| Crested Butte | |||
This 1880s Victorian mining town is a Registered National Historic District and designated a "Distintive Dozen Destination" in 2008 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It's colorful past still lives on today in the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum. Also, birthplace of mountain biking and home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.
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Crested Butte Embraces Green Initiatives
With approximately 85 percent of Gunnison County being public land and many acres of additional open space protected from development, it is natural that the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley is interested in keeping its slice of paradise pristine. The tourism industry is expanding its green practices, and the local Office of Resource Efficiency (ORE) is working hand-in-hand with businesses, residents and events to help make it happen. Approximately 70 businesses participate in the 1% for Open Space valleywide, which allows customers to donate an additional 1 percent of their purchases to preserving land in the area. The program has raised more than $1 million to save in excess of 4,000 acres. Signs are posted in participating businesses. Also, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte are part of the Colorado Association of Ski Towns Reusable Bag Challenge, a friendly competition between 28 ski towns to see which town can record the most uses of reusable bags versus single-use plastic shopping bags from March 1 to September 1, 2009. The winning town will receive a grant to install a solar panel system at a public school. Eco-Friendly Lodging The Ruby of Crested Butte, an in-town bed and breakfast, has launched sustainability initiatives across the full spectrum of its operations, including offsetting 100 percent of its electricity use through wind power credits; replacing all light bulbs with CFLs; offering green meetings and events; using green cleaning products; and serving local and organic breakfasts. Guest rooms feature in-room recycling, new ENERGY STAR-rated TVs, towel and linen reuse options, sheets and towels made from organic cotton, natural and recyclable amenities, organic and natural mini bar items, and water-conserving fixtures. The Ruby has achieved the platinum level of ORE's Energy Wise Business Program and offers green vacation packages. www.therubyofcrestedbutte.com. Events Crested Butte Wildflower Festival is already all about Mother Nature but efforts to further "green" the event include recycling, reusing and composting all materials when possible. Energy credits were purchased to offset electricity and transportation energy use. www.crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com Elk Mountains Grand Traverse will undergo a progressive greening over the next several years to pass on a sustainable legacy to the next generation of skiers. Goals include educating and exciting volunteers, creating positive green marketing, promoting how to green an event and your life, offsetting carbon, and increasing awareness to help save the snow and planet. www.elkmountaintraverse.org Crested Butte Mountain Resort Ski Area • CBMR has offset nearly 100 percent of its energy consumption with wind power credits, with all lifts and offices and most of the company's lodges and restaurants participating. Transportation Shops, Restaurants & Services Timberline Restaurant in Crested Butte frequently updates its menu to use as many local and regional products that are in season as possible. Bread is baked daily and goat cheese is made in-house from fresh Paonia goat milk. Recycled-content paper products, biodegradable to-go boxes, recycling, kitchen composting and oil recycling, and renewable energy purchased from the area's electric cooperative are other green initiatives. Down the street and behind the scenes at Donita's Cantina uses environment-friendly processes to heat water, heat the restaurant and recirculate wastewater from the walk-in cooler, freezer and ice machine. If you have any food left to bring home, compostable to-go boxes are used. Black Tie Ski Rentals not only makes it ultra-easy to rent skis and boards by bringing the equipment to you for fitting, the Crested Butte branch purchases wind power to offset electricity usage, participates in the TerraPass program to balance other energy used such as gasoline and natural gas, and takes part in 1% for Open Space and ORE's business accreditation program. Also, Black Tie's employee reward program recognizes staff for biking, carpooling and walking to work. Green Vacation Packages For details and rates, call (800) 890-1338 or visit www.therubyofcrestedbutte.com. Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities. In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding. Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. Gunnison, a real western town located 28 miles from Crested Butte, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, a four-year institution offering majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks. Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways. Going Green in Crested Butte, Colorado With approximately 85 percent of Gunnison County being public land and many acres of additional open space protected from development, it is natural that the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley is interested in keeping its slice of paradise pristine. The tourism industry is expanding its green practices, and the local Office of Resource Efficiency (ORE) is working hand-in-hand with businesses, residents and events to help make it happen. Approximately 70 businesses participate in the 1% for Open Space valleywide, which allows customers to donate an additional 1 percent of their purchases to preserving land in the area. The program has raised more than $1 million to save in excess of 4,000 acres. Signs are posted in participating businesses. Also, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte are part of the Colorado Association of Ski Towns Reusable Bag Challenge, a friendly competition between 28 ski towns to see which town can record the most uses of reusable bags versus single-use plastic shopping bags from March 1 to September 1, 2009. The winning town will receive a grant to install a solar panel system at a public school. Eco-Friendly Lodging The Ruby of Crested Butte, an in-town bed and breakfast, has launched sustainability initiatives across the full spectrum of its operations, including offsetting 100 percent of its electricity use through wind power credits; replacing all light bulbs with CFLs; offering green meetings and events; using green cleaning products; and serving local and organic breakfasts. Guest rooms feature in-room recycling, new ENERGY STAR-rated TVs, towel and linen reuse options, sheets and towels made from organic cotton, natural and recyclable amenities, organic and natural mini bar items, and water-conserving fixtures. The Ruby has achieved the platinum level of ORE's Energy Wise Business Program and offers green vacation packages. www.therubyofcrestedbutte.com. Events Crested Butte Wildflower Festival is already all about Mother Nature but efforts to further "green" the event include recycling, reusing and composting all materials when possible. Energy credits were purchased to offset electricity and transportation energy use. www.crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com Elk Mountains Grand Traverse will undergo a progressive greening over the next several years to pass on a sustainable legacy to the next generation of skiers. Goals include educating and exciting volunteers, creating positive green marketing, promoting how to green an event and your life, offsetting carbon, and increasing awareness to help save the snow and planet. www.elkmountaintraverse.org Crested Butte Mountain Resort Ski Area • CBMR has offset nearly 100 percent of its energy consumption with wind power credits, with all lifts and offices and most of the company's lodges and restaurants participating. Transportation Shops, Restaurants & Services Timberline Restaurant in Crested Butte frequently updates its menu to use as many local and regional products that are in season as possible. Bread is baked daily and goat cheese is made in-house from fresh Paonia goat milk. Recycled-content paper products, biodegradable to-go boxes, recycling, kitchen composting and oil recycling, and renewable energy purchased from the area's electric cooperative are other green initiatives. Down the street and behind the scenes at Donita's Cantina uses environment-friendly processes to heat water, heat the restaurant and recirculate wastewater from the walk-in cooler, freezer and ice machine. If you have any food left to bring home, compostable to-go boxes are used. Black Tie Ski Rentals not only makes it ultra-easy to rent skis and boards by bringing the equipment to you for fitting, the Crested Butte branch purchases wind power to offset electricity usage, participates in the TerraPass program to balance other energy used such as gasoline and natural gas, and takes part in 1% for Open Space and ORE's business accreditation program. Also, Black Tie's employee reward program recognizes staff for biking, carpooling and walking to work. Green Vacation Packages For details and rates, call (800) 890-1338 or visit www.therubyofcrestedbutte.com. Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities. In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding. Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. Gunnison, a real western town located 28 miles from Crested Butte, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, a four-year institution offering majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks. Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways. Going Green in Crested Butte, Colorado With approximately 85 percent of Gunnison County being public land and many acres of additional open space protected from development, it is natural that the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley is interested in keeping its slice of paradise pristine. The tourism industry is expanding its green practices, and the local Office of Resource Efficiency (ORE) is working hand-in-hand with businesses, residents and events to help make it happen. Approximately 70 businesses participate in the 1% for Open Space valleywide, which allows customers to donate an additional 1 percent of their purchases to preserving land in the area. The program has raised more than $1 million to save in excess of 4,000 acres. Signs are posted in participating businesses. Also, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte are part of the Colorado Association of Ski Towns Reusable Bag Challenge, a friendly competition between 28 ski towns to see which town can record the most uses of reusable bags versus single-use plastic shopping bags from March 1 to September 1, 2009. The winning town will receive a grant to install a solar panel system at a public school. Eco-Friendly Lodging The Ruby of Crested Butte, an in-town bed and breakfast, has launched sustainability initiatives across the full spectrum of its operations, including offsetting 100 percent of its electricity use through wind power credits; replacing all light bulbs with CFLs; offering green meetings and events; using green cleaning products; and serving local and organic breakfasts. Guest rooms feature in-room recycling, new ENERGY STAR-rated TVs, towel and linen reuse options, sheets and towels made from organic cotton, natural and recyclable amenities, organic and natural mini bar items, and water-conserving fixtures. The Ruby has achieved the platinum level of ORE's Energy Wise Business Program and offers green vacation packages. www.therubyofcrestedbutte.com. Events Crested Butte Wildflower Festival is already all about Mother Nature but efforts to further "green" the event include recycling, reusing and composting all materials when possible. Energy credits were purchased to offset electricity and transportation energy use. www.crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com Elk Mountains Grand Traverse will undergo a progressive greening over the next several years to pass on a sustainable legacy to the next generation of skiers. Goals include educating and exciting volunteers, creating positive green marketing, promoting how to green an event and your life, offsetting carbon, and increasing awareness to help save the snow and planet. www.elkmountaintraverse.org Crested Butte Mountain Resort Ski Area • CBMR has offset nearly 100 percent of its energy consumption with wind power credits, with all lifts and offices and most of the company's lodges and restaurants participating. Transportation Shops, Restaurants & Services Timberline Restaurant in Crested Butte frequently updates its menu to use as many local and regional products that are in season as possible. Bread is baked daily and goat cheese is made in-house from fresh Paonia goat milk. Recycled-content paper products, biodegradable to-go boxes, recycling, kitchen composting and oil recycling, and renewable energy purchased from the area's electric cooperative are other green initiatives. Down the street and behind the scenes at Donita's Cantina uses environment-friendly processes to heat water, heat the restaurant and recirculate wastewater from the walk-in cooler, freezer and ice machine. If you have any food left to bring home, compostable to-go boxes are used. Black Tie Ski Rentals not only makes it ultra-easy to rent skis and boards by bringing the equipment to you for fitting, the Crested Butte branch purchases wind power to offset electricity usage, participates in the TerraPass program to balance other energy used such as gasoline and natural gas, and takes part in 1% for Open Space and ORE's business accreditation program. Also, Black Tie's employee reward program recognizes staff for biking, carpooling and walking to work. Green Vacation Packages For details and rates, call (800) 890-1338 or visit www.therubyofcrestedbutte.com. Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities. In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding. Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. Gunnison, a real western town located 28 miles from Crested Butte, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, a four-year institution offering majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks. Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.
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