When we stay in Keystone, in the summer, we always like to walk as much as possible. We like staying in Ski Run 201 with SummitCove Properties because it is more economical than staying in River Run Village and we can still walk to some restaurants, including our all time favorite pizza place, Pizza 101.
Pizza 101 is located in the Snowdance Plaza building which is a short walk from the Ski Run condos. We call ahead to order our pizza and walk over and pick it up. We love the Kermit pizza with the pesto and the strombolis. We add a house salad and some garlic cheese stixs and we have a yummy dinner and lunch to throw in our cooler for the next day, because everyone knows pizza and strombolis taste better the day after! At Pizza 101 they brick oven-fire their hand tossed pizzas and the crust is delicious! Their pesto sauce and pizza sauce are to die for. Their prices are good, especially for a resort, and having a coupon from SummitCove Lodging helps lower the bill. The staff is always friendly and working hard as they always seem busy.
Our family looks forward to eating at Pizza 101 on each trip to Keystone and I look forward to an easy, convenient, delicious dinner while on vacation. It is a win, win and we will be back for more!
For some of the best food and beer in Summit County go to Pug Ryan’s Brewery! Pug’s has been a staple restaurant in Dillon for years and it never disappoints. We have been eating at Pug’s for over 20 years and are faithful customers. The atmosphere is fun and relaxing and the staff has great customer service. They have the best burgers and fresh microbrews! If you are a non meat eater they have fish, veggie lasagna, soups and salads. My favorite is the pan fried trout with a Moscow Mule. My husband loves the meatloaf, with the Pack Iron Pale Ale, and my kids would eat the french fries and mac and cheese every day, if I let them.
Craft Beer Flight from Pug Ryan’s Brewery
We stay in Keystone and it is fun to come to Dillon for a night and have dinner at Pug’s and see the ice castles or go bowling. They have a wonderful open an fireplace inside that is perfect to warm up next to on a chilly winter evening! Our lodging company, SummitCove also has a coupon for Pug Ryan’s for a free pint of beer in their Key to Keystone Coupon Book! Pug’s also has a great happy hour, which is Monday – Friday from 2-6pm. Appetizers are half off, wine and well drinks are only $4.00 and pints are only $2.00! You will not find these prices in Keystone. So there is always a reason to go eat and drink at Pug’s. I just wish they were also open for lunch. They open at 2pm every day. If you are looking to try some Colorado craft beer during your visit to Keystone, grab one of their flights so you can try a variety of their great beer!
Chili Cheese Fries, One of the Many Delicious Appetizers at Pug Ryan’s
Pug’s also has a great deck, with amazing views, to sit on in the summer.Also in the summer Pug Ryan’s runs the Tiki Bar on Lake Dillon. If you have never experienced the Tiki Bar you have to go! Again, great happy hour deals and yummy mixed drinks and food. Nothing beats having a cocktail and food right on the lake in a fun, lively atmosphere! Whether it be winter or summer Pug’s is a great place to eat and drink!
During our recent stay at the Gateway Lodge, we had breakfast at the Haywood Cafe, for almost every day of our stay! Since we had just booked a small studio ski condo, there wasn’t a full kitchen to cook meals, so having the Haywood Cafe just downstairs was wonderful, we could pop in there as soon as we got up and still be on the mountain quickly! They are located right next door to the SummitCove Lodging check-in office. We loved the food and prices at Haywood. They serve breakfast and lunch and the portions are large. My husband ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork Bennie, which was one of many delicious breakfast benedicts to choose from. Other breakfast options included the Crabby Bennie, Corned Beef Hash, Greek Omelet, or the Swiss Baked Eggs, which were my personal favorite. You can’t have a vacation breakfast without ordering one of their famous bacon bloody marys either… because, you are on vacation! They are made with house-infused bacon vodka and a huge piece of bacon – practically a meal in itself!
The Haywood has a great kids menu, too and the casual atmosphere makes it the perfect place to pop in for a quick breakfast, or to watch Sunday morning football with a cocktail or enjoy a hearty lunch after an awesome day out on the mountain. If the powder is calling your name and you don’t have time to sit down to eat, you can even order your breakfast and coffee to go – we recommend the breakfast burrito for that! SummitCove Lodging even had a coupon for us to use that included free coffees with our breakfast! We loved our stay at The Gateway Lodge and having the convenience of the Haywood Cafe just downstairs. We highly recommend staying here for your stay in Keystone! We will definitely be back to Keystone, staying with SummitCove Lodging and eating at the Haywood!
One of the great things about a ski vacation at Keystone is the option to stay at a vacation condo or rental home instead of just a standard hotel room. You’ll typically have much more space, multiple rooms and the best part.. a kitchen! Having a kitchen allows you to save money by not having to eat out at every meal. You can also save time, which you’ll be thankful for in the morning on a powder day, when every minute counts in the race to fresh tracks! You’ll also be happy to have the option to stay in on those nights when you are just too exhausted from a long day on the slopes to go anywhere! Here are a few meal ideas that can be super simple and quick that don’t require having a ton of ingredients on hand. When grocery shopping, purchase items that can be used in multiple recipes, such as tortillas, shredded cheese, hamburger meat, pre-made guacamole, salsa and more.
The best part of staying in a ski condo is having a kitchen!
Simple Spaghetti with Meat (Or Veggie) Sauce Pasta dishes can be one of the simplest meals to prepare and one of the most satisfying after a long day on the ski slopes. Pickup your favorite noodles, spaghetti sauce, a pound of hamburger meat and/or veggies such as mushrooms, onions or zucchini for veggie lovers. Toss in a baguette, butter, garlic salt to make some quick and delicious garlic bread. You’ll have a hearty dinner on the table in 15 minutes.
Tacos Tacos are fun and can be super simple or you can decide to do them a little different, with tons of options. The classic beef taco with lettuce, tomatoes and shredded cheese is the perfect go-to. Jazz things up with some pre-made guacamole, black olives, salsa, hot sauce, onions or sour cream. Make them vegetarian by leaving out the ground beef and instead roasting cauliflower dusted with taco seasoning or just go with avocados, cabbage and other veggies. Kids will love being able to customize their meal and everyone will be happy with this easy and tasty dinner!
Breakfast Burritos Make a big batch of these on your arrival night and you’ll have breakfast ready for the whole week. Use your leftover taco tortillas and then throw in some scrambled eggs, bacon, green peppers or onions, garlic salt, pepper, shredded cheddar cheese and some pre-cut hash browns. Microwave or pan fry them in the morning, top with salsa and go!
Chicken Stir Fry Purchase a stir fry veggie kit in the produce section, with pre-cut veggies such as asparagus, peppers and onions. Then get a pack of chicken, a bottle of teriyaki sauce, and a box of quick-cook brown rice. Throw everything in a skillet and microwave the rice and before you know it, supper is served!
Chili Another simple meal, with various types of canned beans, diced tomatoes, a diced onion, ground beef and a packet of chili seasoning. Make it unique by adding canned corn, black olives, or a diced red or green pepper or jalapeno. Don’t forget the toppings! Top with fritos corn chips, fried onions, and use your leftover shredded cheddar, sour cream, and guacamole!
Thanksgiving is just a month away and it’s time to start planning! Why spend Thanksgiving crammed into a small space, stuck inside with nothing to do? Change things up this year and take your family to Keystone! Whether you celebrate with just your immediate family, prefer a ‘friendsgiving’ or you like to invite all of your relatives, we have the perfect accommodations for your group of 2 or 20! Here are some things to consider when looking for your Thanksgiving Lodging.
1. The Perfect Kitchen Are you planning to cook a big meal or would you prefer to go out for Thanksgiving Dinner and leave the cooking up to someone else? Some of our favorite kitchens at Keystone Resort include North Fork Lodge 577, Keystone Retreat 33,Wild Irishman 1064, Alders 869,Tennis Townhomes 1314, and Settler’s Creek 6565. Although we keep our vacation rental kitchens stocked with all of the basic cooking necessities, keep in mind that every kitchen is stocked differently and may not always include some of the more obscure items such as a turkey baster or tupperware large enough to fit all of the turkey leftovers! Make your meal prep easy by ordering in advance from one of the many grocery or meal prep delivery services and have all of the food delivered to your property’s fridge prior to your arrival!
You’ll love cooking in this dream kitchen at Keystone Retreat #33
2. Location Location probably depends on your group and what you plan to do. If you are looking for alot of family time shared inside the vacation home, you might be ok with a large private home tucked away at Keystone Ranch with a private hot tub. If everyone is focused on skiing, you might opt for something a little closer to the slopes and the activities that happen in River Run. Do you mind taking a shuttle or driving to the lifts instead of walking? These are all things to consider when searching for your Thanksgiving accommodations. Also note that most of the larger townhomes and private homes tend to be a bit further from the main village.
3. Amenities Every property is different, so be sure you narrow down your top ‘must-have’ amenities before you begin your search and that will help to make sure you are getting everything you need from your vacation rental. Some of the most common requests include king size beds, private laundry, a private garage, fireplaces and hot tubs! Many of our larger townhomes and private homes come equipped with garages and private hot tubs which are especially great when you are traveling with a larger group! Nothing beats warming up in the hot tub under the stars after a day out on the ski slopes!
Starfire Townhome 1979 sleeps 12 and features a private garage
4. Price The great thing about visiting over Thanksgiving are the great rates! Thanksgiving in Keystone is one of the most affordable holidays to visit during, because it falls in the early part of ski season. Although we can’t predict how much it will snow, we can promise that Keystone has incredible snow making capabilities and a good amount of the mountain should already be open, if not all of it! The skiing is great and you can’t beat how affordable it is! Take advantage of our Thanksgiving sales and promotions by signing up for the SummitCove Newsletter list below. While you are in Keystone, take advantage of our Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday sales to book your next Keystone vacation!
Take a walk down Frisco’s Main Street this December to experience Wassail Days. All participating shops will be serving their own version of Wassail (and in some cases delicious sweet treats) from December 4th through 13th, during business hours. In addition to the free samples to warm you up, there will be daily winter activities to accompany Frisco’s welcoming of winter!
Frisco Wassail Days Photo courtesy of www.townoffrisco.com
What is Wassail you ask? It is a hot spiced drink served over the holidays. It this case, it will be variations of hot cider. Wassail is also known as the tradition of going from house to house singing carols. Partake in this traditional holiday event by going to business to business trying out their different recipes (singing is optional)! Before you start, pick up a “12 Sips of Wassail” card from the Frisco Visitors center for an opportunity to receive a commemorative Frisco Wassail mug when you visit every stop. There are some fun events scheduled including an ‘Ugly Sweater Challenge’ and the ‘Soup Cup Classic’ at the Frisco Adventure Center featuring unlimited soup tasting and tubing!
Frisco is just a few miles from Keystone and is a fun place to spend an afternoon. Take your family snow-tubing at the Frisco Adventure Center and then warm up with your free cup of Wassail! Be sure to take advantage of your Key to Keystone coupon for discounted tubing for your family. For more information or to view a full schedule of events for Frisco’s Wassail Days, click here.
Halloween is just around the corner and as the snow begins to fly, I find that it is just perfect weather for baking. I’m not sure about you, but I have too many frozen bananas in my freezer and I often need to get rid of them via Banana Bread or other baked treats. I recently combined a banana cupcake recipe with a simple cream cheese frosting and the results were super yummy! Here are some happy treats for your Halloween party!
Banana Cupcakes Ingredients:
– ½ Cup Butter – ½ Cup granulated sugar – ¾ Cup brown sugar – 4 mashed bananas – 2 eggs – 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – 1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Flour – 2 Tablespoons water – ½ teaspoon baking soda – ¼ teaspoon salt – ¼ cup milk – ¾ cups pecans or walnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugars, add mashed bananas. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour, water, baking soda and salt. Add milk. Stir in pecans or walnuts. (I prefer pecans, myself.)
Scoop into 12 cupcake papers (beware, I had more than enough for 21 total cupcakes). Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick (or spaghetti noodle) inserted near the center comes out clean.
I added ingredients for high altitude baking, so these should be fairly cupcake-fluffy above 6,000ft. (Especially since they were fine here at 9,000ft!)
Pumpkin-Face Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients: – 2 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened – ½ cup butter, softened – 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (con-fec-tion-er noun “a person whose occupation is making or selling candy and other sweets) Don’t worry, you can use powdered sugar instead. 😉 -1 teaspoon vanilla extract – Food coloring drops (red and yellow) – Gel frosting for Pumpkin faces (black and green)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’, er, powdered sugar. Drop the red and yellow food coloring drops according to the directions on the food coloring box. (Mine was 2 red to 3 yellow). Add until you have the desired color of orange for the pumpkin frosting. Store in the refrigerator after use. Draw the faces using the black gel frosting and do the same with the green gel for the pumpkin leaves on top. Enjoy!
If you’ve never strayed from being at home for Thanksgiving, why not think about coming to Keystone Resort this year and experience the Holiday with some new traditions?
There’s nothing better than arriving to a cozy ski condo or private home with your family, with fresh snow on the ground and Keystone as your playground! Plan on spending the weekend together as a family with plenty of fun activities to try out as well as enjoying some down time at your vacation rental! Spend an evening in playing board games sipping hot chocolate or have a movie marathon night with popcorn. Head to the village on another night for some window shopping or ice skating and then warm up with a hot chocolate next to the outdoor firepit.
Plan a dinner sleigh ride with Two Below Zero, where you’ll enjoy an amazing sleigh ride followed by a hearty family-style meal. Check out the Kidtopia Grand Opening on Friday, November 27 with a scavenger hunt and family movie night. Strap on some ice skates or head to the tubing hill. If your family is new to skiing or snowboarding, sign up for a group lesson and learn together. There are so many options of fun things to do, you might have trouble deciding on what to try first!
On Thanksgiving Day, wake up early and get to the slopes. Typically on most holidays, you will find that the runs are wide open and lines are pretty much non-existent as people spend the day cooking, watching sports and doing other things. Take advantage of that and rack up some serious vertical feet. As an added bonus, you’ll earn a special ‘Snow Tukey’ Epic Mix pin for skiing on Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to get a free family Epic Mix Photo while you are out on the mountain.
If you don’t want to spend the day in the kitchen, you can make reservations at one of many Keystone restaurants that will be serving up ‘Thanksgiving Dinners’. The Bighorn Bistro will be hosting a ‘Thanksgiving Day Buffet’ with all of the classics and some other goodies including seafood chowder, chef-carved prime rib, pork medallions, cheese plates, shrimp, salmon, mussels, veggies and more. The Ski Tip Lodge, Alpenglow Stube, Keystone Ranch, and Der Fondue Chessel are just some of the other restaurants that will be offering a special holiday menu. Don’t forget to make a reservation in advance if you are planning on dining out for your Thanksgiving feast.
If you do decide you’d like to cook, you should know that we do require our properties to withhold a specific kitchen inventory and we should have most of the items you’ll need to prepare a meal- but please realize a few specialty items may not be available such as a turkey baster or gravy boat. You may also want to check out a grocery or meal delivery service to help, like Peak Provisions. They can help you avoid the grocery store lines and save you time by delivering groceries and ‘ready to cook’ meals right to your condo, meaning all you have to do is pop it in the oven, no prep required. They even have a special Thanksgiving menu with Turkey, Prime Rib, and tasty sides like Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Fresh Green Beans with Bacon, and Pecan Pie with Higgles Sweet Cream Cinnamon Ice Cream! They also offer our guests a special discount!
After the holiday, there are some other special events planned for the Holiday weekend. Santa will be visiting with his reindeer at River Run from 3:30 – 5:30 pm on Saturday, November 28. You can also check out the free Welcome Winter Family Carnival at Warren Station, which is fun for both the adults and kids! Kids can spend the afternoon getting their faces painted, having fun in bounce houses, doing crafts, playing games and sipping hot chocolate. The parents can get into the winter groove with live music from Chris Thompson and Coral Creek while enjoying some fresh winter cocktails. After the carnival, head outside for the Lighting of River Run and fireworks over the village.
This is the year to plan your first ‘Thanksgiving ski vacation!’ You could even invite your extended family and rent a large private home or one of our beautiful townhomes. You’ll see how a family ski trip over the holidays really brings everyone together!
One advantage of staying in a vacation condo versus a standard hotel room is that they most often come equipped with a kitchen. If you have skied at any resort before, you know that eating out or even just having lunch on the mountain can be expensive, so having access to a kitchen and the ability to enjoy a nice dinner around the fire in your condo can save you a pretty penny.
Ski resorts are often in remote locations and the price of food can be higher than in a normal city setting. When you are heading to Keystone, we recommend doing your grocery shopping before you get to Keystone at the City Market in Dillon (about 7 miles from Keystone). They have a good variety of options and better prices than the smaller markets in Keystone. Many of our vacation condos have a crockpot and there’s nothing better than getting back from a long day of skiing and having dinner already made and ready to eat! A personal favorite crockpot recipe of mine is this recipe for Korean Tacos. Stock up your fridge and buy things like sandwich meat, cheese and hearty rolls to bring your own lunch on the mountain and pocket snacks like granola bars, string cheese, beef jerky and trail mix. Pickup some quick to make breakfast items like bagels with cream cheese or easy breakfast burritos with eggs, cheese, sausage and whatever veggies you have on hand wrapped in a grilled tortilla. Chili and spaghetti are hearty meals that can feed a group on a budget. To save money and not have to throw away food when you leave, plan out your meals in advance and think about buying versatile ingredients that can be used in a number of meals.
Of course, it’s great to be able to treat yourself when you’re on vacation too and go out and enjoy some of the local fare. Personally, experiencing new food and going to new restaurants is one of my favorite parts of going on vacation. For those of you who are looking for some inexpensive spots to eat, don’t forget about happy hour. There is a plethora of great places that have specials and/or happy hours for you to take advantage of. One of my personal favorites is at the Arapahoe Cafe in Dillon. Visit their ‘Pub Down Under’ for $6.50 specials each night, ranging from Burger Night to Taco Night. I can personally say, they have yet to disappoint me. Another personal favorite is Kemosabe Sushi in Frisco. They have a $4-$6-$8 menu with several different options for sushi rolls, drinks, sashimi, etc. from 4pm until 6pm.
Here in Keystone, the Snake River Saloon is a great option. They have happy hour drink specials as well as 50 cent wings. The Snake River Saloon is on the bus route in Keystone, so you won’t even need to get in your car! Dos Locos Mexican Cantina is another great spot for happy hour with deals on tacos, wings and margaritas! Luigis Italian restaurant also has a progressive happy hour with deals on beer, appetizers, and even personal pizzas. Enjoy an early dinner and early bedtime!
Don’t forget to check out your exclusive Key to Keystone coupon book which has some great restaurant deals like a free margarita with purchase from Dos Locos, 10% off a pie from Pizza 101 and $12 off dinner at the Snake River Saloon. It even has a coupon for Room Service Direct which will deliver a meal right to your condo on those nights where you just want to stay in.
It’s snowing out. You’ve already decided you are going to hit first chair in the morning but you’re planning a family brunch together. A breakfast casserole in the slow cooker is just perfect for you! You can prep the ingredients the evening before and throw everything in the slow cooker just before you head to the gondola and a few hours later you have an amazing egg and cheese casserole, perfect for the family brunch!
This recipe is great because you can really throw in almost anything you’ve got on hand and it’s sure to be delicious. Substitute the sausage with chopped bacon, ham or chorizo sausage and add things at the end like a spicy green chili or salsa and sour cream for some great flavors! Avocado, tomatoes and green onions are great ‘toppers’ for this dish as well!
Ingredients -6 eggs, beaten -1 ½ lbs bulk sausage, browned and drained -1 ½ cups milk -1 cup shredded cheddar cheese -8 slices bread, torn into pieces -1 tsp salt -1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese -1/2 cup chopped vegetables of your choice such as mushrooms, broccoli, onions, spinach and peppers (optional)
Directions
Mix together all ingredients except mozzarella cheese. Pour into greased slow cooker.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top.
Cover and cook 2 hours on high, then 1 hour on low.
Cut up some fruit, pour the coffee and breakfast is served! (Recipe was adapted from “Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook”.)
