“One of the most relaxing, enjoyable times in the mountains we've had in a while” would be my short review of our recent long weekend getaway. My family and I were pleased to be guests of Keystone Resort over Labor Day weekend. While we have visited for the day in the summer and skied there in the winter, we have never stayed overnight.
Keystone Resort is a nice short drive from Douglas County. It is a smaller village compared to some of the other mountain resorts ... and that is part of the appeal. This leads to a nice laid-back relaxing getaway with less FOMO for sure.
Top four things we loved about Keystone for a long summer weekend!
1) Lakeside Lodging: Start off with a great place to relax! We prefer condos over hotel rooms as they feel more like home. We stayed in the Lakeside Village Condos at the Keystone Resort. The Willows condo was huge with two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and lovely mountain and water views. Located on the west side of the property, it was very quiet and close to the bike path, indoor pool and hot tub, and the kid’s playground. A central offsite lodging reception area made check-in and check-out a breeze. We’ll stay here again! TIP: If you book directly through the resort, you get summer and winter freebies like scenic lift rides for kids 12 or younger, free guides hike and more.
Conveniently located near the condo was the Adventure Center where we could grab a kayak and a paddle board to get in a little water time at the resort. We enjoyed it so much that we went out one evening and again the next morning. We loved checking out the ducks and feeding the huge fish. And not to be dismissed was the low key family style restaurants after a busy day.
2) Festivals: Keystone has a nice assortment of festivals in the summer (and the winter). The Taste of Keystone was at Lakeside Village on Sunday of Labor Day weekend. With over a dozen of Keystone's signature dining outlets featured around the lake, everyone in the family had something they would enjoy eating. A few of my favorites were the 8-Hour Braised Houlka Charred Pork Belly from Keystone Ranch, the Cabernet-Braised Bison Short Rib from Alpenglow Stube, and the not-to-be-missed World Famous White Chocolate Spaghetti & Chocolate Meatballs from Chef Ned. I loved that there was a kid’s area with a balloon artist, craft station, face painter, and photo booth. I loved this event so much. The food was great, it was not too big, and there were lots of activities for families. We’ll have to head back next summer for the Bacon and Bourbon Festival!
3) Western Dinner Wagon Ride: Our family joined about 40 other folks for a 20-minute horse-drawn wagon ride through the Soda Creek Valley to an historic ranch homestead. Our driver shared local history along with many kid-friendly jokes while we enjoyed the majestic view! At the ranch, there were outdoor games for the kids (young and old), a strolling guitar player, a bar for adult beverages, and backdrops for great family photos at the golden hour. My teenager had fun being the big kid and even organized some activities with the littles! We enjoyed BBQ chicken and ribs with awesome baked beans and corn bread. Pie à la Mode finished the meal. The Winter version offers a Sleigh Ride through the valley; I can imagine how gorgeous that would be in the moonlight!
4) Village Activities: We rode our bikes easily from the condo into the Village each day, enjoying the bike trails on our way. We took our time wandering around the Village and playing the huge Connect 4 and checkers games before heading up the mountain on the gondola. While we were not able to mountain bike this time, there were plenty of folks who used the bike haul option. We checked out a hiking trail with a few rock climbs for the kiddo, found some amazing views of the lake, played a round of horseshoes, challenged ourselves on the slack line, and then headed back down the mountain.
At the Kidtopia Play Park in the main village, there are activities for smaller kids like gem mining, bounce house, and a climbing wall. As you enter the village, there is also a mini golf course too. Be sure to check out the full calendar of Kidtopia activities to see what’s going on – because there is ALWAYS something happening each day!
We sure did enjoy our end of summer getaway – but we can’t wait for the snow. Here is a Winter Preview:
Keystone’s Kids Ski Free Program: With more than 100,000 free kids’ lift tickets provided since the inception of Keystone’s Kids Ski Free program, families can continue to take advantage of a program that is easy on the wallet and easy on the rules. Every day, all season long, kids 12 and younger ski for free at Keystone with no blackout dates when families book just two or more nights in one of Keystone’s numerous accommodation options.
Kidtopia: Keystone offers wonderful FREE family-friendly programming every day of the season, from Opening Day to Closing Day. The Kidtopia lineup includes activities such as the Village parade and fireworks, snowball launches, ice cream parties, and meeting Keystone’s Ski Patrol rescue dogs.
Kidtopia Signature Event Series: There is even more fun kids programming for the 2017-2018 season. Keystone is introducing the Kidtopia Signature Event Series, which are multi-day events with additional activities and family fun. There are three distinct feature events throughout the winter including the Kidtopia Spectacular (December 15-24, 2017), the first-ever Kidtopia Culinary Festival (February 9-17, 2018), and the Kidtopia Music Experience (March 2-10, 2018).
"Roomier" Chairlift: A new high-speed, six-passenger chairlift, the Montezuma Express, will increase efficiency and capacity to popular intermediate and beginner terrain. The new lift replaces the older 4 seat one.
New Hyatt Hotel: The Inn at Keystone will become Hyatt Place Keystone, schedule to open in early Winter 2018. It looks to be a very family-friendly lodging option with 103 guest rooms featuring a Cozy Corner with sofa-sleeper. Amenities include free breakfast, free wi-fi, three hot tubs, dog-friendly rooms, free self parking, and a free shuttle that takes you anywhere within Keystone Resort.
Worth the Splurge: When you are looking for a special treat or lasting memory on your ski vacation, two items come to mind: Dinner Sleigh Ride and Private Family Ski Lesson. The wagon ride that we took is also offered in the winter in a horse-drawn sleigh. The meal is a bit more upscale (choice of NY Strip, Grilled Chicken, Grilled Salmon, or Vegetable Strudel) with entertainment for all. A private family ski lesson can actually be more economical than you would think. With up to 6 people in your party, a private ski lesson provides the opportunity to fine tune skills while enjoying family time. We did this with our cousins one year; we still talk about how much fun we had and it cost less than group lessons on a per person basis!
Disclaimer: We were provided complimentary lodging, dining, and mountain activities for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was provided. Opinions are 100% my own.
