Winter Park Colorado is the Real Deal - Part 1 of 3

photo credit: Katie Levy

I don't care what you are into. Beer. skiing, mountain biking, camping. hiking, music, wine or amazing food... Winter Park has what you are looking for. Settled in just a couple hours northwest of Denver, this small community has a ton to offer and not just when the snow is flying. Winter Park is a resort town, yet boasts a small town vibe that is infectious once you arrive. This vibe and sense of feeling welcomed into town comes from the amazing people, amount of recreational activities available to you and vast array of events and festivals that are planned nightly and especially on the weekends. The Winter Park-Fraser Chamber does an amazing job of keeping residents and visitors busy with a host of activities to choose from.

On my recent visit to Winter Park, within just a few short hours of arriving I had the opportunity to check out the locally sponsored High Note Thursday concerts at Winter Park's Hideaway Park. Here at home we have a local park and occasionally there is music or activities there. So I figured this would be like my local experience. Boy was I wrong. First the park itself is fantastic to say the least. The park offers a host of activities for everyone in the family. A climbing wall, a skate park, local merchants selling jewelry and other wares and the park provides the bag chairs to sit in to enjoy the great music. 

In addition to the great park vibe that is present at Hideaway Park to allow everyone in the family to enjoy the park, it seemed like everyone in Winter Park was there. Including the dogs! As a dog lover and owner this was like the icing on the cake for this weekly local event for me. Everyone in town and in the family out to enjoy music, themselves and chill.

I mentioned food didn't I? You can't enjoy your friends, music and a great evening in the park on an empty stomach. Well, I didn't either. Thanks to the good people at Da Vinci (conveniently located just a short walk across the street from Hideaway Park) not only was my stomach full, but it was happy! A great European bistro featuring a balanced menu of French, Italian and other European fare to entice you in and keep you coming back more. This is a must stop the next time you are in Winter Park or just passing through.

Chicken Saltimboca – Seared chicken breast, prosciutto, heriloom spinach, kale, fresh mozzarella, fingerling potatoes, vegetables, saffron beurre blanc sauce

And, in case you are wondering about the cheesecake... It's fantastic! And yes, I ate it all!

Stay tuned as Hiking Forward explores more from Winter Park, Colorado in this three part series.

In the meantime for more information about Winter Park, CO check out:

Winter Park-Fraser Chamber
Winter Park Resort
Da Vinci