Earth Hour 2009 [pics]

If “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” had a book devoted to travel, three entries could be: 1) banana is a popular pizza topping in Sweden; 2) Alaska is both the westernmost and easternmost U. S. state; and 3) roughly eight of every 10 Americans have never cruised. Except for proponents of tomatoes being the only fruit that belongs on pizza, perhaps the most mind-boggling of the above is how many among the U.

Après-ski is a tradition as old as skiing itself. The words, literally “after skiing,” conjure images of Parisians toasting champagne in the sunshine of the Alps. They laugh, dance, eat, and drink because nobody drives anywhere. Here in Colorado, people tend to return to their cars, change, and get on the highway as soon as possible, hoping the traffic won’t be bad. But if you stay overnight, live in a mountain town, or want to wait out the worst of the traffic, ski country is full of amazing places to wind down. These are places where the soul of skiing lives, where locals meet to swap stories from the day on the mountain, and where the view of the Rockies will continue to inspire you after your ski legs have waved the little white flag.

If you are curious about the giant construction project surrounding Keystone’s River Run gondola, it’s a village-sized resort that will change the look of the main base area. Kindred Resort, set to open in the spring of 2025, is touted as “the most luxurious new slopeside property in the Colorado Rockies.” Part of Vail Resorts’ RockResorts brand, the property consists of 107 high-end hotel rooms, 95 one-to-four-bedroom residences, a private club, spa, ski valet, the new headquarters for Keystone’s Ski & Snowboard School, upscale retail shops and three restaurants, all within steps of River Run Gondola. “Kindred is going to be a game-changer,” says Ken Riley, the first mayor of Keystone, which became an incorporated town last February. “It does feel like this is a missing link to what a top family-friendly resort can offer.” While Keystone has long since boasted fine dining haunts like the Ski Tip Lodge and (located on one of its two world-class golf courses) Keystone Ranch, as well as a massive conference center and upscale spa at Keystone Lodge, it has always positioned itself as a more affordable family destination than surrounding ski resorts. Despite the upscale developments starting with Kindred, Keystone still offers free parking within walking distance of lifts at River Run and Mountain House, family amenities, and lodging packages, including free lift tickets for kids. Incorporating the town was crucial to Keystone’s journey toward improved infrastructure and offerings.

Looking for crowded pool bars, over-sunning, booming bass-heavy hard rock, inflated prices and endless huge hotels? If not, read on. Those are the images many have of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, particularly of the southern tip, known as “Los Cabos.” But “Los Cabos” means Two Capes, and all of the above is abundant in one of those capes, Cabo San Lucas.

Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems) Awakened in the middle of the night recently in a backcountry hut on Shrine Pass, I glanced out a window and saw stars, so I threw on a jacket and went out on the deck of Jay’s Cabin, three miles northwest of Vail Pass at 11,223 feet. The moon had set, so the stars stood out in the deep black of the sky above.

Sometimes, due to schedules or budgets, it’s impossible to plan a big vacation in the winter or during the holidays, or maybe you want to stay close to home and not travel a long distance. It can be a thrill to play tourist in your city or take a short excursion within an hour’s drive, especially when places are decorated for the festivities of the winter months. The mountain towns have the draw of the slopes and likely more snow, but Colorado’s Front Range cities offer big city amenities.