Wallet-Friendly Vacations this Winter in Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado

Great values on ski/lodging packages and lots of free and low-cost ways to have fun

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (October 7, 2010) - There's no need to stop traveling when deals are this good for a ski vacation in Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colo.  Once here, there is free/inexpensive transportation and plenty of things to do for free or $6 or less.  For more great deals, go to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's web sites, www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com.

Great Deals
Cristiana Guesthaus, a cozy bed and breakfast lodge in Crested Butte, is offering an Early Bird Special - 20% Off.  Discounted rates are as low as $38 per person/per night based on double occupancy and time of year.  This deal must be booked by Oct. 31, 2010 by calling (800) 824-7899 and is subject to tax and availability.  Full payment is due at time of booking. Visit www.cristianaguesthaus.com. 

Another family-owned lodge, 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. Call (800) 542-7669 and visit www.nordicinncb.com.

Celebrate 50 Years of Skiing in Crested Butte with 50 percent off lift tickets and $50 per person, per night lodging from Nov. 23 - Dec. 16, 2010.  Shake off the summer cobwebs and enjoy uncrowded skiing and riding at its finest.  Pricing is subject to availability and based on double occupancy in a Emmons or King Suite at the Grand Lodge Crested Butte or quad occupancy of a two-bedroom Plaza or Gateway condominium.  Call Crested Butte Vacations at 1.800.810.7669 or visit www.skicb.com.  Other lodging partners in the area, such as Elk Mountain Lodge at (800) 374-6521, also are offering this deal.

A holiday ski vacation for under a grand? The Grandest Christmas package features four nights of lodging at the Grand Lodge in Mt. Crested Butte and three days of skiing or riding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort for two adults and two children ages 17 or younger for under $1,000. This package is good for travel from Dec. 17 to Dec. 26, 2010, and must be booked by Dec. 18.  Price is subject to availability and prior to all fees, taxes and optional travel protection. .  Call Crested Butte Vacations at 1.800.810.7669 or visit www.skicb.com. 

The Ruby of Crested Butte, a bed and breakfast known for its gourmet hot breakfasts, is offering discounts to teachers and military men and women. With the MiLOVEtary Getaway, enjoy 25 percent savings off lodging for stays of two nights or longer from Nov. 23, 2010 - April 3, 2011. Packages starting at $525 are available and include 25 percent off dinner at Maxwell's Steakhouse, a one hour massage for two and a bottle of champagne accompanied with chocolate-covered strawberries upon arrival. The Teacher Appreciation special at The Ruby provides 20 percent off stays of two nights or longer during the same timeframe and a complimentary appletini at the Dogwood Cocktail Cabin.  Packages for teachers start at $349. Call The Ruby at (800) 390-1338 or visit www.therubyofcrestedbutte.com.

Free/Low-Cost Entertainment & Transportation

Events & Culture

• Get into the holiday spirit at Night of Lights in Gunnison on Dec. 3 and Light Up Night & Holiday Parade in Crested Butte on Dec. 4. Both events are absolutely free.
• Watch the silliness and seriousness as racers take off during the 24th annual Alley Loop Nordic ski race on Feb. 5. While you'll see plenty of Lycra on racers attempting to qualify for the American Birkebeiner, many families and casual racers wear costumes for the shorter races that go through the streets, alleys and trails of Crested Butte.
• Flush out winter and welcome spring at the 43rd annual Flauschink held March 31 - April 3 during the last week of ski season. Some Flauschink festivities are free, while others cost $5 or less with a $3 button purchase.
• On the last Thursday of December through March, stroll the galleries of Crested Butte during ArtWalk Evening. At many locations, refreshments are served and guest artists are on hand.
• Western State College offers several free concerts by faculty, students and guest artists throughout the year.
• At the Gunnison Arts Center and Crested Butte Center for the Arts, view exhibits for free.
• There is a $3 fee (12 and under are free) to enjoy the exhibits at Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, but enjoy the lobby filled with items that used to be sold at Tony's Conoco, photos of old-timers and an excellent gift shop for free.

Recreation 

• Go sledding and ice skating at the Crested Butte Nordic Center.  There is no cost to use the hill or rink, and the center offers inexpensive ice skate and sled rentals. 
• Join the Crested Butte Nordic Center for a free lesson during "Learn to Skate Ski for FREE!" on the first Thursday of every month from December - March. The class starts at 1 p.m. and is limited to 12 people, so reserve a space by calling (970) 349-1707 by the Tuesday before. Ski rentals are available for $15.
• If you have snowshoes or Nordic skiing equipment, ask local outfitters where to go in the backcountry or on free Nordic trails in Gunnison. Equipment also can be rented for a reasonable price.
• Drop a line in the Taylor River or Blue Mesa Lake. A fishing license is required.
• Enjoy a day at the Gunnison Recreation Center's entire facility for only $4 for kids ages 5 - 17 and $6 for adults. Kids under 5 are free. Think an indoor pool with slides, rock climbing wall, gym, game room and fun galore.
• The City of Gunnison Ice Facility at Jorgensen Park features three sheets of ice: an indoor refrigerated NHL-size rink, outdoor Olympic-size covered rink, and outdoor frozen pond. The admission cost for the indoor rink is $3 for ages 18 and older, $2 for ages 5 - 17, and free for kids under 5. Skate rentals are $3 per pair. There is no cost to use the outdoor rink and pond. There are scheduled times for public skate at both rinks, and the pond is dedicated to open skating.

Transportation

Colorful Mountain Express buses painted by local artists provide free transportation between Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.  The main bus stops are at the visitor center in Crested Butte and the ski area, with several other stops in both Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. 
The Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority offers bus service between Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte for only $2 per ride, so you can stay at one end of the valley and still have an easy way to connect to the other end. 

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison County or to book other 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.

[###]

Photo: Fishing on the Taylor River.  Courtesy of the Gunnison Country Times.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:                       Beth Buehler                                        

                                    Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association               

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

                                    http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/