Category Archives: News

Col•o•ra•do (kah-luh-RA-doe) – a state in the west central united states that serves as the ultimate year-round playground due to its undeniable beauty, natural terrain, and perfect seasons. Colorado natives see no reason to leave, and non-natives get here as fast as they can because some just want to play.

This past summer I was introduced to various events that come through Colorado like the Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash and Spartan Challenge.  All of these circuit events are obstacle adventure races that require participants to get down and dirty on a course that tests one’s endurance, strength, stamina, and mental grit. These people don’t mess around…

Footage from last years Warrior Dash

These events are gaining popularity each year as more and more events of this nature continue to spring up. I’m going to let you in on a little secret about THE next event in the world of obstacle adventure racing – The Innagural Mojo Man Adventure Race will take place in Vail, Colorado over the 2012 Memorial Day weekend. Produced by Highline Sports and Entertainment, Mojo Man will occur right before the Teva Mountain Games and give Vail a surge of visitors over Memorial Day Weekend.

Mojo Man will feature Vail Mountain as the backdrop for the event, with participants racing between Vail and Lionshead Villages. The races will be designed to cater to racers of different ages and athletic abilities.  This is perfect for me, because as much fun as something like the Tough Mudder looks, I could never compete amongst those athletes!  Also, Mojo Man could potentially get the summer season started a week early in Vail—who doesn’t like that?  I look forward to seeing how plans for the race will develop over the next few months, and I will be sure to update you along the way.

Mojo Man will be one of the many great events going on in Colorado this summer, so call our team of Friendly. Knowledgeable. Locals.^® to start planning your vacation to Colorado today.

Have you been waking up each morning with excitement? Immediately going to the window to see if snow has fallen overnight? Or religiously checking your computer for the snow report, hoping you somehow slept for a month and all the resorts have suddenly opened? Well if you have, you are not alone. I have been impatiently waiting for the beginning of ski season, even though it was only three months ago that I was taking runs at Arapahoe Basin on the 4^th of July.

4th of July at Araphoe Basin

It was a great day to end a wonderful season, complete with friends and a grill in the parking lot. But as I look out my office window at Vail, I look forward to the coming season, and pray that this year will be as fulfilling as the last.

While Vail is not open yet, the ski season in Colorado has already begun! On October 7^th, 2011, Wolf Creek opened, recording the earliest opening day in Colorado’s history. Arapahoe Basin followed soon after on October 11^th, this past weekend Copper and Keystone Opened! So get out your calendars, put a big red “X” on the following dates, and start the countdown to what is predicted to be another La Nina winter!

• ·        Keystone: November 4^th
  
• ·        Copper Mountain: November 4^th
  
• ·        Breckenridge: November 11^th
• ·        Vail: November 18^th
• ·        ***Snowmass: Now December 10^th
•          Beaver Creek: November 23^rd
• ·        Crested Butte: November 23^rd
  
• ·        Aspen Mountain: November 24^th
• ·        Telluride: November 24^th
• ·        Buttermilk: December 10^th
• ·        Aspen Highlands: December 10^th
  

Whether you‘re coming to ski on opening day or sometime mid-season  be sure to find out more about how our team of Friendly. Knowledgeable. Locals.^® can help you plan your customized summer or winter vacation in any of our fun-filled destinations.

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!

Ready for some super sweet competitions this winter? I know I certainly am.  For years I was an alpine ski racer, and I think it is fair to say I have never let my competitive blood run dry.   Growing up on the east coast, there is not much for freeride racing, although I really wish there were because I would have loved to get into it while I was still in my racing career.  Although I may not be racing anymore thanks to a few knee injuries, I still love going to competitions of all types. One event in particular I am extremely excited about is the Colorado Freeride Series & Championship, which will be held February 25-27, 2011 at Snowmass in Aspen, CO.  Alpine racing is much different from freeride racing; there is no course to follow, you choose your own line and interpret it as best possible. Personally, I think the freeride competitions are much more exciting than any other type of competition.  Given that each racer picks their own line, it truly makes it a game of strategy for both the mind and body.

The three-day competition includes skiers and snowboarders each divided into two actions – men & women. Some of the biggest names in the industry hit the mountain to show off everything they’ve got on Snowmass’ cliff-littered experts-only terrain. Last year’s competition rang in over 100 riders, giving a stunning show to all spectators. Each rider has two runs and is judged on a point system by five judges over a three day period.

The Colorado Freeride Series is one of the stops on the IFSA North American Freeride Tour.  Therefore, the competitors are able to gain points overtime for a national title. Winners for last year’s competition were Patrick “Packy” Wesfeldt (Men’s Skiing), Liz Norton (Women’s Skiing), Dave Watson (Men’s Snowboarding), and Ivana Crone (Women’s Snowboarding).

Meet our Team at the BEWI Tradeshow!

Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals is getting geared up for a fun weekend at the BEWI Ski and Snowboard Expo, being held at the Denver Convention Center this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The event features everything from  Fashion Shows, Freestyle Aerial Demonstrations, Big Air Shows and a Beer Garden.  Not to mention it’s a great place for attendees to catch sweet deals on gear and the possibility to score some giveaways.

We’ve partnered with our good friend, Venture Sports, to offer three pairs of skis to be raffled off during the event!  Your chance to win is as easy as filling out a card telling us where you love to ski!  BEWI projects that over 25,000 people will attend the Denver Expo, which is very exciting for RMVR.  The Colorado travel market is our largest consumer, so the Expo poses a great opportunity to get RMVR’s name out there to these people.  Our goal of exhibiting  is to make people aware of the services and lodging options we provide in all of our ski markets.  If people knew that we are indeed the One Stop Shop for their ski travel needs, they’d never look elsewhere.

If you plan on attending the show, tickets can be purchased at the door for just $10.00.  Come meet our team at booth 52!   Further details on the expo hours and events can be found on the BEWI Website. We’ll see you at the show!

The soon-to-be-bustling view of the valley

Last week was a busy one at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals. As the season quickly approaches us, there is plenty for all of us to do to stay busy around here, as many of you probably are throughout the country. The word on snow today is that we’ll see some around 1 p.m. Signs of white have been visible in the mountains, restaurants and resorts are hiring for seasonal staff, and packages have been arriving for my co-workers with new snow gear. It’s like the start of the holidays before the start of the holidays in the mountains. I guess that’s just the way we roll!

With all that said, upcoming events and the anticipation for a busy next several months have been keeping everyone at RMVR on their toes. After some professional sales training with Doug Kennedy, expert in hospitality and founder of the Kennedy Training Network, our sales agents have been diving right into training for operating the online booking tool, Inntopia. A user-friendly tool to book lodging and services from our website, travel planning will be further accessible, convenient, and diverse for our valued customers. Requests and planning for Vail Gay Ski Week this March has been keeping us busy with web design, marketing plans, and reaching out to media. Additionally, RMVR has been making hires and expanding office space.

A little beach yoga in Frisco helps start the week out right

And the kick off to another week begins today! Thankfully, living in a place like Vail automatically throws you into continuous vacation living in between work. With a little bit of yoga by the lake in Frisco, and a little bit of fall hiking to overlook the Vail Valley that will soon be bustling with skiers and snowfall, I was quickly able to regain all the good energy needed for more work to be done.  Here’s to a good week, good coffee, and great vacations! Book with us at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, stay posted with updated RMVR news, and throw yourself into the excitement of Rocky Mountain living. Cheers!

This weekend, the highly anticipated Fourmile Canyon Benefit Concert was enjoyed by 6,500 people. Not only did this concert have an insanely epic line-up, but it also benefited a great cause. The show was put on to raise money for those affected by the Fourmile Canyon Fire which destroyed acres of nearby Colorado land and hundreds of homes just a couple of months ago. The benefit was able to raise over $300,000 in relief funds, with more looking to come in after the weekend.

We were lucky enough to snag a picture with Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon between sets!

The weekend started with two of my friends and I heading from Vail to Ft. Collins. There, I reunited with some great friends who made the trip out to Colorado from Minnesota for the concert. We warmed up our bluegrass dancing with a night of Cornmeal at the Aggie Theater. The next day we headed to Broomfield and rested up for the big night at the 1st bank center. The parking lot was raging outside the concert and we joined in the fun for a bit before excitedly entering the venue.

With no idea what the set list order would be, we anxiously entered the venue to be greeted by Leftover Salmon. During the set, Keith Mosely from String Cheese stepped in on the bass to soon be joined by his bandmate Bill Nershi and Phish’s Keyboardist, Page McConnel. This was just the beginning of all the epic guest appearances and it was only 7pm! Shortly after Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band took the stage for a raging set of Bluegrass. Phish’s Jon Fishman took a seat at the drums halfway through the set and Mandolin player, Jeff Austin thanked the crowd for their support to help the fire victims.

Next up was Big Head Todd & The Monsters. I’d never seen this band before but I’ll make sure to see them again. During their set, Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon passed us by and I snapped a quick pic. Unfortunately my camera was a wee bit zoomed in but Vince had no time for another photo, as we were soon to find out him and the rest of Leftover Salmon were heading up to the stage to join Big Head Todd & The Monsters to cover the Grateful Dead’s, ‘Friend of the Devil’.

Up next was an acoustic set by Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon from Phish who played some Phish favorites including ‘Back On the Train,’ ‘Water in the Sky,’ ‘Train Song’, ‘Sample in a Jar’, ‘Waste’, and ‘Possum’. Before leaving the stage, the duo turned the attention to all the firefighters in the audience and the entire crowd turned to applaud their heroic efforts with deafening roars of cheering, more than any band was to receive throughout the night.

As if their hadn’t been enough amazing music already, the String Cheese Incident took the stage to close out the show. Trey Anastasio joined the set early on, taking lead vocals as the band covered Joe Walsh’s ‘Rocky Mountain Way’. From there on out, all sorts of the evenings musicians were brought onto the stage, their set list also including ‘Round the Wheel,’ ‘Sitting on Top of the World’ and a cover of the Grateful Dead’s ‘I Know You Rider.’ By the time of the group encore, Bob Marley’s ‘One Love’ was performed by no less than 15 people, forming an epic jam-band I like to call the Big Leftover Cheese Mountain Band.

Overall, the show was a great success. The music was unbelievable and tons of money was raised for the Relief Fund. The devastating fire cost $4 million to fight and is estimated to have caused over $160 million in property damage. To donate to the relief fund head to CommFound.org or KBCO.com. You can also text a pledge to 303-720-7292.

With the summer drawing to an end, the weather is cooling down, meaning great conditions for biking.  The League of American Bicyclists made its way through Breckenridge in 2009 to award the town the silver-level award, allowing them to join honors with other Colorado towns including Colorado Springs, Durango, and Steamboat Springs. Breckenridge has been working hard to achieve a higher level ever since.  Many bike lanes and shared lane markings have been or will be striped to navigate bicyclists safely throughout town.  In other efforts, parking on Main Street is now only available on one side of the road, leaving more room for bicyclists.

The League offers four levels of awards; Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.  Each level represents the efforts made to make each town bicyclist-friendly.  Eleven Colorado towns have been recognized by the League, making Colorado the 14^th most bicycle-friendly state.  Boulder, CO was the second of only three towns to ever receive a platinum award.  If more Colorado towns can join this list, the state might have a shot at taking the top spot over the three-year-running most Bicycle Friendly state, Washington.

So grab your bicycles and come down to Breckenridge to enjoy their improved bike lanes and trails.  Awareness is the first step to greater improvement.  When you are in Breckenridge cycling through the town, make sure you have a great place to lay your head at night by calling Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals at 1-888-866-2305.

Great news Denverites! Contrary to what you may have heard, Frontier Airlines WILL be continuing its Denver to Aspen services.  Frontier Airlines had previously announced that it would be discontinuing its Denver to Aspen flights after September 30^th.  However, as of August 17^th, the company has decided to retain this service, and will be using three of its Bombardier Q400 aircrafts for Denver to Aspen flights, as well as Durango, Colorado Springs, and other Colorado routes.

Frontier Airlines will continue Denver to Aspen flights this ski season.

Denver to Aspen flights will include one departure per day October 1^st through November 17^th, two departures per day November 18^th through December 15^th, and just in time for ski season, four departures daily  December 16^th through April 2011.

To plan your next Aspen snow-cation, or any other Rocky Mountain vacation, contact Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals at 1-888-866-2305.

Move over Sundance, you’re not the only film festival in the Rocky Mountains!  While Vail’s Annual Film Festival has been gaining momentum over the past few years, and Sundance is a staple, Telluride seems to be the sleeper festival in the Rocky Mountain Region. Notable figures in the entertainment industry have been attending and submitting their projects to the festival for the past few years, including Nicholas Cage.

Little known to most cinema patrons, films such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Capote”, “The Last King of Scotland”, and “Juno” all made their worldwide debuts in this Colorado gem of a town. This year’s festival, the 37^th annual, will feature guest director Michael Ondaatje, author of “The English Patient”. Click here to visit the Telluride Film Festival website.

It has become the common theme that mountain town film festivals happen during the winter season. Obviously, this is where Telluride breaks away from the norm. While Telluride hosts their underrated, over-performing film festival, there are plenty of other activities to take advantage of in this true mountain getaway.

Along with world-class accommodations, dining, and shopping, it would be a mistake to miss out on the hiking, biking, and overall high country serenity that only the Rockies can give you. The air is clean and the people are friendly, so when you’re ready to take a trip to Telluride, call Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals at 1-888-866-2305 where they can plan your entire stay. They’ll take care of your every request!

Don’t miss this year’s 37th annual Telluride Film Festival from September 3 – 6.

Jazz Aspen Snowmass’ (JAS) mission is to “present and preserve jazz, American and popular music through world-class festivals, performances and education programs.” And that’s exactly what they’ve been doing since 1991. The organization’s modest beginnings were marked by their first festival in June 1991, which was inspired by one of the world’s finest jazz festivals in the medieval town of Marciac, France. Since then, JAS’s festivals have gained national recognition for their world-class music set in a unique, natural location in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, attracting crowds from all over Colorado and America.

Michael Franti and Spearhead performing at the Labor Day Festival. Photo from jazzaspen.org

JAS’ 20th season kicks off with the 10-day June Festival on June 25. There will be four days of concerts by world-renowned performers, including Harry Connick Jr., Natalie Cole and Pink Martini. During the rest of the days, band from the JAS Academy will be performing, and some of the events will be free. September 3 to 5 belongs to the Labor Day Festival. So far the only artists to be announced have been Wilco and The Black Crowes. But keep checking the Web site for new updates. In celebration of JAS’ 20th anniversary, three day tickets are on special for $145. But hurry because this deal ends May 31. The most beloved JAS event is Snowmass Villages’ Summer of Free Music series. Every Thursday night, crowds gather at Fanny Hill to watch artists perform all kinds of music, from Latin to blues to reggae. And it’s all free!

Besides its exceptional festivals, JAS also dedicates itself to educating the public about jazz, spreading jazz throughout the community and helping out young talent. They have a multitude of local programs set up that accomplish their mission of preserving the music. The JAS in Schools program places professional jazz musicians and educators in local schools to introduce middle and high school bands and ensembles to jazz. JAS also has set up a private lesson fund called Pays to Play that provides three free private lessons to Roaring Fork Valley youth in any instrumental discipline. Through Stuff for Students, JAS donates instruments to schools that wouldn’t be able to afford them otherwise. Their most prestigious program is the JAS Academy, the nation’s only all-scholarship jazz residency program. Now in its 15th year, JAS collaborated with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Washington D.C. to make the Academy a dream come true. JAS has another half-a-dozen programs that spread education and love of jazz to young generations.

JAS’ pioneering efforts to the preservation of music in the community have been beyond influential. To come see first-hand what one organization can do to a community, contact Rocky Mountain Group Travel to find lodging in the area that meets your budget and convenience 1-866-348-5129

Most often travelers to the Colorado Rockies are thrill seekers, and these thrill seekers are athletes looking to push their physical limits.  The thin air makes physical exercise that much harder, you dehydrate faster, headaches come on quick- it’s a test to push your abilities to the limits.  For the past 5 years Aspen has been putting on the “Ideas Festival”, meant to push and challenge intellect. Leaving behind the bikes and skies, bring your books and notebooks because this festival will get your wheels turning.  The Aspen Ideas Festival is going to be celebrating its 6^th year this July.  This festival brings together a diverse group of people to share new ideas, debate old ideas, discuss current topics in the media and that effect the nation and the world.  The goal of the festival is to make our world a better place.  From presentations and lectures this is sure to be intellectually stimulating with words from writers, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in their fields of expertise. All of the events will take place at the Aspen Institute and the theme is “Ideas in Action”.  Aspen is a beautiful and peaceful setting that will stimulate your mind, body and soul.  Summer is a busy time in Aspen so be sure to get your travel plans made early so you don’t miss out on this big Idea!

While perusing the Wall Street Journal, I came across a couple of articles outlining interesting trends for air travel this summer. Travelers can take advantage of websites such as Bing to view historical price graphs for airline tickets. Those doing their research will note some surprising changes…

In previous years consumers waited to purchase their ticket until about 3 weeks out, when fares are at the bottom due to airlines slashing prices to ensure that the seats were filled. Times are changing and airlines have reduced their capacity because of the recession. Already sources are saying that airfares are up 22% for the month of June. Planes are filling up quick, so if you’re looking to spend some quality time in Colorado this summer it is in the interest of your pocketbook to book now!

Although airfares are up, you can find peace of mind knowing that lodging rates are still looking very affordable, as hotels still struggle to put heads in beds. Many smart consumers have begun to realize the benefits of staying in vacation rentals. A vacation rental allows a group to cook their own meals, have more space and just an overall more unique experience than found at a hotel. Groups can find peace of mind knowing if they want to stay in a house, or neighboring condos they can do so and save money at the same time.

Colorado in the summer; glorious.  Experience it for yourself and you’ll know why.

All can agree that the business climate today is unlike anything most veterans have experienced in a lifetime. Many companies’ response to the contracting economy has been in short, downsizing, budget adjustments and streamlining of practices in order to focus on what’s going to produce the biggest ROI.However, not everywhere is hurting. In fact trends of the last two years pose a phenomenal growth opportunity to those with a vision and a means to act tactfully towards their vision. So when the economy gets back to the levels seen prior to late 2008 these companies are steps ahead of the competition.

Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals has been an anomaly in the lodging industry, boosting noteworthy growth in sales from the previous year. Management has taken on additional talented staff, preformed extensive research and is expanding their business model. Group Travel, RMVR’s most recent addition, was created to meet the growing needs of groups traveling to the Rocky Mountains. More times than not, someone gets stuck being the group organizer for a trip to the mountains, without having any knowledge of the area to which they’re traveling to. Yet they are expected by their peers to create a seamless, enjoyable experience for all. That’s why Rocky Mountain Group Travel team leverages their local knowledge, diverse lodging inventory, and partnerships; thus allowing the group organizer to relax, while RMVR handles all the details.

With 5,500 properties in Vail, Beaver Creek, Steamboat Springs, Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper, Aspen and Snowmass, RMVR can place groups in anything from a studio rental to a large private home. Considering that the needs of a particular group vary based on the nature of travel, size of group and length of stay, RMVR has an advantage that hotels don’t have for groups; options. From transportation, meeting space, tours, and special event coordination, RMVR has the experience and resources to take care of as much or as little that is required for each client. Groups will continually come through the Rockies year-round despite the macro economy. We will be here every expanding and refining our skills so that our clients can rest assured knowing that we are making them look good. Who doesn’t like that?

Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals has been dedicated to suiting the needs of their clients.  Recently, more groups have been using Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals to book their group’s vacations. We took this as a sign to improve our services, so we have branched into a division of client services that focuses on our group’s needs.

The birth of Rocky Mountain Group Travel had begun.  Our creative team we have here, rmvrMedia, has contributed immensely in building the platform needed to better showcase our dedication to those in travelling in groups.  Summer is right around the corner, and we have many summer packages for all types of groups ready in the next few weeks.

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-RMGT