We were pleased right off when when we pulled into the FREE Montezuma parking area near the River Run area of Keystone.  It is a bit of a walk to the River Run Gondola, but that was fine for us since the parking was free.  Plus we had a chance to see the resort as we walked.  This resort is very clean and well maintained.  The restaurants, lodges, and equipment all looked like new.  The staff members were very friendly, happy and helpful.   All this only adds bonus points in my opinion.  This is the kind of customer service treatment you get at Disney resorts!

Overall, the snow conditions were as good as they could be considering most of the snow was man made.  There were some icy spots on the runs since the daytime temps were getting in the upper 30’s.  Our afternoon and night skiing was done on 4 runs.  Schoolmarm, Ina’s Way, Spring Dipper, and River Run were the runs we tried.  Below is my reviews on these runs.

Schoolmarm Green Run:

• This run is 3.5 miles in length which is a real positive in my opinion.
• This run is lighted for night skiing.
• It is a bit narrow in spots for what I consider a green run.
• It is more challenging than most green runs I have skied.
• Was a busy run during daytime and night skiing.

Ina’s Way Green Run:

• A little tricky to find if you don’t keep your eyes out for the signs.
• Easy to ski.
• Mostly narrow in width.
• When it joins with River Run to the base of the gondola, the slope is a bit steep for a green and makes some beginners hesitate.
• Can be busy during night skiing.

Spring Dipper Blue Run:

• Starts at 11,000 feet.
• This is a long run and lots of fun.
• This is a challenging blue.
• It turns in a green part of the way down and then you can pick up River Run to the gondola.
• It is lighted for night skiing.
• We liked that this run had minimal traffic.

River Run Blue Run:

• This run is beneath the River Run gondola.
• It has a moderate slope.
• During night skiing it can be busy at times.

In summary, we enjoyed our skiing at Keystone.  It is easy to see why people like this ski area.  The facilities and the staff were excellent.  The runs were good but a little crowded and narrow in spots.  We would love to ski Keystone during a time outside of the holiday peak busy time.  I would recommend Keystone to anyone wanting to ski, snowboard or tube.  See a Keystone tubing experience review here:  http://www.outdoorexperiencereview.com/snow/tubing-adventure-point-keystone-colorado/

For more information about skiing at Keystone go to:

http://www.keystoneresort.com/

We did our pre-scouting by looking at Google earth images to see what would be good areas to hunt in unit #14.    We made a game plan for our hunt that day and had a backup plan in case someone beat us to the areas we wanted to hunt.  The weather was the big factor for this day of deer hunting.  The temperature was mid 30’s with a overcast skies.  The wind was blowing at least 20-30 miles per hour all day long.  The wind gusts seemed like 40mph which we believe kept the deer movement to a minimum.

The date of this hunt was during typical prime rutting and we did see some deer.  My buddy saw a doe and buck outside of his shooting range.  I was blessed to have a 130-140 inch buck come to within 30 yards.  Unfortunately, I was not able to get the shot off as the wind switched directions and the buck got a full breath of my scent.  He bolted and I never got a shot at the rutting buck.

Unit #14 in my opinion was far better than Unit #2 which we hunted in the previous two years at Crane.  We both saw bucks in this area and I was presented with a close shot opportunity.   I would recommend hunting at Crane for deer and especially Unit #14.  We like hunting Crane because it is fairly easy to be drawn for the hunt, and there are lots of deer.  From our past 3 visits to Crane we have seen many deer while driving to our hunting areas and while hunting in the units.  So, if you want to hunt in a place where there are plenty of deer, be sure to apply for the Crane Deer Hunt with the Indiana DNR.

Here is the link to register for reserved hunts with the Indiana DNR (look for Reserved Hunts on the upper right side of this page):

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/6032.htm

Our initial attempt at tubing failed because we didn’t make reservations. We were staying in Breckenridge and drove to Copper Mountain but were turned down because they were full. It was actually a good thing because upon further inquiry we heard that Keystone had better tubing. So… make sure you plan ahead and make your reservations a few days to a week in advance.

One great thing about Keystone is that the tubing hill is on top of one of the ski runs so you must take the gondola up to the top. You pay for your tickets at the base of the mountain at the information center.  It was $31 per person to ride for a hour of tubing. The gondola ride is included in the price and a very fun way to get to the top. We could see all the skiers and snowboarders as the came down the mountain.

At the top of the mountain there was an enormous castle made out of snow. It was basically a playground that the kids could explore. Our kids that were under 12 enjoyed it. The tubing times go in 1 hour increments so you need to arrive a little early to fill out waivers for everyone. We were then shown a short instructional video on safety and how to link the tubes together for double, triple and quadruple riding. Each person has there own tube but linking together makes you go faster and is more fun.

We chose our tubes and got in line to go down the runs. I think there were about 5 of them and a limited amount of people so the line moved fairly quickly. The runs are all slightly different. Some are steeper and faster and you can find that out quickly just by watching and adjust which line you’d prefer. The staff helps you get settled and secure and gives you a push. It’s very safe and a lot of fun. We were able to video and take pictures even though it was pretty bumpy. Once at the bottom you collect your tube and get on what reminds me of a conveyer belt that takes you back up the hill. The best part of this is that it is covered! It keeps you out of the wind and snow and best of all you don’t have to walk!

We found the staff to be helpful, fun and safety focused. They were constantly monitoring the runs for bumps, changes or speed issues that they quickly fix by shoveling more or less snow. Though we were able to go pretty fast I felt confident that it was safe.

Our day of tubing at Keystone was a big success and a wonderful way to end a fabulous vacation. I would highly recommend this for families and couples.  Here is a link to the Keystone Tubing site:

http://www.keystoneresort.com/activitiesdetail/Key+-+Tubing+at+Adventure+Point.axd

Ski Day Essential List

1. Ski Socks
2. Thermal/Base Layer lower body & upper body
3. Upper body mid layers-Fleeces/Sweaters/Sweatshirts
4. Ski pants/Bibs
5. Belt (if needed)
6. Ski Jacket
7. Winter boots
8. Gloves/Glove liners
9. Winter hat/Face mask
10. Neck gator
11. Goggles
12. Backpack
13. Hand warmers
14. Skis/Snowboard
15. Ski Poles
16. Ski/Snowboard boots
17. Helmet
18. Cell phone
19. Sunscreen/Lip balm
20. Sunglasses
21. Cash/Credit Cards
22. Camera/Video camera

Lodging Essentials

1. Socks
2. Underwear
3. Shoes/Slippers
4. T-shirts
5. Long sleeve shirts
6. Sweatshirts
7. Pants/Jeans
8. Pajamas
9. Scarf
10. Swim Suit
11. Shave cream
12. Razors
13. Toothpaste/Toothbrush
14. Soap/Shampoo
15. Deodorant
16. Medications
17. Hair Brush
18. Make up/Lotion
19. Hair spray
20. Snacks
21. Cell phone charger
22. Directions/GPS
23. Wallet/Purse
24. Airline tickets
25. Car rental reservations

http://www.divicarina.com/DiviCarina/

http://www.jollyrogervi.com

We stayed at Cozumel Palace in Cozumel, Mexico from January 25-31 2012. First off I would highly recommend flying directly into Cozumel; it would make the day a lot shorter. If you fly into Cancun you have to arrange transportation to Playa del Carmen to the Ferry, and then take a 45 minute ferry over to Cozumel. This makes the day a lot longer and miss timing the ferry could add an extra hour or more wait for the next one. If you do opt to fly into Cancun and take the ferry, I would highly recommend a company named Cancun Shuttle. Their private shuttle is just your group in a private van, new Escalade or new Lincoln suv, directly to the Playa del Carmen ferry and is only $135.00 usd for round trip service for 4-6 passengers, the trip is around 45 minutes each way. They were very professional, easy to find at the Cancun airport which can be tricky and were exactly on time for both connections. We booked ahead of time and it was great, their web site is http://www.cancunshuttle.com/.

The ferry was fine going over to Cozumel but the return trip was extremely rough and we are boaters. It was rough enough that some of our group were feeling queasy and a child behind us was sick from the ride. We asked about the roughness and were told that it is usually only rough in the winter months. From the Cozumel Ferry dock we took a cab (van) it was only $7.00 usd total for our group of 4 to go to Cozumel Palace.

Cozumel Palace was very, very nice. This was the first all-inclusive my wife and I have stayed at and it was well worth the money. The room was very nice and
roomy; our room had a balcony with a hammock, facing the water, it was a great view. The resort has 3 restaurants and we tried all 3 and they were all very
good. There is a buffet breakfast bar which has everything from fruit to Mexican foods to pastries to an omelet bar where they make an omelet or several other griddle foods to order. The only dress code was for the Italian restaurant which requires long pants and a collared shirt for males. There is also room service is available 24 hours a day. The service at this resort was first class all the way.

Anyone that you dealt with knew you by your name the next time you talked to them. The wait staff was amazing especially Heri, a waiter, he definitely took care of us.  Any time our glasses were empty, he was on his way with another and most of the time without  being asked. Heri also made sure that we were taken care for lunch if we were still sitting by the pool. The activity leaders were great as well, they always had something going on from around 10:00 am until around 11:00 pm. They would
always come around to let you know what was getting ready to start and see if you wanted to participate. Their activities included water volleyball, water aerobics, ping pong, darts, salsa dance lessons and bartending classes, then in the evening they would have some kind of entertainment which was usually very funny to watch or participate in.

The Resort had an infinity pool that overlooked another pool with a swim up bar on one side and overlooked the ocean on another side. The resort does not have a beach because it was built along a reef. The reef is very nice for snorkeling with entry from either a pier or from a rock step into the water. The resort has a lifeguard on duty overlooking the reef from about 10:00 am to around 5:00 pm. We snorkeled there all most every day, there were many colorful fish, coral and my wife even saw a couple eels.

We were told the island of Cozumel was very safe and I would have to agree that. We walked into town a few times; it’s about a 10-15 minute walk. One day we also rented a jeep that the concierge set us up with and drove around the entire southern and eastern part of the island. We had a great time and never encountered any type of problems with anyone and never felt in danger. We stopped and got out of the jeep several times for photographs at the beaches and blow holes on the eastern side of the island. The eastern side has beautiful beaches and the water seems a different shade of blue every few feet but the surf is very rough and several places had no swimming signs. The resort had a promotion while we were there for a $1500.00 credit to be used at the resort toward many different excursions, at their spa or a romantic lobster and steak dinner for two. All alcoholic beverages are top shelf liquors and wines at dinner can be upgraded using their credit dollars. Cozumel is a cruise ship port, so most every day except for Sunday’s there can be many people in town based on the number of cruise ships in port, which varies daily. We went into town in the early morning or evenings after the cruise ships left and also on Sunday, no ships in port, and had a lot of fun.

The island is only 2 miles by 4 miles and very hilly. The roads are very steep and narrow but the vehicles are all small cars, suvs or scooters. There are no large hotels, only a few small hotels or many nice villas to rent. Most of the villas have private pools and some include a car to use. The villa rental prices start around $2,300.00 per week to over $50,000.00 per week depending on the time of year, size and location of villa.

The island does not have any type of begging, panhandling or any type soliciting. The port town of Gustavia has many high end stores such as Cartier, Lacoste, Rolex, Gucci as well as many perfume emporiums. The people of St. Barts were always very nice and very helpful. St. Barts also has no crime to speak of, if you commit a crime, you are deported and never allowed back on the island.

To get to St. Barts, you must either fly from St. Maarten on a 10 minute, twin prop aircraft to one of the top three extreme airports in the world or 45 minute rough water ferry ride also from St. Maarten. With all that being said and you know that going in, St. Barts was one of the most beautiful, most relaxing trips that we have ever taken. The beaches, 14 I believe, are very beautiful light colored sand. Our 3 favorites Gouverneur, Saline and Colombier are beautiful. Columbier is quite a hike to get to but was worth it and it has great snorkeling right from the beach. Saline beach, which was our favorite, was about a 10 minute walk from the parking area. Keep in mind that this is a European country so topless sunbathing is very common.

The restaurants are quaint with several only open for dinner. Many serve fancy French foods that can be very expensive but there are also some options that are not as expensive. Le Select, a burger place that Jimmy Buffett always goes to when he is on the island, (he has lent them the phrase “Cheeseburger in Paradise”) has a very nice outdoor atmosphere with cheeseburgers, frites (french fries) and cold beverages. A good restaurant called Les Bananiers, has great wood oven baked pizzas. The bakeries were outstanding as well. Many breakfasts and lunches we

had at the beach consisted pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant type pastry) and of a loaf of bread, some cheese and some rotisserie chicken from the bakery. I would also recommend the local fish market for some of the best and freshest fish. We bought some tuna from the locals at the fish market and cooked it on the grill at our villa and it was the best.

If you are interested in more information, the following website http://www.sbhonline.com/ has most anything that you would want to know about St. Barts from villa rentals to restaurants and has a very good forum.