When the summer sun melts snow off the Rocky Mountain high ski trails, the resorts and towns fill up with music, wine, food and other festivals. Around the scheduled events, vacationers ride chairlifts to reach 360-degree mountain views, go for par, hike or mountain bike on trails that thread through pine trees, cheer bronco busters — and generally enjoy the smorgasbord of activities, including llama trekking and whitewater rafting, offered during warm-weather months.
Herewith, a selective look at what’s happening at some Rocky Mountain venues, many of which are offering special packages and activities with family appeal. When dealing with central reservations or your travel agent, ask about special event/lodging packages, vacation packages that include a variety of soft- and hard-adventure experiences, golf school packages and family pricing.
Colorado
Aspen/Snowmass: While the patina of glitz doesn’t exactly disappear in the summer, it’s more subdued. Everything in the region is easily available, from outdoor activities to many cultural events and shopping, whether you stay in Aspen or nearby at the more relaxed Snowmass Village at Aspen.
New this summer are the Aspen Outbound three- and four-week intensive multi-sport trips for teens. The trips include mountain biking and camping in the White River National Forest, river rafting in Durango and hiking in the Grand Canyon. Call 970-925-1220, ext. 4631.
For information about events and lodging packages, call the Aspen Chamber Resort Association at 800-26-ASPEN, the Snowmass Chamber Resort Association at 800-SNOWMASS (www.snowmassvillage.com) or the Aspen Skiing Company at 800-525-6200 (www.skiaspen.com).
Crested Butte: This relaxed (at times, rowdy) resort is surrounded by wildness threaded with mountain biking trails, but one of the most popular events is the Wildflower Festival (July 12-18). Some other events are the 11th Annual Chamber Music Festival (July 30-Aug. 31) and the 25th Annual Aerial Weekend (Aug. 7-8).
If you want to explore more than one resort, you can arrange to hike, mountain bike or take a horseback ride over the Maroon Bells into Aspen or Snowmass, spend a night and return the next day.
The Paradise Package starts at $231 per person, double, for three nights’ lodging, lift passes to hike or bike the mountain and horseback riding. Biking packages start at $311 per person, double, for three nights’ lodging, bike rentals and lift passes,
For information, call 800-544-8448 (www.crestedbutteresort.com).
Durango/Purgatory: The southwestern town of Durango is more popular in the summertime than winter. (It’s actually quieter to stay in Purgatory, 25 minutes away.) In addition to all of the sports available in the surrounding mountainside and streams, it’s a great location for day trips. Visitors can explore Mesa Verde National Park, designated a world historic site because of the Anasazi ruins. Another day (or by moonlight), take a ride on the Durango & Silverton Railroad in a train that chugs along tracks clinging to the mountainside through scenic backcountry.
Events include Purgatory’s Music in the Mountains (July 22-Aug. 8), Narrow Gauge Railfest (Aug. 27-30) and the Durango Cowboy Gathering (Sept. 3-Oct. 3).
For information, call 800-525-8855 (www.durango.org).
The Vail Valley: When Coloradans mention the “Vail Valley” they are talking about a region that stretches from Vail westward, past Beaver Creek to Cordillera.
This year, a lot of the programs and packages are being geared toward families and kids. For example, you can take the children on a hot air balloon ride, llama trekking or horseback riding, then put them in camps where they’ll take guided hikes, play sports or learn more about “creek critters and water waders” in the Gore Range Natural Science School.
To explore the back country for several days, book overnight space in the 10th Mountain Division huts, located between peaks as high as 11,700 feet. Addicted to golf? Reserve tee times at all nine of the 18-hole courses.
For information, call the Vail Valley Tourism and Convention Bureau at 800-525-3875 or Vail/Beaver Creek Reservations at 800-622-3131 (www.vailvalleysummer.com).
Telluride: A gondola connects the now chic old mining town with the mountain village, and everyone uses it instead of cars to move around this magnificently scenic box canyon.
Events include the 24th Annual Jazz Celebration (Aug. 5-8), the 26th Annual Airmen’s Rendezvous — when hang gliding pilots launch off 12,500-foot Gold Hill — (Aug. 25-28) and the 19th Annual Mushroom Festival (Aug. 26-29). The 26th Annual Telluride Film Festival (Sept. 3-6), where films such as “Koyla” and “The Crying Game” were introduced, receives international coverage.
Telluride locals love festivals so much that they even labeled the one “off” weekend the 7th Annual Nothing Festival, July 16-18.
Adventure-A-Day packages, which include three nights’ lodging and three days of adventure, start at $224 per person, double.
For information, call Telluride Central Reservations at 888-783-0257 (www.tvs.org).
Steamboat: Steamboat is a thriving Western town, with a ski resort right up the road, so there’s a lot to do after a day exploring the outdoors. Most days end with a soak in the Hot Mineral Spring Pool downtown — especially for families. Summer events include weekly rodeos and Rainbow Weekend (July 16-18), when hot air balloons fly over the art fair.
Three-night Family Getaway packages start at $142 per adult, double, and $5 per child 12 and under.
For information, call 800-922-2722 (www.steamboat-ski.com).
Summit County: Summit County is, literally, perched atop the Rockies. Here, you’ll find Breckenridge, Copper Mountain Resort and Keystone. The entire region is easily accessible, whether you stay in the mining-turned-resort town of Breckenridge, the made-for-skiing Keystone Village or the new East Village at Copper. It’s a region where one can go gold panning, visit an underground gold mine, hike to the Continental Divide on a “fourteener” or play on a public Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course (and several excellent resort courses too).
For information, call the Summit County Visitors Center at 970-262-2866.
Winter Park/Silver Creek: The region stretching from Winter Park Resort through the Fraser Valley to Silver Creek Resort and Grand Lake is loaded with activities. You’ll find great vacation packages for families in the relaxed town of Winter Park and at the much smaller Silver Creek Resort. This region is threaded with mountain bike trails and has several weekend races, weekly rodeos and the challenging Pole Creek golf course. There’s a big play area at the base of Winter Park, with an alpine slide, a Human Maze, mountain scooters and more.
A full summer lineup of events at Winter Park includes the annual KBCO World Class Rockfest with scheduled headliners such as Lyle Lovett and Ziggy Marley (July 10-11), the annual Jazz Festival (July 17-18) and the Family Adventure Sport Weekend (July 24-25).
To combine a trip to Denver with a visit here, ask about day-tripping on the Winter Park Ski Train, which will make the two-hour ride through the Rockies to the resort (and back in the evening) on July 31 and Aug. 1, 14 and 15.
For information, call Winter Park Central Reservations at 800-729-5813 (www.skiwinterpark.com).
Idaho
Sun Valley: Sun Valley was Ernest Hemingway’s hideaway, where he wrote his novels in the morning and explored the outdoors in the afternoons. A week-long celebration of his life and work wrapped around July 21 — Hemingway’s 100th birthday — will include historical tours of Hemingway “haunts,” a film festival, theater productions, a photo exhibit and more.
With its family-friendly package pricing, kids camps, kids fly fishing classes and skating school, Sun Valley is a good place for families. Ice shows on Saturday evenings feature Olympic stars such as Nancy Kerrigan and Scott Hamilton.
For information and lodging packages, call the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber of Commerce at 800-634-3347 (www.visitsunvalley.com or www.visitketchum.com).
Montana
Big Mountain: Riding up the chairlift or hiking on the slopes opens up a panoramic view of Glacier National Park. You can stay either in the small village at the base of the ski area or down below in Flathead Valley and enjoy water sports in Flathead Lake (the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi), touring in Glacier National Park (either hiking or driving along the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road), golf and other outdoor sports.
For customized, all-inclusive vacations, call Montana’s Finest Resorts’ Central Reservations Service at 877-862-1505.
New Mexico
Taos/Santa Fe: The slopes are in the mountains high above the town of Taos, but even in winter many visitors prefer to stay in town and enjoy the Southwestern experience as well. In summer, both Taos and Santa Fe are hotbeds of music, cultural events and Native American and Hispanic arts. Both places have many good hotels with Southwestern touches, but consider lodging at one of the upscale bed-and-breakfasts or homes tucked into authentic adobe haciendas.
Each place is jam-packed with interesting museums devoted to such topics as the Wild West and Native American and Hispanic arts and heritage. The two resorts are 1 1/2 driving hours apart, so it’s easy to explore one while staying at the other. Surrounding both are many Indian pueblos, historic sites such as Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos and Georgia O’Keeffe country.
In Taos, the 37th Summer Chamber Music Festival runs through Aug. 7. The Taos Pueblo is open to the public most of the summer. The 28th Annual Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Artist & Craftsman Show (July 7-18) at the San Juan pueblo is a major show. But it’s not even close to the size of the annual Santa Fe Indian Market (Aug. 21-22) — a certified “happening” because of the gallery openings, parties and people-watching that surround the actual market days. Festival Santa Fe 1999 is a summer-long mix of theater, opera, flamenco recitals and chamber music.
For information about Taos, call 800-732-8267. For information about Santa Fe, call 800-777-2489.
Utah
Park City/Deer Valley: You can explore all three of the ski resorts that surround Park City by riding or hiking the locals’ favorite: the Ridge Ride. Explore the shops in town (many tucked into turn-of-the-century Victorian buildings) if you are less athletic. This town, less than an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City, is surrounded by Deer Valley Resort, Park City Resort and The Canyons. All three have lifts that lead to the wilderness.
Music in the Mountains is big here, with Saturday evening concerts slopeside at Deer Valley, live entertainment Saturdays on Park City’s Main Street, free concerts in the Band Stand on Wednesdays and the annual Park City International Music Festival, July 5-Aug. 15.
Some of the big events include the alternative independent film festival SlamDance (July 8-10), the National Off Road Bicycle Association Nationals (July 22-25), the 30th Annual Park City Art Festival (Aug. 7-8) and Park City Motorcycle Week (Sept. 16-19).
For information, call the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau at 800-453-1360 (www.parkcityinfo.com). For summer packages in Deer Valley, call 800-558-DEER (www.deervalley.com).
Snowbird: Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort is nearby, in narrower Little Cottonwood Canyon. Here, you’ll find monthly Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre, the annual Snowbird Jazz & Blues Festival (July 30-31) and outdoor performances of the Utah Symphony. At Utah’s 20th annual Kismet Belly Dance Festival & Rug Fest (Aug. 28), you can watch or take workshops on Turkish-style belly dancing–even the “veil technique.”
For information, call 801-933-2110 (for events) or 800-453-3000 (for lodging packages).
Wyoming
Jackson Hole: Surrounded by Grand Teton National Park and several mountain ranges, you’ll find plenty to do in Jackson — hiking, biking and mountain climbing — and hot springs where you can soak sore muscles.
In the town of Jackson, you’ll find a mix of western bars and contemporary lodges, lots of shopping and good Western art. The Grand Teton Music Festival runs through Aug. 21 at the base of the ski slopes. Yellowstone National Park’s South gate is 55 miles away.
For information, call 800-443-6931 (www.jacksonholechamber.com).
Grand Targhee: On the less-photographed side of the Grand Tetons, this is a low-key resort with lots for active travelers and families. Two big festivals are set at this tiny resort, which is backed up against the Grand Tetons. The 9th Annual Rockin’ the Tetons (July 10) runs concurrently with a microbrew festival. The lively 12th Annual Bluegrass Fest is Aug. 13-15. Family packages are very reasonable.
For information, call 800-TARGHEE (www.grandtarghee.com).
