The next day was leisurely with a nice ride up the Centennial Chairlift to Spruce Saddle, the ski lodge converted to wedding central for the summer and the base camp for various activities on the mountain. Jordan and I were registered for an 11.15am Jeep Ride. But having arrived early we discovered they loaned golf discs to play on the competitive 18-hole Disc Golf course. We only made it through 3 holes before our Jeep Ride came around to pick us up. For an hour and a quarter, our driver, Travis, drove us up to the top of the ski runs and it was fun to see where we had skied that winter. We got out to walk around some at the top and along the way down at The Brink, the point at which the downhill ski race course takes a steep dive for the center of the earth. Beaver Creek has the only downhill course of this type in North America and the view from it, which I’m sure the racers are not paying attention to when they run the course, is amazing.
After the Jeep Ride, we grabbed a tasty, though expectedly expensive lunch at the Spruce Saddle grill and then finished our Disc Golf round tromping and tossing and chasing and searching for our wayward discs. Clearly, Jordan and I need some practice. Actually, by the back nine, we managed to hit Par a few times and Jordan took the putting cake with a 20 yard putt! Exhausted, we returned to the base of the mountain for a quick nap before getting dressed for the Walkaround Tasting event of the Wine & Spirits Festival.
It surprised me how few “wine & spirit” stands there were. Most of what was there was food. Amazing, delicious, gourmet tasting stations. The top chefs from the various lodges, restaurants, and fine dining establishments each had something to share. I wished I had a bigger belly to make more samples, but I filled up quickly and my taste buds are still abuzz just a few days later. The price of admission as well as for the Walk & Wine event yesterday may be a little pricy not to be partaking of the beverages, but if you’re a real foodie, teetotaler or not, this event is right up your ally.
