You can cancel parades, but you can not stop Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras might look different this year than in years past, but Fat Tuesday is happening rain, snow or shine. Live from the Big Easy, Rio de Janeiro and here in Summit County, Colorado. Mardi Gras 2021 is February 16.

The Town of Breckenridge and Keystone Resort in compliance with social distancing have cancelled 2021 festivities, but that will not stop skiing Cajun’s from descending upon Summit County. I know this because I am one.

I grew up in New Orleans.  My daddy decided one year he was sick of the parade crowds and booked a trip to Copper Mountain.  GAME ON.  Thank you Daddy for introducing the family to the greatest sport known to mankind: SNOW SKIING!!!  I have been proud to call Colorado my home since 2000.

Wanna feel more Cajun on Fat Tuesday?

Dress Festive! Wear Beads! Wear the official colors of Mardi Gras: GREEN, PURPLE, GOLD.

We Cajuns love to dress up. We may not be the best skiers but we sure have fun and look good doing it.  Hit Slopes on Fat Tuesday wearing purple, green and gold. And, don’t forget your beads! Try on some Cajun talk.  Throw out  your best  WHO DAT  or Boudreau and Thibodaux joke, or a simple Y’ALL.

Get into the Mardi Gras spirit with classic Boudreau and Thibodaux puns & don’t forget the accent.  https://www.cajuneasy.com/jokes.html

Order take out from The Lost Cajun.

Don’t miss out on the tastiest creole in the fine state of Colorado. The Lost Cajun has locations in Breckenridge and Frisco. Authentic and delicious gumbo, Etoufee, poboys, gator bites, catfish, oysters and shrimp. Wash it all down with  ice cold Dixie beer. Don’t forget an extra order of mouth watering beignets for breakfast. Check out their menu… https://thelostcajun.com

 

Have a crepe in Breckenridge. C’est magnifique !

No need to limit yourself to beignets in the tiny snow-globe of the town of Breckenridge. There is an authentic French bakery on Main Street.  Take a stroll down Main Street Breckenridge. There are dozens of boutiques and shop on Main Street. Grab lunch at La Francaise  serving quiche, crepes and my favorite ham & brie croissant.  They will even custom make traditional Mardi Gras king cakes. Order now at www.lafrancaisebreck.com

Laissez les bons temps rouler! 

No matter where you find yourself on Tuesday, February 16 enjoy the day. As they say in the Big Easy, Let the Good times roll.

Happy Mardi Gras Summit!

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and we have been dreaming of the upcoming ski season, which has certainly helped our spirits. As we begin to understand what the ski season will look like, we know it will be a great time on the slopes. Here’s the latest of what we know up here in Breckenridge and all of Summit County. Hopefully this will give you some information to help you plan your mountain adventure this winter.

Steven Zupparo – Director of Sales, Summit Express

What we know:

The Rocky Mountains are still here and there will be people skiing this Winter. The resorts are being very proactive in adopting new systems and procedures to keep their guests as safe as possible. Being on the mountain lends itself to physical distancing and since most of us already wear some sort of face-covering masks won’t be a problem.

Vail Resorts, which operates Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, and Beaver Creek, implemented a new reservation system to allow them to monitor and limit if necessary the number of skiers on the mountain for any given day. This may require travelers to plan ahead to ensure they are able to ski on peak days but there are other benefits of planning ahead as well, more on this later.

What you may not know:

The resorts we service are all offering multi-day ski pass/pack that give a substantial discount off regular lift tickets. These are sold for a limited time and are usually taken off sale by the middle of September but they have been extended for an unknown period of time. We do not expect these to be available much longer. For details click the links below. 

Copper Mountain Multi Packs

As of today they are offering a four-pack for $399! That is less than $100 a day! They are also offering a full refund by December 10th as long as none of the days are used. These are still available as of October 14th but we do not expect them to be available much longer.

Vail Resorts Epic Pass / Epic Day

Vail Resorts, which operates Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, and Beaver Creek ski resorts are offering ski passes for up to 7 days at up to a 50% savings off a single-day lift ticket. As important as the savings it also allows you to reserve up to 7 days of skiing before single-day lift tickets go on sale which will not before December 8th. This is key for locking in your ski days especially over the busy holiday times. For details: Vail Resorts Reservation System

What Should You Do?

PLAN AHEAD. Even if you are thinking you may want to come up and enjoy the mountains you should consider booking now. You will save considerably on all parts of your trip from lodging, airfare, and even Summit Express transportation. Peak travel dates are already filling up so book now to ensure availability and a low price. We have also expanded our private charter offerings for those who would like the entire vehicle for their party. Most companies have adjusted their cancellation policies to allow for the uncertainty of the current times. Make sure that you check these policies before you book but many are offering refunds if you have to cancel your trip. With a little homework, you should be able to book your ski vacation at a great price with the flexibility to change if necessary.

What Should You Expect?

Summit and Eagle Counties have been extremely proactive in regards to their COVID-19 policies from when this started back in March. It has paid off with both counties being as safe as a place to visit as anywhere in the U.S. They will continue to do so and you expect to have to wear face-covering when indoors and possibly on the slopes. You should also plan to make reservations during busy times at most restaurants. Check with the resort, airline, and county websites for updates to COVID-19 safety measures often and before your trip. You can always check with us at Summit Express as well. We will keep updates on our website and social media pages.

What we will be doing – Summit Express promises to implement whatever protocols that are needed to keep you safe on our vehicles. Our vehicles will be fogged with a state of the art disinfectant system after EVERY run, we have installed dividers between our drivers and guests in all vans and our drivers will be subject to health screenings, our drivers and guests will be required to wear face coverings and we have reduced capacity to 50% in all of our shared shuttles. Summit County has some of the strictest health measures in the county and we will follow their regulations which means our services may be the safest thing you do on your vacation.

• Summit County Public Health Order
• Eagle County Public Health

Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Summit Express is committed to a safe and healthy environment for our guests and employees. During this time of concern, we have stepped up our already strict cleaning procedure on all of our passenger vehicles, which are thoroughly cleaned after every trip. We are continuing to operate regular schedule and are following all recommended procedures as laid out by the local, state and federal groups including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This includes ensuring that our employees take the proper precautions before coming to work so that our guests are transported safely to and from the Colorado Mountains.