West Vail Lodge

Dip your toes in the stream

by Pawtuxet

We were in Colorado to visit my son, who worked there for a couple of years. Obviously it was not ski season. There are plenty of places to hike and bike ... have a picnic...the mountains and streams are picture perfect. Definately a ski town, tho.

High Mountain Rest Area Outside of Vail

by eric_ives

If you are driving from Vail toward Denver there is a rest area on I-70 at about 10,000 feet of elevation just outside of Vail. We stopped for a break on the morning of January 5th, 2003. The weather wasn't too cold (about 1 degree below freezing), and there was deep snow covering everything. Some people were riding snowmobiles around the surrounding hills. Although the air was thin, we had some fun playing in the snow before continuing on our drive east.

Favourite Italian Restaurant in Vail

by MM212 about Campo de Fiori

Very authentic and quite delicious, Campo de Fiori is a favourite Italian restaurant in Vail. The dining room is decorated with Roman frescoes on the walls and the food is tasty, accompanied by excellent Italian wines. I eat at this restaurant every time I'm in Vail.

Vail - The Front Side

by MM212

The front side of Vail, i.e. the skiable area facing the town, is quite extensive and offers excellent skiing. This area tends to be the most crowded due to its proximity and easy access to the town itself, and also due to having more blue (medium) slopes. An entire day could be spent skiing the front side and that would not be near enough to cover all of the trails. Favourite runs here include Cappuccino, Avanti and Simba.

~ Vail, Colorado ~

by noidiotsplease

Vail is one of the most well-known ski resort towns in Colorado. I stayed in Vail back in 1993 as a stop on one of my family’s Colorado road trips. We stayed at the Lion’s Gate, a rental property that is very expensive during ski season, but as it was summertime, had rates that were extremely affordable.

Even with the ski slopes out of snow for the season, the verdant mountains provided a picturesque backdrop to the European style buildings of Vail Village. Surrounded by rental properties and hotels, the pedestrian-friendly village features interesting shops and restaurants, accented by charming features like the small bridges that cross over babbling brooks. Of course, ascending from the village are the ski runs and ski lifts that scale the surrounding mountains. While here, we not only wandered the village and its shops, but also hiked along one of the brooks at the edge of town.

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