Top 5 Reasons to Visit Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado this Winter

Offering an unmatched spirit, outdoor paradise and vacation values

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (December 17, 2010) - When shelling out your hard-earned cash for a vacation, you want it to be memorable.  Here are five great reasons to visit, along with some wallet-friendly deals. 

1.  The skiing & snowboarding rock
Inspire your passion for adventure on Crested Butte Mountain Resort's legendary extreme terrain or get your fill on beginner to advanced slopes that cover 1,167 acres and include 121 trails.  Try some tricks at the intermediate terrain park or on the legendary superpipe and the latest features at the DC Terrain Park.  Or enjoy the more than 95K of Nordic trails groomed by the Crested Butte Nordic Center and the Gunnison Nordic Club.  Go on your own or with a guide to try something new or hit some secret powder stashes.  Visit www.skicb.com, www.cbnordic.org and www.gunnisonnordic.net.

2. Drink in the atmosphere & culture
The Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley is known for its fun, free-spirited events and diverse cultural opportunities.  The Alley Loop Nordic marathon, U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships, ArtWalk Evenings, Elk Mountains Grand Traverse (Crested Butte to Aspen), Night of Lights, Flauschink and many other events throughout the winter and spring keep the atmosphere lively.  The Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum, Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, Crested Butte Center for the Arts, Gunnison Arts Center and Crested Butte Mountain Theatre keep the arts and history hot during snowy days.  Go to www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com for a calendar of events and list of things to do.

3. Stroll Elk Avenue in Crested Butte
Crested Butte's downtown district is big on charm with colorful historic buildings and a great vibe with people bench sitting and mingling around to locally owned, one-of-a-kind retailers, eateries, outfitters and service businesses.  Much of Crested Butte was placed on the National Register for Historic Place in 1974, before it was a cool thing to do.  In fact, Crested Butte was named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" list in 2008.

4. Soak in some solitude in the woods

• There is nothing quite like the freedom of being pulled by a team of dogs in the thick of stunning mountain terrain capped with snow. Dog sledding with Lucky Cat Dog Farm is one of those lifetime experiences not to be missed. Visit www.luckycatdogfarm.com or call (970) 641-1636.
• Join the Crested Butte Nordic Center on a Full Moon "Dinner at the Yurt" Ski & Snowshoe Tour to Magic Meadows on Dec. 21, Jan. 19, Feb. 18 or March 18. The gourmet dinners are prepared by local restaurants and begin at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $60 per person, which includes a trail pass and equipment rentals. Go to www.cbnordic.org or call (970) 349-1707.
• Crested Butte Mountain Resort offers daily guided snowshoe tours on ski area trails at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Snowshoes, poles, water, a light snack and a lift ride are included in the cost for the two-mile outing. During Moonlight Snowshoe Tours on Dec. 21, Jan. 19, Feb. 18 and March 19, enjoy the thrill of snowshoeing the moonlit mountain trails back to the base area from 7 - 9 p.m. The cost for tours is $75 per person. For information and reservations, call (970) 349-4554 or visit http://www.skicb.com/.
• Enjoy a scenic, horse-drawn sleigh ride with Lazy F Bar Ranch to a rustic 1950s cabin overlooking the East River south of Crested Butte and indulge in a five-course meal that most importantly includes five kinds of homemade desserts.  Visit www.lazyfbarranch.com or call (970) 641-0193.

5. Create magical moments during the holidays
There is merrymaking and fun for all ages with a holiday fashion show, Sugar Plum Festival and Thanksgiving Training Camp (Nordic skiing) in November before the kickoff of December festivities such as Gunnison's Night of Lights, Crested Butte's Light Up Night & Holiday Parade, and Crested Butte Mountain Theatre's production of "A Tuna Christmas."  There's also a full slate of New Year's Eve celebrating in Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte with a Frozen Buns 5K Resolution Run, torchlight parade and fireworks on the ski slopes, and more.

Wallet-Friendly Vacations

The Old Town Inn in Crested Butte is making January and late-season skiing very attractive.  A Height of Winter package offered from Jan. 3 - 27, 2011 includes daily lift tickets, lodging, breakfast and other hotel amenities (homemade cookies fresh from the oven each afternoon, high-speed wireless, etc.) for only $116 per person, per night for double occupancy and $93 per person, per night for a family of four in a two-queen room. The same deal is offered from March 21 - April 2, 2011 as the Spring Celebration package. If you would prefer to substitute another winter activity with this package, no problem! Call (888) 349-6184 or visit http://www.oldtowninn.net/.

The Nordic Inn in Mt. Crested Butte has a Winter Playtime package available from Jan. 3 - Feb. 18, 2011.  The deal for two people includes three nights lodging and two days skiing for only $618.00 ($309.00 per person). The same offer is available through the Sunscreen Required deal from March 27 - April 2, 2011. Continental breakfast is included.  Call (800) 542-7669 and visit www.nordicinncb.com.

The Three Great Resorts package is ideal for anyone driving over Monarch Pass to the Gunnison-Crested Butte area.  The package starts at $227 per person and includes three nights' lodging at Three Rivers Resort in Almont, two days of skiing/riding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort and one day of skiing/riding at Monarch Mountain. The deal is based on double occupancy in a lodge room featuring a queen-size bed, futon, kitchenette and full private bath, but additional lodging options and lengths of stay are available. Reservations must be received at least 48 hours in advance of stay, and the offer is valid from Jan. 3 - Feb. 19, 2011 and March 27 - April 3, 2011. 

Visit http://www.gunnisongetaway.com/ for a wide variety of lodging and lift ticket packages offered by Three Rivers Resort and Gunnison properties such as the Water Wheel Inn, Wanderlust Hostel and Super 8.

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison County or to book personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's toll-free line, (800) 814-8893, or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com.  Find the Tourism Association on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gcbta or follow us on www.twitter.com/gcbta. 

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is served year-round by United Airlines with flights from Denver and during the winter season by American Airlines and Continental Airlines.

About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado.  Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.  Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities.  In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding.  Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. 

Gunnison, county seat and a real western town, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, which offers bachelor's and master's degrees in liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional fields.  Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. 

Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is 28 miles from Gunnison and the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.  Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. 

In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks.  Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.  Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.

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For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below.

Contact:                       Beth Buehler                                        

                                    Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association               

                                    (970) 349-1168 or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net

                                    http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/