VILLAGE CAN TAKE YOU OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT.Byline: - Eric Noland MAMMOTH LAKES -- It's been long in coming and gradual in developing, but Mammoth Mountain can now provide a skier with a fully pedestrian experience. The Village at Mammoth, which has rounded into shape over the three years since its launch, is a compact little enclave of condos, retail shops and restaurant/bars -- just a blip compared to the sprawling and more deeply rooted villages at Vail, Colo., and Whistler, British Columbia Whistler, British Columbia, is a Canadian resort town incorporated as a resort municipality, with a permanent population of approximately 9,965. Over two million people visit Whistler annually, primarily for its world-famous alpine skiing and mountain biking at Whistler-Blackcomb. . But it has already accomplished an important feat: chipping away at Mammoth's reputation as a commuter ski area (you know -- stay at a motel, drive to breakfast, drive to the base mountain, drive to a beer hall, drive to ...). At the corner of Main Street and Minaret minaret (mĭnərĕt`), tower, used in Islamic architecture, from which the faithful are called to prayer by a muezzin. Most mosques have one or more small towers, which are usually placed at the corners. Road, the Intrawest-managed village has a dozen or so shops and a few eateries on its ground floor, with upscale condos on the upper floors. Best of all, just steps away is the Village Gondola, which may not reach the top of the mountain but will at least access Mammoth's interconnected system of ski runs and lifts. So, if inclined, a visitor can park in the subterranean lot upon arrival, never climb behind the wheel again, and subsist sub·sist v. sub·sist·ed, sub·sist·ing, sub·sists v.intr. 1. a. To exist; be. b. To remain or continue in existence. 2. quite comfortably. The shops skew toward gear and apparel, while the food offerings run the gamut from snacks (ice cream, chocolates) to fine Provencal dining. There is also a little market that carries all the essentials for stocking up a condo kitchen. And though small, the village is an inviting place. The winding, European-style walkways are paved with rough cobblestones. Most restaurants have outdoor seating with space heaters. There are a few gas fire rings that are lighted when an assembly warrants it. And the complex of three condo lodges has an outdoor heated pool in a rock-garden setting and two extremely popular Jacuzzis. One afternoon, a dad and his two teenage daughters alighted from the Village Gondola carrying their gear, soon stepped through a lobby door into their lodgings at White Mountain Lodge, and were seen moments later in white terry-cloth robes and Sorrel boots, clunking clunk n. 1. A dull sound; a thump. 2. A blow that produces a dull sound. 3. Informal A stupid, dull person. v. clunked, clunk·ing, clunks v.intr. toward the swirling waters of the hot tubs. They later walked to dinner. If the Village at Mammoth does nothing more, it has already made an important contribution to this town: a decent restaurant. Mammoth has long been the province of pizza, burgers and gringo grin·go n. pl. grin·gos Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a foreigner in Latin America, especially an American or English person. Mexican food. (Out on Main Street, La Sierra bills itself as, no lie, ``Mexican American Italian Grill & Cantina can·ti·na n. Southwestern U.S. A bar that serves liquor. [Spanish, canteen, from Italian, wine cellar.] .'') Restaurant LuLu, a spinoff of the popular San Francisco dining spot, provides a welcome, and refined, alternative. Its cuisine is country French, which works remarkably well in a wintry win·try also win·ter·y adj. win·tri·er also win·ter·i·er, win·tri·est also win·ter·i·est 1. Belonging to or characteristic of winter; cold. 2. locale where daytime exertions are common. Cassoulet cas·sou·let n. A casserole of white beans, various meats, vegetables, and herbs, slowly simmered or baked in a slow oven. [French, stove dish, diminutive of cassolo, earthenware vessel and braised braise tr.v. braised, brais·ing, brais·es To cook (meat or vegetables) by browning in fat, then simmering in a small quantity of liquid in a covered container. short ribs are prepared in a stone oven, and there is a nightly rotisserie special -- it might be rabbit on Tuesday, leg of lamb on Wednesday, wild boar on Friday. LuLu also has an extensive antipasti Antipasti can refer to:
The ambience here is warm and inviting, and the service is excellent. From just a little bit of eavesdropping Secretly gaining unauthorized access to confidential communications. Examples include listening to radio transmissions or using laser interferometers to reconstitute conversations by reflecting laser beams off windows that are vibrating in synchrony to the sound in the room. , it was evident that Mammoth residents have found their way here for special occasions, there to mix with the transient condo dwellers. Locals have also come to embrace the Lakanuki Tiki Bar -- half the clientele on one night seemed to be bar employees who'd stopped in on their night off. Other bustling hangouts include the Side Door Cafe, which combines an extensive wine selection with such unsubstantial food offerings as crepes and paninis, and Hennessey's Tavern, the kind of loud, pub-grub place that has never been in short supply in Mammoth. About the only drawback to all this coziness is that the club hoppers aren't cognizant (or don't care) that there are bedrooms 10 feet above street level when they're stumbling home at closing time. If you retire at any time before 1:30 a.m., prepare to be awakened in the wee hours by booze-fueled frivolity Frivolity Blondie the gaffe-prone, frivolous wife of Dagwood Bumstead. [Comics: Horn, 118] Dobson, Zuleika charming young lady who unconcernedly dazzles Oxford undergraduates. [Br. Lit. . The accommodations are otherwise quite comfortable, with full kitchens, gas fireplaces, daily maid service and DVD players. The owners of some 200 units participate in the village rental program, with nightly rates ranging from $242 (studio, midweek) to $552 (three-bedroom, weekend). Meanwhile, under construction adjacent to the village and due for completion this year is the Westin Monache -- the first upscale hotel brand to make an appearance in Mammoth Lakes. www.villageatmammoth.com. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) A snarling snarl 1 v. snarled, snarl·ing, snarls v.intr. 1. To growl viciously while baring the teeth. 2. To speak angrily or threateningly. v.tr. bear statue keeps visitors company in the new pedestrian-friendly Village at Mammoth. (2) At the Village at Mammoth, visitors can eat, sleep and walk to the ski lift without ever getting into their cars. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion