It’s official: heli skiing has been added to the world-class skiing and snowboarding options available in Lake Tahoe. Pacific Crest Heli-Guides in partnership with HeliTahoe made history this month by accessing the bountiful snowpack of the Sierra Nevada via helicopter for the first time in over thirty years. Capitalizing on the deepest early season snowpack in more than 50 years, eight lucky pioneering souls joined two of the company’s founding guides on a bluebird powder day in early January to celebrate the historical first turns of the new operation.

This exciting operation is based out of the Truckee Airport and accesses more than 100,000 acres of reserved terrain located along the spine of the Pacific Crest from Donner Summit to the Sierra Buttes, which is more than four times the skiable acreage of all 14 Lake Tahoe Resorts combined. The limitless terrain consists of open bowls, perfectly spaced trees, undulating rollers and north-facing chutes and couloirs. The addition of this operation will allow Lake Tahoe to position itself as a truly world-class winter destination, attracting advanced to expert skiers and snowboarders from across the globe.

Full day trips start at $899 per person with the cost based upon flight time rather than a fixed number of runs or vertical feet, allowing like-minded skiers and riders to customize their experience based on budget, their desire to get as much vertical as possible and/or their desire to explore a variety of different zones. Professional guide service, backcountry safety gear and a personalized lunch are also included in the cost. If extreme isn’t your thing, Pacific Crest Heli-Guides in partnership with HeliTahoe also offers a wide array of options during the winter months for the non-skier including mountaintop snowshoe tours, mountaintop wine tasting, mountaintop dinners with custom menus prepared tableside by personable chefs and scenic flight options filled with breath-taking views of Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay, Mt. Tallac and the Desolation Wilderness. During the summer, guests can choose from helicopter accessed hiking and backpacking, guided fishing expeditions, downhill mountain biking, mountaintop wine tasting and dinners and numerous scenic flight options.

Lake Tahoe is an incredibly gorgeous area and I can’t even imagine how amazing it must be to see it from a helicopter and immerse yourself into thousands of acres of untracked terrain. If the thought of this gets your heart pumping like it does mine, call 1-888-364-7596 and let Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals book your lodging so you can be part of the inaugural season in which you are certain to be discovering new terrain, naming new runs and perhaps even logging a first descent or two.

This year at the X Games in Aspen, there will be some big, local names. Seth Wescott, winner of two Olympic gold medals and three X Games silver medals. Gretchen Bleiler, Olympic silver medalist and four-time X Games gold medalist. Nate Holland, winner of five X Games gold medals. There will also be some big ideas going around, and the International Olympic Committee will be paying attention.

Superpipe skier Jen Hudak will be practicing her Russian behind the scenes, as rumor has it the IOC is adding the competition to the 2014 Sochi games. The women’s ski superpipe final is tomorrow in Aspen, and the men’s final is on Friday. Men’s and women’s skiing slopestyle and snowboard slopestyle are other events being considered for the next Winter Olympics, and you can catch a preview at this year’s X Games. All the events are taking place on Buttermilk Mountain and are open to the public.

Skiing slopestyle men’s elimination and women’s final take place tomorrow, Thursday, January 27 at 1:00 pm. If you can’t make it up the mountain until the weekend, make sure you catch the men’s final on Saturday at 2:30 pm. The snowboard slopestyle men’s and women’s finals are both on Sunday. Check out ESPN for the complete schedule and get some help with your accommodations from your friendly, knowledgeable locals at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals.

Come to Breckenridge to watch and see how snow sculptures are created! 2011 will mark the 21st annual Budweiser Snow Sculpture Championship in Breckenridge. Sculpting begins at 11:00 am on Tuesday January 25th, 2011 with a gunshot to start and sculpting ends on Saturday January 29th, 2011 at 10:00 am. Artists begin their sculpting around the River Walk Center grounds at 150 West Adams Avenue, Breckenridge, CO.

Friday January 28th is supposed to be the best day to attend this free event. Artists are preparing to stay up all night to detail their work. This year there are 15 teams from eight countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States.

The snow for the sculptures is made by the Breckenridge Ski Resort and dumped into trucks to be taken down to the site. Once the snow is on site it is blown into blocks and volunteers called “snow stompers” climb on the piles and stomp the snow and then more snow is blown on top. The snow sculptures are approximately 20 tons and each team’s sculpture is 10 feet wide, 10 feet long, by 12 feet high.  To create these amazing sculptures the artists are only allowed to use hand tools and power tools are not allowed.

Judging beings at 10:00 am on Saturday January 29th, 2011 and the award ceremony is at 3:30 pm on Sunday January 30th, at this time there will be an award for People’s Choice, Kid’s Choice, and the judges will pick their top three choices.

Why not spend the entire weekend witnessing how the sculptures evolve? Come check out this awesome free event in Breckenridge. For your lodging conveniences contact your Friendly, Knowledgeable, Locals atRocky Mountain Vacation Rentals.

As I sit down to write a blog this week, I find myself feeling… proud, to be a local resident of Vail, anticipating one of the most exciting winters that I should experience. In some ways, my karma brings pretty good things – every time I made it to Vail from Boulder last year, it just happened to be a powder day. And powder days were somewhat rare last year.


The season so far has been great for snow, and it’s only January. I know; it’s probably because I moved here.


Any karma related to my car, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Don’t live here without snow tires. Period. If you’re renting a car – consider four wheel drive, an SUV, and snow tires. Snow tires would have saved me from that fender bender. Snow tires would have prevented the turmoil of getting stuck in my parking spot, numerous times. Did I mention to consider snow tires?


In the grander scheme of things, however, I can put these car damage payments behind me, and feel completely exhilarated by the overwhelming amount of powder on Vail Mountain as we speak. In fact, I jumped off of my apartment balcony today, knowing it would be like landing on subliminal white pillows of softness. I was feeling like a pretty ecstatic 25-year old child. Never underestimate the excitement of playing in the snow – especially when there’s SO MUCH OF IT.


A lot of events are just around the corner, also making a trip out here entirely worth it. Aspen X Games, among many competitions and races being featured in Aspen, the Snowball Music Festival coming up in Avon this March, Street Beat Concert Series going down in Vail all season, Heavenly Harrah’s Snow Blast, and, frankly, the promise of copious amounts of powder to shred up here.


Don’t miss out this season. Book your lodging asap, with Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals!

As a broke grad school graduate with Sallie Mae constantly pounding on my door, FREE is a word I like to hear.  When I found myself in Vail for the winter, I figured I’d probably be scraping by on teeth and nails.  With awesome events like the Snow Ball Music Festival and the X Games coming to the area, I’ve been pinching pennies wherever I can to afford going to them.  As a supporter of Bud Light for many years now, I was elated when I learned of the Bud Light Street Beat FREE concert series!  It’s just what I need to hold me over until the Snow Ball Music Festival in March.

There’s just something about live music that makes me feel more alive.  The Vail Valley Foundation presents free music in the streets of Vail on a Thursday once a month.  Last night, I got to see Lyrics Born at Checkpoint Charlie in the Vail Village.  After a long day of work, his energy was explosive and contagious.  I could hear the bass before I even saw the stage, and it immediately got my heart pumping.  As soon as I reached the crowd, it was impossible to not start dancing to the beat.  I had never really heard of him before, but was definitely impressed with the originality of his sound.  With a unique ensemble for support, I couldn’t take my eyes off the stage not wanting to miss a second of their set.  Ending his performance with an encore, featuring an amazing freestyle portion, I was left wanting more.

The next concert in the series will feature Earl Wear & Haywire on February 24, again at Checkpoint Charlie in Vail Village.  Be sure not to miss these special intimate events where the crowd is small enough to really feel a connection with the artists who are performing.  Make sure you contact Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals to help plan a great little getaway and experience everything Vail has to offer.

An exciting event kicks off tonight at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe with the beginning of the Heavenly’s Harrah’s Snow blast series. In addition to a weekend of live music, amateur ski and snowboard events will be held on the new Ante Up terrain park on the Saturdays of each Snow Blast. Located beneath the Tamarack Express Chairlift, Ante Up is built with recycled items such as tractor tires, water tanks and snowmaking equipment. There will also be more live music in the lodge at the top of the gondola. The opening weekend of Snow Blast features Dawes on Friday in the South Shore Room and M. Ward on Saturday. There have been sources saying there will be a surprise guest at the M. Ward show, so if you’re attending, let us know who it is!

Future guests and guests:

Tahoe South Winter Snow Blast Music
9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21 — Dawes
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22 — M. Ward
9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25 — the Dan Band
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 — Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
9 p.m. Friday, March 18 — Ghostland Observatory
7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 19 — tba
9 p.m. Friday, April 8 — Cold War Kids
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 — tba

If you’re planning to head to Lake Tahoe to catch any of these exciting concerts or to ski one of the amazing resorts let Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals find your housing for you!

Nothing is more exciting than watching winter sports live.  The incredible talent and dedication these athletes have is unbelievable.  I am so excited to be going to the Winter X Games in Aspen. I have only seen winter sports on TV and I have always thought how amazing it would be to actually be there. Seeing the energy and excitement at these events I cannot wait to experience this myself!

ESPN Winter X Games 15 is right around the corner.  Two weeks marks the start of the X Games in Aspen/Snowmass.  This event brings in more than 250 ski, snowboard, and snowmobile athletes from across the globe!  The X Games are held at the base of Buttermilk Mountain and is free to the public, so there is no excuse to miss this awesome event in Aspen! The event beings on Thursday January 27^th and ends on Sunday January 30^th. In addition to the X Games there will be a complimentary Bud Light Hi-Fi concert at the base of Aspen Mountain featuring Big Boi on Saturday January 20^th.  If you cant make it to this awesome event check it out on ESPN an ESPN2 for 24-hour live coverage of the games.

It is not too late to plan your trip to the Winter X Games in Aspen/Snowmass. For lodging, lift tickets, and much more contract your Friendly, Knowledgeable, Locals at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals to help you plan your trip!

My New Years Eve resolution in 2008 was to start living my dreams. Now, in 2011, I’m happy to say that I haven’t let myself down. It still amazes me to look back at everything I’ve been able to do in the past two years, and that I’m still blessed with the opportunity to continue my current lifestyle. Last Sunday I was able to check snowmobiling off my list.

When I was a child living at home in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, every winter I would be running around playing in the snow and stop in my tracks when snowmobilers zipped through the fields in my back yard. 20 years later and I’m still fascinated by them. One of my new friends, Cali and I, decided to book ourselves a trip with the Nova Guides. They provided everything we needed for a successful trip. It felt amazing to move so quickly through the snow. They provided us with helmets, boots, a snowsuit, and our own snowmobile! I was a little nervous at first, but once we started moving I felt incredibly comfortable. The handlebars were heated so my hands were nice and toasty for the entire half-day ride.

When we were finished our guide gave us a cup of nice warm hot chocolate we could enjoy in their lodge by a roaring fire. All in all, it was a great, exhilarating day. It allowed me to see the valley in a totally different way. There was nothing to worry about from pick-up to drop-off. Now that I’ve got that checked off my list, next is snowshoeing!

If you’d like to go snowmobiling, please contact our concierge Morgan Russell at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals.

For Immediate Release:


Vail, CO – Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals (RMVR) is pleased to announce a 139% increase in annual sales from 2009 to 2010. Of this increase, Vail vacations accounted for 82% of revenue over the past year, and with further development of new RMVR markets in Aspen, Breckenridge, Telluride, Crested Butte, Tahoe, and Park City, the company looks forward to continued growth in 2011.


Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals is excited to see this advancement in revenue for the business, demonstrating evidence of the company’s recent expansion. Travel industry trends have also shown evidence of increased air travel and hotel occupancy rates. In fact, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has projected a net profit of $2.5 billion in 2010 for the airline industry, after a net loss of $9.9 billion in 2009, and $16.8 billion in 2008. Signs for the travel industry are looking positive as we enter this New Year.


Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals has not only seen record sales this past year, but the company’s staff has tripled in the Vail office, and their markets in Breckenridge, Aspen, and Telluride are continuously developing with the hires of new Area Sales Managers. Furthermore, the company has launched a long term contract with the travel technologies and services provider, Inntopia, offering real time online booking, directly from RockyMountainVacationrentals.com.


During a company-wide meeting on Wednesday, January 12th, Breckenridge Area Manager of Sales, Mike Scott, stated: “We stand out from property management companies, because we are more than just one phone call. We offer all inventory in the market.” RMVR’s specialty in acting as a one-stop-shop is demonstrated by the various services they offer, including lodging, concierge services, lift ticket purchases, transportation, and ownership opportunities in the Rocky Mountains. “Our conversation, and our knowledge, is more valuable,” he said.


As the year 2011 takes off, the vacation rental company has set out numerous goals in terms of website functionality, the continuous building of client relations, and an analysis of where marketing dollars are being spent. “A primary goal is to see involvement in all our markets,” says Tommy Z. Hoffman, Owner and Founder of Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals. “We want to be more involved in the towns of each area. Get our name out there to help develop business, build connections, and take our company to the next level,” says Hoffman.


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About Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals:
Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals (RMVR) was founded by owner Tommy Z. Hoffman in 2000. A vacation services provider, RMVR offers vacation rentals, fractional real estate, and concierge services in Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, Aspen, Snowmass, and Telluride. RMVR accommodates guests with all of their vacation needs by working with property management companies, hotels and local activity providers to offer a wide array of services available in the Rocky Mountains. A team of “Friendly. Knowledgeable. Locals.™”, RMVR’s local staff embraces their love for the region, skiing, snowboarding, and all that summer in the mountains has to offer with full concierge services. To learn more, please visit rockymountainvacationrentals.com.

The Snow Ball Music Festival has the powers of impressing me every day.  It must be some magic wizard.  Announcing artists daily keeps me intrigued, as if Bassnectar and Pretty Lights weren’t enough.  The way the acts are being announced I think its genius and accidental, but all good things happen for a reason.  I keep going to the website and social networks everyday to check on updates waiting for my mind to be blown, and they are doing a great job.  As acts are still being signed, it is exciting to watch this wonderful idea grow daily.

On January 13, I was impressed again with the announcement of Brother Ali to the concert poster along with a few other announcements and the growth of free spaces on the poster!  I saw Brother Ali opening for Bassnectar earlier this year, so it’s great to see them together again at the same festival.  Brother Ali must enjoy the dance music.  More spaces mean more acts and I thought 29 was a large amount, but now there are 44 spots on the line-up.  With the addition of Brother Ali to the Snow Ball, I expect to see another act added to the line-up – Mimosa. He opened for Pretty Lights at Red Rocks this summer, and I recently saw him play a great show at Agave in Avon.  I would love to see him again especially in a festival atmosphere.

I only have one problem with this: the third headliner.  Who will it be? I have been waiting eagerly and I don’t want to wait anymore.  I have heard rumors that DeadMau5 might be playing at the Snow Ball, but would he be the third headliner?  I for one wouldn’t want that, but seems to be a good fit.  I think the third headliner shouldn’t be electronic – a lot of genres are coming to the Snow Ball, and it would be healthy to have some diversity.  I’d like to see a hip-hop act, like Atmosphere  or maybe something old school.  Whoever it may be, I’m sure everyone will be stoked regardless of who it is.  I can’t wait to see.

If you are planning on attending the Snow Ball Music Festival contact Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals for your lodging needs.

My other Snow Ball Blogs:

The Snow Ball Music Festival Continues to Excite!

The Snow Ball Is Coming

This weekend was my first day on the mountain of the season! It could not have been a better weekend to get my legs warmed up and ready for the long season ahead.  Ready to get back into skiing I could not have been more excited to start in the Rockies.  Used to the east coast slopes that are full of ice and short runs it was quit a treat to start skiing out west.

Saturday I started out in Breckenridge anxious because I have skied Breck before and absolutely loved the great views, awesome slope bars, and mountain of course.  It could not have been a more perfect day to start.  Semi long lines starting at Peak 8, we moved our way over to Peak 9 where we skied most of the day.  Less crowded we got in a lot of runs, and although it hadn’t snowed in a few days it was a great to day be on mountain.   Sunny with blue skies my first day out this season could not have been any better!

With the snow starting to fall in the valley late Saturday night I knew that Sunday was going to be a great powder day.  Although tired after my first day out on the mountain my roommate graciously woke me up early to get a head start on the slopes. Still snowing in the morning, it was a cold yet awesome day!  We decided to hit up Beaver Creek, excited to check it out because I have never skied there before and I have only heard great things.

Beaver Creek did not disappoint. With fresh powder and the snow still coming down the conditions were great and the lines were short.  With my lack of experience skiing powder it was definitely a learning day for me.  I decided that I unquestionably need a new pair of goggles for the snowy conditions out in the Rockies.  Skiing fresh powder was so enjoyable and it felt like a completely different sport.  With great guides we navigated most of the mountain, which was awesome experiencing all the different runs that Beaver Creek had to offer. I am definitely excited to get more powder days in this season and improve!

I would have to say two of my favorite features of Beaver Creek were definitely the escalators at the lodge (best idea ever) and of course the complementary chocolate chip cookies (which were awesome) given out ever day around 3:00. Perfect ending to a great day on the mountain!

Come check out the great skiing in the Rockies! For lodging information contact your Friendly, Knowledgeable, Locals at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals!

Vail, CO – Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals (RMVR) has announced Solomon Liston as Regional Manager for Aspen and Snowmass, overseeing the expansion and all vacation rental bookings in the area.  Liston, with an eclectic background of entrepreneurial and marketing experience will be a strong addition to the team, providing personable communication skills, and solid expertise of Pitkin County and all it has to offer.


“Solomon’s background as an Aspen local and expert in internet marketing is a great asset to our company and regional office,” says James Bengala, National Director of Sales and Marketing.  RMVR’s resort real estate branch, Rocky Mountain Luxury Properties (RMLP), will also see immediate benefits of Liston’s local presence in the Aspen and Snowmass area, as Aspen offers an impressive inventory of luxury properties and ownership opportunities. Liston’s entrepreneurial mind and genuine communications ethic will compliment RMVR and RMLP’s expansion well throughout 2011.


Liston previously served as Promotion Account Manager for Blizzard Internet Marketing from 2005 to 2007, providing internet marketing for the hospitality industry. He also worked with Apex Performance for the past two years, assisting the company in creating brand awareness through special events.   Liston managed his own marketing business for 10 plus years with the company Amway, and additionally he has maintained positions on the executive board of several organizations, including Liberty on the Rocks, Roaring Fork Young Professionals, and Thrivent Financial Charitable Flat Tops, to name a few.


Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals looks forward to continued growth in 2011 and currently provides lodging, concierge services, and fractional and whole ownership real estate opportunities in Vail, Beaver Creek, Summit County, Aspen, Snowmass and Telluride. Online booking is available 24/7 in several additional ski destinations.


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About Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals:


Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals was founded by owner Tommy Z. Hoffman in 1998. RMVR is a vacation rental provider, offering excellent service with “Friendly. Knowledgeable. Locals™.” in the Rocky Mountain Region. RMVR stands out among its competitors by working with property management companies, who provide privately owned homes and condos for rent, executive luxury properties, ski in and ski out access, and fractional ownership. RMVR utilizes a local staff whose love for the region, skiing, snowboarding, and all that summer in the mountains has to offer with full concierge services. To learn more, please visit http://rockymountainvacationrentals.com or call 1-888-364-7596.

Who moves to a ski town not knowing how to ski or snowboard? Someone who really wants to learn. Last winter I was unemployed, sitting around at home, not sure what I wanted to do with my life, and began to follow the Olympics religiously. Athletes I had never heard of before; Shawn White, Apollo Ohno, Lindsey Vonn, all became idols for me within days. Watching these athletes day after day putting everything they had, everything they spent years training for, into the few minutes they spent competing was exhilarating. Every sport they featured whether it was bobsledding, skiing, or curling, I wanted to learn. The 2009 Olympic games inspired me to move to Vail.

Vail was the natural choice for me because in my research I discovered that Vail is one of the premiere skiing resorts in the world. Not to mention, Gold medalist, Lindsey Vonn, is a Vail native. My toughest decision when I got here though was what I wanted to learn first, skiing or snowboarding? Ultimately, I chose snowboarding. Yesterday was the first day of, what I now realize to be, my long road to becoming a snowboarder.

I woke up Saturday morning excited and slightly nervous about my first day on the mountain at Vail Ski Resort. If you ask me, there couldn’t have been a better day for it. The sun was out, it was cold but not freezing and I was with new friends who were just as excited for me to be getting out there as I was to learn. For days I had been told that I would spend the majority of the day on the ground, but I really felt like proving them wrong. But, boy was I wrong. All in all, my day consisted of one lovely gondola ride to the top, and one four-hour run to the bottom. So far, Vail-1, Jen-0, but I plan on changing that as soon as I can.

I honestly haven’t felt so good and so bad at the same time in my life. I felt like a child learning how to walk. My knees are purple, and every muscle in my body, including the muscles in my fingers hurt. Just keeping my head up seems like a chore, but I’m counting down the days until I can go back out and try again. Even if I spend the next few days falling down the entire mountain until I figure it out, I couldn’t imagine being in a more beautiful place for it. So, whether you’re a beginner or an expert or an Olympian I highly suggest coming out and skiing Vail. When was the last time you learned something new?

In a ski resort destination, there are a couple of different categories that I think would describe the meaning of a “ski snob.” The (most likely local) snow snobs, who know the mountain well, save their best days for powder days, and frankly, don’t mess around, are one group. Another important category within the ski snob demographic can refer to those with a taste for high fashion, and being the best dressed in snow wear for après cocktails.


If the latter is an area of interest, Aspen Fashion Week this year in March may be an exciting time to check out the Rockies, attend some “haute-coutre” snow wear runway events, and hit the slopes. Aspen Fashion Week, which was inaugurated in 2009, is a destination fashion event showcasing winter resort, ski, and technical outwear. Even if you identify more with the hard core/snow snob culture, the event will be promoting some of the best equipment out there for winter athletes. Aspen Fashion Week takes place March 13-17, and the featured designers will include: Authier, Bogner, Circe Show, Dannenmann-Pure, David Babali, Emilio Pucci, FEED, FEED Projects, Gabriel Conroy, Gray, Gypsy Jewelry Collection, and Heidiskis.


Throughout the week, there will be daily après ski events, and runway shows at the Snowstage, AFW Boutique, The Chateau, and The Belly Up, an indoor music venue where Aspen Fashion Week meets Rock n’ Roll. There will also be nightly runway shows, equipment demos, on-mountain parties, and in-store presentations.


If the word posh has a strong presence in your vocabulary, this is a great time to check out Aspen. Test out some high-end equipment demos, be a critic at several runway shows going on per day, represent your own fashion at Aspen’s chic après venues, and of course, unwind at one of the resort’s five star spas. Check out what Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals has to offer in Aspen for this time of year, and spend your ski vacation in style.

The first annual SnowBall Music Festival has been filling their line-up quickly throughout the holiday season and continues to do so.  As of now there has been 14 spots filled with great talent, and there are a total of 29 spots according to the festival’s poster that seems to be updated daily.  The poster started with only two acts, Bassnectar and Pretty Lights, which created so much excitement throughout the music community they started to nickname this festival Snowchella comparing it to the number one ranked festival in the world, Coachella. Being associated with Coachella is a huge praise especially when only two acts have been revealed at the time.

Today the poster lists 16 acts which are; Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zero’s, Local Natives, Diplo, Big Gigantic, Portugal The Man, Classixx, 12^th Planet, Miami Horror, Mansions on the Moon, Baths, Superhumanoids, Bonfire Dub, Twin Shadow, and Portor Robinson.  I am sure there will be an addition tomorrow.  I enjoy how this is being done; it is a lot of fun to follow and exciting when you see a personal favorite band on the poster.  I have experienced this multiple times already and again this week when I saw Portugal the Man.

Portugal The Man was rumored to play at The SnowBall in the beginning but was not official until January 4th when they were added to the SnowBall poster.  This band consists of four members; John Gourley, Jason Sechrist, Ryan Neighbors, and Zachary Carothers.  Portugal the Man started as a side project for lead vocalist John Gourley with Carothers playing bass using drum machines for their supporting beat.  The band has grown in many directions, one move was signing with Atlantic Records in 2010 after being with multiple labels previous to Atlantic.  I missed Portugal The Man last time they came to Colorado in November, but I sure won’t miss them at the SnowBall Music Festival that can’t come soon enough.

For those planning on coming to The SnowBall in March make sure to purchase your tickets and lodging before it is too late.  Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals have many great lodging options for this epic music festival.  Give your Friendly Knowledgeable Locals a call at 1-877-422-0449.  Hint: Ask to be near Nottingham Lake.

A very exciting event is kicking off today in the serene and beautiful resort that is Heavenly Mountain. The Tahoe Snowcial is the place were technology, community, and snowsports come together. If you like skiing and snowboarding, gadgets, social networks, and like-minded people- this is the event for you! The festival is currently in year three of uniting and celebrating our global community of enthusiasts who live their passion in the snow and share their stories online.

The Snowcial takes place at Heavenly Mountain Resort January 6th- 9th, 2011. Events will include parties, a poker tournament, a scavenger hunt on the mountain, excellent speakers and of course time so socialize and make connections. There will also be concerts by MC Hammer and OK Go.

Speakers include:

• Duncan Berry
• Rob Katz: Vail Resorts, speaking about the EpicMix
• David Norton: Harrah’s

Travel Panel featuring:

• Chris Elliot: MSNBC and National Geographic
• Rich Beattie: Travel + Leisure Online
• Johnny Jet: www.johnnyjet.com
• Josh Williams: Gowalla
• Dave Morin: Co-inventor of Facebook Connect, CEO of Path
• Stepanie Michaels: Blogger, Writer, Travel Expert, Social Media Expert

Lightning Round featuring:

• Jeremy Tanner: Snap Count
• Laura Lippay: Nine By Blue
• Greg Prosl: Broadbandsports.com
• Corey Rich: Photographer
• Matt Harvey: Freeskier Mag
• Sonny Mayugba: Sacramento Press

It’s too late to attend the Snowcial on your California ski vacation this year, but it’s not too late to visit this incredible area. Amazing skiing and riding with the gorgeous Lake Tahoe as your backdrop is just one of many fun things to do in Lake Tahoe. Call us up at 1-888-866-2305 to book your Lake Tahoe getaway with Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals.

The SnowBall Music Festival debuting in Avon, Colorado March 4-6, 2010 is going to be EPIC. Event producers are really building up the anticipation by releasing a new artist set to preform every day. I catch myself checking the SnowBall facebook fan page way too often for updates.  I have my fingers crossed that soon we’ll see some of the bands added that are being requested over and over again by fans such as Boombox, Ghostland, Emancipator, Disco Biscuits, the New Deal and the list goes on.  So far the SnowBall Music Festival has announced the following artists set to rock the stage at Nottingham Park in Avon this March.

Pretty Lights
Bassnectar
Classixx
Big Gigantic
Local Natives
Baths
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Miami Horror
Mansions on the Moon
DIPLO
Superhumanoids
Bonfire Dub
12th Planet
Portugal. The Man

If you plan on attending this sick festival, you best pick up your tickets now before the price jumps up. Early Bird Passes are on sale now, so get them while they’re hot!  See you at the show.  For your festival lodging needs contact Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals today!

Check it out!

Vail Valley Bizwatch: Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals

Dining in Vail and Beaver Creek, Colorado

Christmas time, for me, has always been my favorite bonding holiday of the year. It was the time of year I spent months planning for in advance. Interestingly, I decided to move to a completely new town just one week before the big day. Lost and a little confused as to how I was going to spend my Christmas this year, my new roommate suggested we go out to eat since it was just going to be the two of us. I’ve never been one to go out to eat around the holidays, but this year I decided to use this as an opportunity to get better acquainted with a new friend and this new town.

We arrived for a 6:00pm dinner reservation and were seated quickly. There couldn’t have been more than 30 tables in the entire restaurant, which provided a warm cozy feeling. With subtle decorations and dark wood finishes it truly gave the feeling of walking into someone’s home. As someone who’s always had difficulty ordering, their menu certainly didn’t make it easy for me. Just the wine list alone was daunting to look at, but thankfully, our server made some great suggestions.

After about 10 minutes of reading… and re-reading the menu, we decided on an appetizer, calamari, and two entrées, involtino di pollo and petti di pollo alle fragile. The involtino di pollo consisted of chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella and garlic, wrapped with prosciutto, and topped with a Chianti wine sauce, served with sautéed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes. Delicious. The petti di pollo alle fragile was chicken breast sautéed with red onions, crushed red peppers, and fresh strawberries in a brandy cream sauce, served over angel hair pasta. My date for the evening was kind enough to let me try his unique dish and I was pleasantly surprised by the use of strawberries in the dish. The service was excellent. My water glass was never empty and we didn’t have to wait a ridiculous amount of time for our food to arrive even though the restaurant was full. Lastly, our server was in good spirits despite having to work on Christmas Eve, and I’ve always been one to appreciate service with a smile.

Too full for dessert, we decided that was the end of our meal. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the food, the ambiance, and the company I was in. I’m always sad when I don’t get to spend the holidays with my family and close friends, but this was easily the next best alternative. I’d be happy to dine at Ti Amo for any holiday in the coming years. If you’d like to book a reservation please contact our concierge services at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals.