Arriving mid-morning, after a smooth one and a half hour drive drive from Snowmass we were excited and ready to explore this expansive resort town known as Vail. Parking was easy and there was even undercover options available at a reasonable price.
Our guide Hannah met us at the base of Lionshead Village, where we arranged our lift tickets and got ready for our new adventure. We went straight up the 12 pax Eagle Bahn Gondola and were already surprised at the amount of wide open runs to explore. Perfect for all levels of skiers, my husbands and children’s eyes were darting across the slopes to scope lines. As a family we enjoyed some fresh powder runs through the trees. There is limitless fun terrain to explore.
Soon enough it was time for a lunch break, and we were lucky enough to get a taste of the mountains fine dining option at the 10th (affectionately named after Colorado’s own 10th mountain division soldiers). The locals’ favourite chicken pot pie was hard to go past, deliciously accompanied with some truffle fries and a crisp glass of Rose. A generous childrens’ menu fed the kids’ skied appetite to a treat. The ambience of the 10th’s finer dining experience is hard to be beaten.
Whilst my husband and son ventured to Vail’s signature steeps and most difficult terrain in its world famous Back Bowls, my daughter and I decided to head down mountain to explore Vail village. We parked our skis and walked around Lionshead Village admiring all of the amazing Christmas ice sculptures that surrounded us. The architecture of the villages transports you to a traditional European ski town feel with so much charm and character. My daughter especially loved visiting the super-size lolly shop.
Our day had now come to an end and we gathered all of our gear to head over to Beaver Creek for the night.
A 15 minute drive down the I-70 highway and we were greeted by the grand entrance gates of the Beaver Creek Resort, creating an exclusive feel. We were blown away by the size of the base village as ventured up the mountain to our ski-in ski-out accommodation at The Pines Lodge. We gathered our belongings from the car appreciating the all-inclusive valet service with our stay. There ski storage is aplenty and well equipped with heated boot racks to dry your gear at the end of the day. Our twin room was a generous sized and very comfortable for our stay for a family of four.
We were met in the foyer by our guide Kenzie, buckled up our boots and gathered our gear ready to go on our adventure across the slopes of Beaver Creek. Following a short ski out from our lodge to the bottom of the Centennial Express Lift, we headed straight up the mountain. We took in some cruisey runs together to stretch out the legs until we were ready for a break to warm up in the cookie hut. On what was an extra chilly day, it was the perfect sanctuary to escape the elements. Here, we were spoilt to complimentary hot chocolates and warm cookies, a very special treat for our kids!
Once toasted up again, we took some speed down lower part of the iconic Birds of Prey World Cup Downhill course traversing the mountain to the recently expanded McCoy Park Bowl. There, we found some of the most family friendly terrain with expansive wide runs and not a sign of a crowd. After a few runs, we casually skied down to the base of Bachelor Gulch Mountain for an exquisite lunch at The Ritz Carlton. A beautiful character filled property, the perfect place to stop and relax after a big morning of skiing. The food was amazing, and the kids enjoyed the activity packs on offer while we sat back and enjoyed a nice glass of red wine.
Beaver Creek exudes convenience for families. It’s uber-like proprietary shuttle service offers free point to point village transfers and the click of a downloadable app. The intimate base village offers a range of retail and dining offers synonymous with most Colorado ski towns, all circling a stunning ice skating rink to explore. An end of day touch of a free cookie for the kids definitely makes you feel a disconnect to the everyday life of home.
We love exploring Vail and Beaver Creek! We only wished that we had stayed longer!
Keen for your own Beaver Creek and Vail snow adventure?
