In a destination where luxury accommodations are everywhere you look, lodging providers must do much more to make themselves stand out as THE desired place to spend one’s vacation.  Aspen, Colorado, perched high above sea level in the Colorado Rockies at 7,908 feet, is known world-wide for its ritzy, world-class appeal.  From the bar-none shopping & dining to the luxury lodging, Aspen spares no detail in ensuring it  provides nothing but the best. The Aspen Square Condominium Hotel in Downtown Aspen particularly stands out at one of the best lodging options in Aspen.

Perfectly placed in downtown Aspen just a short walk from the slopes, this luxury property is designed to reflect a modern spa-like atmosphere that combines the luxury of staying in a private condo  with the amenities of a hotel. The property features a courtyard area bursting with flora and fauna, private lounge areas, and unmatched serenity. The outdoor heated pool and hot tubs are met with infinity waterfalls, all enclosed in the private setting provided by the property.

One of the best rooms is the Fireplace Studio Suite. The suite features a full kitchen, wood-burning fireplace and private balcony, all while providing comfortable living space for two. The One and Two Bedroom Suites offer a separate living area, superior amenities, deluxe bedding and scenic views of Aspen. For those seeking a premier lodging experience, the premium one-of-a-kind condos have three bedrooms, three baths, two living areas, a private courtyard, and two balconies. Regardless of where you choose to stay at the Aspen Square, you can be sure that your stay will be met with modern elegance and magic that only Aspen can provide.

Find out more about how our team of Friendly. Knowledgeable. Locals.^®can help you plan your customized summer or winter vacation to the Aspen Square or any of our fun-filled destinations.

I’ve always been a bit of a music fanatic growing up. Though, with parents who are from a small village in China, I didn’t exactly have a broad range of music to choose from. Their music did help me develop an appreciation for cultural tunes though. It wasn’t until recently that I developed a love for jazz. I had an amazing opportunity over the summer to visit New Orleans twice and decided to stop into Preservation Hall, and thus, my love for jazz was born. I had no idea that I would find quality jazz in the middle of the mountains of Colorado, but I was pleasantly surprised by the discovery of Jazz Aspen Snowmass.


Like Preservation Hall, JAS aims to preserve Jazz in its purest form. Since 1991, the JAS hosts a June Festival filled with amazing performances. It is a ten day event with free and paid events featuring world-class musicians at the Benedict Music Tent. The entire line-up for the event hasn’t been announced yet, but it’s sure to be filled with performances that you don’t want to miss. Tickets for the 2011 June Festival will go on sale Monday, March 14, ticket prices are listed below:

June Festival Ticket Pricing (price includes all service charges)


Friday, June 24
Res A – $60
Res B – $40
GA – $20


Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26
Res A – $100
Res B – $80
GA – $60


I can’t wait until the festival! It’s only a few months away and I can already hear the trombones, trumpets, and my favorite, the saxophones. If you’re a fellow music lover, then I highly suggest you get your tickets! Maybe I’ll see you out there in June. Be sure to contact Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals for all your lodging needs!

As spring quickly approaches we begin to try and fill our summer schedules with awesome things to do. Although beaches and islands are always great nothing beats the mountains in the summer time.  That’s always why the locals say they came to Telluride for the winter but ended up staying for the summer.

There is so much to do in Telluride during the summer from mountain biking to river activities to a  ton of weekend festivals there is no reason not to visit us. This year marks the 33^rd annual Mountain Film in Telluride. This four day, six sense experience of the art, adventure, culture and environment will be sure to be life changing.

The festival begins each year with its Moving Mountains Symposium. This full-day event has a different topical theme each year, discussed and debated by a panel of world class experts drawn from many and varied disciplines. In 2009 the festival featured Food, in 2010 it featured The Extinction Crisis and this year the festival will focus on AWARENESS INTO ACTION where Mountainfilm will work on shortening the distance between awareness and action by providing us with a way to actively change the world around us.

I am sure once you all plan your summer vacation to Telluride and check out this year’s Mountain Film in Telluride you will understand why this festival is a locals favorite. For information on your summer activities and lodging contact your friendly, knowledgeable, locals at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals.

Last weekend thousands of excited ragers flooded to Avon, Colorado for the first (and hopefully annual) Snowball Music Festival. Although the ice, mud, and puddles made it somewhat hard to move from stage to stage, I don’t think that stopped anyone from having a great time! The festival certainly held true to its tagline- Music. Adventure. Party. The masses came out decked in onesies, glitter, animal suits, glowsticks, Charlie Sheen masks, hoolahoops and basically anything else you can imagine. Pretty Lights threw down an amazing set to headline the first night and got everyone pumped up for an amazing weekend!


Saturday was filled with high energy performances that made everyone forget it was less than 20 degrees outside, starting off with Colorado’s own, Big Gigantic. Paper Diamond played in the groove tent which was overflowing with people trying get down with Alex B. In my opinion, he probably should have been given the main stage where Local Natives were playing a very mellow, but enjoyable show. From there Classix, Lotus, and Savoy (with the coolest laser show I have ever seen) all rocked it out and Bassnectar closed down the show with an epic performance, as usual! The only bad part about Snowball was that it had to end at 10 pm, but that did not mean the party was over! Practically every bar in town had after parties with different musical guests. It was hard to choose which ones to go to, but I definitely had an amazing time seeing Big G late night at Agave!

Sunday was another great day of music. I had to get to the festival pretty early to represent MPLS when Brother Ali took the main stage at 2pm. It was nice to hear some hip hop after a really electric Saturday night and Brother Ali put on a great show complete with a long freestyle rap after forgetting some of his lyrics. Afro Man took the groove tent stage with a forty in hand and also forgot a few of his lyrics… (I wonder why…) but still busted out a great show with some of the classics we haven’t heard in years! After that I saw a little bit of Miami Horror then headed back to the groove tent to warm-up my toes and secure a spot for my favorite band to dance to, EOTO. Flaming Lips closed the night with a somewhat lackluster performance. I think the lasers shining off the disco ball and the giant balloons were better received than the music. It could have been due to everyone being danced out for the weekend or the fact that front man Wayne Coyne was clearly not on his ‘A’ game. Regardless, it was nice to hear Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots while snow was dumping over the mud and ice fields which is now Nottingham Park. Lucky for me, the night wasn’t over until Alex B. (Paper Diamond) and Dominic Lalli (Saxaphonist of Big Gigantic) were done throwing down an amazing collaboration at Agave!


All in all, The Snowball Music Festival was a great success! They should probably use some bigger tents next year but aside from that, everything seemed to have worked out really well. It was exciting to be a part of the first year and I hope it continues on for many more to come! If you were there this year, I’m sure you’ll be back and if not, it’s definitely worth checking out! Visit RockyMountainVacationRentals.com to have a Friendly.Knowledgeable.Local (who was most likely at Snowball) find the perfect lodging for you!

On June 18 at 5:00 pm, LaSportiva will once again have the LaSportiva Summer Solstice Twilight Trail Run. This event will feature a 10k (elevation gain is aprox. 1,500 feet), 5k (elevation gain is 811 feet) and a Father and Son run in honor of Father’s Day on Beaver Creek Mountain.

If you are not a runner but would like to go on and cheer on some friends, there will also be live music and food. For more details on schedule and a map of the run you can check out the  Vail Recreation District website. All Benefits go to the Vail Valley Charitable Fund.


And since you’re going to be in town already why not take advantage of all that Beaver Creek has to offer during the summer with amazing hiking, biking, and tons of other outdoor activities. If you want to find out what else you can do here and if you need help with lodging contact one of our very own Friendly, Knowledgeable, Locals in Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals.

If you are as much of a New Orleans lover as I am, you are probably aware that Mardi Gras is around the corner, and this time of year calls for some Soco-drinking, accordian-playing, bead-throwing, crawfish-eating, and parade-going celebration! Mardi Gras falls on March 8th this year, and Breckenridge is hosting several events in spirit of lettin’ the good times roll!


The first string of festivities starts appropriately on Saturday, well ahead of the Gras. Beaver Run Resort is hosting a Bacchus Ball, where there will be dancing, drinking, traditional New Orleans cuisine, and the crowning of Rex and the Queen. To attend this pre-Mardi Gras Ball, pick up your tickets at the Breckenridge Welcome Center. Tickets are $45 per person, and $85 per couple, which includes a New Orleans style buffet dinner. Additionally, musician Hazel Miller will be playing all night.


More into the idea of attending an event for free? Breckenridge has that part covered. Lundi Gras evening was traditionally my favorite part of the eventful weekend celebration – there is usually a variety of events and concerts going down that lead up to the Zulu Parade on Mardi Gras morning at 8 a.m. In Breckenridge this year, a Lundi Gras Celebration will take place at the Riverwalk Center Amphitheater, featuring BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, where there will be Hurricanes (the tasty and potent beverage) and full concessions.


On the day of Mardi Gras, don’t miss out on eccentric flavors of the “Taste of Nawlins Picnic” in the Blue River Plaza. Harvest Catering will be offering their talents to indulge attendees with cajun spices and rich southern cookin. Proceeds from the picnic will go to sponsoring Mardi Gras Events for the weekend. Lastly, of course, a Mardi Gras Procession will take place on Main St. at 4:30 pm. If interested in participating, click here.


So if good food, good music, and New Orleans tradition in the picturesque setting of the Rockies sounds like a good time, come out to Breckenridge, for a mountain Mardi Gras Mambo celebration!

Just like that Spring is fast approaching. What are you doing for your Spring Break? …I’m not thinking sun and beach… I’m going more for free concerts, last chance to get some skiing/boarding before the season is over, street parties, pond skimming championships. Doesn’t all that sound so much better than just sun and beach?  How do you get to do all this? Easy just come to Spring Back at Vail 2011!

Starting April 15 there will be tons of activities and concerts to celebrate the end of this great ski season we’ve had at Vail. Come early for an all-mountain film competition open to pros and amateurs. Best of all concerts are FREE and lift ticket deals and great lodging packages will be available and who better to help you get this party started and get your lodging needs in order than your Friendly, Knowledgeable, Locals at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals!

Curious about who will be playing at the concerts? Here are a few of the bands that will be playing:

• • Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
  • Train
  • The Greyboy Allstars
  • Shpongle presents the Shpongletron Experience
  • Stephen Marley
  • Chris Velan
  • Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

Alright I’m stoked about all this …I know if you read this blog you probably are too. What next…book your lodging with one Vail’s own Friendly, Knowledgeable, Locals!

Come to Telluride this summer to experience all the festivals, mountains and beautiful scenery. If pairing the beauty of mountains with the indulgence of fine wines interest you then you will be sure to enjoy the 2011 Telluride Wine Festival. This is just one of the unique festivals Telluride has to offer this summer. The wine festival takes place on June 23rd-26th.

This year there will be more chefs, more experts, more wine, and more cocktails than ever! This is an event you cannot miss! New to the festival this year will be Chef and Food Network Star Aaron Sanchez, Chef and Author John Sedlar and Chef Sue Torres, as well as Wine/Spirits experts F. Paul Pacult and Andrea Robinson, MS. Returning favorites Doug Frost MS, MW; Steve Olson, Greg Harrington, MS; and Andy Seymour will also be part of the all star lineup, as well as many others!

The Wine Festival has amazing food, great music, and fabulous wines from across the country. You will not be bored with all the nonstop entertainment! Make sure you don’t miss out on this weekend! Contact your Friendly, Knowledgeable, Locals at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals for your lodging information.

      Telluride Comedy Fest consists of a hilarious weekend of comedy in the beautiful Telluride.  The fest begins on Feb 17^th through the Feb 20^th.  Each night of this festival includes some of the best and funniest performers out there today. There are a variety of comedic acts from Stand-Up, Sketch, and Improv.

Features Acts:

Scot Armstrong (writer) – Old School, Starsky & Hutch, Road Trip, The Hangover Part II
Jessica Chaffin – 90210, The Mighty B!, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, Rona & Beverly
Jon Daly – Parks and Recreation, Bride Wars, NYC Sketch Group Mr. A$$
Jamie Denbo – Children’s Hospital, Terriers, Conan, Weeds, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Ed Helms – The Office, The Hangover, The Hangover Part II
Brian Huskey – Free Radio, Best Week Ever, Superbad, Step Brothers, Parks and Recreation
Nick Kroll – Little Fockers, Dinner For Schmucks, Get Him to the Greek, I Love You Man, Date Night
Jason Mantzoukas – Baby Mama, Splinterheads, Parks and Recreation, The League
Seth Morris – Curb Your Enthusiasm, I Love You Man, Step Brothers, No Strings Attached, Funny or Die
Tig Notaro – Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman Program, Comedy Central’s Benson Interruption, Held Up

     For lodging information contact your Friendly, Knowledgeable, Locals at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals.

Ski Vacation Ideas: Looking to do something special with that special someone on Valentine’s Day? How about a Mountaintop Matrimony at Loveland Ski Area! If you love your skis and snowboards as much as we do here at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, why not get married or renew your vows in them?

Loveland’s 20th Annual Mountaintop Matrimony is for couples getting married or renewing their vows. The ceremony takes place at 12pm sharp outside the Ptarmagin Roost Cabin at an elevation of 12,050 feet.  The ceremony is a “mass wedding” done for all couples at the same time and lasts approximately 30 minutes. After the ceremony, all participants and guests will ski or snowboard down the mountain for a casual reception with cake, music and prizes. Wedding cake, raffle tickets and beer coupons will be provided complimentary for pre-registered couples. Couples are highly encouraged to dress in appropriate “ski-wedding” attire as there will be a prize for the best dressed couple.

The wedding will not be rescheduled because of snow or cold weather, so be prepared. Sounds like a nice day for a white wedding!

       Do you enjoy snowshoeing? Adventure? Competition? If so the Beaver Creek Snowshoe Adventure is just for you! This snowshoeing series draws first-timers, world class snowshoe athletes, kids of all ages and everyone in between. This snowshoe event includes the East West Resorts 5k Quest, Dogma Athletic 10k and Kids 1k. This is the first year for the Dogma Athletic 10k and it will mark the largest cash prize in snowshoeing in the world with more than $15,000 in prize money.

       If you don’t have snowshoes no need to worry you can rent them at the Beaver Creek Nordic Center close by. This full day event includes slope side sponsor expos and a post-event plaza party for all participates to enjoy. There will be plenty of giveaways and even a post-race meal provided by the Dusty Boot (which has awesome food).
      

        The next event date takes place Sunday, March 6, 2011 at 11:00 am at McCoy Park. Pre- Registration is $30 and $35 the day of the event. Check out active.com to sign up for this event. For lodging information for this event contact your Friendly, Knowledgeable, Locals at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals!

Still amped up on the Winter X Games? Want a chance to compete on the famed X Games slopestyle and superpipe courses? Or maybe you just want another chance to see hundreds of athletes battle it out for Slopestyle and Superpipe victory. If so, get ready for the Aspen/Snowmass Ski & Snowboard Open at Buttermilk, February 10-13, 2011!

The Aspen/Snowmass Open Presented by Skullcandy has become one of the hottest open competitions around. Held at Buttermilk, this competition offers the unique and exciting opportunity for riders to throw down on the famous Winter X Games course and compete for over $50,000 in prize money. Now in its 6th year, the Open is expected to draw a total of 350 men and women skiers and snowboarders to compete in both Slopestyle and Superpipe for a chance at prize money and glory on the famed Buttermilk venues.

EVENT SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)
Tuesday and Wednesday, February 8 – 9, 2011
Training (SS and SP course open to credentialed competitors only)

Thursday, February 10, 2011
Snowboard Superpipe (men) – Qualifying
Ski Slopestyle (men) – Qualifying

Friday, February 11, 2011
Snowboard Superpipe (women) – Qualifying
Snowboard Superpipe (men and women) – Finals
Ski Slopestyle (women) – Qualifying
Ski Slopestyle (men and women) – Finals
Snowboard Slopestyle (men and women) – Practice after Finals
Ski Superpipe (men and women) – Practice after Finals

Saturday, February 12, 2011
Snowboard Slopestyle (men) – Qualifying
Ski Superpipe (men) – Qualifying

Sunday, February 13, 2011
Snowboard Slopestyle (women) – Qualifying
Snowboard Slopestyle (men and women) – Finals
Ski Superpipe (women) – Qualifying
Ski Superpipe (men and women) – Finals

So whether you are looking to compete or spectate at this exciting event, let your friendly, knowledgeable, locals at Rocky Moutain Vacation Rentals take care of all your lodging needs.

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!

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.

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 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!

Remember how much snow we had last year at this time? Not much. The entire mountain was not open, snowstorms were few and far between, and after a few days, the snow seemed more like east coast ice than Rocky Mountain champagne powder. Well if you are planning on coming up this season to Vail, count your blessings, because you are in for a treat.

With a big storm coming in this past weekend and the entire mountain being open for a few weeks now, the snow is better than ever for this time of year.  Fresh tracks can be found anywhere on the mountain any day of the week. Take it from your locals here at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals who are out riding throughout the week and enjoying the perks of living in the Vail Valley.

The snow is falling often and the champagne powder is everywhere. Come and get it. You won’t be disappointed. It’s not every year that we get this much snow this early in the season. Now is the time to take advantage of it. I know I am.

An exciting event is going to be taking place in Breckenridge next week: “The Summit” first annual Action Sports Film Festival. The festival will showcase talented filmmakers from all over the world as well as industry Q&A’s with top athletes and filmmakers, photography exhibits, live music, photography exhibits, local activities and a multitude of film screenings of the year’s best ski & snowboard films. The four-day event will start with an open house as well as a meet and greet with athletes, industry professionals and filmmakers on Wednesday, December 8th, 2010. Over the first three days, dozens of films will be screened followed by the awards ceremony on Saturday, December 11th at the Riverwalk Amphitheater in downtown Breckenridge.

Not only will the great festival promote action-sports filmmaking, but it will also give filmmakers a chance to explore and utilize the wonderful town and ski resort of Breckenridge. Many local restaurants, cafes, art galleries, night clubs and outdoor activities will contribute in supporting the gathering of an amazingly unique experience.

If you want to take part in this four-day festival, call us up at 1-888-866-2305 and let Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals take care of your lodging.

Beaver Creek turned on it’s lifts today to start the 2010-2011 season. When I woke up this morning the snow was fresh and deep so we had to head over to Beaver Creek to check out the slopes and they did not disappoint. Colin and I were able to find a fair amount of fresh snow to ride as we were reminded of how lucky we are to live here in the Vail Valley. A picture is worth a thousand words, so check out this short video of our day so you know what to expect on your next vacation to Beaver Creek.

The last week there has been a lot going on in this amazing state of Colorado and much planned for the winter.  In Denver this weekend, there were several great concerts and the Annual Zombie Crawl.  In the High Rockies, two ski resorts opened and snow has finally greeted us!

I attended two concerts this weekend, each of which were incredible; the BassNectar show at First Bank Center and the first Gorillaz World Tour at the Wells Fargo Theatre.  The Gorillaz have only performed in the U.S. a very few times before their world tour, and as a huge fan, I could not miss Damon Albarn (mastermind of the Gorillaz) in Colorado.  My year was made when I was able to tell Damon of my appreciation of his music and my favorite album Mali Music.  BassNectar was incredible, playing a two and a half hour set, blowing the walls of the First Bank Center.

If you found yourself on the 16^th Street Mall on Saturday October 23^rd you might have been petrified by the walking dead.  The Annual Zombie Crawl happens in the Streets of  Denver every year before Halloween to celebrate this great time.  This year, the Denver Zombie Crawl broke a World Record of most registered zombies in the streets at 7,300, shattering the previous record held by Seattle.  Now that’s a lot of Zombies!

Leaving Vail early Saturday morning, I was greeted with dead stopped traffic.  Usually, I would be stressed, but this time, there was a wonderful reason: tons of snowfall.  Thankfully, I have a Jeep and made it safely to Denver.  It continued to snow all weekend to help allow Loveland and Arapahoe Basin ski resorts open.  Opening weekends for other resorts are coming soon; Copper: November 5^th, Keystone: November 5^th, Breckenridge: November 12^th, Vail: November 19^th, Beaver Creek: November 24^th, Ajax: November 25^th, and Telluride: November 25^th.

If you are planning to visit Denver or the High Rockies, plan your trip through Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, your Friendly Knowledgeable Locals.