If you don’t want to rent a vehicle and drive into the mountains during the winter, Winter Park is the place to visit! It is the only ski resort that you can ride the Amtrak train to from Union Station in downtown Denver and, bonus, the train station is merely feet from the main village!
Winter Park is known for its Mary Jane region on the south side of the resort. It is designed for seasoned skiers and draws large day crowds with people flooding in from Denver each weekend. They just opened the Panoramic Express lift bringing you to the top of the mountain and the ability to explore the untouched powder. If Mary Jane is too crowded, head over to Vasquez Territory for more awesome runs.
The Apres scene is not strong at Winter Park so you might find more action at one of the breweries in town. In addition, the main street of town is spread out, covering two miles, making it a non-walkable area for food + drinks, which might not be ideal for you. Here is a breakdown of our weekend getaway in Winter Park:
Day 1: MLK Saturday
- Drove from Denver to Winter Park in the morning
- Afternoon skiing
- Apres at Hideaway Park Brewery (head upstairs for a quieter space and people watching over main street)
- Tacos from Pepe Osaka’s Fishtaco Tequila Bar & Grill
Day 2: MLK Sunday
- Day of skiing!
- Pizza from Hernando’s Pizza Pub – one of my favorites!
Day 3: MLK Day
- We woke up to 8” of new snow on Monday morning! Great for skiing but not so great for driving home in the afternoon.
- Drove back to Denver to get ready for a busy work week starting the next day!
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