Denver’s Best Place to Skate Outdoors This Winter

February 4, 2011 By

A couple of weekends ago, my family had one of our favorite winter adventures in Colorado: We skated Evergreen Lake.

Located just 20 minutes from Denver off I-70, this lake is surrounded by blue spruce, pines, evergreens and is about as close to an authentic Canadian skating experience as you can get in the Denver-area.

Side note: I was raised gliding along frozen lakes and rivers and learned very quickly that pretty much anywhere is skatable and that frozen nose hairs are a fashion statement.

A large portion of the 40-acre Evergreen Lake is Zambonied (a true Canadian verb) into a skating area with several smaller enclaves for hockey. The Evergreen Lakehouse is a stellar place to warm up to some hot chocolate or an affordable selection of food from the snack bar.

Six-year-old Haddie took skating lessons last year but it was 4-year-old Bode’s first time on skates. Several parents had constructed makeshift structures to help their beginners but I did it the old-fashioned way: I strained my back as I leaned over teaching him how to glide. And I let him fall. A lot.

By the end, he was starting to get it and I was ecstatic I am installing one of my childhood passions into my American-Canadian half-breeds.

And enjoying a dose of the best Colorado has to offer along the way.

Tip: Be sure to call Evergreen Lake’s hotline (720) 880-1391 the morning of your visit for ice conditions. If you are planning a weekend visit, the earlier you go the better. The lake gets busier as the day goes on. Plus, if it’s warm the ice will get soft and slushy.

Prices: Tot (3 years and under): free; Youth (4 – 18) : $4.75; Adult (19 – 59): $5.00. Skate rental is $6.

Eats: Run (don’t walk) to Country Road Cafe. Located in Kittredge (just 2 miles from Evergreen), this unassuming log cabin is home to the best breakfast in Colorado (and often has a long wait on the weekends to prove it). With over 100 items on their menu, you can’t go wrong with their nine different kinds of Eggs Benedict or their famous smashed mashes. My husband has never deviated from their gargantuan breakfast burrito and my kids adore the fluffy over-sized stuffed pancakes. This time, I was tempted by their daily specials: an omelet with steak, mushroom, blue cheese, truffle Hollandaise and crispy onions. But the French toast stuffed with lemon-poppy cheesecake topped with almonds was pretty tempting, too.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Humor, outdoors, travel

Denver’s Best Places to Skate Outdoors This Winter

January 17, 2011 By

Denver’s Best Places to Skate Outdoors This Winter

On Saturday, my family had one of our favorite winter adventures in Colorado: We skated Evergreen Lake.

Located just 20 minutes from Denver off I-70, this lake is surrounded by blue spruce, pines, evergreens and is about as close to an authentic Canadian skating experience as you can get in the Denver-area.

Side note: I was raised gliding along frozen lakes and rivers and learned very quickly that pretty much anywhere is skatable and that frozen nose hairs are a fashion statement.

A large portion of the 40-acre Evergreen Lake is Zambonied (a true Canadian verb) into a skating area with several smaller enclaves for hockey. The Evergreen Lakehouse is a stellar place to warm up to some hot chocolate or an affordable selection of food from the snack bar.

Six-year-old Haddie took skating lessons last year but it was 4-year-old Bode’s first time on skates. Several parents had constructed makeshift structures to help their beginners but I did it the old-fashioned way: I strained my back as I leaned over teaching him how to glide. And I let him fall. A lot.

By the end, he was starting to get it and I was ecstatic I am installing one of my childhood passions into my American-Canadian half-breeds.

And enjoying a dose of the best Colorado has to offer along the way.

Tip: Be sure to call Evergreen Lake’s hotline (720) 880-1391 the morning of your visit for ice conditions. If you are planning a weekend visit, the earlier you go the better. The lake gets busier as the day goes on. Plus, if it’s warm the ice will get soft and slushy.

Prices: Tot (3 years and under): free; Youth (4 – 18) : $4.75; Adult (19 – 59): $5.00. Skate rental is $6.

Eats: Run (don’t walk) to Country Road Cafe. Located in Kittredge (just 2 miles from Evergreen), this unassuming log cabin is home to the best breakfast in Colorado (and often has a long wait on the weekends to prove it). With over 100 items on their menu, you can’t go wrong with their nine different kinds of Eggs Benedict or their famous smashed mashes. My husband has never deviated from their gargantuan breakfast burrito and my kids adore the fluffy over-sized stuffed pancakes. This time, I was tempted by their daily specials: an omelet with steak, mushroom, blue cheese, truffle Hollandaise and crispy onions. But the French toast stuffed with lemon-poppy cheesecake topped with almonds was pretty tempting, too.

============

Other Denver-area Outdoor Rinks

Belmar Ice Rink. Cost: $6 adult, $4 child, $3 skate rental. Open daily through Feb. 27; hours vary. The Plaza at Belmar, Lakewood.

The Ice Rink at One Boulder Plaza. Cost: $6 adult, $4 children and seniors, 3 and under free, $3 skate rental. Open daily through mid-Feb. One Boulder Plaza, 1801 13th St., Downtown Boulder.

Longmont Ice Pavilion. Cost: $6.50 adult, $6 youth and seniors, $5.50 ages 2-5, $3 skate rental. Open daily through March 13. Roosevelt Park, 725 8th Ave., Longmont.

Southwest Rink at Skyline Park. Skating is FREE at this new downtown rink (thanks to a sponsorship by Southwest Airlines) with a $2 skate rental. Open daily through Jan. 31. Skyline Park, Arapahoe St. and 16th St., Denver.

The Streets at SouthGlenn Ice Rink. Cost: $7 per hour per person, $3 skate rental. Open through Feb. 1. The Streets at SouthGlenn, 6851 S. Gaylord St., Centennial.

WinterSkate in Historic Downtown Louisville. Cost: $5 adult, $4 ages 4-12, $3 seniors, 3 and under FREE, $3 skate rental. Open daily through Feb. 14. The Steinbaugh Pavilion, 824 Front St., Louisville.

WinterSkate in The Village at FlatIron Crossing. Cost: $5 adult, $4 ages 4-12, $3 seniors, 3 and under FREE, $3 skate rental. Open daily through Feb. 27. The Village at FlatIron Crossing, 1 W. FlatIron Crossing Dr., Broomfield.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, outdoors Tagged With:

The art of juggling

December 15, 2010 By

“How do you do it all?”

I get asked this question a lot. Simple fact of the matter is I don’t. No one can. While I may have many, many balls in the air, it’s inevitable one…or two…or all of them will eventually drop.

That about describes last week. I have a lot of travels in December, several writing deadlines, all the regular frenzies associated with the holidays and my commitment do quality daily activities with my kids.

And so I tried to cram them all in at the same time.

It started with my Christmas baking for neighbors and visiting teachees.


This year’s menu included chocolate caramel squares, almond rocha, whipped shortbread, swirled snowball cookies and eggnog snickerdoodles.

I think I gained 10 pounds just looking at this list.

Then, I cranked out some pretty major articles back-to-back and returned the favor of my friend Monica by watching her kids. In the midst of this frenzy, I learned the Young Women at church were in charge of our ward’s Christmas party decorations and we had zero budget. So, I volunteered to take the kids up to the mountains to pick pine cones.
You know, in my spare time.

Jamie staged an intervention around The Pine Cone Incident, “You are taking on too much. You need to stop opening your mouth because you can’t do it all.”

He was right. That very week, there was some ball dropage when I forgot I was supposed to volunteer in Haddie’s class. I was home with sick Bode that day so couldn’t have gone anyway but the simple fact is I hadn’t written it on the calendar. And I hadn’t called to cancel until I realized my error the day after.

I emailed Haddie’s teacher and apologized profusely. I never heard back.

Evidently, she’s a more accomplished juggler than I.

I think I just figured out my 2011 New Year’s resolution.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, outdoors

The Happiest of Thanksgivings, Denver Style

November 26, 2010 By

Any attempts to avoid the Thanksgiving frenzy were put to rest when Hadley requested we make pies (we opted for pumpkin and Dulce de Leche apple).

But when I appeased Hadley with her pies, I had to also cater to Bode and Jamie with our signature bacon-wrapped turkey.

Then I remembered Jamie’s favorite menu item: homemade rolls. Before I knew it, I was entrenched in a full-blown Thanksgiving meal that became a labor of love for these three blessed people.


I could not have been happier to do it.

But I did it my way by holding our feast on Wednesday night for the sole purpose of NOT having to spend the entire holiday in the kitchen. And you know what? It was my favorite Thanksgiving ever.

It started by Hadley making me breakfast in bed. We then snuggled up as a family in our king-sized bed to watch Chronicles of Narnia (a favorite after Bode’s inspired observations a couple of years ago).

We then devoured our Thanksgiving leftovers and hit the trail. The Turkey Trot trail, that is. It has been a tradition to drag our butterball butts on this hike for almost five years. I got a kick out of the accounts from my archives that started in 2005. Then came:

2006

2007


The kids in 2010.

My, what a difference a few years makes.

This was the first year both of the children did the steep hike on their own and I could not have been more proud. Though the sun was shining, the temperatures were below freezing but no one whined even once about the cold. Well, except for me.

In my defense, I was the only one without a jacket.



And then my new favorite family shot ever.


Well, minus the fact you can’t see Bode who was hidden in the shadows.

On the drive back, we blasted the heat and Christmas tunes. We devoured pies and hot chocolate at our house and upon the kids’ insistence, we setup our Christmas tree.

Every stage of my kids’ lives has been a blessing but I enjoy them more and more as they grow older. They are surpassing expectations, developing passions and giving me a glimpse of who they are becoming. As a mom, there is no greater joy.

Hadley is a delightful and hilarious kid but her spirited and stubborn disposition frustrates us to no end. On Thanksgiving, she simply shone. That morning as we snuggled in bed, we stretched our imaginations as we mulled over Imagine a Place, one of the most beautifully illustrated and lyrical children’s books I’ve ever seen.

Imagine a place…
…where castle and cloud
shift from square to square
and the world lies
in the winner’s hand.

That evening as Hadley and I decorated the tree, she acted so grownup as we talked about my childhood memories of Christmas in Canada. It was one of the first times I felt like I’ve truly had a discussion that connected with her on a deeper level. It made me so happy we are reaching a new stage where confidences can be shared.

She was as shocked as me.

“Gee, Mommy. I’m having a really good attitude today, aren’t I?”

It was quite the day for Thanksgiving miracles.

I hope you had a blessed one!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family, Hadley, hiking, holidays, Humor, Jamie, outdoors

Knee Trauma and the Village Idiot

October 21, 2010 By

I’m stopping to come up for air after another one of *those* weeks. Nothing extraordinarily bad but definitely extraordinarily busy. It started with a rock-climbing adventure to Alderfer/Three Sisters, one of my favorite hiking areas in Evergreen.



The next few days were a compendium of business and church meetings, babysitting, deadlines and stress. I hit the wall a couple of nights ago when, out of nowhere, I had an excruciating episode with my knee, rendering me unable to walk.

I spent the next day on the phone with our insurance company tracking down an orthopedic surgeon. I’ve held off as long as possible due to our daunting $2,500 co-pay for anything beyond an office visit. This is what you get for being self-employed and have a husband with a horrid health history. This is on top of our sky-high monthly health insurance premium.

You’d better believe I’ve been watching the health insurance debates VERY carefully because we’re one of the victims of a failed system.

And you’d also better believe that socialized medicine is sounding pretty darn good to me right now.

I was feeling down and out that day. To top if off, I was teaching 17 Beehives (12- and 13-year-old girls) how to make apple dumplings at my house that evening. As I fretted about what to do with them while the dumplings cooked, a sign from God appeared.

OK, it was actually a package from Nintendo in the form of their newest release: Wii Party and (brace yourselves for this): my very own disco ball.

Suddenly, my life had meaning again.

And so we baked….

Watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and we partied it up with Wii Party with our disco ball reflecting groovin’ colors.

The next day, the kids and I played Wii Party with Bode’s buddy, Larry. The little dude has never touched a Wii and Hadley treated him like the village idiot.

Being Wii-ignorant is the new leprosy.

Until said “Village Idiot” beat her.

It’s been a brutal week for everyone.

Disclaimer: My brother Jade’s portrayal as “Duct Tape Man” is the closest I could come to a picture of a village idiot.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Hadley, hiking, Humor, outdoors

A veritable cut of promontory paradise

July 22, 2010 By

Haddie and I are en route to Puerto Rico for a press trip at the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino so my next post will be from our oceanfront Shangri-la.

But first things first: an update about my cut of heaven in the mountains.

If there is a must-visit destination in Colorado, it is Crested Butte in July. I finally wrote about our paradisaical vacation that included the Crested Butte Music Festival, nature camp at one of the most renowned high-altitude field stations in the United States, a gravity-defying Adventure Park and my own backcountry explorations wherein I did not get lost.

You can get up off the floor now.

And fear not because I got lost on a different adventure. I have wanted to hike Snodgrass Mountain since I drove by the trailhead last summer and finally got my chance. One morning, I hit the trail at dawn and was delighted to find myself completely alone.

This would later prove to be a wee bit problematic because I kinda needed to ask directions.

The 5-mile hike started out on an old service road that climbed to a plateau. At one point, I stopped to catch my breath but it never happened. The reason? The breathtaking scene that unfolded was taken from the exact place as a professional photograph that was sent to me last summer by Crested Butte’s publicist.



Here is the picture I took.



My attempt does not even come close to capturing the mountain’s majesty. It is not difficult to figure out why Crested Butte was christened the official Wildflower Capital of Colorado and holds an annual Wildflower Festival.

I felt like I was in a dream as I ascended until I encountered a fork in the trail. I could continue on the service road or follow the Snodgrass Trail singletrack through an aspen grove and Monet canvas of wildflowers.

I chose the latter.

Several minutes later, I ran into another intersection. One trail dipped down and indicated it led to Washington Gulch. Another was unmarked and headed straight up the mountain. I was at a crossroads. Should I follow the marked trail to an unknown destination or follow the unmarked path?



In a decidedly Robert Browning moment, I chose the road less traveled. But here’s the thing the dude never says in his poem:

He never made it to the summit.

But on that day, with the fuchsia pinks, sunny yellows and majestic purples of the lupines, Aspen sunflowers and mule’s ears, not caring made all the difference.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, Humor, outdoors Tagged With:

Spring Snow Day in Colorado!

March 24, 2010 By

Gotta admit it: Even though Denver’s dump of snow put a crimp in my road-biking plans, we’ve been loving it Chez Canuck. When school was canceled, we invited over some of our neighborhood besties and made cinnamon rolls.


Had a rousing tournament of Super Mario Bros.


Evidently, personal space is not an issue when crowding around the Wii.

And then we played to our heart’s content outside. We built a killer snow fort and obstacle course.


I had my 1,204th attempt at making a snowman. Little known fact about me: even thought I grew up in the Great, White North, I absolutely suck at making giant balls of snow. I often blame it on Denver’s non-pliable powder but when I saw a neighbor’s perfectly rubenesque snowman, my competitive fuel was fired.

And yes, I realize I am pretty pathetic if a mere snowman ignites my competitive drive.

In my defense, my husband’s obsession started with just wanting to grow the biggest pumpkin in the neighborhood.

I started out strong as the snow cooperated. After that, I really have no excuse because in the end, my snowman resembled a cross between the Leaning Tower of Pisa and E.T.

In a desperate, last-ditch attempt to save face I decided props were the answer. Any guesses on who is my celebrity snowman?


Hint #1: He recently got accosted with a golf club.

Hint #2: I christened him with an extra-long Pinocchio nose made out of “wood.”

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Hadley, Humor, outdoors

Biking Denver and Why I’ll Stick with Grandpa

March 18, 2010 By

We have a new member of our family: a Specialized Dolce road bike.

The cost of Said New Member of the Family was equivalent to the hospital bill after giving birth. The main difference? This baby doesn’t cry and was able to ride from birth. To say I am thrilled is an understatement. I have wanted a road bike for two years but minor things like unemployment and starting a new business made this an impossibility.

When I won the Microsoft Office Winter Games Contest, I received the cash equivalent of a trip to Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show. Hence the new road bike and dental appointments for the entire family.

Mama’s gotta be practical as well.

I first fell in love with cycling in high school when an ankle injury forced me to forsake my dreams of playing college soccer. I spent hundreds of hours biking on Calgary’s extensive network of bike paths, which my dear dad introduced to me when I was 13 years old.

I bought a mountain bike 10 years ago, thinking it would ignite a flame by combining two of my great loves: cycling and mountains.

It never really did.

Sure, I enjoy mountain biking but doing so is an impossibility with two small children. It’s heavy, clunky and slower than a stream-lined road bike. Add a bike trailer that hauls 80 lbs of kids and you get your butt kicked by Grandpa on the bike paths.

I only wish I was kidding about this.

What finally moved me to action: a small chunk of cash to play with and a persisting knee problem that has temporarily forced me to abandon running and high-impact sports.

Basically, this just means that I am old and my body is starting to fall apart.

I bought my bike from Wheat Ridge Cyclery, a local leader in bikes, clinics and services. I was so excited about connecting with such a great business that I even signed up for their Women’s Only Bike Maintenance Clinic.

Me. The woman who can barely figure out how to pump my tires.

I opted to ride my bike home from the shop and followed the Clear Creek Trail for the duration of my ride. It was there I vowed to kick some serious trail rat butt with my ultra-fast bike.

And then I spotted my first victim. It was all too perfect. Not only was he male but he was also on a mountain bike.

You know. The slow kind.

I kicked my bike into high gear and started pedaling, my prey within reach.

Until he saw a girl trying to pass him and kicked it into even faster gear.

We dualed it out until in the end, I waved the white flag and he left me in his dust.

In my defense, he was probably an Olympic mountain biker or something.

Next time, I’ll just go after Grandpa to save my ego.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: biking, Colorado, Humor, outdoors

Snow Hiking With Kids in a Stroller: Putting the “Crazy” in Canuck

January 19, 2010 By

I’ve done a few crazy things since I moved to Colorado seven years ago.

Like that time I stayed out past midnight. Or that instance when I when I did a marathon bike ride with kids in tow, a mere month after the insanity of summiting Colorado’s highest peak.

Monday was no different. Temperatures in Denver have been downright balmy lately (40-50 degrees). I celebrated by doing some lower elevation hikes along the front range last week while the kids were in school. For the most part, the trails were clear and devoid of snow so I announced on Monday we were going to hike Chautauqua in Boulder.

I have had a love affair with Chautauqua’s Enchanted Mesa trail for a number of years and declared the area as Colorado’s best-kept secret in my family’s Tour de Colorado last summer.

But I had never experienced it quite like this.

The first thing I noticed when I unloaded the kids was the snow. An abundance of it. Undaunted, I brought out our indomitable Chariot, a four-wheel-ride stroller that defies tornadoes, hurricanes and now, snow. The trail is wide enough that after the children grow tired from hiking, I push them in the Chariot the rest of the way. On this particular day, they took one look at the conditions and opted to just ride it out.

Woosies.

I didn’t think we’d get far. The snow wasn’t deep but it was slippery and where there was not snow, there was mud. If I had any foresight, I would have brought my Yaktraks to wear over my running shoes for traction. Conditions were chilly and I predicted my Aforementioned Woosies would surely want to turn around at some point.

Oh, how wrong I was.

The terrain is gradual in the beginning and I only thought I would face-plant a couple of times. But as the trail grew steeper, so did my resolve to turn around.

“What do you guys think? Should we turn back?”
“No way, Mommy! We have to keep hiking so we can make it to our play rock at the top.”

Note No. 1: “We” actually meant “Mommy.”

And so I continued to slosh up the trail. Every time I’d rest or even hint about turning back, my Personal Trainers from Hades would voice their discontent as they proceeded to have the time of their lives. This is Bode cheering me on.


Either that, or my little dictator was doing a Heil Hitler salute.

I had been trudging up that mountain for over a half an hour when I kicked 45-pound Hadley out, thinking that less weight would make my final ascent a lot easier.

Until I noticed we were literally 20 feet from our summit.

The kids raced over to play on a nondescript boulder that is our official turnaround point. I marked the occasion by taking this self-portrait.

Note No. 2: Please ignore the residual chocolate on my front tooth that was leftover from the cookie I snarfed en route.

Note No. 3: Judge me not until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes hiked uphill in the snow pushing an 80-pound stroller.

Both ways, of course.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, Humor, outdoors

Loveland Ski Area for Families–Win a Family 4-pack of Tickets!

January 4, 2010 By

The stakes were high for my 3-year-old son Bode’s first time on skis at Loveland Ski Area. The child was, after all, named after World Cup skiing sensation Bode Miller.

Better to live up to that than my namesake Forever Amber, a novel about a 17th-century prostitute.

I had never skied Loveland before and immediately fell in love because of its terrain (93 trails on 1,570 acres), affordability (discount tickets are $52) and proximity (just 53 miles from downtown Denver, directly off I-70).

This is the first year both of my children are old enough to ski so I enrolled them in the Loveland Ski and Ride School in Loveland Valley. A full-day lesson, lift ticket and lunch are $91, a veritable steal compared to other resorts. Enroll your child (or beginner adult) in three classes and they will receive a free season pass to work on their turns all season long.

Children may not start group lessons until they are 4 so we put Bode in a private lesson. He was tired and his check-in process did not go smoothly when he tried to walk around in his awkward ski boots.

I started wondering if we’d need to go with Plan B and put him in the on-site childcare center. While certainly not a bad option, we really wanted to get him on the slopes.

My husband Jamie and I left him there (as all good parents do), promising to check on him after his lesson started. The lift connecting Loveland Valley to the resort was not operating so we hopped on the free shuttle to Loveland Basin where we grabbed some demo skis and hit the slopes for the first time this season.

It was glorious…and a very cold -10 degrees Fahrenheit. We huddled up on the chairlift as we marveled at the sweeping views of the Continental Divide. It was early-season so only about 20% of the terrain was open. We didn’t care and found enough powder stashes off Lifts 1, 2 and 3 to keep us happy. The highest chairlift (Lift 9) soars to 12,900 feet so conditions are sometimes cold and windy but always epic.

After a couple of hours, Jamie and I fearfully rode the shuttle back to Loveland Valley. We weren’t sure what we would find. Bode crumbled up on the snow in tears? Screaming bloody murder? Or maybe he wouldn’t even make it to the slopes.

We were shocked and delighted to find our little Olympic hopeful grinning from ear-to-ear with his private (and utterly delightful) instructor Terry. His earlier discontent was forgotten. He rode the magic carpet like a pro and under Terry’s careful supervision, he skied down the bunny slope by himself.

As he zoomed past us at the record-breaking speed of 0.05-mile per hour, he squealed, “I wike it!” He then pointed to the chairlift and steeper slope behind him. “I want to go dere,” he told his instructor. He spent the rest of the day on the more advanced terrain.

Hadley and Bode claimed lunch was “delicious” with corn dogs, tater tots, apples and cookies, followed by a surprise visit from skiing Santa.


Who was evidently slacking off from his duties that Christmas Eve.

Loveland’s Family-style Eats

If I were to have a tagline for Loveland, it would be “We’re not fancy…we’re about family,” which is exactly how Jamie and I felt while eating lunch at their only lodge. The cafeteria was like a huge reunion as people reconnected while eating hearty sandwiches, Mexican food, savory pastas, homemade soups, made-to-order pizzas and more.

We ate at the Wedge Bar, appropriately named because it was wedged in the middle of the busy room. I ordered chili and a salad while Jamie opted for the Kobe Beef Sliders.

The next hour was spent in conversation with uproarious ski school instructors Mark and Michael, who were enjoying a day off. They divulged their favorite areas to ski (off Lifts 8 and 9 and Over the Rainbow) and the best thing about Loveland (everyone is very tight-knit and not pretentious).

When we picked the children up at the end of the day, they were jubilant and exhausted. As the youngest child in ski school, Bode had been adopted by some over-protective tweens. One of them told me, “If I had a little brother, I’d want him to be just like Bode!”

An appropriate sentiment at a resort where you feel like family.

==================================

Ski and stay: While Loveland Ski Area is not known as a destination resort, it does offer lodging packages. Prices start at $115 per night for one night’s lodging and two lift tickets.

Win: Mile High Mamas is thrilled to offer up a four-pack of tickets to Loveland Ski Area for the family to enjoy! Please go here to enter. Contest deadline is January 15, 2010.

Note: This article is part of a winter-long series on Colorado’s resorts. Mom bloggers will be dispatched to various resorts and will share their family’s experiences and recommendations. Most activities and lodging will be provided by the resorts or Colorado Ski Country USA. Tune in often for information on great deals and ski ticket giveaways!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Humor, outdoors, travel
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