Olympia Update

6 more days to GO- 6 MORE DAYS OF EXCITING GAMES!!!

As of today, Monday February 22, 2010 the United States are in the lead of the Olympic Medal count with 7 Gold Medals, 7 Silver Medals and 10 Bronze Medals followed by Germany who moved closer by winning 3 medals today – 2 in cross country skiing team sprint and in ski jumping team competition.

Lindsey Vonn from Vail won one of the gold medals in the women’s downhill as well as a Bronze Medal in the women’s super ski. Evan Lysacek one another gold medal for the US in one of the most exciting and tight men’s figure skating events in history. Evan Lysacek was fighting against Evgeni Plushenko who won the Olympic Gold Medal four years ago in Turin/ Italy. One of the best performances in the 2010 Olympic Games so far was from the legendary men’s Half Pipe snowboard competitor Shaun White. Shaun White already won Olympic Gold four years ago and everybody was excited what he will present in this Olympics- and he outperformed all expectations. He already had the gold Medal after his first run, but instead of showing some simple jumps in his second run- he did jumps nobody had seen before cleaner anyone can show them. Even if the ice hockey team has still a long way to go- the final will be Sunday at noon, one of the most important games for the US was yesterday- US against Canada. The US won with 5 to 3 goals and moved a big step closer to the final.

For tonight everybody is excited to see the battle between the Canadian and US team in the final round of the Figure Skating Ice Dance performance. Tomorrow Bode Miller will race again in the Men’s Giant Slalom and try to add one more medal to his Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal he already won in this Olympics. We will also see the first round of the women’s figure skating program, the short program which will start Tuesday 23,2010 at 5.30 PM mountain time.

So even if we already saw amazing events- there will be more…!!!

Contact:

Janyce Brandon

Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals

janyce.brandon@rmvrvail.com

1000 Lionsridge Loop, Suite 3A

Vail, CO, 81657

970-790-6167

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release:  February 22, 2010

Online Chat Option Battles Uncertainties for Travelers

Vacation rental questions answered quickly and easily online through Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals.

VAIL, Colo. – Last minute travelers can save money by staying in a vacation rental, but face many uncertainties such as “Where will the property be?”, “How much will it cost?”, and “How does renting a vacation property work?” Now, questions can be answered quickly, easily, and from the travelers’ own homes or anywhere they have internet access. Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, a vacation rental provider for the high country of Colorado, offers an online chat program where new and returning vacation renters can ask all of these questions before ever speaking with a booking agent.

“Our online chat feature allows both curious and experienced vacation renters to learn everything they need to know from our local agents who know Vail and the properties we offer,” stated Tommy Z. Hoffman, owner and founder. “The online chat can provide vacation information as well as tips on how to save money. Costs can be reduced by hundreds of dollars, simply by having a few meals at their vacation rental; most vacation rentals come with fully equipped kitchens.”

The online chat feature allows vacationers to save time by directly asking a “real person”, who lives in the Vail Valley their questions. When planning their vacation, travelers can find exactly what they need from a Rocky Mountain Vacation Rental professional every day of the week.

The Rocky Mountain Vacation Rental online chat program also allows consumers to learn more about the vacation rental process such as why Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals work with property management companies for quality assurance; travel to and within Vail; as well as all the concierge services offered such as booking ski rentals and grocery shopping; as well as advice on the best family or singles restaurants and bars.

The online chat feature can be found by visiting www.RockyMountainVacationRentals.com, and clicking on the purple “live chat” button. Inquiries will be answered directly by a Rocky Mountain Vacation Rental team member.

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About Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals (RMVR):

Formerly Vail Ski Vacations, RMVR was founded by owner Tommy Z. Hoffman in 1998. RMVR is a vacation rental provider that offers local, friendly, knowledgeable service in the Rocky Mountain Region. RMVR stands out among its competitors by working only with property management companies to ensure the highest quality and cost effective vacations. In addition, RMVR utilizes a local staff whose love for the region, skiing, snowboarding, the great outdoors, and the high country life allow them to share their excitement and knowledge with their customers. To learn more, please visit www.Rocky MountainVacationRentals.com or call 970-477-1777.

Get a Quote Online Chat with Us Have us Call You

At Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, we work with Property Management companies. This is because it takes the hassle out of managing Vacation Rentals for owners. Owners have vacation homes for one reason: to vacation in! With the Vacation Rental industry growing, reports are indicating that vacationers trust and have better experiences with vacation rentals that are managed by property management companies. Most vacation rental websites provide owner manuals that contain 26 pages. That is 26 pages of work that owners must complete on their own in order to get the most out of their listing. This is a lot of work for a home, condo, or apartment intended to give vacationers the chance to relax and rejuvenate.

Property management companies take care of all the details, while companies like Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals provide quality assurance, marketing, advertising, and remove the risk of booking directly with an owner. Property management companies will take care of housekeeping, maintenance, legal, and financial aspects of opening your vacation rental home to guests. Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, whose base office is located in Vail, Colorado, utilizes a skilled, local, and very outgoing sales staff to ensure that the vacationer finds exactly what they are looking for at the best price and, most importantly, the guests AND the home owners get to ENJOY their vacations.

One of the greatest things about living in Colorado is the shared excitement in watching the snow fall report.  When I was a student at The University of Kansas, snow meant torn up streets, messy sidewalks, and bone chilling winds that shook you to the core. Here in Vail, its a totally different story. We got 32 inches of fresh powder this week, making the valley sparkle and the mountain gleam. Conditions have not been this great all year. Snowboarders and skiers unite with delight at the fresh powder which has increased the base to a whopping 55 inches! What’s more, the dedicated city of Vail makes sure that the village roads and highway are always clear and safe for travel. The Vail/Beaver Creek area is a virtual paradise, attracting visitors from all over the world to come ride, shred, annihilate, take no prisoners, and hot-rod on the mountain! Maybe it has something to do with the Olympics, but I have seen more people just tearing it up and having a blast than ever before. Sure beats that old dreaded Kansas cold!

Speaking of Kansas, March Madness is quickly approaching. Being a die-hard Jayhawk fan myself, I was delighted to find a vast array of local game watching spots. Can you imagine anything better…After a long day of skiing, you unwind and relax with your buddies, drinking beer, watching the game, and laughing about the head-first plunge you took on the mountain! If this sounds in any way appealing, I’m telling you, now is the time to get out here and make it happen!  And when you’re looking for a great place to watch the big game, I recommend the Tap Room or Garfinkles (Both boasting a plethora of TV’s for the sports connoisseur who likes variety). However, if you prefer staying in the comfort of your own home, Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals can definitely set you up in something spectacular. You can watch the shot clock wind-down from the couch without any distractions!

Families looking to plan their next vacation typically let one common denominator influence their decision on where and when to travel; price. These days it’s common for one to search Expedia or Hotels.com and take the quoted room rates at face value, book the hotel room and disregard what they have sacrificed for this booking. However, savvy vacation planners know that the buck doesn’t stop here and there are many things such as one’s health, the cost of food, privacy and the overall experience that comes into play when making a lodging decision.

Consider the trade-off of staying in a hotel room vs. renting a vacation rental from a reputed company such as Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals. For arguments sake, let’s say a family of five books lodging at a standard hotel room in Vail, CO for 5 nights at $249.00 a night. Without a proper kitchen, this family will be spending at minimum $200 a day eating out (remember we’re in Vail). So the real cost of their hotel stay is closer to $500 a day. This is a large price to pay considering the sacrifices that are being made to ones diet, only to be cramped into a small space, competing for the next spot in the bathroom. Fun.

The wise consumer, who opts to stay in a professionally managed vacation rental property, receives the benefit of a fully functional kitchen, space for each family member and uncompromising privacy for under $400 a night. One $200 trip to the grocery store and a family has enough food to enjoy home cooked meals all week long in an intimate setting. For once the primary goal of quality family time isn’t lost by crowded restaurants, temptations, and the hustle and bustle of a hotel.

Any health conscientious individual can quickly weight the consequences of eating out every meal for five days. Living well shouldn’t stop because one is on vacation; vacationers’ remorse doesn’t have to come into play once back to the “real world”.

This market is saturated with competitive pricing options for vacation lodgings. But what one can’t comprise is the how the choice of lodging is responsible for the overall experience of a destination. So my advice is weigh your options, what you want to get out of your holiday and talk to a local from Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals to get you exactly where you want to be.

CSA

Olympics Update

After four days of exciting Olympic races and performances, Germany is leading with a total of nine medals- three gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals, followed by the US in second with a total of eight medals, and France which is third in the medal count with seven medals. The two gold medals for the US are from Snowboard Cross racer Seth Wescott and Freestyle Moguls skier Hannah Kearney. The two silver medals come from the Colorado Nordic Combined racer Johnny Spillane who grew up in Steamboat Springs, and Short Track Speed racer Apolo Anton Ohno. The four bronze medals the US has so far are from Bode Miller who got third in the Men Alpine Downhill, Bryon Wilson a Freestyle Moguls skier, Shannon Bahrke who placed after Hannah Kearney as well as J.R. Celski who got another medal for the US in the men 1500m Short Track Speed Skating.

For today Wednesday February 17, 2010, there are more very interesting Olympic competitions on the program. First there is the Ladies Downhill skiing where Linsey Vonn from Vail is a potential medal candidate. The Ladies’ Downhill will start at noon our time. During the whole day, the Cross Country skiing sprint heats are going on where Kikkan Randall from Alaska is hoping to make the final. One of the most spectacular competitions today will be the men’s Snowboard Halfpipe event. Starting with the qualification at two mountain time and ending with the finals at eight o’clock everybody is excited what Shaun White practiced at his secret private half pipe somewhere in Colorado as well as his competitors. Hopefully there is going to be some better weather up in Whistler Mountains so that the alpine races can have a fair competition…

So get ready for more very intense and exciting Olympic days!!!

P.S. Congratulations to one of the most amazing athletes – Tatjana Huefner, who was my roommate in some army camps back home in Germany and who won the gold medal in women’s luge!!!

When you thinking of heavy drinking on the weekends, Coffee usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind – not the case for me! After the weekends, I have to practically detox from coffee overdose. Waking up at 5 am to work at Loaded Joes Coffeehouse on Saturdays and Sundays, I definitely have to keep myself on a steady coffee fix to make it through the morning! If you’ve never checked it out, Loaded Joes conveniently has two locations in the Valley; one in Vail next to the Covered Bridge and the other in Avon beside Finnegan’s Irish Pub.
Vail’s Loaded Joes is more of a fast-paced coffee shop where you can get a quick sandwich, wrap, bagel, or pastry and get yourself out to those slopes! Plus, right now, during the entire month of February, if you stop in between 9pm-2am at the Vail location you can put your name in a drawing for $1000 to use at Loaded Joes. Now that’s a lotta lattes!
If you prefer more of a lounge and local atmosphere, make sure to sit around the bar at the Avon’s Loaded Joes. They also have nightly events that, I can vouch, are so much fun! Last night, most of us who work here at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals went out to Open Mic night at the Avon Loaded Joes to support our co-worker Nick, who was playing his first open-mic night. Watching the singers and instrumentalists with a drink in hand was a nice, chill ending to Valentine’s Day! Check out the Calendar of Events so you don’t miss out on what’s happening at Loaded Joes. http://loadedjoes.com/index.php?option=com_eventcal&Itemid=27

So if you’re coming to the area, you’ve got to stop in at Loaded Joes and if you’re here on the weekends, come visit me on Saturday mornings in Vail and Sunday mornings in Avon at Loaded Joes!

The festivities haven’t stopped in New Orleans since the Saints took Super Bowl XLIV.   Now it’s Vail’s turn to do some celebrating.   CarniVail, February 14-19, brings the best of Bourbon Street to Vail Village for days of music, parades, greasy foods and partying. The Fat Tuesday celebration kicks off tomorrow afternoon at 3 pm with the Bud Light Parade and Street Party, featuring a performance from a local favorite, the Frogs Gone Fishin’. That is as long as the Frogs make it back from the real Mardi Gras celebration in NOLA where they also preformed.  The parade will conclude with the official crowning of the CarniVail King and Queen. Only in Vail do we find a way to incorporate Homecoming with Fat Tuesday… The party continues at Samana Lounge with EOTO, “Elephants Only Talk Occasionally”. EOTO consists of Jason Hann and Michael Travis, of the String Cheese Incident. So prepare yourself for lots of hippies and if we’re lucky hula hoops, at this funky fresh show.  Make it a good Fat Tuesday!

CSA

Olympia is coming soon, only 1 day left!!!

The past weeks Olympia 2010 did not make the best headlines- lack of snow and rainfall in Whistler where most of the skiing events will take place, gave the organization committee some sleepless nights. But right in time hundreds of officials and volunteers managed it to get all venues prepared and ready to start off in time. The opening ceremony will take place this Friday February 12. Before that ski jumper will already have their first qualification on Friday morning.  Then Saturday February 13, the 21^st Olympic Winter Games will be kicked off- Ski Jumping, Men’s Downhill, Ice Hockey, Speed Skating, Biathlon, Freestyle Skiing, Luge, and Short Track. Then on Sunday and Monday the games continue with Nordic combined, Figure Skating, Cross Country Skiing, Curling and Snowboard races. The last day of the 21^st Olympic Games will be on February 28 with a 50km cross country skiing race, the Men’s Ice Hockey Final game and the closing ceremony at night.

There will be 15 winter sports events which are announced as part of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The eight sports categorized as ice sports are: bobsled, luge, skeleton, ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, short track speed skating and curling. The three sports categorized as alpine skiing and snowboarding events are: alpine, freestyle and snowboarding. The four sports categorized as Nordic events are: biathlon, cross country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined. So far ski jumping is only an Olympic discipline for men. In 2006, the IOC voted not to include women’s ski jumping in the 2010 Games on the grounds that the sport was not yet developed enough and did not meet basic criteria for inclusion. The members of the Canadian Women Ski Jumping Team filed a grievance with the Canadian Human Rights Board citing gender discrimination. So far the IOC has yet to comment or change its decision.

The number of National Olympic Committees that will enter teams in the 2010 Winter Olympics is projected to be over 80 representing more than 2630 athletes. Nations will be added as they qualify at least one athlete or team. Cayman Islands, Colombia, Ghana, Montenegro, Pakistan, Peru and Serbia will make their winter Olympic débuts.  Also Jamaica, Mexico and Morocco will return to the games after missing the 2006 Winter Olympics. Tonga sought to make its Winter Olympic début by entering a single competitor in luge, attracting some media attention, but he crashed in the final round of qualifying. Luxembourg qualified two athletes but one did not reach the criteria set by the NOC and the other was injured before the games. Hence Luxembourg will not take part.

So only 2 days to go…get ready for two great weeks of winter sport with hopefully instead of bad injuries and doping issues a lot of fun, action, excitement and success stories !!! I will blog again next

Wednesday with the first update of results; hopefully I can already report some Olympic medals for the US or for my home Germany.

One of the best things I’ve come to realize from the time I’ve spent in Vail is that a person doesn’t have to be “rich” to experience the magic of this destination. In fact, the local music scene has brought this place to life for me. Every day I’ll check out Vailpm.com to see what’s good for my evening festivities. I know that regardless of what day of the week it is, a local bar/lounge will have amazing talent performing, often free of charge.

I’m stoked because tonight Samana Lounge will host the Vail Rocks for Haiti Benefit. Nearly 20 local musicians have volunteered to perform tonight to raise crucial funds for Haiti relief efforts. The show will feature performances from members of Frogs Gone Fishin, Bonfire Dub, The Laughing Bones, DJ Logic, Boxcar Dazies, Little Hercules, Velcro Sneakers, M.T.H.D.S and Shakedown Street. That’s a lot of talented artists in one room, performing for a good cause. I know I’ll be there showing my support and moving my feet to some sweet jams. Suggested donation is $15, show kicks off at 8 pm. Keep on rocking on!

-CSA

February 14-19 is Carnivail! I’ve noticed signs around town and can’t be more excited! After their Super Bowl win- I think all of America is pumped for Mardi Gras, and this is Vail’s own version! If you can’t make it to New Orleans, then what better way to spend it than in the mountains? Our stars alone are better than the fireworks, and the people know here know how to celebrate!

After finishing our own great event- Vail Gay Ski Week- we are rested and ready to participate in this once a year event in Vail! Come see our friends, the Frogs Gone Fishin’, at the Fat Tuesday Parade (free!)! We love these guys, and they are local favorites!

Missing that dirty south great cookin? Not a problem- join us in becoming fat kids again with the “World’s Highest Low Country Crawfish Boil” at Eagle’s Nest. Go skiing or riding afterward to burn those calories! Here’s the menu Vail has planned:

1 lb. Crawfish, Andouille Sausage, Corn, New Potatoes, Garlic Bread – $14.95

Bowl of Gumbo – $7.95

Crawfish Etouffee- $8.95

King Cake – $3.50

I will also be hitting up my favorite places in Vail- Sweet Basil, Samana, the Tap Room, and more. Email me if you want to plan meeting up!

janyce.brandon@vailgayskiweek.com

• Check out the new iPhone App 'Wasatch Skiing Essentials' to learn about the 11 SLC resorts, heli, nordic and backcountry skiing and more! #

Even though it’s nice to have warmer, sunnier days here in the mountains, fingers were crossed and hopes were high for the next big snow to hit. And our prayers were answered, as I’m looking outside the snow is flying in the valley, dumping another 3-4 inches with more expected for the weekend. An insider tip for anyone planning to come in the month of February, it should be our best month for snow (according to the Farmers Almanac), so we have plenty to look forward to! Tomorrow morning will be another great day of riding so come out or miss out!

- Nick

• Deal of the day- get up to 50 % of the Vail Plaza ***** Hotel. Enjoy your vacation right in the heart of Vail. Call for details today !!! #
• Snow expected through Sunday…Everyone do your snow dance! #
• Weather for Thursday- 60% Chance for some Snow shower and highs at 27' F…perfect powder skiing conditions !!! #

Hey Twitterfriends!

Or are you?

Being an avid facebooker (come on, I know you are too), when I first heard about twitter, I thought it was the most senseless social media site on the web. I mean, really, who cares what I’m doing at 6:30 in the morning in <140 characters? And just status updates? What about actual information! But secretly, I gave in; then, after a while, I noticed some of my friends joining in too. And what I came to realize with Twitter is that the cliche saying is true: less is more.

Some of you are still thinking to yourselves that you couldn’t care less what random people are doing throughout the day, but I’m here to teach you about a different aspect of Twitter. How to use it as an informational tool; okay, that doesn’t sound any more exciting, let me just explain…

Many companies use Twitter accounts to network and I have noticed this to be an awesome tool to connect with people as well as other companies, not to mention a great way of fun, easy, and free advertising!

Let’s start with our twitter here: rkymtnvacrental [http://twitter.com/rkymtnvacrental]

On ours, we update to let you know when fresh powder hits vail, sweet events that we are hosting, and awesome deals that we are currently offering on housing. It’s an great “home base” for surfing the web because we also add links in a lot of our status updates so that you can easily connect to exactly what we are discussing. From here, you can jump to other people we are “following”.  So let’s jump to VailinfoCenter [http://twitter.com/Vailinfocenter] Like the name implies, this twitter gives out inside info about all the specials going on each day in Vail; apres ski specials, rental deals, where to go to check out the best events, as well as some Valentine’s Day specials:). I make sure to check this site daily; I mean, I wouldn’t want to forget about unlimited wing night at the Tap Room! After that, you’ve got to check out the twitter from my side of the company: rmvrMedia [http://twitter.com/rmvrMedia]. A new tweeter, with many website geniuses behind it, I’m excited to see all the info that we will be sharing with you through this site!

So now that you have Vail insider information, I want to share 5 Tweeters outside of the High Rockies that you must start out with when you get your account!!

Who loves cupcakes? Um everyone. FOLLOW SprinklesBakery [http://twitter.com/sprinkles]. They give away usually 50 free cupcakes daily if you know the secret twitter word to whisper!

Want some free gogs or shades? FOLLOW Electric Visual [http://twitter.com/electricvisual]. Each week, usually monday, they have a trivia question open to everyone for an awesome prize! I’ve already won a pair of their sunglasses, so yes it is possible!

We’re from Vail and we love Winter Sports! FOLLOW the upcoming Winter Olympics [http://twitter.com/van2010games]. There’s even a link on theirs to win tickets to the Closing Ceremonies. Yup, I already entered.

For anyone into creating on the computer, it’s always good to have a place to find some vectors or ideas in general. FOLLOW Chris Spooner [http://twitter.com/chrisspooner] I’m not really down with following random people, but someone giving out awesome free tutorials and tips is hard to pass up!

And last, if you really want to up your friend count, FOLLOW Me [http://twitter.com/heyheyyhaley]. Check out my adventures around the mountains, living in Avon and working in Vail! I also like to retweet good deals that I find, so it’s a good idea to check my links!

Alright! Now it’s time for you to get a twitter account and add us! (But we might make you want to move to Vail when you see all the fun we have all day!)

One big event after the other………..it never gets boring in Vail !!!!!!!

Last weekend Vail hosted the first Vail Gay Ski Week which turned out to be a huge success. People attending had a blast.  Many people from all over the country, especially the East Coast, California and the Denver area traveled to Vail and enjoyed awesome snow, parties and events the Vail Gay Ski Week team came up with. Most people showed up Thursday for the first event- the Women Wrestling in Samanas. Nobody ever imagined that women wrestling could be such fun. The 10 woman wrestler gave their best and even more… People watching were pushing each other to get the best spot in order to see the girls rolling on the floor.  Then Friday morning most went out skiing and then getting ready for the Beer Bust. The Beer Bust Friday night was the first big party. Hosted in the Donovan Pavillion in Vail, the cowboy themed party was a great party. People enjoyed drinks and dancing to DJ Sammy Jo till midnight. Saturday morning seemed kind of slow. Registration was open at 8am but most people showed up later which was related to the Beer Bust and dancing the night before ….But once up, groups of skiers and boarders went out together and enjoyed the amazing Colorado weather and snow on the slopes. After skiing most went back to the Vail Plaza to relax in the Plaza Hot Tub and enjoy some drinks to prepare for the final party Saturday night – the POPular Party.  During the Popular Party with dj guillaume the silent auction was taking place approaching final bits for its closing at midnight. The Vail Gay Ski Week team managed to get amazing prices from resorts, art galleries, sport shops, hotels…on which participants were biting on. Most people at the party took advantage of the fact that they were staying right at the party place, the Vail Plaza, so that they could party really hard and then just roll in their room once the party was done at 2am. Sunday morning was even slower than Saturday…most participants decided to relax and then simply check out and travel home with amazing memories and looking forward to Vail Gay Summer and the next Vail Gay Ski Week.

Once Vail Gay Ski Week is over Vail Village is already getting ready for the next big event, the CarniVail. In less than two weeks, February 14^th to the 21^st the next event will be hosted in the party mountain town. Bridge Street will become Bourbon Street! CarniVail starts of on Sunday 14^th up on Eagle’s Nest, located at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola, with true Cajun dishes including Crawfish, Gumbo, Jambalaya, music and more! The Bud Light Fat Tuesday Parade and Street Party with Frogs Gone Fishin’ and a Float Competition is going on February 16th, and on Friday, February 19 the event will be finished up with a free concert of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe presented by Southern Comfort.

I can’t believe Vail Gay Ski Week is gone, done, over, finished.  I was all the time, “Where is the time going? Why is time flying by so fast!” The parties were memorable, the friends unforgettable.  I miss it all, all ready. Next event up for grabs is Vail Gay Summer, and man, do we have everything already planned for it!  We’ve been planning both at the same time, and all the snags that came with this event will not be there in the summer. This event is here to stay, for years to come, and the hundreds who came out to be a part of of Vail Gay Ski Week were super psyched about next year, and this summer.  So CHEERS to everyone,and we here at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals are waiting for you all to come out this summer!