Winter Park Colorado Winter Activities

Winter Park, Colorado is a winter activity heaven. Winter activity here in our part of the Colorado Rocky Mountains there are endless outdoor activities. We are home to Winter Park Ski Resort, Devils Thumb Nordic Center, enough back-country skiing for even the pros and we are the proclaimed snowmobile capitol of the USA. What to do here in Grand County is not a decision of what to do here in the winter but a decision of what not to do. If you are coming to visit for a week you will be able to fill every day with new and exciting activities. If you come for a month you may get to do a couple of activities a couple times. And if you come live for a year you may experience all of our winter activities here in Winterpark, CO.So lets start with our most recognized and popular outdoor winter activity. That is downhill alpine skiing at Winterpark Resort. Winter Park/Mary Jane Resort is the closest destination ski resort to Denver International Airport and is Colorado’s longest continually operating ski resort. Winterpark/Mary Jane receives the most snowfall of all Colorado destination resorts and is known for its best in North America moguls and is always recognized as one of the most family oriented ski resorts to visit. Winter Park/Mary Jane is also known for its disabled ski programs that are run through the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD).Cross country skiing is also a very popular activity here in Grand County and there is no better location to take to the trails than Devils Thumb Ranch. With more than 100km of groomed trails nestled in the pristine and private Ranch Creek Valley at the base of the Continental Divide, Devil’s Thumb Ranch is the premiere Nordic center for Colorado cross country skiing, whether for skate or classic Nordic. Novices can start the day with a private or group lesson from one of their friendly instructors. More seasoned Nordic enthusiasts will find the advanced technique clinics helpful. And of course, a wide variety of quality cross country ski equipment is available for purchase or rental, including infant sleds and skijoring rigs. Devil’s Thumb Ranch is open seven days a week, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.Snowmobiling is also a more than a pastime in this part of Grand County. Grand Lake, known as the Snowmobile Capital of Colorado because of the abundance of excellent snowmobile riding and the ability to ride into town for lunch, dinner and lodging. Leave your car behind, all you will need is your snowmobile for days of freedom and enjoyment.And lastly lets not forget about all the back-country skiing that is just out the door of your lodging here in Winter Park. There is a new back-country cat skiing operation called Powder Addiction that is headquartered in the Winter Park base village to take all that yearn for some untouched ungroomed tracks out to get their kicks.Outdoor winter activities is what Winter Park is about. Something for everyone and more than enough for all.

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Yosemite in Winter – Bracebridge, Skiing and More

When you travel to Yosemite in the winter, you enter into a special wonderland. Winter has its own magic in Yosemite and there is still plenty to do. The high country is mostly closed. The roads over Tioga Pass and up to Glacier Point will close when the snows fall and won’t reopen until probably sometime in May. But other places are open and when the snow falls they can be wonderful places to visit.Wawona and the nearby Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias are a wonderland in the winter. The rustic Wawona Hotel provides a quiet and simple place to relax and imagine a simpler time. It is open during the holiday season and then closes for the winter. It is usually full during that time of year because it houses people who are going to the famous Bracebridge dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel Dining Room.Bracebridge has been staged at the Ahwahnee Hotel Dining Room since it opened in 1927. It is based on a Washington Irving’s Sketch Book, which describe the times and customs of a 17th century English squire. The dinner and the performance last 4 hours and is filled with entertainment and carols. Soon after it started the famed photographer Ansel Adams became the producer of the event and designed the show in pretty much the form it has today. The Bracebridge dinner goes on for about two weeks starting in mid-December. If you want to go make your plans well in advance, it is usually sold out almost a year in advance.There are more than just special events to keep you coming to Yosemite in the winter. If you like to ice skate, then try the rink that is set up are Curry Village. There is lodging available at Curry Village as well as at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls and Ahwahnee.The snow piles up in the high country around Yosemite Valley but the valley itself is often quite clear of snow, being only about 4,000 elevation. But you don’t need to go far to find snow and lots of it.Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are available in the park during the winter. There are many trails including ones in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.But the king of winter sport in Yosemite national Park is the Badger Pass Ski Area. It is located part way up the Glacier Point Road. You can downhill ski and snowboard at Badger Pass. Both day passes and season passes are available. One of the coolest things you can do is cross country ski up to Glacier Point. It’s 21 miles round trip. You can even arrange to stay overnight at Glacier Point. What a way to spend a winter night in Yosemite.That’s just some of the things you can do in the winter in Yosemite National Park. So don’t worry about the snow – enjoy it.

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Private Health Care Insurance

Private health care insurance gives individuals greater choices regarding the health care professionals and the hospitals they can visit. It gives a person more control over their situation and can also put them in touch with much higher quality facilities. This article will talk about whether or not you should take out a private health care insurance cover and the many benefits of having a private health insurance cover.Key Personnel Or Self EmployedOne of the major advantages of having a private health care insurance is that you do not have to wait for medical treatment just like on a NHS waiting list. It is very important for those who are key members of their work team of those who are self employed to get back in good health as soon as possible. When you compare the days and income lost while being sick and the premium you have to pay for your health insurance plan, you will see that your insurance plan is worth every penny.Reduce Risk of InfectionMany times, patients develop some form of infection during their stay in the hospital. Diseases such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile is common and if you have a private health insurance cover, it greatly reduces the risk of such infections. The benefits of having private medical insurance are that the patient will be treated in a separate room which is private and reduces the risk of infection that could develop from other patients. Private hospitals are equipped with better facilities and more resources so that wards and beds are clean and maintained in good condition.ConvenienceFor a large number of people, the attraction of private health care insurance is the convenience of knowing that they will receive the treatment they need, at the hospital of their choice and at the time they prefer. This means that an individual’s treatment can be fitted around his schedule instead of taking a whole day out and waiting for your turn.Privacy and QualityAnother wonderful advantage of having a private health insurance is that the person who is insured gets access to high quality medical care in private hospitals. Your treatment will take place in a private room with all the facilities. This benefit cannot be compared with having your treatment in a multi sex ward with shared facilities and the flow of visitors who keep coming in and going out whenever they want. This aspect of private medical insurance is enough to justify the cost.But, most people find private health insurance very expensive. All of the benefits offered when put against the cost is worth the investment but again it comes down to how important your convenience, privacy and quality of service is to you.Although these are expensive, there are many different types of plans available. It all depends on your preferences and how much money you are prepared to shell out. For example, if you are looking for a cover for cancer or heart disease only, there are private medical insurance plans which are quite affordable. You will get a range of services depending on your individual needs and budget.

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