Gunnison-Crested Butte Launches “Double Dog Dare You” Facebook Contest

Win a getaway to “The Last Great Ski Town in Colorado”

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (Oct. 26, 2009) — Gunnison-Crested Butte is known for being a place you can let your hair down for a little R & R and adventure, whether you like it laidback or extreme. The locals are known for chatting it up with visitors and pointing the way to their favorite places. In keeping with this unique spirit, the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association today launched a “Double Dog Dare You” campaign on Facebook to celebrate the 2009/10 ski season.

Become a friend at www.facebook.com/gcbta, explain in 50 words or less why you should be selected to visit Crested Butte this winter, and submit a photo of yourself enjoying a snowsport. The winner will receive three night’s lodging at The Ruby of Crested Butte bed and breakfast, four lift tickets from Crested Butte Mountain Resort ski area and a $100 gift certificate for Django’s Restaurant & Wine Bar, located at the ski base.

The campaign kicks off on Oct. 26, 2009, and concludes on Nov. 23, 2009. Along the way, locals will double dog dare participants to check out the many activities to enjoy in Gunnison-Crested Butte such as outstanding alpine skiing and boarding, dog-sledding tours, spa services, lively après ski, sleigh-ride dinners, concerts and gallery walks, cooking classes, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and more. A winner will be announced on Nov. 25, 2009, the opening day of ski season at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, and travel must take place before the ski season ends on April 4, 2010.

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison County or to book personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association’s toll-free line, (800) 814-8893, or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com. Follow the Tourism Association on www.twitter.com/gcbta.

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is served year-round by United Airlines with flights from Denver and during the winter season by American Airlines with direct flights from Dallas/Fort Worth and Delta Air Lines with direct flights from Salt Lake City and Atlanta.

About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado. Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing. 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.