Travel | featured news

Aspen Skiing Company mountains dominate Conde Nast Traveler’s reader’s choice rankings of North American ski resorts for 2023, led by Snowmass, which received top honors in the annual voting. Aspen Mountain was voted fifth and Aspen Highlands was 14th.
Telluride was the only other Colorado resort in the top 15, ranking 11th. Eight other Colorado resorts placed in the top 40.

If you’re planning to pack up your car for a road trip this Thanksgiving, you might want to add Denver’s most recent drop in gas prices to your list of things to be grateful for.
Over the past month, gas prices in Colorado have dropped 55 cents per gallon — 14 cents over the last week alone — for an average of $3.10 per gallon, according to data from GasBuddy.

“Galloping Gourmet: Eating and Drinking with Buffalo Bill,” by Steve Friesen (Bison Books)
One of history buffs’ favorite tales concerns an aging Buffalo Bill, a prodigious drinker. It goes something like this: Told by his doctor to limit his liquor consumption to two shots a day or the result would be calamitous, the showman agreed and told a bartender to serve each shot in a tankard.

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is planning to spend $17 million to make some major changes to the look and feel of its east-facing entrance for the first time in decades.
The east plaza revitalization project, which is slated to begin in 2025, will transform the historic entrance of the museum where Infinity Theater (formerly IMAX) patrons enter in the evening. It will also redesign the plaza outside the entrance, museum officials said, opening it up to both the public and museum-goers eating at the cafe and restaurant just inside the doors.

Husband-and-wife team Damien Zouaoui and Jessica French had the right idea when opening Oakwell Beer Spa, formerly known as The Beer Spa. Now, they anticipate a second location in Highlands Ranch, which will open in fall 2024.
“We have been looking for about a year now, specifically for a place that targets south Denver,” French said. “What I am really excited about is the increased capacity for the taproom, and we are having a patio, which will be new for us.”

Ahoy Swifties! If you’ve ever imagined yourself in a picturesque moment, staring out at sea in a nice dress during sunset as the chorus of “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” plays in the background, now’s your chance.

Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s new series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we will offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems).

If you grew up in Colorado — and are of a certain age — then it’s almost a given that you listened to a lot of John Denver while riding in the back of your parents’ station wagon on road trips.

Coffee lovers in the 13,000-person town of Fruita are in luck: USA Today this week named Bestslope Coffee Co. the best in Colorado — and one of the top five independent shops in the U.S.

Winter Park this year became the latest Colorado ski resort to offer early lift access for skiers and riders who are willing to pay for upgrades to their lift tickets. It’s a privilege that some love and others criticize as elitist.
“Early ups” allow visitors to board lifts 30 minutes or more before they open to the general public, usually for $50 to $70, in order to get a crack at undisturbed snow. Other areas that offer early ups include Copper Mountain, Steamboat, Aspen Mountain and Snowmass. Beaver Creek and Keystone offer early ups on select days.

Break from tradition and embark on a culinary quest this year for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year’s meal. Imagine carving into a turkey at a historic hotel with a mountain backdrop, or dominating a five-star buffet before hiking in a nearby national park.
Here’s a selection of brunch options for the upcoming holiday breaks. Pack your bags and appetite, and get ready to explore: