Destination Spotlight: Colorado
Now that we’ve reached autumn and the cooler temperatures are hitting parts of the country, our team at Singles Travel Service is planning and looking forward to our ski trips out west this winter. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know we love outdoor adventures, especially winter sports. So it seems appropriate that we highlight one of our favorite places for this destination spotlight: Colorado.
This winter, we will be planning three separate trips to Colorado, exploring three magnificent winter sports destinations: Aspen, Breckenridge, and Telluride. Here are some top activities in each resort town.
Aspen
In early December, we are kicking off the holidays early with our season opening trip to Aspen, Colorado. Aspen has some of the most incredible mountains to ski – including Ajax, Highlands, Snowmass, and Buttermilk. (We love their names, too.) What makes Aspen one of our favorite ski destinations is that in addition to these world-class slopes, the town itself is world-class. Aspen offers upscale dining, luxury shopping, interesting art galleries, and fantastic bars with live entertainment.
For beginners who are also interested in exploring the destination, Aspen is a perfect ski town. You spend some time on the slopes and time in the town, meeting new people all along the way. We also love the ski in/ski out aspect of where we stay in Aspen – the beautiful Stonebridge Inn. It’s within the village of Snowmass and just minutes from downtown Aspen.
Breckenridge
We’ll kick off the New Year this January with our second Singles Travel Service sojourn to the big and beautiful, special and sprawling resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado. Breckenridge is massive, but in the best sense of the word. The area has almost 200 trails and bowls over 3,000 acres of terrain and it is supported by 34 lifts. We’ll be there for a week, and we will need that time to explore all that Breckenridge has to offer. (Pro tip: Arrive on Sunday, like us, as the weekend crowds from Denver are leaving.)
While Breckenridge has many gorgeous resorts, we happen to fancy Beaver Run. It’s located at the Base of Peak 9, it’s family run, and close to town. Love!
Telluride
And last but never the least; we’ll head out on an amazing singles luxury vacation in March to the historic town of Telluride, Colorado. If you’ve never been to Telluride, you might not realize that the town boasts more than 300 inches of snow which makes for a perfect base for its more than 2000 acres for skiing. This is supported by 127 trails, 18 lifts, and a vertical drop of more than 4,400 feet (wow!).
Once again, we’ll be staying the glorious The Peaks. And what makes The Peaks a perfect singles travel destination is that this five-star hotel is a ski in / ski out resort – with one of the most luxurious spas in the country. Think: 5 floors, pools, hot tubs, and a full service menu of spa services. If you venture outside of the resort (and you should, at least once!), you’ll be greeted with a historic town center filled with amazing shops and restaurants.
Destination Colorado
Interested in joining one of our ski trips to Colorado this season? Contact us today.
Summer Western Sports in the Rocky Mountains
Do you have a love for adventure and the outdoors? Are you looking for a summer vacation alternative to same-old beach resort? Have you always dreamed of seeing the Rocky Mountains? Are you interested in western sports but a beginner? If you answered “yes!” to any or all of the above, then you should consider a summer vacation in the majestic Rocky Mountains.
This summer, Singles Travel Service is hosting two ultimate vacations to the Rocky Mountains: Big Sky, Montana, in July, and Aspen, Colorado, in August. You should join us! And here’s why.
Big Sky in July
We’ve traveled all over the world, and Big Sky is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places we’ve been to in the United States and elsewhere. It is rugged, magnificent, and fun. As the name of the town implies, the sky goes on forever over gorgeous mountain vistas. And it’s close enough to Yellowstone National Park that a visit there is a must. Simply put, Big Sky is the ultimate destination for an urban professional who is looking to get away from it all while enjoying luxury accommodations and world-class western sports adventures.
I know that whenever I travel, the hotel is a super important choice in my planning. On this singles vacation, we stay at the five-star Summit Hotel at Big Sky. This hotel – which has hosted presidents – is the epitome of Rocky Mountain luxury. And it’s in the center of the village, making its location idea. Plus, it has all the amenities you’d want: pool, tennis, spa, golf, mountain biking, and so much more.
While in Big Sky, we’ll go horseback riding at the 320 Guest Ranch, rafting on the Gallatin River, and spend a full day at Yellowstone National Park. We will enjoy western sports activities like zip line and high ropes, have wonderful meals and drinks, go shopping – and meet new friends. Big Sky is a perfect choice for a singles vacation.
Aspen in August
Another amazing choice for a singles vacation is Aspen, Colorado. We’ve sung the praises of Aspen in the past as a winter sports destination. But it is just as wonderful as a summer singles vacation.
Once again, we will stay at the lovely Stonebridge Inn. Located in the heart of Snowmass Village, the inn is close to shopping, dining, and more. At the inn, enjoy the spa, pool, outdoor bar, and world-class fitness facility. We’ll also tour the area on a back-country Jeep tour.
While in Aspen, our adventures will be endless. We’ll horseback ride at the fantastic T-Lazy-7 ranch, which has been owned and operated by the same family for more than 75 years. We’ll also partake in a two-hour, casual, and relaxing downhill bike ride down the unique and landmark Maroon Bells – some of the most photographed mountains in the United States. To up the adventure quotient just a bit, part of the week will include a whitewater rafting trip along the famed Colorado River. And there will be plenty of other western sports like mountain coaster riding, zip lining, and more.
Throughout our time in Aspen, we’ll mix and meet with new friends over fabulous dinners and activities, including a super fun evening of bowling, burgers, and beer.
Interested?
Western sports adventures for single travelers are vacations to remember. Contact us today to reserve your spot!
Solo Travel: A Path to Learning & Adventure
The National Geographic published a post about “Six Things Solo Travel Teaches You.” It’s telling that such an iconic national magazine published an article on solo travel, though we’ve known for some time now that vacationing alone is a huge emerging trend in the travel industry (see the Visa Global Travel Intentions Study).
The National Geographic post was aimed more at travelers who embark on trips totally on their own (rather than on a group tour). However, everything they talked about resonated with us and our experiences in hosting group trips for single travelers. Here’s why:
- There is nothing embarrassing about solo travel. Truly. Honestly. In fact, most people believe just the opposite. Taking the step to vacation alone is actually very brave. It means that you are a strong and self-confident person. It shows that you are ready to learn and explore or rest and relax – to do something for yourself that is well-deserved.
- Sometimes, being alone is really, really nice. Most of us are never really alone. Many of us have jobs where we are surrounded by people – colleagues, customers, clients, patients, students, fill-in-the-blank – all day. When the work day is done, even if we live alone, our phones are often connected to our hands, thus connecting us to all of our social networks. But when we take the time to just be – to take a long, wandering walk alone or to practice yoga or to just sit in the sunshine – our senses can awaken and discoveries can be made about the world and about ourselves.
- Traveling solo provides great prospects for meeting new friends. For as much as traveling solo provides people with the chance to become comfortable on one’s own, it also gives singles an excellent opportunity to meet new people. On our group tours, travelers who were once strangers often become fast friends (and sometimes even couples). And there are often interesting interactions and conversations with local folks in the cities and destinations that we visit. What better way to understand the culture and vibe of a place than to learn from a local?
- Singles group trips are great for career networking. Our singles vacations bring together groups of like-minded individuals. Very often, we find that career networking happens organically over a hike or evening cocktails. Two of our guests last year began a collaborative digital media project not long after one of our trips. When we see great things like that happen, we realize the old adage is true: You never know who you’ll meet.
- Group tours for single travelers provide extra safety and security. Yes, the world is (mostly) good. But sometimes it’s not. Sometimes unknown places can make even well-seasoned travelers uncomfortable. By traveling solo on a singles tour, travelers are afforded a level of comfort by knowing the group is always there.
- Solo travel – with or without a group – is empowering. Simply put, taking a vacation alone is liberating. The end.
If you are ready to solo travel on one of our singles group vacations, contact us today.