Arguably, The Best Part of a Family Vacation

 

On family vacations, for reasons I never fully understood, some rules seemed to hold less weight than at home. I’ve witnessed my parents jumping up and down on many a hotel bed, with the sounds of laughter more fitting to be originating from their children, as I usually just stood in awe and couldn’t believe my eyes. Hadn’t I been in trouble for doing this very thing at home?

That’s the wonderment about family vacations. The pure fact that you were somewhere other than home, whether it was 50 miles or 5,000 miles away, meant that jumping on the bed was apparently not only condoned, but encouraged.

Jumping on the bed is a metaphor of course, for the entirety of a family vacation. On family vacations, the whole family gets to play. Everyone gets to join in on the fun. Often, experiences, places and activities are being enjoyed together for the very first time collectively. It creates this sort of level playing field within the family not necessarily experienced at home.

At Keystone, kids have no age limit. No matter your age, you too can play. We not only believe that play is the root of all good, but we believe play is for everyone. We view Keystone as a playground where kids of all ages can discover the magic of playing in the mountains and where grownups like me discover that deep down, we’re still kids too.

So go ahead, feel free to bend some rules. I’ll leave jumping on the bed up to you, but if you’re ready to let your kid flag fly at Keystone, here’s how to do so:

Use your outdoor voice

And shout from the mountaintops while you’re at it. Keystone is the largest ski resort in Summit County, Colorado. More than 125 trails await, including gentle groomed runs, steep bump runs, gladed terrain, powder-filled bowls and an award-winning terrain park.

Skiing and snowboarding are one of the few sports that the entire family can enjoy together, no need to simply cheer from the sidelines. Imagine the stories your family will tell after standing atop Keystone at 11,640-feet elevation, with the landscape of the Rocky Mountains dotting the horizon as far as the eye can see, before you ski down Keystone’s dedicated Family Ski Trail together, a 3.5-mile easy trail that meanders down the entire mountain.

Color outside the lift lines

Keystone is a true winter wonderland. In addition to skiing and snowboarding, you can enjoy a variety of additional adventures as an entire family. With Keystone’s enclosed River Run Gondola, mountaintop adventures like family snowcat tours, snow tubing and fondue dinners are accessible to the whole family regardless of skiing ability. Take in the sights of the Continental Divide on Keystone’s snowcat tour, zip down eight lanes of high-speed tubing action, or cap off an evening with an interactive dinner at Der Fondue Chessel. Be sure to check out Keystone’s scenic or sleigh ride dinners, where you and your family will enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride to historic homestead-era log cabins form the 1800s.

Learn your lesson the easy way

Go ahead, get back to school. While it’s more like a day-long recess while playing on a mountain, Keystone’s Ski & Ride School has offerings for kids, adults, beginners and experts. Whether you’re just learning to ski or snowboard, practicing new skills, or looking to go on a guided mountain adventure, the professional instructors will help you achieve your goals and fully enjoy your Keystone experience. 

 

Spoil your appetite

Parents, and younger ones with discerning taste, will be pleased to find that Keystone is home to several top-rated restaurants perfect for a parent’s night out, or a full family affair.

High atop Keystone’s North Peak and accessed by two gondola rides are the Alpenglow Stube, providing fine dining at 11,444-feet and the highest AAA Four-Diamond rated dining experience in North America, and Der Fondue Chessel, offering an authentic fondue experience in a true family-friendly environment.

Down in the cozy villages of Keystone, elevated dining experiences await as well. The Ski Tip Lodge, originally an 1800s stagecoach stop and once home to Keystone’s founders, is now a quaint bed and breakfast featuring a dinner restaurant that has been voted one of the best in America by OpenTable. The Keystone Ranch, another AAA Four-Diamond rated restaurant, is located in an original 1930s ranch homestead and offers a genuine Colorado steakhouse with historic charm.

Play for keeps

Or, play for fun. However you choose to play at Keystone, you can ensure it’ll elicit laughter, bonding and memories forever. But don’t simply take my word for it, come and bend some rules for yourself. I triple dog dare you.