Colorado Traveling Ducks to Return to Winter Park in 2017

We are back and we love it.   Our time share condo awaits us.   Huge piles of snow here this winter.

Lot of snow here

Lot of snow here

From our deck, through really long icicles, we view the partially frozen Fraser River.

Icicles on our deck

Icicles on our deck

Many winter activities are planned.   However after the first one, more about that next time, daytime temperatures did not get above the mid teens, or -10C.   Our human moms did not like the cold.   They did not enjoy the wind blowing from the mountain peaks over the fresh snow, attacking their skin.   Actually, we ducks did not like being cold either.   Much of our time was inside admiring the sparkling now on the mountain peaks, and enjoying the fireplace.   Occasional short walks with Stevie, Soapy Smith Duck’s black lab reminded us we don’t have fun shivering.   One evening we went bowling.

Fun here!

Fun here!

It was a lot of fun.   Soapy Smith Duck, and I, Zeb the Duck, can verify that our humans had not bowled for a long time.   The scores, low and rather embarrassing.   Gutter balls, too often.   Strikes, a few, but too few.   Laughter and smiles were there, also.   Poor performances but a great deal of fun for everyone.   The movie theater, located in the same building, sold popcorn. We bought some on the way out and were surprised to also see buckets of caramel corn.   We returned to the condo with a bucket of each kind.   A couple colder days, our only trips were to great restaurants.   Winter Park and Fraser have so many.  We’re returning to the Smokehouse.

Smoke House

Smoke House

One human enjoyed pulled pork.

Liftie sandwich on Texas Toast. Delicious pulled pork

Liftie sandwich on Texas Toast. Delicious pulled pork

Bucky’s mild sauce always tops her sandwich.  Other humans enjoyed various sandwiches.   Nearby, where humans do not walk, these icicles impressed us.

Huge and abundant icicles

Huge and abundant icicles

The roof is rather clear, but so many icicles.   One day we enjoyed Mexican food at Azteca.

The place for Mexican food

The place for Mexican food

Another evening flavorful, fresh seafood was our choice.

Good food inside

Good food inside

Fontenot’s has great food and pretty great icicles also.   Another favorite, Randi’s, prepares mom’s favorite broiled trout with almonds.

We return here every year.

We return here every year.

Then our moms ordered these desserts.

Ice cream desserts. Cold and snowy outside

Ice cream desserts. Cold and snowy outside

Behind the desserts, that is  a window and real snow piled in the parking area.   With so much snow, roofs of buildings need to be cleared.   The weight of the snow can cause roof damage, or even roofs may collapse.   Also, falling ice and snow can seriously injure anyone on the ground.

Cleaning the roof

Cleaning the roof

At our condo, men clear the roof using electric tools.   This tool, similar to a chisel breaks ice.   Other tools, if necessary, are used to remove snow and the underlying ice.    During this cold spell, we ducks and humans were often seen walking to this building.

More fun inside

More fun inside

Inside the hot tub was hot.

We are ducks and we love water

We are ducks and we love water

The sauna was also hot.

Rather hot in here

Rather hot in here

So warm and relaxing.   The morning we left Winter Park, it was a couple degrees below 0, or about -20C.   These are not unusual temperatures, but even with warm winter clothing, we did not enjoy going outdoors often.   The next week temperatures were around freezing during the day.   Perhaps we will go back for a day to enjoy some of the winter activities we missed.   Maybe.

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Winter Park with the Colorado Traveling Ducks

Winter week in the mountains for Zeb, Soapy Smith and JB Duck.   It is after Christmas so the Colorado Traveling Ducks hurry to Winter Park, Colorado for a week.   Back to Twin Rivers Condos, we check out this snow pile.

Snow pile and swirling clouds

Snow pile and swirling clouds

The clouds swirling in the sky are interesting to us.   Let’s head to Winter Park Resort.

We are here!

We are here!

The skiers and snowboarders test their skills.

Skiers and Snowboarders

Skiers and Snowboarders

We enjoy their fire pit.

To warm your feathers, or hands

To warm your feathers, or hands

Getting warm is always a good idea.   Winter Park Resort is a highlight of our week here, but let’s return to town and visit one of our favorite restaurants.   Today it is the Smokehouse BBQ for us.

SmokeHouse BBQ

SmokeHouse BBQ

This small locally owned restaurant specializes in smoked meat sandwiches, platters and baskets.   Featuring pork shoulder, chopped chicken thighs, homemade hot links, turkey breast, brisket and burnt ends, our taste buds begin to dance.   We decided on the Liftie, a sandwich of smoked, pulled pork shoulder, with cole slaw and french fries.

Liftie sandwich on Texas Toast. Delicious pulled pork

Liftie sandwich on Texas Toast. Delicious pulled pork

On the table we see the six sauces.   We try a few, all good, but Bucky’s Mild is the preferred today.   This is a really big sandwich.   This is one of the best pulled pork sandwiches we ever had.   Great pork flavor, mild sauce, warm and fresh.   Half of the sandwich comes home with us and our waitress, Bethany, also includes some Bucky’s Mild sauce.   Thanks Bethany.   Smokehouse, we will return.

Smoke House

Smoke House

Another day we enjoyed dinner at Randi’s.   Randi’s served us fresh trout with almonds.   Delicious.   We also had a turkey sandwich; also delicious.   At Twin Rivers Condos, the icicles are removed from the roof as is a couple feet of snow from the edge.   Thank you maintenance crew.   If the snow or icicles fell on us, it would hurt.   Here, in town, people are not usually walking along this building, so the icicles are not removed.

Huge and abundant icicles

Huge and abundant icicles

There are so many!   Beautiful to see and not a danger.   We love them.   Returning to our condo, we stop at the tubing hill.   Here come some people tubing.

Here they come!

Here they come!

This is a group of humans, each with individual tubes, but they hold hands to keep together.

Group of tubing humans

Group of tubing humans

Now Zeb and Soapy Smith try a tube.

Our first tubing experience

We love tubing

Every year we return to Winter Park for a week.   Every year we do many of the same things.   Every year we love it!   We hope you have favorite places which draw you back every year.   Familiar and fun are great!