november-2009

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Let’s Make a Deal
A ski getaway doesn’t have to cost an arm and
a leg. You can save big with these offers at Vail
and Breckenridge.
Stay in the heart of Vail Village and save 30% when you
VAIL book your ski vacation accommodations by Dec. 1. Rates
start at $172 per night for stays anytime Nov. 20 through
Dec. 17. Different rates are available throughout the season and for
other properties (including $133 for a one-bedroom condo). Minimum
night and other restrictions apply, and rates are subject to availability
and based on standard occupancy.
Save 55%—yes, more than half off your lodging—at Vail this season.
This offer is valid Nov. 20 through April 17 for everything from hotel
rooms to four-bedroom condos. Featured rates are subject to availability
and based on standard occupancy. Visit www.vail.com for more info.
GO MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2009
Pepi’s in Vail
Après ski
Rather than settling for the same base-area après ski place every day, test the
local watering holes. M. John Fayhee, the editor of Mountain Gazette magazine,
is somewhat legendary in the Rockies as a take-no-prisoners journalist
always quick to extol the mountains he loves. He’s also a connoisseur of (and
regular at) local bars.
“What you’re looking for is the community living room,” says Fayhee, who
lists Moose Jaw (970-668-3931) in Frisco, just minutes from Breckenridge, as
a favorite spot. Known for its great burgers (thick and savory, not too greasy),
the Jaw’s rough-hewn, funky interior is as comfortable as an old shoe. In nearby
Dillon, another off-the-hill saloon is Pug Ryan’s (www.pugryans.com), which
also makes its own brews, including the award-winning Morningwood Wheat,
a light, unfiltered beer. “It’s intimate, and the bartenders are very friendly and
welcoming—they seem happy that you came in,” Fayhee says.
The younger crowd in Breckenridge hits Park Avenue Pub (970-453-5139)
for dollar drinks at happy hour. “It’s awesome,
cheap and fun with lots of friends,”
Wren says. If your après ski festivities
continue into the wee hours, she suggests
Cecilia’s (www.cecilias.tv), where the crowd
is a mix of locals and visitors. There’s occasional
live music, but mostly it’s a different
theme for the DJ every night—80s, punk,
techno—along with plenty of drink specials,
like two-for-one martinis or $2 cosmos.
At Vail, Williams recommends hanging
out at Pepi’s (www.pepis.com) inside the
very Austrian, chalet-style Hotel Gasthof
Gramshammer. If you’re looking for
old-school ski village vibe, this is the place.
“Pepi’s is a classic, with a great deck right in
the heart of Vail Village and one of the best
acoustic guitar players,” she says.
Steiner says that many people gravitate
to Garfinkel’s (www.garfsvail.com) in
Lionshead. “It has a huge patio and is
always packed on sunny days,” he says.
“[The snow’s] even
better right around
noon.”—Leanne Wren
Book a seven-night stay and get free, unlim-
BRECKENRIDGE ited skiing all season long. You must book
your stay by Nov. 15 to receive a free Summit
Pass valid for unrestricted skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone and
Arapahoe Basin. Featured rates are subject to availability and based on
standard occupancy. Visit www.vail.com for more info.
Available through mid-November, this pass is
THE EPIC PASS almost too good to be true. For $599 (or $299
for children), you receive a full season of skiing
at six Denver-area resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone,
Heavenly and Arapahoe Basin). There are no blackout dates and no
restrictions. Six discounted tickets come with a purchase, so friends
and family can save, too. Visit www.epicpass.com for more info.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JACK AFFLECT (PEPI’S)