Vail Valley is one of the elite world-class destinations for outdoor fun and adventure in the United States. Although skiing was and still is the primary drawing force of the region, the locals have successfully transformed this place into a year-round attraction through its pristine and well-maintained golf courses as well as other popular outdoor activities. But contrary to what others know, Vail Valley is not solely made up of the Town of Vail.

Although Vail is arguably the most celebrated, there are other communities that are part of the place. These communities contribute immensely to the prosperity of the area, and are in fact worthy of your visit. We now mention them all here, starting with Vail and moving westward.

Vail:
There are two extremely popular communities in the Valley and this is undoubtedly the first. We’ll talk about the second one later.  Being at the base of the largest single mountain resort in the United States has made this community a bustling town filled with 5 star hotels, upscale condos, and gourmet restaurants.
Most of the business establishments are located in Lionshead and Vail Village, which are the sites of the Eagle Bahn Gondola, Born Free Express Lift, Vista Bahn Express Lift, and Riva Bahn Express Lift. These lifts transport visitors to 4 different portions of the mountain, with the Gondola taking them to the apex of activity, at Eagles Nest.

Minturn:
As you head Westward along Interstate 70, taking a left turn on a southbound road will lead you to the old railway town of Minturn. In fact, as you continue driving south, the railroad tracks will just be a few hundred feet to your left.

Here, you can catch a glimpse of its past through its antique shops and galleries. Its past played an important role in the railroad system of Colorado. Now, it relies on tourism as its main source of income. If you want to catch the town at its busiest, that would be during summer when the Minturn Farmer’s Market is held weekly.

Avon:
If you now head back to Interstate 70 and follow the road, you’ll reach two adjacent communities: Avon and Beaver Creek Resort. For now, let’s tackle Avon.  Known to the locals as the “Heart of the Valley”, Avon is the most densely populated in the area, topping even the town of Vail itself. One of the reasons is its location, as it serves as the gateway of Beaver Creek Resort as well as being just a 15-minute drive from Vail.

The place itself has its own attractions that your family, especially the little ones, will love. Take them to Harry A. Nottingham Park, Avon’s Recreation Center, and Whitewater Park, and you’ll easily forget that you came here to ski.

Beaver Creek:
Beaver Creek is the equally popular sister resort of Vail. Whenever the Birds of Prey World Cup comes to this town every December, the whole world of skiing watches. Ranked among the top 5 downhill courses in the world, Beaver Creek is definitely no little sister. And like Vail, its lodging and culinary services are top of the charts.

Edwards:
Right next to Avon and Beaver Creek, to the west, is Edwards. One of the commercial districts in the area, a big part of Edwards’ population is made up of people who are, in one way or another, employed by either one of the two magnificent resorts.

Eagle:
Despite being the county seat of Eagle County, Colorado, the place is one of the lowest populated among the communities although recent surveys show that it is now one of the most rapidly growing.  Primarily a ranching town, it prides itself with its authentic western culture. Hence, the Eagle County Fair and the Rodeo are two good reasons why you should drop by.

Travel to Vail Pass!
When Charles Vail routed US Highway 6 through the valley that contained Vail Pass in 1940, little did he know that it would later pave the way to one of the most prominent winter destinations in the world – Vail Ski Resort. 

Geographical background:
Today, not only one, but two resorts have emerged as world-renowned ski destinations in what is now known as Vail Valley. The first one is Vail Ski Resort and the other one is Beaver Creek Resort. This has subsequently allowed other neighboring communities in the valley to prosper. Now, there are six major communities that play a major role in the tourism-based economy of the region, namely, Vail, Minturn, Avon, Beaver Creek, Edwards, and Eagle (the town).

To get to Vail from Vail Pass, you would need to drive for around 13 minutes westward. And if you follow the highway further on to the west, you’ll get to Beaver Creek. The total travel time from Vail Pass to Beaver Creek would be around 28 minutes.

Winter activities:
The place is primarily known for its winter activities. These include snowboarding, ice skating, tubing, and of course, skiing. Skiing has definitely put this once obscure wasteland on the world map, with Vail identified as the largest single mountain ski resort in the United States and Beaver Creek as one of the top 5 downhill courses in the world.  The former is recognized as having one of the most diverse trails in the planet. This is largely due to its expansive area. Thus, skiers with different levels of expertise can choose a slope that is appropriate to their skills.

This mountain is said to have the most groomed slopes in the planet, producing a wide variety of green, blue, black and double black trails, with the most difficult ones located at the back side a.k.a. the Back Bowls.  The latter, on the other hand, is well-known as having one of the most challenging slopes on Earth. And every December, expert skiers try their mettle on its trails against the best of the best during the Birds of Prey World Cup.

Summer Activities:
While the valley is more known for its winter activities, the various communities have recently taken great steps to make the region an elite year-round outdoor destination. And from the looks of it, achievement of such a goal is just around the corner. So that every summer, you can now go mountain biking, hiking, hot air ballooning, fly fishing, and kayaking on the same slopes that were entirely covered with snow during the last winter. Or you can watch your drives substantially (and surprisingly) improve on any of the golf courses in the valley. These moves have given a great boost to the local economy as the business establishments are now able to extend their services way after the cold months.

Infrastructure:
While still at the pass on your way to the resorts, you’ll never imagine that just around the corner, beyond all the towering mountains, is a place bustling with commercial activity.Once you get there, you’ll be amazed to find 5 star hotels, upscale condos, spa facilities and gourmet restaurants with price tags that only the moneyed can afford. But why not? Many of the visitors every year are celebrities and top executives so naturally, the amenities have to be of the highest quality.  There are also numerous lifts to get you to different altitudes on the mountain. These and all other infrastructures, amenities and services are available the whole year round.

So the next time you get to the Vail Pass, know that somewhere beyond those mountains, an outdoorsmans paradise awaits you.

Vail resorts has a lot to offer in fun!
Scattered around Vail are various resorts that have one common goal: to make your stay in the premier skiing resort an experience worthwhile enough to make you come back the following year. Having heard a lot about the magnificent wonder that is Vail, you’re left with perhaps one more question: What can the resorts in this place offer you?

Whenever you plan a trip to a far-flung land, one of your major concerns is a place to stay. This concern is especially important if you intend to stay for more than just a few days. You wouldn’t want your vacation to be ruined simply because your lodging was atrociously terrible. Accommodations, amenities and customer service should be tolerable at the very least.

You’d be glad to know that although the service can sometimes be disappointing, accommodations as well as amenities are usually top of the line, thanks to the overwhelming influx of the rich and famous during peak season. These are the type of people who can afford to demand luxury at its finest. Hence, business establishments including resorts are expected to have just that to satisfy their customers’ discriminating tastes.

As a visitor looking for the perfect lodging, you can choose from a wide selection of hotels, condominiums, and house rentals. They are quite abundant all around Lionshead and Vail Village. For condominiums, usual accommodations range from 1 to 4 bedroom units, mostly fully furnished. And since the view outside is a must see, practically all of them have balconies.  All the customary amenities and services are mostly available: fitness and health facilities, Internet access, concierge, and transportation services. Then since you’re in a very cold region, most of them also have heated indoor and outdoor pools.

While not all are as benefited, some buildings have or are close to an ATM station where you can replenish your cash on hand. Also, most but not all of them have on-site restaurants and bars. These are quite useful if you ever get too tired to walk to the nearest restaurant after a day of outdoor activity.  The base area is not so large, in fact the exact opposite of it. Being a pedestrian friendly town, everything is practically a walk away from the front doors of any of the resorts. Therefore, if you need to grab a bite, quench your thirst, or simply want to look around, the appropriate spots are no more than a few steps away.

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Vail resorts has the relaxation and facilities you need.
It might be difficult for you to imagine why anyone would be looking for such resorts in Vail, the premier destination for winter fun and adventure. However, because the world is becoming a more capital-driven society and because technologies like the Internet are adding fuel to that fire, it is getting quite common to see people bringing work to the wilderness.  This article is written to aid visitors who are in Vail but are not there to have total uninterrupted fun. For this type of people, two things are essential: maximum utilization of time and a constant connection to their headquarters. If you are one of them, then this article’s for you.

Staying near the lifts:
You might be wondering what proximity to the lifts has to do with those two essential things. Well, it definitely will not help you have that constant connection but it can sure help you optimize your schedules.  Let’s try to find out how this can be possible. When you’re in a skiing resort you, well, ski. But of course, as we all know, skiing is usually done downhill. That means, you’ve got to get up the mountain before you can ski down its slopes. Now, since time is essential for you, you’d like to get to the top ASAP and the easiest way to do it is to catch a ride.

In Vail, there are five rides that will get you up the mountain when you’re in the base-area: the Eagle Bahn Gondola, the Born Free Express, the Cascade Lift, the Vista Bahn Express, and the Riva Bahn Express. The reason why you’d want to dwell as close to any of them as possible is because you’d like to get in line before it gets any longer. Living in a hotel or condominium that’s only a few steps from any of them should do the trick

Business Center and Free Internet Access:
Once you’re in Vail, you’ll realize that the first requirement is quite easy to comply with as you’ll soon find out that many hotels and condominiums have been constructed near the lifts. It’s time to narrow down the choices by complying with second requirement.  Remember that the second requirement is to have a constant connection to your own base. With the advent of the Internet and online collaboration methods, this can be easy as well. But first, you’ll need a high-speed Internet connection.

In case you haven’t brought your own laptop or you’d wish to produce hardcopies of your reports, you’ll also need a business center equipped with desktop PCs, printers, photocopiers, and other equipment found in a typical office. Therefore, the hotel or condominium where you intend to stay should have one.  Now that we’ve established the importance of those two, let us now make suggestions as to where you can stay. It is assumed that these resorts would have complied with the two important requirements.

Recommended Resorts:
Since the Gondola has a larger capacity, you can subsequently expect a longer line. Thus, we’d like to suggest more choices here. Antlers at Vail, Montaneros, Landmark Tower, Vail Spa and Condominiums, and the Lodge at Lionshead which are all located at Lionshead, hence near to both the Gondola and the Born Free Express, also have free or complimentary high-speed Internet access.

For the other three lifts, we recommend one for each. For the Cascade Lift, there’s Vail Cascade Resort and Spa; for the Vista Bahn Express, The Lodge at Vail; and for the Riva Bahn Express, there’s Manor Vail Lodge. All resorts mentioned are no more than a few steps away. If you want to add more to your list of options, feel free to do so. These resorts are just initial suggestions which can get you started on your quest to find the most suitable for your needs.

People who go to Vail, CO (Colorado) for the first time usually have only one reason: to ski. This is quite understandable considering that their destination is one of the premier ski destinations in the world. Not only is this home to the largest single mountain ski resort in the planet, Vail Mountain, its slopes also offer ski aficionados one of the most varied terrains in the whole of skiingdom-come.

Highlights of the Town:
The Town of Vail, CO has a total area of 4.5 square miles, an average elevation of 8,150 ft, is surrounded by White River National Forest and is sliced from east to west by Gore Creek.  It can be reached by plane via Eagle County Airport which is just a few minutes from town. Air traffic is substantially busiest during the winter months when the rate of commercial flight and private aircraft landings shoot up.   Once on the ground, you can go around through various forms of land transportation.

If you want more privacy and have the money to spend for it, there are car rental services available. 4×4’s or SUV’s are the most practical due to the rugged terrain. There are also shuttle services and a bus system for those who don’t mind commuting.   However, if you simply want to explore the town, you may use the most efficient means of transportation – your feet. The town is Bavarian-inspired and hence pedestrian friendly. Walking can absolutely be recommended if you want to look around.

Winter and Summer:
In the past, Vail, CO was only known as a winter destination. Recently, however, people have come to notice its equally alluring summers. This has turned both the city and the mountain year-round outdoor destinations.  The mountain has an average snowfall of 364 inches per year which is perfect for winter sports. However, when all this starts to thaw, it gives life to a myriad of wonders trapped underneath during the cold season. For example, the melting feeds rushing rapids that are perfect for white water rafting.   When the snow is completely gone, what is left is a rugged verdant landscape that beacons a new set of outdoor sports.

Booming business:
Since the Town of Vail, CO is located at the foot of a world class ski resort its economy is understandably hinged on tourism. It is dotted with hotels, condominiums, restaurants, coffee shops, and spas. And because people from around the world flock to this city, creating an influx of diverse cultures, a variety of restaurants have sprouted to cater to the different culinary preferences.  Many of the businesses are upscale since many celebrities and other rich people frequent the area during winter. In fact at that time of the year it is normal to see celebrities every day. As such, many 5 star hotels have found their way here.

Outdoor-related businesses are also widespread. These include instructors and shops for activities such as biking, hiking, kayaking, fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding, skating, snowboarding, and of course, skiing.

Real estate appreciation:
After their first visit to Vail, CO, people long to come back for more. And as they keep coming back, they realize that there will always be something in the place that they will always long to explore. Every year, as the snow caps melt, it reveals new natural splendors and it is perhaps because of this that people finally decide to make the place their home.   Residing in Vail, CO, however, is easier said than done. Every year, real estate appreciates to seemingly insurmountable levels. Hence, only those who can really afford, can afford to stay.