Valentines Vacation For Families

By Jeanine Consoli

As you plan for your next family vacation, you may consider a winter travel experience this Valentine’s Day. A ski vacation is a beautiful way to make family memories. Whether your group consists of multi-ability level skiers or those just starting to learn the sport, skiing is an incredible way to appeal to each family member. It’s also a wonderful multi-generational getaway that everyone will love.

My husband and I put our twin girls on skis when they were three years old, and after a few lessons and a bit of practice, they never looked back. 23 years later, we continue to ski as a family and always look forward to spending time on the slopes. The non-skiers in our group enjoy other snow-related activities like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just relaxing by the fire. And, after our day, we all reconnect, sharing our experiences over some delicious food and cocktails après ski.

Great For Families

Where should you spend your ski vacation? That’s a great question. The answer depends on choosing the right resort for your needs. A family-friendly resort like Granby Ranch in Granby, Colorado, caters to different ability levels, providing the opportunity to offer more advanced skiers challenging runs and novice skiers a place to learn in a comfortable environment dedicated to giving them confidence on the slopes. Even if you don’t want to downhill ski but love the snow, there are cross-country trails and several other alpine experiences to enjoy the outdoors at the resort and around Grand County.

Granby Ranch is 90 miles west of Denver, an easy one-hour and thirty-minute car ride from Denver International Airport. This intimate resort offers 406 skiable acres with 38 trails across two mountains–The East Mountain at 9,202 feet elevation and the West Mountain at 9166 feet with a vertical drop of 1,000 feet.

The East Mountain is geared for novice to intermediate skiers, and the West offers challenging black diamond runs for the advanced skiers in your group. There are plenty of runs but the trails are laid out so that they all lead back to the base lodge. Due to its size, there are fewer crowds at Granby Ranch, and no one will get lost if you split up to access different areas at either mountain. There’s a terrain park and glade skiing for the thrill-seekers in your group.

Learning To Ski

Granby Ranch is known for its teaching program. They offer lessons to 4–5-year-old skiers in their Tyke Program, where small group lessons include rentals. They also have classes for older novice skiers, lessons for adult beginners, and private lessons for skiing and snowboarding instruction. The groups are small, so you will enjoy individualized attention in a group setting. What’s nice about Granby Ranch is that even if you are already a skier, you can hone your skills and tricks at a multi-day camp to level up your abilities. On specific nights, you can enjoy skiing under the lights at East Mountain– an exhilarating experience.

Dining and Snacks At The Base Lodge

The best part about this Colorado ski resort is that you can reconnect quickly with your group. If you have a child in ski school and older teens or skiers on the East or West Mountain, you can all meet up in the middle for coca breaks, a quick snack, or a sit-down lunch at the base lodge.

When hunger strikes, you can ski by the GR Food Truck at the base of the mountain or enjoy a sit-down meal at the Slopeside Dining Hall, offering tacos, nachos, barbeque, or family-friendly favorites like chicken fingers. Then, get ready to hit the slopes for the afternoon, fueled up and ready for more adventure.

Après ski, enjoy a delicious meal at the Blue Bird Bistro serving “Modern Mountain Cuisine” like burgers, brick-fired pizzas, and barbecue, or head up to the third floor and the 8350 Lounge. You’ll find live music and menu options like a raw bar and sauté station.

Activities For Non-Skiers

If you like to play in the snow but aren’t interested in skiing, Granby Ranch offers guided snowshoe tours–a great way to immerse yourself in nature. You can rent equipment at the ranch, and when you book a tour, you will enjoy a guide and a ride on the Quick Draw Express lift. The views are breathtaking.

You can also enjoy the brand new Passenger Bubble Snowcat tours. Tours last around two hours in the snowcat, where you can observe the vistas from the warmth of the 9-passenger vehicle. Back at the lodge, there’s fireside Yoga or Snowga to stretch out from all that activity.

Nearby, you can enjoy snow tubing and sledding or spend time enjoying a relaxing spa day. There are so many adventures to explore around Grand County.

Lodging And Parking

Granby Ranch partnered with Sun Outdoors Rocky Mountain for a “Ski and Stay” package. Enjoy 10 percent off your stay and 10 percent off your lift tickets.

If you choose to find lodging nearby, there are hundreds of conveniently located homes on Air B&B, HomeAway, Vacasa, and VRBO. No matter where you stay, you’ll enjoy free parking at the mountain with two lots just a short stroll from the lodge.

An Incredible Vacation

Grand County is the idyllic setting for an exceptional Valentine’s Day getaway and Granby Ranch is the perfect place to ski. There is so much snow and plenty of enchanting activities you are guaranteed to enjoy the wintry vacation of your dreams. There is something for everyone at Granby Ranch and around the surrounding Rocky Mountain towns that make up Grand County, Colorado. It’s one of the most beautiful places to enjoy an active holiday with your family.