New Family-friendly Activities in Vail, Colorado

The Colorado ski resort of Vail is chock full of things for families to do in the wintertime. Besides skiing or boarding the wonderfully varied terrain, there’s an incredibly fun tubing hill at Adventure Ridge, snowshoe tours, ski biking (yes, biking downhill on snow) and snowmobiling, plus nearby sleigh and dogsled rides and the nifty Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum (kids think the neon ski outfits from the 1980s are hilarious). As if that’s not enough, families now have two relatively new activities to enjoy together in Vail Village.

Dimly lit lanes and big-screen TVs at Vail's bōl.

Bowling and Dining at bōl

Locals and tourists, 20-something hipsters and tween-age kids flock to bōl in the new Solaris mixed-use development in the pedestrian-friendly Vail Village. Dubbed “bowling evolved,” this spot for multi-generational fun features 10 bowling lanes in a swanky lounge setting. Huge screens at the end of each lane show music videos and televised sports games; the decor is sleek and modern. The bowling balls are designed to look like giant billiards balls — with the “billiard” number equal to the weight of the ball.

When my family stopped in last weekend, there were large groups of people taking up all the lanes. Two lanes were occupied by a tween’s birthday party, and the rest appeared to be groups of adults having a grand ol’ time. Even though we put the ix-nay on bowling because of its price ($50 per lane per hour, with up to 6 people in a lane; shoe rental is $5/pair), we might not have even been able to secure a lane on a Thursday evening — reservations are highly recommended, especially on the weekends.

Stark, modern furniture and lighting in bōl's dining room.

It’s not only about bowling at bōl: you can also enjoy dinner in the adjacent mod restaurant. (The full drink and dining menu is available in the bowling lounge area, too.) The items on the dinner menu are a bit pricey (hey, you’re in Vail, after all): a burger is $15, spaghetti is $23, shrimp and grits is $25.

My husband and I ordered light. We went with the pumpkin fritters (pumpkin-laced dough balls served with pomegranate sauce) for $8, which were pretty good (not as great as some reviews had raved), as well as small, but tasty salads for $8 and $10. Other items that sounded really good to us: grilled steak skewers ($12) and steamed pork buns ($14). The kids’ meals were actually the best bargain: for $8 apiece, my children noshed on a generous portion of fish and chips, as well as a big cheese pizza.

While I probably wouldn’t return to bōl to eat on our next visit to Vail with the kids, I liked the upbeat vibe a lot; I’d consider just hitting the 60-foot-long bar with my husband for a great glass of wine and some superb people-watching opportunities. Or if one of the kids were celebrating a special occasion, I’d cough up the $50/hour for some bowling time, as well.

Ice Skating at the Solaris Rink

My daughter’s been taking skating lessons, and she’s eager to practice on the ice as often as she can. We packed the ice skates for our recent road trip to Vail, in the hopes we’d have time to take a few spins during our short stay in the area. (Well, not me: I’m a horrible skater; I’d rather snap photos of my brood.)

Indeed, we were thrilled to find out the new outdoor Solaris ice rink is now open, as of mid-December. The skate rental shop is right next to bōl; you can’t miss the rink if you’re walking past the intersection of East Meadow Drive and Willow Bridge Road in Vail Village.

See that big sculpture at the far end of the rink? It's lit up at night; my daughter called it the "Margarita Glass." (Where'd she learn that?!)

This game is called: "See how fast I can whip my brother around without making him fall."

The skating rink is open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. It costs $15 to rent skates for up to four hours; for kids its $13. But if you bring your own skates, it’s free! You just need to go inside the skate shop and sign a waiver. Helmets are not required, but are included with the skate rental, if you like.

When my husband and kids donned their skates at about 1:15 p.m. last Friday, about a half dozen other people were also taking spins around the rink. While it’s not huge by any means, the rink could accommodate many more people without feeling too crowded.

On a pretty blue-sky day, I delighted in watching my kiddos goof around on the ice. Rosy-cheeked and giggling, they chased their dad to no avail, practiced their spins, spun each other and generally had great time in the heart of Vail Village.