Local Expert
Jason Steele
In 1997, Jason gave away everything he could not fit in his car and moved to Denver, Colorado. Here, he has been able to enjoy the beauty and wonder of the Rocky Mountains along with the…
In 1997, Jason gave away everything he could not fit in his car and moved to Denver, Colorado. Here, he has been able to enjoy the beauty and wonder of the Rocky Mountains along with the excitement of the Mile High city.
His favorite pastimes include discovering new bars and restaurants, going to professional sporting events, and of course, travel. When he is in the mountains, he enjoys hiking, camping, road biking, mountain biking, skiing, and snowboarding.
Jason is also a certified Pilot, Flight Instructor, SCUBA diver, and Microsoft Systems Engineer.
As a Local Expert for Denver and the Rocky Mountains, his goal is to be your guide to much more than just great skiing.
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Keystone is one of the largest ski areas within a day's drive of Denver. It is located near the towns of Dillon and Frisco in Summit County, and it is just down the road from Arapahoe Basin.
Likes:
Size: This is a truly huge resort. It is so large that it can take over an hour to ski from one end to another. There is plenty of room to enjoy yourself over several days.
Accomodations: There are tons of condos at the base, that while not truly ski in-ski out, do offer convenient access to the slopes. There are plenty more lodging options in nearby Dillon and Frisco.
Parking: There is a very large free parking lot near the base village, unlike some of the other large resorts in the area.
Dislikes:
Price: This is a very expensive resort, with lift ticket prices a whopping $92, double the price of nearby Loveland. As with all Colorado ski resorts, your best deals will be availible from supermarkets and sporting goods stores. Even the lunch stops on the mountain can be ridiculously priced, even by ski area standards.
Slow Zones: Sometimes it seems like this whole ski area has been designated a "slow zone" with obnoxious warnings that they will confiscate your lift ticket if you are deemed to be skiing "too fast". Basically, if you are not an out of control beginner, you may be skiing "too fast". They also put netting up at the bottom of the runs to slow you down. Unfortunately this creates an icy, dangerous bottleneck that you have to ski through.
Crowds: Kestone can be very crowded, with the parking lot filling up early on weekends. Lift lines are not uncommon here either.
Arapahoe Basin ski area is a legend to Colorado Skiers. In fact, their motto, "Ski The Legend" is well deserved. A-Basin, as it is known to the locals, is one of the highest, smallest, cheapest, and best ski areas in the state. To ski A-Basin is to understand that contradiction.
Likes:
Proximity to Denver- One merely has to drive over scenic Loveland Pass to get to A-Basin. There is no nead to drive through the Eisenhower Tunnel. If you are making good time, it can be driven from Denver in less than an hour.
Size- A-Basin is the smallest ski area in Summit County, even after it's expansion last year. Rather than a drawback, it's smallish size is it's strenghth. Parking is free and nearby. The base lodge is traditional and comfortable. There is a lot of terrain to explore in one day, and you will never get lost or stuck polling on a flat trail, or "catwalk".
Snow - A-Basin gets great snow due to it's high altitude. With a base elevation of 10,870 feet, and a summit well over 12,000 feet, A-Basin is blessed with some of the region's best snow. So abundant is their snowfall, that they are often the first ski area in Colorado to open, and the last to close.
Price- Lift ticket prices are lower here than the larger resorts in Summit county, and discount tickets are availible at supermarkets in the Denver area.
Dislikes -
Mostly Expert Terrain - A-Basin appeals more to the intermediate and advanced skiers than beginners. While there are beginner's runs, there are not many. This probably is not the best place to go if you are with a beginner as they will grow bored quickly.
Altitude - The same altitude that give A-Basin great snow will also give you a whopper of a headache if you are prone to altitude sickness.
Lodging - There is no lodging at the base. This is a great place to visit from Denver, or to sample on your trip to Summit County, just don't expect to find a slopeside condo. The nearest lodging is about four miles down the road at Keystone, with plenty more in Dillon and Frisco.
I stopped in to an interesting restaurant the other day. In Aurora, just east of Denver, there is a wide variety of ethnic restaurants. One caught my eye, Lea's Kosher Cafe.
First of all, you don't have to be Kosher, or even Jewish, to enjoy a home cooked meal there. Lea bakes her pita's in house, and they are stuffed with grilled beef, chicken, or felafel. On top of that, you get hummus, tachina, and an Israeli vegetable salad. Everything is cooked made to order by the Israeli family that own's the cafe. As someone who has been to Israel, I can say that the food is much more reminscent of a home cooked meal than street food.
As a bonus, they specialize in pastries and baked goods, although it appears they must be ordered in advance.
One of the key's to enjoying your meal here is to set your expectations correctly. This is not a fancy restaurant with a team of waiters, but it is a place to try great food from the other side of the world. Like any Kosher establishment, they are closed on Friday nights and on Saturdays
The heart of ski seaon has arrived in Colorado, with snow totals rapidly rising. When choosing where to go skiing from Denver, you have many choices, so I thought I would try to give you the benefits and drawbacks of each.
I will start with Loveland Ski Area since that is one of the easiest to reach from Denver.
Positives:
Easy access from Denver. It is right off of I-70 and located just before the bottlenect that is the Eisenhower tunnel.
Low Prices In this age of triple digit ticket prices at the top Colorado resorts, it is nice to see a relative bargain. Loveland tickets during the peak season are only $56, however if you buy your tickets in advance at a grocery store, expect to pay $48. Children's tickets and half day tickets are also availible.
Free, Convenient Parking Whie most resorts make you pay and/or take a shuttle bus, you will easily find plenty of free parking at their base lodge, with a very short walk to the lifts.
Snow As one of the higher ski areas in altitude, Loveland gets more snow than many of the big resorts. Because of this, Loveland is one of the first resorts to open, and one of the last to close. With the lack of crowds, fresh powder can be found throughout the day after a snowfall.
Terrain Loveland is more like a European resort in that it has a lot of terrain above treeline that is not really organized in to distinct trails. This allows you to get away from the crouds and pick your own line.
Drawbacks
Wind Because of the high altitude, the wind can be very strong at Loveland. This makes it feel much colder if you are not properly dressed. Since much of the terrain is above the tree line, it is worse because you are even more exposed. Conditions do vary, and sometimes it is quite calm.
Size Don't expect the amount of terrain that you will find at Vail or Beaver Creek. I find it plent to keep me occupied for a day, but I wouldn't want to ski there several days in a row.
Lodging Simply put, there is none. This is a great day trip from Denver, or fine first or last stop of a ski trip to further resorts. If you must stay in the area, you can find hotels in Georgetown or in Summit County.
Lifts There is nothing wrong with the chair lifts at Loveland, they just aren't the multi-million dollar high speed lifts. That said, they are almost all "quad" lifts that seat four, they are in good condition, and there is almost never a line. I have come to enjoy the leisurely pace of the lifts that allows me to catch my breath between runs.
I would like to share with you my favorite Greek restaurant in Denver. Recent turmoil aside, I have been served food there that is consistently better than anything that I was able to get in Greece.
Many years ago, I was in Athens for a few days. Every time I asked for a recommendation for a really good Greek restaurant, I was merely told to go to the Placa, a touristy area full of overpriced places. I left disappointed that I was not able to find Greek cuisine that was any better than my favorite place in Denver, Pete's Central One. "Pete's Central One" is an odd name for a fantastic restaurant. My understanding is that the name derives from being the flagship of a number of restaurants in Denver, all owned by the same family, a la "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".
Well, Pete's is not all that big, in fact it is quite cozy, even romantic. Their menu features all of your Greek specialties, without attempting to go Nuveau or Fusion. Saganaki, the fried cheese appetizeer, is served without attempting to flambe the place down. Their portions are large, and my recommendation is to try one of their combinations. It almost seems like ordering a single dish would be missing out on the chance to sample two or three of their entrees, so virtually every permutation of their menu is availible as a combonation. If it is not, just aske them, as they have always been happy to allow subsitutions.
There probably is a place in Athens that serves better food than Pete's. I tried as hard as I could to find it, but was unable. I just know that Pete's is the first place I go when I crave Greek, and I probably won't be flying through Athens anytime soon.
When Denver International Airport, known locally as DIA, openned in 1995, it was one of the largest airports in the world. Navigating this monstosity can be difficult, even for us locals.
As a frequent traveler, allow me to give you a few quick pointers:
Denver's airport is ironically named, as it is nowhere near Denver and has few international flights. It appears to be in Kansas, and some people actually believe me when I tell them that it is. Let the record show, it actually is in Colorado, about 29 miles by road from Downtown.
To get to Denver from the airport by taxi, you must have a lot of money to spare. Expect to pay over $50 each way. Fortunately, there are plenty of options. My favorite is the SkyRide bus service. Many shuttle services are also availible for about half the price of a taxi. Check out the handy traveler's information center on level 5 of the main terminal at the airport.
You can rent a car at DIA, but it is very expensive as the city tacks on all sorts of taxes and fees. If you can take a shuttle, or get picked up from the airport, you will save a lot of money if you rent a car in Denver. Another trick is to tell them that you will be returning the car to the Airport. That way, you don't need a ride back, and you still save money.
When departing DIA, know that there are two places to get through security. There are the big lines in the main terminal, and the (often) much shorter line on the bridge to Concourse A. If you are flying on Frontier, or any other carrier on Concourse A, I highly recommend you cross the bridge instead of take the train. There is a little more walking, but it is quicker and far more scenic than taking the train.
Finally, if you get to airport a little early, you can stop by some of my favorite restaurants that I blogged about here.