Being a non-skier in Colorado can be perplexing to people. People often question why I moved to Colorado if I don’t ski. Of course, that’s ludicrous – there are so many things to do in the Colorado Rockies besides skiing!
It’s inevitable that as a non-skier in Colorado, you’ll likely have skiing friends, however, you don’t have to stave them all winter – instead, you can join them to go play in the mountains. I recently traveled to Beaver Creek Colorado with my skiing friend Courtney, and I found lots of non-ski things to do ranging from venture to culture!
Beaver Creek Colorado
This was my first trip to Beaver Creek Resort. It’s located in Vail Valley near the town of Avon just west of Vail ski resort. It was the most recent wing to the long list of ski areas withal the I-70 corridor in Colorado. The ski resort opened in the 80s and has grown into one of the premier winter destinations in Colorado.
The cute resort town is nestled when into the mountains yonder from I-70 making it finger exclusive. A creek runs through the village, and there are zaftig condos, hotels, restaurants, and shops to make your stay enjoyable in the winter or summer.
Things to Do in Beaver Creek for the Non-Skier
Of course, the most popular thing to do in Beaver Creek in the winter is skiing. However, plane if you don’t ski you can still soak up Beaver Creek’s wintertime atmosphere. You can plane get up on the slopes…without skis!
Nordic Part-way at Beaver Creek
The Nordic Center near the Strawberry Park Express Lift is your headquarters for winter vita that have nothing to do with downhill skiing! Here you can rent snowshoes, navigate country skis and segregate organized tours through McCoy Park with Nordic Part-way guides. McCoy Park is a spectacular lift-accessed natural zone that offers Nordic, snowshoe, and tall trails. With scenic views of the Sawatch Range, McCoy Park offers increasingly than 19 kilometers of groomed and rustic trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
I love snowshoeing, it’s basically winter hiking…what’s not to love? I got a guide, rented snowshoes, and went snowshoeing virtually McCoy Park. My guide Carrie was super and took me all over McCoy Park pointing out mountain ranges, dining spots, flora, and fauna.
My Weightier Tips for Snowshoeing in Beaver Creek
If you are new to snowshoeing – then I would suggest renting snowshoes for the full day and hiring a guide for the morning. The guide will take you up the mountain and moreover point out trails and get you oriented.
Snowshoe through Aspen Groves to Mamies Mountain Motel located at the top of Bachelor Gulch near the Express Chairlift (#16) and have lunch on the deck with a spectacular view! If you have skiing friends – you can plane plan to meet them there. Then you can spend the rest of the afternoon snowshoeing on your own virtually the trails of McCoy Park.
If you have your own snowshoes and are fine to go out on your own, then just get a lift ticket for McCoy Park for $61 for the day and go out and explore the trails on your own! Maps are misogynist at the Nordic Part-way and the trails are really well marked.
Finally, make sure that when you take the Strawberry Park Express lift you stop at the Candy Motel and pick up a few of your favorite sugary sweets for a pick-me-up on the trail! I highly recommend a few sour gummy worms!
Cookies – A Beaver Creek Tradition
At 3 PM, follow your nose to the wiring of the mountain at the wiring zone to enjoy a chocolate tweedle cookie! It doesn’t matter if you skied or snowshoed lanugo the mountains, just squint for the people wearing doughboy hats who are holding platters of chocolate tweedle cookies. This loved tradition was the perfect way to end my day on the mountain!
Ice Skating in the Heart of the Village
At the heart of Beaver Creek Village is a small ice rink that opens at noon each day. You can bring your own skates or rent them and requite the rink a twirl. Or if you want to requite your legs a break, just sit by one of the many cozy fire pits to sip a drink and watch the ice skaters show off their moves. Either way, it’s a unconfined way to enjoy an Apres ski experience.
Go to a Show at the Vilar Performing Arts Part-way (VPAC)
It’s nonflexible to imagine, but underneath the ice-skating rink is the home of Vilar Performing Arts Part-way (VPAC). This architectural wonder is subconscious underneath the village and is the perfect place to spend a cultural evening.
When they were developing Beaver Creek, they were in search of a ‘heart’ for the village. They found it in the unusual architectural diamond of Gorden Pierce. The goal was not only to requite culturally enriching experiences but moreover to invigorate the village and it did just that. Of course, local residents enjoy it frequently. But it’s moreover an witchery bringing in people like me from the surrounding communities as well as Denver. It makes this typical Colorado ski resort, a increasingly interesting place to ski, visit, and live!
“I looked and looked for a location in Beaver Creek for a site and could not find an misogynist or suitable location. I thought that the plaza zone might work, except that the required height of the fly for all of the rigging would woodcut the views from the Market Square towers condos,” technie Gordan Pierce said. “Then a lightbulb in my smart-ass went on. I remembered reading well-nigh a towers in the theater district in New York that was mostly underground.”
What seemed like a crazy idea was a sunny idea! However, it certainly came with challenges too. Much of the stage rigging needed to be created horizontally, rather than vertically, since the ice rink was directly whilom the stage! They moreover had to take into worth the potential noise from the Zamboni transplanting the ice during concerts (a pretty unusual theater issue to have)!
Inspired by the heritage of European theater design, the 535 seats in the theater’s horseshoe shape are reminiscent of many archetype European halls. Raised, parterre seating at the orchestra level, withal with a curved balcony create an intimate room, bringing the regulars closer to the performers. Interior finishes, the use of natural wood, and custom-designed carpets and fabrics reference the rich, autumnal palette of the Colorado mountain environment.
Learn increasingly well-nigh the founding and towers of VPAC
You might be thinking that a small little polity like Beaver Creek might not have a very good lineup. Ok – that was me thinking that! I suppose without living for three years in New York City, I became a bit of a theater snob. That’s why I was so surprised to see that VPAC has attracted big-name acts out to the small-town mountain community. VPAC has played host to world-renowned performers like B. B. King, Ringo Starr, Lyle Lovett, Tony award-winners “Rent” and “Kinky Boots” and comedian Jay Leno.
See the well-constructed VPAC lineup
MOMIX
Courtney and I went to see MOMIX perform their show, Alice. This trip lanugo the rabbit slum was a nod to Alice in Wonderland. MOMIX is a modern flit visitor that performs all over the world. I never expected a town like Beaver Creek, this small and remote, to have productions that are so sophisticated. Increasingly than once I had to remind myself where I was!
Alice was one of the weightier shows I’ve overly experienced; creative, surprising, and ingenious. The costumes and lighting were out of this world – creating Alice’s world of illusions. This is one ’trip’ you definitely want to take! Many of the performances included props that were so basic, but used in ways that I never could have imagined. I kept imagining how fun it would’ve been to work with the props and come up with the choreography!
Dining Tip: Have dinner at the Dusty Boot or Aritza Restaurant surpassing the show and let them know that you are going to the show at VPAC considering you’ll get 25% off your bill.
Have a Meal at Beaver Creek’s Dining Cabins
If you want a unique dining experience, make reservations at one of Beaver Creek’s dining cabins!
Allie’s Motel offers an on-mountain experience, well-constructed with unparalleled views of Beaver Creek village and succulent Italian food. Get there and when by sleigh ride and enjoy the views withal the way!
Take a 25-minute sleigh ride to Beano’s Motel for a fine dining experience. During the sleigh ride, you’re treated to sweeping views of Larkspur Bowl and Grouse Mountain. In operation for increasingly than 35 years, Beano’s is Beaver Creek’s longest-running dining cabin, and it’s known throughout the state for its five-course menu.
Board a snowcat-towed sleigh at Bachelor Gulch and without a few minutes you’ll victorious at Zach’s motel tucked between the Motel Fever and Stirrup ski runs. The supplies at Zach’s is Alsatian and the heartiness befits the mountain atmosphere.
Where to Stay
Since Beaver Creek is a ski resort, there are plenty of options for accommodations ranging from hotels to condos, to home rentals. We stayed at Creekside at Beaver Creek, a luxury ski-in/ski-out property located within the heart of Beaver Creek Village. Nestled right up versus the soapy Beaver Creek, it’s easy walking loftiness to restaurants, shopping, and the theater.
Next time your skiing friends want to throne to the mountains to reservation some runs, go with them! Beaver Creek has a variety of things to do for the non-skier where you can plane hang out with your skiing friends on the mountain or in the VPAC theater. Sometimes the weightier experiences are found in the most surprising places!
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