FAMILY FUN IN THE ROCKIESOn Skis or Horseback, Kids Rule in Coloradoby Felicity LongFamilies thinking of heading West this coming season will find there’s plenty of fun in them thar hills for the younger set. From dude ranches to ski resorts, Colorado properties are increasingly targeting children, offering amenities, children’s programs and fun extras that make for memorable vacations. Following are a few favorites, to suit a range of interests and ages:
Newcomers to Club Med will find that the youth counselors, called GOs or Gracious Organizers, have backgrounds in childcare and/or sports and come from all over the world, lending a cosmopolitan and friendly air to the children’s programs.
Wine and beer are available at meals, which feature everything from burgers and steaks to asparagus, shrimp and sinful desserts. Children can dine with their parents or eat with their new-found friends under the supervision of their counselors, and parents should not be surprised if they have trouble wooing their small fry away from the group. Club Med also is known for its evening entertainment, which features the GOs singing and dancing in musical revues and which is available at no extra charge. Of course, no ski resort is complete without great terrain, and Crested Butte has powdery runs to suit everyone from the novice to expert. {place pic about here} In fact, the resort often hosts extreme skiing championships, drawing big-name athletes from around the country.
Families who do want to explore off-slope activities can visit the picturesque mining town of Crested Butte, with its shops and restaurants, located 10 minutes away by shuttle. A number of specials are available this season, including a Ski for a Week for Under a Grand program which offers a price of $994 per week through Dec. 6; $1,393 after Jan. 6 through the end of the season in April. Children’s' weekly rates through Dec. 23 are $378 for 4- to 11-year –olds; $91 for kids aged 2 to 3. From Jan. 6 on, weekly rates for kids are $798 and $273, respectively. Another favorite winter destination for families is Vail Mountain, which reclaimed the coveted No. 1 spot in Ski Magazine’s annual reader’s poll this year. It is worth noting that one of the areas in which the mountain increased its rating in the polls this year – from No. 4 to No. 3 -- was in the area of family activities. Especially interesting for families is Adventure Ridge at the top of Vail Mountain, which offers kid-friendly snow sports, and a children’s restaurant called Chaos Canyon.
KidVentures activities include supervised sledding, snowshoeing and Western entertainment, as well as the use of guides, shuttle service, lunch, professional equipment and instruction. What are Mom and Dad going to do with all this alone time? How about dining at the posh Ludwig’s Restaurant or visiting the 5,000-square-foot spa where they can luxuriate after a hard day on the slopes? The spa features a heated indoor/outdoor swimming pool, indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, Turkish-style steam rooms, Finnish saunas and cold plunges. To give a family touch to the turn-down service, guests receive freshly baked cookies and bedtime stories on their pillows at night. Prices range from $340 to $1,570, depending on season and accommodations, and include daily breakfast, use of the spa and exercise facilities, KidVentures program and valet parking.
For outdoor fun, children are divided by age into groups – 3 to 5, 6 to 12 and teens -- for such supervised activities as horseback riding, cross-country skiing, ice skating, sledding, broomball hockey and snow tubing behind a snowmobile.
To give guests a real taste of ranch life, there are no televisions, phones or radios in the guest rooms, but services are available in the Main Lodge. Families who want to include downhill skiing in their vacation experience can visit Winter Park and Silver Creek, about 30 and 15 minutes from the ranch, respectively, and accessible via complimentary shuttle.
On New Year’s, the ranch offers Western swing dancing, not one but two New Year's Eve celebrations (marking midnight at both Eastern and Mountain time) and a torchlight skating party. Holiday rates from Dec. 19 through Jan. 3 cost $1,700 per person, double, per week with a five-night minimum stay; $140 to $235 per person per night from Jan. 13 through March 16 with a two-night minimum. There is a 20% discount for children 17 and younger during the holiday season; 40% off the rest of the winter season. Prices include three meals a day, ranch activities and participation in the children’s program. For Information:Club Med Sonnenalp C Lazy U Ranch |
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Club Med is creating a family village in Crested Butte, one of the West’s last great cowboy towns. Set to debut this winter in time for the 2000-2001 winter ski season, the village will offer Club Med’s patented Mini Club Med program offering ski and snowboard instruction and age-appropriate activities for children aged 4 to 12.
Unlike most ski resorts, all ski and snowboard instruction, kids’ programs and lift tickets are included at no additional charge. Also included in the overall fee are three meals a day, and guests will find high-quality fare -- this is a French company, after all -- at the daily buffets.
Be aware, however, that we’re talking high altitudes here, so visitors would do well to take it easy the first day and stay hydrated until they acclimate.
While a range of accommodations is available at the mountain for families, Sonnenalp Resort of Vail is making a special effort to target that market. The 88-suite resort is located in the heart of Vail Village and offers such cozy touches as a gas-log fireplace, puffy down comforters, Bavarian furniture, TV with VCR and Nintendo game terminals and bathrooms with heated marble floors. 
Since part of the hassle of winter sports vacations with children is dealing with the equipment, harried parents will probably appreciate the guest services area, where they can rent sports gear, backpacks and cell phones on-site. All children under the age of 12 stay free in their parents' room and those 5 and older are eligible to participate in the property’s own KidVentures program. 
Love winter outings but not ready for downhill skiing? How about a visit to the C Lazy U Guest Ranch in Granby, which offers a mix of Western authenticity and AAA Five Diamond and Mobil Four-Star ratings. Located about 90 miles northwest of Denver, the C Lazy U Ranch has been entertaining guests since 1946 in a 5,000-acre Rocky Mountain setting. The ranch can accommodate about 100 people spread out in cabins and in the Main Lodge, where guests gather for drinks, activities and entertainment. The dining program is set up to allow children to breakfast with their family and eat lunch and dinner with kids their own age under supervision. Even picky eaters probably will find dishes they will like on the extensive children’s menu. 
If that’s not enough, how about sleigh rides with the ranch’s Belgian draft horse team? There is a children’s activity center in the Patio House, which has a heated, spring-fed swimming pool, enclosed whirlpool, sauna, fitness center and game room with table tennis and pool. 
The ranch sparkles in holiday season with lights not only on the log cabins but in the spruce and aspen trees nearby. Special holiday activities include trimming the Main Lodge Christmas tree, greeting Santa as he arrives on a horse-drawn sleigh, Christmas caroling, hanging stockings for the children on the Lodge fireplace and enjoying the staff talent show, called the Kris Kringle Mingle. Children can even decorate a tree in their guestroom with ornaments provided by the ranch.