Beaver Creek has long been a favorite Colorado ski resort for families. New programming dubbed Beaver Creek Loves Kids emphasizes the resort’s family-friendly nature even more with special events that take place during peak winter holiday weeks. Fun activities include Disco Skate Nights, Family Friday Afternoon Club and Rail Jams. Teenagers aren’t left out of the fun with Beaver Creek Loves Teens events, such as a Pizza & Snowshoe Party and Teen Trick Class at an Anti-Gravity Center. (Can adults sign up?! The trampoline center sounds cool.)

Even if you aren’t at the resort during peak family-vacation times (Christmas holidays, President’s Day Weekend and spring break weeks), Beaver Creek always rolls out the red carpet for kids with ongoing events and activities, as we found during our late January stay. Events are detailed on “This Week @ Beaver Creek” flyers found at lift-ticket desks and other places around the resort. Check out the schedule for kid-friendly activities like on-mountain story time, a glowstick ski-down that ends with fireworks (!) or complimentary family snowshoe tours. This coming weekend is focused on adult fun, with the Beaver Creek Food and Wine festival taking place January 26-28. But I’m certain more kid programming will return for the rest of ski season and again in the summer months!

I saw firsthand last weekend how Beaver Creek appeals to families. Here’s a peek:

Family FunFest: Under white tents in Beaver Creek Village, my tweens played carnival games to earn tokens that they could turn in for prizes. This took place from 4 p.m. to 5:30 on Saturday afternoon, and it was an entertaining way for visiting kids to pass some time after the chairlifts closed for the day and the dinner hour arrived.

Chocolate-chip cookies every day at 3 p.m. Toward the end of the ski day, chefs in white hats share platters of freshly baked cookies with guests at the base of the mountain. Like flies to honey, everyone flocks to the sweet treats! Somehow my kids each nabbed two cookies; daughter snagged one that had fallen into (clean) snow!

Haymaker Tubing Hill: This tubing adventure — with a covered conveyor belt lift so you don’t have to schlep your tube up the hill — is ideal for younger kids, say, ages 4 to 7. My 9- and 11-year-olds found it a bit tame, compared to the much steeper tubing runs at Vail and Keystone. The Beaver Creek tubing hill is for kids who are 36 inches or taller; there are even small tubes for preschoolers (unlike the other Vail Resorts hills that only have big tubes and are for anyone 42 inches or taller). When we were at the hill last weekend it was snowing, so that slowed our rides down; it’s faster in the late afternoon when the sun’s out and the chutes get a bit slick with melting snow.

My kids actually had more fun playing in neighboring Marmots Maze — a series of plastic slides and big tubes through which children (and adults) can crawl. The game became, “Let’s run down the hill, on the slides and through the tubes and try to beat Dad to the bottom.” Indeed, it was all fun and games until my daughter slipped and smacked her leg at the top of a slide. (No harm, no foul; just a bruised shin.) Marmots Maze is open to families who have paid for tubing ($29 per person for an hour); Children’s Ski School participants also go and play in the maze when they need a short break from the slopes.

Ice skating. Our plan for Saturday called for some late-afternoon skating at the huge ice rink right on the Beaver Creek Village plaza, but the bruised leg coupled with the dumping snow, we decided to pass. It’s open daily through the ski season from noon to 9 p.m., with skate rentals available (only $5 entry if you bring your own skates). Here’s a shot of the ice rink I snapped before it opened, and before the flakes started to fall.

Ski School: My kids didn’t ski last weekend, but we saw plenty of munchkins enrolled in the Children’s Ski & Snowboard School. The Ranch at the top of the Buckaroo Express is the new 4,000-square-foot on-mountain center (where the kids in group lessons eat lunch) surrounded by awesome beginners’ terrain. At the very base of the ski mountain, the littlest ski school participants can sample the slopes via a magic-carpet ride before even hopping on a lift. Group lessons are available for kids ages 3 to 14, and during holiday periods, teenagers can meet others their age at teen group lessons (otherwise, ages 15+ are grouped with adults).

With all of the family-friendly activities and programming at Beaver Creek it’s hard not to have fun at this upscale alpine resort! My family certainly had a ball on our Beaver Creek weekend getaway, and I’d recommend it to others in the winter months, for sure.

Thanks to Vail Resorts for providing tubing tickets!

Humongous fireplace and hearth in Antler Hall, where Park Hyatt guests gather for apres-ski drinks, snacks and entertainment.

I’ve long been a fan of the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek for it’s incredible Allegria Spa, spacious rooms with dark wood and sophisticated accents, and its enviable location at the base of the Colorado’s Beaver Creek mountain — easy access to skiing in the wintertime and hiking in the summer. I think I’ve overnighted at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek four times now (yes, I love the resort hotel that much), but last weekend was the first time I brought along the kids. They, too, give it double thumbs’ up. Here’s why the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek is so family friendly:

1. Welcoming atmosphere for families in the huge lobby and lounge area. As soon as I walked into the Park Hyatt to check in, I noticed just how many kids were clomping around in ski boots, sprawled on overstuffed couches and snacking on apres-ski treats in Antler Hall. It was about 4:30 p.m., and an acoustic guitar player was entertaining the crowd, engaging with guests: “First person to come up here with red hair wins a prize!” The roaring fireplace, giant antler chandelier, huge floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the mountains outside and friendly bartenders just set a welcoming scene — not only for adults, but kids, too.

2. Five hot tubs and heated outdoor pool. My family and I weren’t skiing last weekend, so we spent late morning Saturday just hanging out in the outdoor hot tubs and heated pool. We nearly had the place to ourselves at 11 a.m., since everyone else was on the slopes! The kids had a ball, creating some game that involved snow on the bellies. Then there was a “throw the snowballs at Mom and Dad in the hot tub” activity. I swam laps in the large rectangular pool (with a rope set up to designate a lap lane). What a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours with the family!

One of the five Park Hyatt hot tubs has a waterfall.

Snow on the tummy is hilarious!

3. Camp Hyatt. We didn’t take advantage of this babysitting service, but I can appreciate that the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek has a big, colorful on-site room for child care. It’s staffed with counselors (5 kids to 1 counselor ratio), with arts and crafts, board games, toys, video games and other activities. Outdoor fun might include making snow angels and scavenger hunts around the property. Yes, it costs: $60 for a half-day session; $90 all day. But if you do want to spend some time on your own, sans kids, and they’re not into ski school (more expensive than Camp Hyatt), this might be a place where they can meet other children and be cared for in a safe, secure environment.

4. 8100 Mountainside Grill. This is a hotel restaurant that both kids and parents will love. The seasonal dinner menu is exquisite — just try to pick only one side dish from the array of goodness: Organic Bleu Cheese Grits, Bacon Brussels Sprouts, Grilled Leek Mascarpone Risotto to name a few. Entrees from awesome wood fire grill include Espress0 Chili Crusted Filet of Beef, Berkshire Pork Chop and Organic Shetland Salmon — hearty food with a slight Southern twist from Chef Christian Apetz, who’s been at the helm of the kitchen for the last seven months. Kids can choose from standard hamburger, hot dog and pasta, or perhaps a nice flat iron steak or skinless chicken breast. Breakfast brings a generous a la carte menu, as well as a hot buffet and continental cold breakfast. I enjoyed my custom omelet; my daughter was a fan of the oatmeal with brown sugar and pancakes with chocolate chips (surprise, surprise).

Check out the wood-fired grill in the exhibition kitchen. Bacon wrapped asparagus, lobster tail and steak - yum!

Savory charcuterie tray available at the lively bar (or just ask for it at your dinner table). Delish!

Pork chop topped with a vanilla cider poached plum. Yes, it was incredible.

5. S’mores at 4! Every day at 4 p.m. during ski season, the Park Hyatt lays out a spread of graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate and homemade marshmallows for guests to roast around a fire pit, then make their own s’mores. While we were there, the kitchen made orange, mint, vanilla-bean and coffee-flavored marshmallows — and yes, I believe my children sampled each one! (Store-bought “regular” marshmallows are on hand, too.) The fire pit was packed at 4 p.m. when staff brought out the extra-long skewers for roasting — good thing, though, since the fire pit was roaring hot!

Make your own s'mores by a roaring fire at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek.

Indeed, those are orange-flavored marshmallows in a big ol' bowl. (No dearth of supplies for s'mores making here.)

Who needs a graham cracker when you can eat a burnt marshmallow right off a stick?

Other nice family-friendly services and amenities include pint-sized bathrobes for kids (just call down to guest services for as many as you need) and an on-site video-game room (it’s a bit tucked away; my kids never found it and I never pointed it out). I appreciated the delivered morning newspaper, in-room Keurig coffee and complimentary overnight shoe shine — my black leather cowboy boots look like new! Note that there is a $20 per room, per night resort fee charged to cover some of these amenities and services, as well as in-room wireless internet, bottled water and use of the fitness center and ski valet. We found the service to be quite good while we were there; even during a busy winter weekend, the valet staff, bellmen and front-desk receptionists were efficient and friendly.

Again, you can’t beat the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek’s location — literally steps away from the Buckaroo Express (which whisks skiers to The Ranch’s friendly beginner terrain), the tiny slope at the base for ski school’s littlest rippers, the ski school registration building, plus all of the shops and restaurants (and awesome ice rink!) in Beaver Creek Village. It’s truly in the heart of all the action at Beaver Creek.

Thanks to the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek for hosting me and my family.

I’d never heard of the new “Element by Westin” hotel brand before booking a stay at the Element Denver Park Meadows with my family last weekend. We wanted to use some of my Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints for a quick shopping trip to the big city, and found this property ideal because of its location to one of Denver’s biggest shopping malls (Park Meadows) and to our Denver friends’ house (with whom we had a dinner date Saturday night). Not only was the price right — only 3,000 Starpoints per night for our two-queen-bedded room — but the hotel was close to perfect for our weekend visit. Here’s why:

Kitchens in every room: The Element Denver Park Meadows is billed as an extended-stay property, presumably for business types who are in town for long periods working, perhaps, in the nearby Denver Tech Center. But as a mom, I appreciated the big refrigerator for storing our road-trip snacks and drinks. We didn’t cook over the weekend, but there is a stovetop, toaster, dishwasher and full complement of dishes and silverware.

Eco-friendly lodging: Silver LEED certified, the Element Denver Park Meadows emphasizes care of the environment with its low-flow faucets and fixtures (toilets have “half flush” and “full flush” options), compact florescent bulbs, recycle bins and glassware (not plastic cups) in guest rooms. The shampoo/conditioner and body wash are in large dispensers like you typically see in locker rooms at your local gym — why don’t more hotels do this?!

Excellent buffet breakfast: This property has one of the best buffet breakfasts I’ve ever had at a chain hotel. I especially appreciated the healthy egg and tortilla wraps kept warm on a hot plate. Too often buffet morning meals are lacking decent protein options; the hot breakfast burritos were a huge improvement over the more typical hard-boiled eggs and yogurt cups I often see. Also in the spread: bagels, toast, croissants, pastries, muffins, cereal and fresh fruit like strawberries, grapes and bananas. Huge thumb’s up for this breakfast service!

Indoor pool: It’s tiny, but the pool was a perfect way for the kids to blow off steam on arrival — after sitting in the car for four hours.

Free internet: Complimentary wireless in all guest rooms and public spaces. Again, why don’t more hotels offer this?!

Fresh design aesthetic: This hotel is undoubtedly modern, but it’s not stark and cool. Rather many different textures greet guests in the open lobby, with its brown and beige couches, contemporary furniture and natural green accents. In the rooms, I liked the glass-topped desks (so you could see the magazines — National Geographic Traveler and dwell — in the drawers below. The pretty green mosaic tile in the galley kitchen added a touch of whimsy to the otherwise taupe and brown decor. I also took note of the nature-inspired pattern on the brown rug in the bedroom area and the cool “Do Not Disturb” magnet that you place on metal strip on the door. Nifty design elements that add up to make guest rooms and public spaces here both fresh and welcoming.

Other nice touches: Since Element is under the Westin umbrella, guests sleep in Heavenly Beds (which are indeed heavenly!). I appreciated the rainshowerhead in the bathroom.

Indeed, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Element Denver Park Meadows to any families visiting south Denver (Lone Tree is the official suburb). It’s a great place to stay if you’re in the area for some holiday shopping, with the Park Meadows mall just a complimentary shuttle ride away. Rates start at $169/night.

This hotel post is made possible thanks to our friends at Expedia.

It’d been years since I’d hiked the popular Hanging Lake trail outside of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, so when a sunny, warm autumn day presented itself a couple weekends ago, I rallied the entire family for a 2.4-mile (roundtrip) scenic trek not too far from our mountain home. The trailhead for this moderately steep path to a gorgeous emerald green lake fed by a gushing waterfall is right off of busy Interstate 70. Easily accessible, the Hanging Lake trail is an incredibly popular place to be on Saturday mornings through the summer months. We knew to get started on our adventure relatively early, and were thrilled to score one of the last available parking places at exit 125 (eastbound only) at 10 a.m.

At the start of the paved path that leads to the actual trail, a sign warns out-of-towners that this is a “difficult” route. Indeed, if you’re coming from sea level, the vertical incline combined with thin mountain air can be challenging, for sure. But I spotted kids as young as four years old at the top of the trail who made it on their own two feet, so if your kiddos are active and avid hikers, they shouldn’t have a problem ascending to Hanging Lake. (My kids ages 9 and 11 made it without too much complaint; the elder is a gazelle on the trail, the younger a bit of a plodder and needs more encouragement.)

Along the way, we passed passed a babbling brook, crossed seven bridges, and admired all sorts of funky cliffs and rock formations. Many parts of the trail are shaded by evergreen and deciduous trees.

The toughest part is the tippy top, where metal railings are built into the side of a cliff, where it helps if you have long legs to climb up steps built into the rock. We posed for a quick family photo before reaching the summit.

Our reward was an absolutely stunning green pool of water at the bottom of a couple of waterfalls. Smartly built around the lake is a boardwalk and many benches for resting.

Walk another couple of minutes to where the waterfall begins for another cool sight: spouting rock. It’s as if the water that feeds the pool that feeds the waterfalls that feed Hanging Lake originates from the side of the cliff. You can also walk behind spouting rock to cool of in the refreshing (read: cold) pouring water.

In all, a delightful way to spend a Saturday morning in autumn. Again, if you go, your best bet is to arrive at the parking lot well before 10 a.m. On our trek down we passed a lot more people coming up than we did earlier in the day (i.e. we enjoyed the peace and quiet earlier in the day). And on our walk back to our parked car, we found it overflowing! People we driving around like vultures just waiting for other cars to leave so they could swoop in.

Another tip: Please oh please dress appropriately. That is in comfortable clothing, and in this autumn weather, that means long shorts or yoga pants, a tank top or t-shirt and a light jacket. Layers are key! What’s not key: the turtleneck sweater, dark jeans and black leather dress boots I saw one touron out-of-town visitor wearing as she attempted to ascend the trail comfortably. This is an “off road” adventure — dress the part! And don’t forget your bottles of water, at least one per person. After all, you want to stay hydrated to reach the top to enjoy incredible views like this. Have fun!

I recently spent a lovely autumn weekend in Keystone, Colorado, with a gaggle of girlfriends. At 9,280 feet in elevation, the sky was bright blue, the air quite crisp. Aspens were turning a glorious shade of gold and craggy mountain peaks taunted us their first dustings of snow. (Keystone ski resort opens in just 23 days!)

Take a short nature walk, not a crazy-long uphill trek, on the first full day of your mountain vacation.

Our group of eight enjoyed some great meals (the prix fixe menu at the historic and charming Ski Tip Lodge is highly recommended), a fabulous mountain hike (Lower Cataract Lake was ablaze in fiery leaves),  and convivial camaraderie. What wasn’t so fun? A few of the ladies suffered some symptoms of altitude sickness — dizziness, nausea, headaches. Even I felt a bit parched all weekend in the thin air — and I live at 7,000 feet above sea level! (Of course, my slight dehydration might have had more to do with copious amounts of wine and late nights gabbing with gal pals.)

Altitude sickness (also called acute mountain sickness) occurs because less oxygen and less humidity is available to your body at mountain ski resorts that sit above 8,000 feet, according to the medical experts at Aspen Valley Hospital. On ski vacations, you might also reach heights of 11,000 feet or more once you ascend that chairlift — that’s thin-air land, for sure! While symptoms might be more common among lowlanders — people who live at sea level — symptoms can effect anyone, as witnessed by my dry mouth (I couldn’t get enough water) and insomnia when I overnighted at 9,000+ feet.

While you and your family may experience high-altitude symptoms during your ski vacation this year — or your next trip to Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu, or a trek up Kilamanjaro — by no means should the fear of feeling a bit woozy stop you from traveling to mountain destinations! In fact, once you’re armed with the below tips and antidotes, you’ll be much better prepared to combat any altitude sickness you might encounter. Truly, I believe the beauty of vacationing in the mountains (skiing! hiking! biking! scenery!) far outweighs any discomfort you might feel.

Here’s how to best avoid altitude sickness when traveling in the mountains:

Acclimate at a midway elevation first. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests not going from low altitude to a sleeping altitude of 9,000 feet in one day. If you’re flying into Colorado for a ski vacation, I highly recommend spending the night at a Denver hotel first. Get used to the thinner air for 12 to 18 hours, then ascend to a higher elevation.

Drink copious amounts of water three days before you start your trip. Get your body well hydrated before you even set foot on a plane.

Take it easy for the first 24 to 48 hours you are at altitude. I know this is much easier said than done. You’ve spent all this money on a ski vacation, you want to hit the slopes! But if you plan quieter activities for at least your first full day in the mountains, you may be able to avoid headaches (literally) later.

Huffington Post Social News Editor and freelance writer AnneMarie Dooling, was on a Contiki group tour in Peru when she battled the affects of the altitude at the base of Machu Picchu, spending about 36 hours with excruciating stomach pain and heavy nausea. “I’ll be more cautious next time I travel to the mountains by taking it slower,” says Dooling, who noted that her symptoms fully went away when the group descended to Lima, at sea level. “Participating in a long hike on my first day probably wasn’t a great idea.”

Drink copious amounts of water when you arrive at altitude. You are not only prone to dehydration, but also constipation, in the mountains, so get your eight glasses a day (or more) to keep things moving. Ironically, diarrhea is another symptom of altitude sickness. So is “gas.” (Lovely, right?)

Eat light meals. See previous note about constipation. Plus, less food in your belly means less food that’ll come up if you did get hit with waves of nausea.

Avoid alcohol. I know this one might be difficult for my party-hearty TBEX blogging friends who will be descending upon Keystone in June, but as everyone knows, alcohol is dehydrating, and you want to be adding water to your body at altitude, not drinking things that will suck all the moisture out of you.

Don't forget to pack headache pain reliever for your pint-sized skiers, too.

Get a good nights’ sleep. Insomnia is one symptom of altitude sickness, so you might not be able to avoid a fitful night or two at the beginning of your thin-air mountain vacation. But if you can try to go to bed early, and allow the whole family to sleep in the first couple days, it could make for a more pleasant stay in the long run.

Pack Advil. At the first sign of headache, pop some ibuprofen. Be sure to bring pain relievers for your children, too.

Bring ginger chews, ginger capsules or ginger tea. One of my friends on my recent Keystone getaway said even the comforting, slightly spicy scent of ginger tea helped quell her stomach nausea on the last day of our visit. Which brings me to…

Recognize that altitude sickness could hit any time. The doctors at MedicineNet.com note that the onset of altitude sickness symptoms can occur any time between eight and 96 hours after arrival at altitudes of 8,000 feet or more. One travel buddy at Keystone had to skip dinner the first night because she felt dizzy and exhausted; the other didn’t feel symptoms until our last morning.

Peru traveler AnneMarie Dooling says she learned, from a very knowledgeable Cusco-based Contiki tour director and her own observations, that altitude sickness can affect different people in a variety of ways: “I became ill very quickly, but we still had tour group members getting
sick after we arrived down in Lima. It can take the body a few days to recover, so you might also want to take it easy after you first arrive back in the lowlands.”

Seek medical attention if you feel extremely uncomfortable or are in undue amounts of pain. I’m certainly no medical expert, but I would advise high-altitude vacationers to get to a doctor or hospital if headaches are unbearable, if breathing is extremely difficult or heart palpitations occur.

Most altitude sickness symptoms are mild, and can be avoided (or dealt with) via the tips above — and again, fear of altitude sickness shouldn’t stop anyone from vacationing in Colorado or Cusco. Just take it slow, drink your water, avoid alcohol and you’ll surely have a great time playing in the mountains.

Do you have tips for avoiding altitude sickness when vacationing in mountain climes? Please let us know in the comments below!

I’m sometimes envious of those people who are quite satisfied throwing down a burger from Applebee’s every weekend. How simple life would be.

If you are a foodie, you might relate to the constant search for new and trendy restaurants to satisfy your must-have-variety palate. It can be tiresome, and often expensive, looking for a new place to eat all the time. Especially if you live in a town that lacks gastronomic diversity and most dining out options are limited to chain restaurants.

If you live in Colorado Springs, you may understand this dilemma. If not, don’t take it off your list of “Places to Visit to Satisfy Your Foodie Appetite.”  On the west side of Colorado Springs is the old historic town Old Colorado City. This is a place where visitors who like to eat something not so mainstream should check out.

As you head down this little section of Colorado Avenue, you won’t find any signs of fast food or chain restaurants. In the short blocks between 24th and 27th, there are at least half a dozen restaurants to choose from to satisfy your hunger. Options from Spanish to Ethiopian to Greek give you the ethic variety your taste buds crave.

Pizzeria Rustica

Being a Chicago native, I will admit I am a bit of a pizza snob. While some of my friends can scarf down a Domino’s pizza and call it good, I prefer something with a little more… flavor.

Dave Brackett, a retired Air Force pilot owns this charming pizzeria right off of Colorado Avenue.

The pizza starts with the freshest ingredients from local farmers and Italy’s finest markets. Choices include a large variety of meats and vegetables including artichokes, eggplant, sweet peppers, salami, and chicken tomato basil sausage. The pizza is cooked in a cedar wood-burning stove giving it a crispy crust and intense flavors.

The inside dining area offers a pleasant old-world Italian charm that you would find in any small trattoria in Italy. Pizzeria Rustica‘s outdoor patio provides a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere during the warmer seasons.

Besides the homemade pizzas, salads, and antipastos, you can wash it down with a selection of delicious wines and handcrafted beers.

Jake and Telly’s

If you are still in a Mediterranean mood, Jake and Telly’s brings Greek food to the table. Jake and Telly are real people – brothers in fact – that offer authentic food from their home country.

Sitting on the outside deck, you can people watch as you sip Greek wine or beer or even Ouzo on the rocks. I would recommend that you add some food in with your beverage of choice.

The menu consists of traditional Greek food so if you are looking for American fare, you have come to the wrong place. Deciding on one dish can be hard, so I would recommend getting one of the mixed mezzes (loose term for appetizer plate) to get a sample of the Greek cuisine.

Jake and Telly’s host monthly wine tastings which a well worth attending if you are oenophile (which comes from the Greek word oinos – meaning wine).

Bon Ton’s

If you happen to venture into Old Colorado City in the morning or early afternoon, Bon Ton’s Café is a must for breakfast. Going with the theme of the above restaurants, outdoor seating is the preferred option during the summer months.

Sinking your teeth into an omelet that is filled with flavors seems to be an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday morning. The menus are printed on newspapers, where you will find typical breakfast and lunch menu fare. Southwest specialties are my favorite! This is where the locals eat. Reasonable prices, good food, great environment. What else can you ask for?

Tapateria

The owner of Pizzeria Rustica opened Tapateria just down the street to appeal to the ethnic atmosphere of Old Colorado City. This tapas restaurant really gets it right. Long before tapas became a “thing” in the states, restaurants in Spain have served these small plates to their patrons.

The elegant restaurant offers plenty of tasty treats to nibble on – my favorites being the crab salad, stuffed peppers, bison carpaccio, and warm olives. There is plenty to whet your appetite, but unless you have $75 or more to blow, you will probably still walk away hungry. Tapas are not meant to provide a full dinner experience, but an introduction to the flavors.

The small dinner plates remind me of the time I spent in Barcelona. But, unlike Barcelona, you don’t have to wait until 9 p.m. to eat dinner.  Come early and enjoy the tapas while you and your girlfriends catch up on gossip and girl talk. Just don’t come starving!

SpringsGal Julie McElroy is a freelance writer who loves to write about food and travel. She also blogs about the all things related to writing on Inspired to Write, designed to inspire and provide tips to other writers.

Who says you need a week for vacation? Last Friday night a freelance-writing assignment brought me, my husband, 11-year-old daughter and 14-year-old niece to Vail for the quickest getaway ever. We were in one of my favorite Colorado mountain resorts — for a total of 21 hours. But to me, a little bit of Vail, is better than no Vail at all!

Here’s what we packed into our short stay:

Shopping in Lionshead Village: We spent the night at the Vail Marriott, conveniently located in the middle of Lionshead base area, with its bevy of retail outlets — from sports shops and clothing stores to jewelry boutiques and art galleries. After we checked into our hotel, we walked around the compact pedestrian area, not only peeking into the different stores, but people watching (it was pleasantly packed with tourists) and snapping photos of the green mountains that loomed overhead. Meanwhile, my husband went…

Mountain biking trails on top of Vail Mountain.

Mountain Biking on Vail Mountain: With a $29 all-day gondola and bike-haul pass, mountain-biking enthusiasts can ride the Eagle Bahn gondola (also in Lionshead) with their bikes in tow, then bike down the myriad intermediate and expert trails on Vail Mountain. My husband only had time to do two laps, but when we met up with him later, we found him grinning from ear to ear.

FAC at Eagle’s Nest: For dinner, all four of us rode the gondola up to the top of the mountain for FAC (Friday Afternoon Club), with its live music and food and drink specials. Eagle’s Nest was definitely the place to be Friday late afternoon and early evening — it was filled with folks of all ages, enjoying the gorgeous views, the fun string band and the kids’ activities. At Adventure Ridge, kids can pay to ascend the climbing wall, ride a pony or jump on the bungee trampoline; free activities include a slackline course, Dino Dig sandbox and bean bag toss. We opted to eat inside at Bistro Fourteen (order the sweet potato fries!), but most folks were outside on Talons Deck  with burgers and barbecue and pitchers of beer. No doubt, taking the Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) to the top of the mountain is a must-do when you’re in Vail, if only for the glorious views. (Though eating up there, playing at Adventure Ridge and hiking or biking are definitely awesome options, too!)

We found one cache in a plastic Nestle Quik container!

Geocaching: Oh, how I adore my Magellan eXplorist GC, a GPS device we use for geocaching on our travels. For those not in the know, geocaching involves downloading GPS coordinates of hidden caches — sometimes just little log books, and sometimes they’re Tupperware containers with small trinkets. Through the geocaching.com website, I download the locations of caches that others have hidden, and with the Magellan eXplorist GC leading the way (and clues that the hiders might give us) we find the treasures! In Vail, we successfully searched for four caches: one at the top of the gondola and two in Vail Village (a two-minute free bus ride from Lionshead Village), and one while we were…

Biking the Gore Valley Trail: This paved recreation path follows Gore Creek and passes right behind the Vail Marriott. It was so easy for us to store our bikes overnight at the Charter Sports storage in the hotel building, then retrieve them in the morning for a ride east on the trail. This rolling, moderate bike ride passes through residential areas (gorgeous homes!), alongside a golf course and amid aspen groves. We did an out-and-back ride (totaling 11 miles, thank you very much), stopping quite a few times at the tops of hills to catch our breath and admire the mountain views.

Swimming and steaming at the Vail Marriott: My daughter and her teenage cousin were breathless when they returned to our hotel room after scouting out the pool situation: “It’s right next to a locker room with a steam room, and really good-smelling shampoo, and a shower with all of these jets, and cold towels for your face!” Ah… the joys of a spa locker room. I was thrilled to learn that you don’t have to book a spa treatment to take a steam, so the girls found time to go swimming three different times within our 21-hour stay, enjoying the amenities of the locker room that serves the Vail Marriott’s Golden Leaf Spa. It’s just steps from the indoor pool (with two whirlpools); the hotel also has an outdoor pool, with lots of chaise lounges and umbrella tables that invite relaxation.

Lionshead base area lit up at night.

Eating breakfast at the First Chair Cafe: Another delight we found at the Vail Marriott was the reasonably priced breakfast buffet. It’s only $15 for adults, $6 for children, and the spread includes made-to-order omelets, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, yummy breakfast potatoes (with peppers and onions), yogurt, fruit and a variety of cereals and pastries. The a la carte menu is vast, but if you’re looking to fuel up for the day — and enjoy good value — go for the hearty buffet.

Of course, in 21 hours, we barely scratched the surface of all there is to do in Vail in the summertime. I also recommend stopping in the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum in Vail Village, playing mini golf at the brand-new course at the base of the Eagle Bahn Gondola and bowling at bōl at the new Solaris mixed-use building (look for the giant sculpture that resembles a lit-up martini glass at night). Special events include the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, the Vail International Dance Festival… and the FREE Family Saturday Afternoon Club, with games, crafts and activities for kids in the middle of Lionshead. Then there’s river rafting, golfing, fly fishing and horseback riding in the area. Excellent restaurants abound; for grown-up nights out, I adore Kelly Liken, Up The Creek, La Tour and Centre V (Blue Moose Pizza is super for kids).

No matter how you spend your summer vacation in Vail — whether it’s a day or a week or a month — just take some time to admire the glorious mountain scenery, soak in the sunshine and smell the abundant wildflowers!