After a long trip through the Rockies and back, we finally arrived Keystone Resort on Saturday and I made it in time to give the opening speech at the Travel Channel. TCA welcomed 23 new travel journalists this go-around and it was really exciting to meet the new group.
One of my responsibilities while up in Keystone was to help with a shoot for the resort. One of our top preditors, Ryan VanDuzer was shooting and I was there to pre-pro and get a feel for the place. So, you know what that meant... yup, this chick did the rental thing, grabbed a lift ticket and headed out to the mountain for some ski school!
I think the last time I was on skis was when I was 13 and I went to Browdie Mountain with my dearest friend from childhood, Cathleen. She had been skiing since she was a toddler, so skiing with her was fun and in only a few hours of skiddish falls... I was able to handle some green runs. Well, that was 21 years ago and I was not taking any chances. Good thing for me that Keystone has a great ski school... so, we rented some skis and headed to River Run Village to meet up with our instructor.
Ski school was great. They taught us how to move our feet and bend our legs right on the pavement. Then, we hauled our equipment, jumped on the gondola and headed up to the top of the mountain to practice on their bunny slope. The great thing about Keystone's practice hill is that it has what they call a magic carpet. It is literally a people mover... like the one in the airports... that is covered like a tube that you simply walk onto with your skis and you are towed right back up to the top. No tow ropes! Now, don't get me wrong... I still stumbled onto it and I think I spilled off of the carpet a few times before I finally mastered it.
In just a few hours, my husband and I were comfortable and feeling ready for a more significant run... or a beer. So, we decided on the beer and called it a day on the slopes. We went back down the mountain and enjoyed a snack at Spoon, a cute little cafe only steps from the gondola at the base of the mountain. The one thing that I love about ski resorts is the comfort level. Everyone is in their ski gear, hair is messed, lips are chapped and a little "fresh" smelling after a day on the slopes. Nobody cares... and everyone is there just enjoying how relaxed the environment is. The whole place is family friendly and it may just be Keystone... but, I mean the whole place... from the resorts to the restaurants to the bus service. It was refreshing.
The next morning I did a brief speech with the students before they started their morning lecture. Then,Peter and I headed back out to the mountain. Our first stop took two gondolas up to over 11,000 feet to the premiere restaurant at the resort, Alpenglow Stube. We decided to go for a nice brunch so that we could work on skiing off the calories for the rest of the day. When we walked into the restaurant, they asked us for our coats and gear and our boots. They then handed us a cozy pair of slippers to wear into the dining room. I immediately fell in love! The food was amazing and probably the best brunch I have ever had... and that includes the brunch with my Ritz! Peter had an eggs benedict which was a duck egg with melted aged cheddar over grilled ostrich with a holandaise and a balsamic reduction. TO DIE FOR! I had a spinach and crab omelet that was also yummy. The highlight of my meal was the giant crab claws on the seafood bar and the endless choices of desserts. I would need three days of skiing to knock off the calories that I consumed in a period of 90 minutes!
I always thought that ski trips were about long cold days on the mountain, beer and burgers for dinner, hot cocoas and board games. I was sure surprised with the level of service, the quality of the food and the value that we got at Keystone. It is definitely up on my "must do that again" list and I highly recommend the experience... especially for families.
Luckily, our trip back to Denver was quiet and it allowed us to stop in on one of the restaurants featured on Man V. Food. Get ready for the next blog where I take on a burger from Duffy's Cherry Cricket... and this time, girl won.
Travel On.
Lori
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