by Mark Smiley | Dec 17, 2021 | Travel
by Mark Smiley
After record-breaking performances in Dallas, Texas, the Jurassic World Exhibition will open in Denver on March 4, 2022, at the National Western Center, located at the Washington Street exit of I-70. For the first time ever, Denver fans of the Jurassic World film and television franchises can experience the dinosaurs in their own community inside a 20,000 square foot immersive experience.
This experience is based on one of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history. Visitors will walk through the world-famous “Jurassic World” gates, encounter life-sized dinosaurs, and explore richly themed environments. Guests will have an up-close look at a Velociraptor, stand under a towering Brachiosaurus, and encounter the most fearsome of them all, the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Guests will be able to imagine what it would have been like to roam among these creatures and even interact with new baby dinosaurs, including “Bumpy” from the popular animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous which airs on Netflix.
Following an initial launch in Melbourne, Australia, JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION has become a global success with over three million visitors since 2016. The Exhibition has opened its gates to fans in Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia, Paris, Madrid, Seoul, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.
Universal Parks & Resorts’ President of Global Business Development, Michael Silver said, “What excites us about JURA
Jurassic World: The Exhibition: An immersive 20,000-square-foot experience based on the movies that have grossed over $5 billion worldwide. The exhibit has had over three million visitors since 2016 in Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia, Paris, Madrid, Seoul, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.
SSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION is the opportunity to give fans a real-world, immersive experience based on the amazing adventures of the films and delivered to a location near them. Visitors will come face-to-face with life-sized dinosaurs and walk through richly themed environments, all inspired by the beloved global franchise.”
Cityneon’s Executive Chairman & Group CEO, Ron Tan said, “JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION features cutting-edge, state-of-the-art technology that is powered by Animax Designs, our animatronics powerhouse located in the U.S. This immersive exhibition is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that our friends in Denver can look forward to. With sold-out shows in Dallas since its opening there in June 2021, we are confident that our fans in Denver will be wowed by this exhilarating experience.”
“After record breaking sales in Dallas, we are incredibly excited to bring this show to Denver to share with our millions of fans,” said Stephen Shaw, Founder and Co-President of Round Room Live. “The ability to walk amongst these HUGE creatures will amaze and entertain fans with this breathtaking and truly immersive experience.” Shaw went on to explain that the dinosaurs are animatronic but “shockingly realistic.”
“Denver was a chosen city because we love the city,” said Shaw. “There is always a great response to entertainment in Denver, whether it be concerts, touring shows, or family shows. We have always loved going to Denver.”
Tickets to JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION start at $29.50 for adults (16 years +) and $19.50 for youth (3-15 years). Children under three years of age are free with accompanying parent or guardian. Flex Passes are available, as well as special pricing for senior citizens and military. Group sales packages are available for groups greater than 10.
For more information, visit JurassicWorldExhibition.com. The exhibition will be at the National Western Center’s new Stockyards Event Center until Labor Day, 2022, 5004 National Western Drive, Denver, CO 80216.
by Mark Smiley | Nov 19, 2021 | Travel
The Covid Grinch Could Steal Christmas As State Becomes Giant Covid-19 Mixing Bowl, Mountain Town Cases Soar; Flare-Ups In Denver Are Threatening Christmas Concerts
by Glen Richardson
Hospitalizations Skyrocket: Dr. Abbey Lara tends to patients in an ICU room at UCHealth as hospitalizations soar. She is pleading with people to do the “easy thing” and wear a mask and limit social gatherings.
As Cherry Creek Valley residents and families look to celebrate the holidays this month, Colorado has become a giant Covid-19 mixing bowl. Seeking a safe way to get festive, travelers and shoppers are shifting their sights away from mountain towns and downtown Denver to the Cherry Creek-Glendale neighborhoods. Nevertheless, fears are growing that the grouchy covid-19 creature is attempting to put an end to those holiday hopes.
At the beginning of November with Thanksgiving still weeks away, Colorado hospitals for the first time moved their transfer plan to the highest level during the pandemic. About one in every 51 Coloradans is now contagious with Covid-19 as the state registers the fifth-highest rate in the country with new infections compared to population.
With the pace of new coronavirus cases accelerating in Colorado, the state had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to send in medical teams to help in areas where hospitals are especially full. During the last two weeks of October the rate of new infections in Colorado accelerated rapidly. Only Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming have higher case rates compared to population.
County Countdown
Colorado Cases Spike: Daily Covid-19 cases in Colorado started ramping up in May and were soaring by early Sept. The Colorado Public Health & Environment chart was created by Evan Wyloge.
Most of the state’s large counties have seen increasing cases, though the trend line is especially steep in Pueblo County, which concerns state officials. “It’s probably not a coincidence that this is roughly the same time that Colorado saw rapidly increasing cases last year, though it’s not clear if that reflects changes in the weather itself or in human behavior,” they suggest.
If the current trajectory continues, the state should stay slightly below the peak set in December 2020, when 1,847 people were hospitalized with confirmed Covid-19, officials estimate.
Even if transmission goes down by 5% it’s still possible the state could exceed the previous peak, they warn. As the holiday nears, some heath officials are urging Gov. Jared Polis to issue a statewide indoor mask mandate.
Denver Cases Rising
Even more worrisome, the number of hospitalized covid patients and deaths in Denver County is also on the rise. An average of 274 cases per day were reported in Denver County as November got underway, a 47% increase from the average two weeks earlier.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, one in eight residents of the City & County of Denver has been infected, a total of 93,464 reported cases.
Events Altering Tune: Fans at this year’s Westword Music Showcase in September were greeted by reminder to show their Covid-19 vaccination status. Photo: CPR News
An article in the New York Times at the beginning of November suggested, “Denver County is at a very high-risk level of unvaccinated people because there was an average of 37 daily cases per 100,000 people reported in the past two weeks.” The risk in Denver County will decline from the high-risk level if the daily case rate drops to less than about 11.4 cases per 100,000 and the test positivity stays low, the paper suggested.
Christmas Events Impact
Holiday Crowd Concerns: With tens of thousands expected to attend holiday events such as the Dec. 14 Colorado Symphony Holiday Brass concert, check for new rules and regulations in advance.
In addition to the normal winter shows and concerts, dozens of Christmas events that were canceled last year are scheduled to return this month. They include several Nutcracker performances, A Charley Brown Christmas at Dazzle, and Colorado Symphony’s Holiday Brass at Boettcher Hall.
Covid flare-ups at metro-area concerts and events have been rare this year, with fewer than a half-dozen indoor events being canceled according the state’s Department of Health.
Nonetheless, promoters and artists are scrambling to impose sterner guidelines to slow down the virus and keep holiday concerts and shows on track. Upshot: If you and your family are among the tens of thousands planning to attend a holiday performance this month, check for new rules and regulations in advance.
Mountain Town Spike
People from all 50 states arriving in Colorado’s mountain towns to play this winter — plus vaccinated foreign travelers since Nov. 8 — are contributing to the high-country spike. Mountain activities where people gather without masks at restaurants-bars plus carpooling can lead to transmission. Many communities are seeing high enough Covid-19 transmission that authorities are putting restrictions on indoor dining, lodging, and gatherings. A surge of hospitalizations in Pitkin County — where Aspen is the county seat — has already resulted in a mask mandate order.
In addition to the influx of visitors, elevating factors include the winter weather, and because many essential employees live together in dense housing. Moreover, many of the visitors are coming from high pandemic states. Health officials have also found that when there is an increase in the number of mobile devices pinging in mountain towns, a rise in coronavirus cases follows seven to 10 days later.
Additionally, the pandemic is driving a migration of Americans to the state’s high-country communities. San Miguel County, for example, has seen a 20% increase in full-time residents. Plus, many people that own second-homes in the mountains are now starting to relocate to their mountain homes permanently.
Downtown Decline
Mountain Crowds: Even before the ski season began, crowds were flocking to Colorado’s mountain towns. Photos show crowds at September’s Jazz Aspen and at Little Nell’s gondola base. The hospitalization surge in Aspen has resulted in a mask mandate order for all of Pitkin County.
While mountain towns are booming, downtown Denver isn’t faring nearly as well. Denver’s downtown is currently seeing about 150,000 people walking around downtown compared to between 250,000 to 300,000 prior to the pandemic. According to the Downtown Denver Partnership, it’s hard to draw an apples-to-apples comparison because the data doesn’t go back to the summer of 2019. Nevertheless, it’s clear downtown foot traffic remains way down.
Remote work is a major reason for the drop downtown. Many companies still offer flexible work-from-home policies. Others are beginning to delay employee office return plans due to the renewed pandemic surge.
But pared down corporate travel to downtown Denver is also a major factor. Activities at the Denver Convention Center have picked up somewhat, yet remain far below where it was prior to the pandemic. Rich Carollo, director of sales and marketing at the Convention Center, reported few events in November.
by Mark Smiley | Oct 22, 2021 | Travel
Pitmasters From Across The Country Served Their Award-Winning BBQ To Attendees
by Mark Smiley
Friendly Competition: The two Colorado BBQ restaurants that were part of the 3rd Annual BBQ Festival in Denver posed with Alex Knight, Sales Representative with sponsor Ole Hickory Pits. From left to right: Jodi and Keith Segura, Woodhill Small Batch BBQ; Alex Knight, Ole Hickory Pits; and Jason Ganahl, GQue BBQ.
Some of America’s most award-winning BBQ pitmasters descended upon the Mile High City for the 3rd Annual Denver BBQ Festival which was held September 17-19, 2021, in the parking lot at Empower Field. They served their BBQ to attendees over the course of the weekend.
Ole Hickory Pits was a major sponsor of the event and they provided commercial pits for all pitmasters to cook on throughout the weekend. Ole Hickory Pits manufactures and markets state-of-the-art commercial, competition, and residential barbecue smoker ovens, in addition to barbecue equipment, sauces, seasonings, and lifestyle products.
A total of 12 pitmasters from eight states served over 30,000 pounds of meat. This festival is not a competition, just an opportunity for attendees to purchase BBQ they would not normally be able to acquire in town.
Local Favorite: Jodi and Keith Segura from Woodhill Small Batch BBQ had the longest lines of any of the restaurants in attendance at the 3rd Annual BBQ Festival.
However, two local favorites were on hand, GQue BBQ and Woodhill Small Batch BBQ. Having hometown advantage must have helped Woodhill Small Batch BBQ from Littleton. They were the only BBQ pitmaster that needed extra barricades set up on Friday night due to long lines. “We didn’t anticipate having the longest line last night [Friday, September 17],” said Keith Segura, co-owner of Woodhill Small Batch BBQ. “I guess it was hometown advantage.”
Segura grew up in Sterling, Illinois, in a subdivision of 20 homes on a farm. As a kid, he fondly remembers pig roasts and eating sweet corn with salt and butter. “That memory was always in my mind ever since I was a kid,” said Segura. “I said when I grow up to be an adult, I want to do that same thing.”
And do the same thing he did, along with his wife Jodi, whom he met when she pulled him over for speeding when she was on state patrol. Now, they enjoy running the food truck and catering business together. The name Woodhill comes from Jodi’s family’s farm name in Illinois. And the name Small Batch comes from when they first started out and only did small batch BBQ for breweries such as Breckenridge Brewery.
Now, you can find Woodhill Small Batch BBQ’s truck at Max Taps Brewery in Highlands Ranch (November 13), and Living the Dream Brewery in Littleton (November 20). There you can surely find brisket and ribs which are Segura’s favorite meats to smoke. And you may also find their famous “twinkie” which has jalapeno stuffed inside with bacon wrapped on the outside.
For more information, visit www.woodhillsmallbatchbbq.com or on Facebook and Instagram @woodhillsmallbatchbbq.
Championship BBQ In Colorado: Jason Ganahl, owner of GQue BBQ in Colorado, displays his famous homemade kettle chips at the 3rd Annual BBQ Festival in Denver.
No stranger to great BBQ, Jason Ganahl, owner and pitmaster of GQue BBQ, is proud to be the only championship BBQ restaurant in Colorado. It opened its first restaurant in Westminster six years ago. GQue also has locations inside Empower Field, Park Meadows Mall, and a new location in Lakewood opening next month. “We are out here sharing our food with everybody else,” said Ganahl. “We are spreading the wonderful flavor of smoked meat like BBQ sauce.”
Ganahl rejects the idea that Colorado has a hole in great BBQ in the state. He concedes that the perception is that places like Kansas City, Memphis, and St. Louis have the solid reputation of good BBQ that you can find every five miles. “I think over time, over the course of the next 8-10 years, hopefully more and more people will appreciate what I’ve long appreciated, being from the Midwest, and that’s the flavor you get from a delicious piece of smoked meat,” said Ganahl.
Once that reputation builds it will force each BBQ establishment to elevate its game which Ganahl welcomes. “We eliminate the word complacency from our vocabulary,” said Ganahl. “Success is rented every single day. You have to go out there and earn it. I feel like if we show up every single day and we cook the food the way it’s intended to be cooked, and we deliver it in an inviting and appreciative way, then the sky is the limit. That is the challenge with multiple locations, and lunch and dinner service.”
For more on GQue BBQ, visit www.gquebbq.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @GQueBBQ. Visit their website and sign up for their email alerts to receive a coupon for a free pulled pork sandwich.
Black’s Barbecue: From left to right: Barrett Black, fourth generation owner of Black’s Barbecue; Kent Black, third generation owner of Black’s Barbecue; and Eric Lenderman, Manager, Operations at Black’s Barbecue, served their famous brisket and sausage at the 3rd Annual BBQ Festival at Empower Field.
Another well-established BBQ restaurant with multiple locations in attendance was Black’s Barbecue, the oldest BBQ restaurant in Texas. Black’s was started in 1932 in Lockhart, Texas, which is known as the official barbecue capital of Texas. Black’s Barbecue was originally founded as a meat market and grocery during the Depression after a poor farmer and cattle rancher named Edgar Black made a handshake deal with a friend who wanted to open a meat market.
As third generation pitmaster Kent Black explains, his grandfather Edgar had heart problems and asked his son, who was an accountant for Exxon, to help at the restaurant for six weeks while he recovered. Six weeks turned into 50 years of growing the business. Edgar Sr. died in 1962, at which point Edgar Jr. and his wife Norma Jean took over the business. Edgar Jr., who passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, left the restaurant to Kent who now runs Black’s Barbecue’s four locations along with son Barrett.
Sponsor: Made Here beer was a sponsor of the 2021 Fest
And Kent’s mom, who is 90, still comes into the Lockhart restaurant from time to time. “She’s the boss,” said Kent Black, owner and pitmaster of Black’s Barbecue. “When she walks into the restaurant, it is like Elvis walking in.” All of the side dishes at the restaurant are based on her recipes.
Black claims his father was the first to barbecue brisket in the 1950s. And now, that is Black’s Barbecue’s signature dish. Black’s Barbecue’s homemade sausage was also served at the BBQ Festival. The sausage recipe has remained the same over 90 years and they make it in small 100-pound batches.
For more information or to order meat to be shipped to your home, visit www.blacksbbq.com.
Having generations of pitmasters working side by side and eventually taking over the business is common in this tight-knit world. That is true for Leslie Roark Scott, known as the BBQ Princess, who learned from her dad at a young age. Her dad was an award-winning pitmaster and as a teenager, Roark Scott learned how to cook ribs and would present them to judges. Her dad let her fly on her own and face the judges’ questions by herself.
That built her confidence and allowed her to become the first female to win a grand championship on the Memphis circuit back in 1992. She remembers driving four hours from college to help her dad at a competition. “BBQ is what tied us and kept us tied together,” said Roark Scott, owner and pitmaster of Ubon’s Restaurant in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
BBQ Princess: Leslie Roark Scott from Yazoo City, Mississippi, was among one of the 12 pitmasters serving her BBQ over the September weekend.
Ubon’s opened in 2004 and in 2011, Ubon’s began participating in festivals. “About 10 years ago, we slid into the festival scene because what we figured out is where our joy comes from is watching people get excited about food that they haven’t tried before, and offering them an experience that’s hands-on,” said Roark Scott. “I also have the chance to leave Mississippi and shine a different light on my home state. I really feel like festivals like this make people more aware [of good BBQ]. If you’ve never had really good brisket and you get here and you eat brisket from Black’s, you say I’m not putting up with crap anymore.”
For more information on Ubon’s Restaurant, visit ubonsbbq.com and follow them on Instagram and Facebook @Ubons.
Blues Hog Barbecue made a big splash at this year’s festival with music playing and a whole hog on the pit (of which they handed out samples to attendees in line). Blues Hog was the 2021 World Champion in pork shoulder and they served this dish along with a pineapple slaw. Their customers from back home came [Washington, Missouri] to help prepare and serve the food.
“When we go to these regional events, we like to get our customers involved so they can enjoy it,” said Joey Machado, Marketing Director for Blues Hog Barbecue. “Denver is a really nice event. They get about 30,000 people over the whole weekend. I was leery because of the year that it is. That maybe we wouldn’t get as many people as we thought were going to. We honestly have had a ton.”
Blues Hog: Joey Machado, Marketing Director for Blues Hog Barbecue always learns something new at competitions and festivals.
Blues Hog makes sauce, seasoning, and charcoal, which are all available for purchase on their website and select stores in the Denver Metro area. When asked about the secret to good BBQ, Machado had a quick answer. “The secret to BBQ is passion,” said Machado. “The willingness to make mistakes is what makes you really good at BBQ. You can go online, you can watch YouTube videos, you can read books, and do everything else. But if you’re not making mistakes in your backyard and understanding what you have to do, that’s it, that’s the best way to learn BBQ. At the end of the day, I BBQ to put smiles on people’s faces.”
There were plenty of smiling faces at this festival. Mark your calendar for Father’s Day weekend in 2022 as the 4th Annual Denver BBQ Festival will roll into town again. Visit www.denverbbqfest.com for all information and updates.
by Mark Smiley | Sep 27, 2021 | Travel
The renovation brings the hotel in line with the future vision for Sheraton Hotels that is being rolled out at properties around the world.
by Mark Smiley
Unveiling Becomes Official: Mayor Michael Hancock cuts the ribbon to unveil the $80 Million renovation to the Sheraton Denver Downtown. From left to right: Rachel Benedick, Executive Vice President, Convention Sales & Services at VISIT DENVER; Tony Dunn, General Manager of Sheraton Denver Downtown; Mayor Michael Hancock; Steve Arnold, Principal at Sea Hospitality; J.J. Ament, CEO of Denver Metro Chamber. Photo by Photography G, Inc.
On September 16, 2021, the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel revealed a full-scale renovation of its guest rooms, lobby, public and meeting spaces as part of Sheraton’s worldwide transformation of its guest experience vision. Drawing on its roots as a community hub for locals and guests at flagship locations globally, the new approach for Sheraton creates an intuitive and holistic experience with places to connect and be productive.
“With the Sheraton and the 16th Street Mall, and some other major investments we’re making, we’re gonna fight like hell to make this a place people want to come to and feel safe and enjoy themselves,” said Mayor Michael Hancock, who attended the reopening event. “Denver is proud of its vibrant downtown. And we may have slipped a little bit with some of the challenges we face, but we never give up in the game of being a destination.”
The completion of this $80 million hotel renovation changes the face of the hotel and Denver’s iconic 16th Street Mall. The city of Denver will begin its $150 million renovation of the 16th Street Mall in the next few months. The goal is to make the corridor more walkable and give more outdoor space to businesses that line the street.
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel has long been a familiar anchor in Downtown Denver, serving as the largest meetings/ events hotel in the City with roots deep in the local Denver community. The transformation journey is now officially complete, with all aspects of the hotel updated and refreshed — including a new arrival experience, 133,000 square feet of renovated meeting space, and 1,238 newly redesigned guest rooms and 138 suites, as well as a new culinary and beverage experience. Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel is among the first in the country to undergo the larger brand revitalization that will ultimately transform all future Sheraton hotels.
“We are honored to be one of the first hotels to bring the new Sheraton brand to life in the heart of Denver,” said Tony Dunn, General Manager for the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. “The renovation will serve to highlight what is already incredible about the local Denver community — and bring the best of the Sheraton brand to downtown. As travel starts to resume, these changes will strengthen Denver’s position as a global gathering place for groups, conventions, guests, and locals alike, and will act as a public square for our growing, evolving city.”
The renovation was completed in a phased approach over the last two years. The transformation of Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel is part of a global project currently being undertaken by Sheraton Hotels & Resorts to bring all of its properties in line with the new vision for the brand, which was first unveiled at the NYU Hospitality Conference in 2018.
For more information, follow the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel on social media on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ SheratonDenverDowntown; Twitter, twit ter.com/sheratondendtwn; and Instagram, www.instagram.com/sheratondenver downtown. Visit their website at www. marriott.com/dends.
by Mark Smiley | Aug 27, 2021 | Travel
Decorated Gymnast: Simone Biles medaled with silver for team competition and bronze for the balance beam in the Toyko Olympics this summer. She is the first woman to capture five All Around World Championship titles, she is the most decorated gymnast in World Championships history.
Straight from the world stage, the best gymnasts in the U.S. featuring the most decorated gymnast of all-time, Simone Biles, will headline the Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour coming to Ball Arena on October 3, 2021. Biles, who medaled with silver for team competition and bronze for the balance beam, will be joined by her teammates: Jade Carey who won gold in floor exercise, Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum who won silver for team competition, and MyKayla Skinner who won silver in vault.
Tickets can be purchased at www.Ball Arena.com. By purchasing the Gold Squad Premium Upgrade, fans will have an opportunity to dance in the show finale with all the gymnasts.
Produced by MagicSpace Entertainment and promoted by AEG Presents/Concerts West, the show brings all the excitement of a gymnastics competition to hometown arenas nightly as each gymnast performs some of their most famous routines mixed with career highlights, personal videos, and social media interactions.
Silver Medalist: MyKayla Skinner won a silver medal in vault at the Toyko Olympics. She is acclaimed for her indomitable tenacity and daredevil skills. She is the oldest U.S. Olympic gymnast since 2004, with a resilience and competitive spirit that have earned her a reputation as a powerhouse performer and model teammate.
Simone Biles (World Champions)
Previously announced participants include 2016 gold and silver medalist in Rio and Dancing With The Stars champion Laurie Hernandez; All-American, NCAA National Champion, and viral video sensation Katelyn Ohashi; winner of three gold medals in 2019 and 2020 at the Tokyo World Cup Morgan Hurd; elite gymnast Shilese Jones; former USA Gymnastics Women’s Athlete of the Year Chellsie Memmel; 2021 French Olympian Melanie De Jesus dos Santos; and 2018 NCAA National Champion from UCLA where she achieved 10 perfect 10’s Peng-Peng Lee.
“The Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour will match athleticism and entertainment,” said Biles. “The show embodies the themes of empowerment and togetherness which was on display in Tokyo. Together, all the gymnasts on this tour want to inspire the next generation of women and athletes.”
These women are not only athletes at the top-of-their-game, but also the ultimate squad. The show emerges from their personal values of empowerment, friendship, positive body image, mental health awareness, and self-confidence. A crew of gymnastic dancers under eye-popping LED video screens and lights rounds out the experience.
To sign up for more information about VIP packages and a chance to participate in the show finale of the Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour, visit www.GoldOverAmericaTour.com. Follow on Instagram & Facebook @GoldOverAmerica Tour, Twitter @GoldOverAmerica and YouTube. #GoldInAllOfUs.
by Mark Smiley | Jul 23, 2021 | Travel
Princess And Pirate Themed Summer Activities
by Mark Smiley and Eleanore Smiley (10 years of age)
Lazy River: Relax on an inner tube as you float around the lazy river and the Colorado sun shines down on you. The lazy river features a rocky grotto, water jets, and bubblers to enhance the fun.
The Gaylord Rockies Resort is now fully open and operational and mask free for those that are vaccinated. The Gaylord always finds unique ways to incorporate fun themes for kids and adults of all ages. The Summer of More has programming to help guests celebrate the upcoming season with a wide variety of family-friendly events and activities including a scavenger hunt, Build-A-Bear Workshop, escape room, roasting s’mores, and an art studio.
“Princesses and Pirates is the theme this summer,” said Eleanore Smiley, 10 years old and recent guest. “10+ year olds might think princesses and pirates are kiddish but it isn’t. I (as a 10-year-old girl) had the best time. Personally, my favorite thing to do out of the theme was the Scavenger Hunt. You will be given a book with clues and during the scavenger hunt you will have to look at the clue very carefully. You will look for a pirate chest with different colored gems and once you find the chest circle the gem color that’s in the chest. Once you finish you will go to the ticket desk to claim your prize.”
Pirate and Princesses Academy is also a fun activity for the kids. It costs $12.99 per person and is a live entertainment show. You will step into a fantasy world and experience the story of the Sword Mistress, Pirates, and Princess Evergreen herself in this interactive show. Become an honorary pirate or princess for the day, take the official oath, and more.
The art studio is an activity that is a must do while at the resort. This fun, interactive family painting activity allows each participant to select a canvas with either a pirate ship or princess castle that they paint to take home and enjoy. Canvas, paint, brushes, and apron are provided. On-site artist available. The cost is $14.99.
Bar & Grill: Conveniently located just steps from the pool and lazy river, Arapahoe Springs Bar & Grill lets you grab a bite without having to leave the fun in the sun. Indulge in All-American favorites and refreshing beverages to quench your thirst during your day.
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from at the resort to make it a carefree stay for you and your family. Arapahoe Springs Bar & Grill, Mountain Pass Sports Bar, Vista Montagne, Old Hickory Steakhouse, and Monte Jade all offer a variety of cuisines conveniently located. In addition, The Cocoa Bean, Ski Village Cantina, and Rockies Marketplace offer a quick meal to go. Most of the restaurants accept orders through the Marriott Bonvoy app. Be sure to download the app before your stay to know when your room is ready and familiarize yourself with the resort.
Mountain Pass Sports Bar is a popular dining option inside the resort. They serve burgers, sandwiches, nachos, salads, and draft beer. The 75-foot flat-panel TV is the featured part of this sports bar. Arapahoe Springs Bar & Grill is located near the pools and a convenient way to order lunch while enjoying the pools and slides.
Outdoor Pool: The outdoor pool is heated and open year-round.
The pools are definitely the resort’s main attraction. There is an indoor and outdoor pool (which includes an infinity pool), an outdoor lazy river, and three water slides. This water park is spread out over 22,000 square-feet which allows for proper social distancing. The entire resort is situated on 85 acres of land, so it never feels crowded even under normal circumstances. Guests can reserve a cabana if they want their own dedicated space. Or they may snag a chair by the lazy river and relax.
The Gaylord Rockies Resort is located at 6700 North Gaylord Rockies Boulevard. For more information about the resort or to make a reservation, visit www.gaylordrockies.com.
