We sure did! Because, what's actually better than a ski trip with friends?!

We agree with Prof. Snape on this one, not a whole lot!  We spent this week skiing with some pals in Winter Park and had an absolute blast. Check out our trip & favorite places we discovered before you plan your next mountain getaway.  

Lodging: Zephyr Mountain Lodge

The location of this condo was amazing! It was a 1 minute walk to the lift - unless you want to sleep at the base of the mountain, we're pretty sure you couldn’t get any closer. It comfortably slept our group of 8 and is equipped for a group of 10 if you utilize the pullout couch. It's a 3 bed/3 bath and has a huge dining room table that could seat all of us (a huge incentive since we love to play games!). The only con we could see is that there were no free parking spots at the complex. We had access to the underground heated garage, which was super convenient, but $14/day.

Food & Drink:

The Derailer 

This is the restaurant right at the base of the mountain. We tried a few of the apps and thought that they were very reasonably priced for the large portions.  Pictured here are the loaded fries, which had bacon, cheese sauce AND a whole fried egg on top.  We also had the fried brussels sprouts, which were equally as amazing (and made us feel like we were eating semi-healthy... that counts as a veggie even though it's fried, right?).

Lime

Lime was recommended to us by a friend and we definitely weren’t disappointed. Literally STEPS from our condo, the location couldn’t get any better. Their happy hour was from 3-6pm daily with $4 margaritas (après ski, anyone?). That’s right - you heard us - $4 margs in a ski resort town! They were strong and delicious, just the way we like ‘em. The chips and salsa and guac were spot on too.

The Peak Brewing Company 

We took the free shuttle from our condo (super convenient and runs til 10:30 PM) to The Peak brewery in downtown Winter Park. It had a great sports bar vibe. Pictured here is the Timberline Big Air, which is a pint of their Timberline Stout with 1oz Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka. Delicious! They also have wine and cocktails if you're not a big fan of beer.

The Sunspot

For the much-needed, midday break from skiing, we recommend the Sunspot. Located on the mountain, it’s perfectly situated at the top of the Zephyr Express chairlift. We loved this warm cocktail “The Snuggler”, with peppermint schnapps, hot chocolate, and whipped cream. The warm drinks were ~ $8, and their pints of beer were ~$5. You really can’t beat their cozy, cabin vibe, with wooden furniture and a huge fireplace!

This was our first official trip to Winter Park during ski season, and it was everything we wanted it to be! Days full of picture perfect runs, good food and drinks to refuel, and relaxing game nights with all of our friends.  Comment below with your favorite ski towns and places to go while you're there!