The deeper you travel into the mountains, the greater the number of holiday traditions that wrap around you. The village of Grand Lake, for instance, is a postcard-perfect image of an old-fashioned town, where holiday happenings conjure up memories from another time.
Walking the rustic, wooden sidewalks of the village, visitors stroll past shops laden with gifts and in full holiday regalia. Artists and artisans of Grand Lake put their own spin on handcrafted jewelry, cabin-inspired home decor, gifts, pottery and wall art.
The town Christmas tree takes center stage on the main street, a Grand Lake fixture each holiday season. The residents officially declare the holiday season in full swing when the town tree is lighted; then a month of old-fashioned, pre-Christmas anticipation follows, filled with the traditions of decades past.
Children will have an opportunity to have breakfast with Santa and take fire-engine rides on Saturday. That evening, candlelight caroling highlights the Christmas Music Festival. Join the carolers on a stroll through the streets of Grand Lake. Afterward, enjoy treats at the Trinity Church in the Pines.
On Dec. 20, local musicians will perform holiday favorites in the town square. This will be followed by the Nativity Pageant, a Christmas tradition in Grand Lake.
Holiday visitors can book a getaway at the historic Rapids Lodge and Restaurant overlooking the Tonahutu River in Grand Lake. A one-night package (lodging/dinner) is available through Dec. 20 at a cost of $72 per person.
Not necessarily a longtime Christmas tradition, but in the holiday spirit nonetheless, is the production of an old-fashioned boo-
the-villain, cheer-the-hero melodrama, “Those Wedding Bells Shall Not Ring Out.” It will be presented at 8 p.m. Dec. 19 and 20, then Dec. 26-31, in the Grand Lake Community Center. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12 years.
If Christmas isn’t Christmas without a sleigh ride, visitors can tailor their ride from several outfitters in Grand County. Choose a short afternoon ride, one in the evening, a ride complete with a Western dinner with all the trimmings, or a romantic ride in a sleigh built for two. The Grand County Tourism Board has information at www.grand-county
.com. Grand Lake’s New Year’s Eve celebration, Diamonds in the Sky, will take place at midnight on Dec. 31, with a firelight show over Grand Lake itself.
If your Christmas traditions include skiing, snowboarding, cross-country touring, tubing, snowshoeing or snowmobiling, Grand County obliges. Bring your own equipment, or rent anything and everything from the sport shops in Winter Park, Fraser, Granby or Grand Lake.
Lillian Ross is a freelance writer who lives in Howard.
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If you go
Grand Lake is about 100 miles northwest of Denver via Interstate 70 to U.S. 40, over Berthoud Pass to Granby, then north on U.S. 34.
For more information about holiday activities, the melodrama, sleigh rides or recreation in Grand Lake and the surrounding area, call the Grand County Tourism Board, 800-729-5821.
To reach the Rapids Lodge for reservations for its one-night getaway with dinner, call 970-627-3707.
