jaywbigred
Active member
This is an odd set of circumstances. Without getting into exactly how, family friends are hooking me up with basically a $3,000 credit for flights anywhere United flies. For social reasons, I think they want me to only book 2 tickets (one for me and one for my girlfriend), so I don't think I can grab 6 tickets and take some friends with me. They also have urged me to use as much of the $3k as possible, so it doesn't go to waste. So I believe what I must do is book 2 round-trip tickets first class to a ski resort out west. Poor me :razz:
Originally I wanted to go to Aspen this winter for a long weekend (which is all I can take off from work), but the ticket price is $1900 (departing Thurs returning Tuesday) per ticket. I'm flying out of Newark, NJ, and united connects mostly through Denver, so SLC and Vancouver, e.g. become longer trips with more expensive 1st class pricing. I also do not want to repeat a resort I've been to before, so Telluride, Vail, and Breck are out (Ajax, Highlands and Snowmass too, technically). I've been to Jackson in the summer and while I loved it, I don't think the lady would enjoy it as much...this is intended to be a very romantic trip, so the onus is not on just the skiing. A cute town or setting would be nice too. I'd love to avoid renting a car, and being close to the lifts is a plus. We don't need raging nightlife, as long as there are a couple hotel bars or small pubs to check out. A decent restaurant or two would be nice as well.
Given these "constraints", I am thinking a trip somewhere in Colorado, flying into Denver and then on a puddle jumper to the regional airport, is the way to go. My search seems to have settled on either Steamboat or Crested Butte. I am leaning towards Steamboat right now, but would love input from everyone on both of these places, or perhaps somewhere else I've overlooked. Of course, I am always trying to keep the price down, but I guess with no airfare costs, this may be less of a concern this go round.
Originally I wanted to go to Aspen this winter for a long weekend (which is all I can take off from work), but the ticket price is $1900 (departing Thurs returning Tuesday) per ticket. I'm flying out of Newark, NJ, and united connects mostly through Denver, so SLC and Vancouver, e.g. become longer trips with more expensive 1st class pricing. I also do not want to repeat a resort I've been to before, so Telluride, Vail, and Breck are out (Ajax, Highlands and Snowmass too, technically). I've been to Jackson in the summer and while I loved it, I don't think the lady would enjoy it as much...this is intended to be a very romantic trip, so the onus is not on just the skiing. A cute town or setting would be nice too. I'd love to avoid renting a car, and being close to the lifts is a plus. We don't need raging nightlife, as long as there are a couple hotel bars or small pubs to check out. A decent restaurant or two would be nice as well.
Given these "constraints", I am thinking a trip somewhere in Colorado, flying into Denver and then on a puddle jumper to the regional airport, is the way to go. My search seems to have settled on either Steamboat or Crested Butte. I am leaning towards Steamboat right now, but would love input from everyone on both of these places, or perhaps somewhere else I've overlooked. Of course, I am always trying to keep the price down, but I guess with no airfare costs, this may be less of a concern this go round.