"Wow" is what best describes my family's stay in March of this year (2014) in Keystone at River Run Village. We are from Texas and do not have much snow and sometimes none at all during a whole entire year and to get guaranteed snow in March of every year and enough to ski and snow board and enjoy other sports in the Rockies is truly amazing to us. This was our 6th year in a row to discover the mountains and the snow activities in March while lodging in Keystone, and our stay has always been magnificent and we leave looking forward to saving up for our return the next Spring. The first 5 years we stayed in Lakeside Village in Keystone, and then this year we decided to move up a notch and go the River Run where everything is happening since that's where we spend most of our time each year skiing, snowboarding, shopping, ski schools, etc., even though it put a little strain on the old pocket book, AND WE WEREN'T DISAPPOINTED.

I must say that the mountains and the activities Colorado offers were "brand new" to me and my family and as we packed the car in Dallas the first year to head northwest, we had no idea what we were getting into or if we'd make it back in one piece, but hey you only live once and every once in a while, you've got to step out on faith and try something new. Once we got into Denver, the mountains seemed as though they were talking to us saying "Welcome Texans, Welcome!" It was the most beautiful sight to behold with patches of snow on the sides of the road (in March) and all over the mountaintops where we were headed towards Keystone. We were stunned at the beautiful homes we saw that just looked as though they had been perfectly placed (stuck!) in the mountains.

We (my kids - not I because I'm a chicken :-)) could not wait to reach our destination and get checked in to our condo and pick up equipment to try out the new adventure of skiing and snowboarding (but not without hitting ski school first!). We have always encountered the most friendly, warm and accommodating people (complete strangers) during our stay, who make sure we feel welcome and at home, and it has worked every time! I truly believe that after our very first visit there, others (the folks working at the condos, the ski schools, the equipment rental places, and different activities that we participated in the mountains) accepting us and making us feel as though we were homegrown people from Colorado are the reason we left looking forward to definitely return the next Spring.

While my kids/grandkids enjoy skiing, I enjoy sipping on hot chocolate in front of the cozy fireplace and preparing dinner for them to eat when they venture back to the condo. What a wonderful, exciting time we have on our annual trips. It sets us back financially, but we work really hard at saving to return again. We love Colorado and the Coloradoans, and would like to say "thanks to God's beautiful country for being our home away from home!"