As the weather changes and glimpses of the hol­i­day sea­son begin to appear, cre­ate mem­o­ries that will last a life­time with a win­ter escape to Colorado. Perfectly groomed ski slopes, free lift tick­ets and fun-filled train rides to the North Pole are just a cou­ple rea­sons to plan a win­ter vaca­tion in Colorado. Now through the New Year, trav­el­ers head­ing to this win­ter won­der­land can take advan­tage of a mul­ti­tude of holiday-inspired pack­ages and events. Below are just some of the ways to cel­e­brate the hol­i­days in Colorado this year. For a com­plete list of travel pack­ages, vaca­tion val­ues, itin­er­aries and more, visit www.colorado.com.

For the sec­ond con­sec­u­tive year, Vail Resorts offers Colorado 5th and 6th grade stu­dents the best deal on ski­ing and rid­ing in Colorado with four free unre­stricted days of ski­ing (or snow­board­ing) at each of its Colorado resorts – Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone – through The “School of Shred” pro­gram. The “School of Shred” pass can also be used for four free days at Arapahoe Basin this season.

Vail Resorts, Inc., unveiled a new pro­gram for the 2009–2010 ski sea­son tai­lored to give guests a whole new way to explore the moun­tain with an expert guide. Skiers and rid­ers will gain insider’s knowl­edge of each resort and receive tips to improve their ski­ing and rid­ing through­out the day.

When the snow begins to fall, Colorado’s Royal Gorge Route Railroad mag­i­cally becomes The Santa Express, a metic­u­lously restored series of mid-century loco­mo­tives adorned in hol­i­day décor and brim­ming with hol­i­day spirit while one very spe­cial guest is on board: Santa Claus.