannot say enough about Stacey and the rest of the team. Stacey was great in helping me pick out our final dinner of the trip, an evening at the Grouse Mountain Grill just a short five minutes drive down the mountain. Our meal was absolutely perfect, from our delicious bottle of wine, to the hand-rolled tater tot appetizer, and finally to the expertly prepared main courses (beef tenderloin for me and scallops for Olivia), everything was a 10 out of 10. It was a great way to celebrate our memorable day, and we were so appreciative to the staff for making us feel so special.
We were back to the early mornings on Thursday as we actually made it to the main lift before the posted 9am opening. Our eagerness was a bit expected of course, as this was our last half-day to ride before making the trek back to Raleigh. Although not cold by any means, our last day was overcast and a bit chillier, but we were still able to get in some great last turns. With a late checkout granted, we were able to shower and pack and get on the road by 1:30pm heading back to Denver.
We were sad to be leaving but it surely was a trip that both of us will never ever forget. Every aspect of the vacation truly was amazing and I am so thankful that we scheduled this trip. Although the early-season is always questionable, the snow conditions turned out to be better than expected and the crowds were essentially non-existent. At times it felt like we were the only ones staying at our hotel. It was truly a one of a kind experience, and I certainly hope to get back to Beaver Creek as soon as possible. Thanks again for reading and stay tuned for the next adventure!
– Walker
Texas-Ranger Travels 