TRAVEL TALES

Young Chang

The last day of the Chiapuzio’s trip to Colorado was the prettiest

because it snowed really hard and what started as gentle snowfall became

a snowstorm, said Kymberly Chiapuzio of Corona del Mar.

She, her daughter Chelsea and her husband Tony visited Aspen, Colo.

last month to ski, dog sled and skate in an outdoor rink for a week.

Kymberly Chiapuzio went to school in Colorado Springs and says she

just “has an affinity for the place.”

For her 6-year-old’s first adventure skiing, she wanted to bring the

family back to her old city, where five other relatives met up with the

trio.

“It was kind of a big deal,” Chiapuzio said. “We didn’t do that much

though because I got so so sick unfortunately.”

One favorite moment was sitting at storytelling sessions presented by

Snowmass, the town next door to Aspen.

“They had marshmallows and hot chocolate and the guy that told the

story was really really interesting,” the 36-year-old said.

Chiapuzio’s father, husband and half-brother came along to these

frequent story times.

When it came to skiing, most of the clan also stayed at Snowmass

because the slopes there, though they’re much larger than the ones in

Aspen, are more appropriate for families with young children.

The kids also went to a ski school in Snowmass, said Tony Chiapuzio.

Kymberly Chiapuzio, who used to work at Gary’s Island in Fashion

Island, added that sledding with a team of dogs from Krabloonik Kennels

was “extremely unique.”

Tony Chiapuzio, who owns Anthony Wholesale Electric, said the

restaurant at Krabloonik -- one with mostly French cuisine but all

different kinds of game -- was memorable.

He ate the elk, which tasted something like beef.

But for Kymberly Chiapuzio, just being with family amid snow-doused

mountains was vacation enough.

“The mountains are beautiful,” she said. “The people are really really

nice, that we’ve encountered anyway.”

* Have you, or someone you know, gone on an interesting vacation

recently? Tell us your adventures. Drop us a line to Travel Tales, 330 W.

Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; e-mail young.chang@latimes.com; or fax to

(949) 646-4170.