Ski Vail Colorado - It's More Than Just a Mountain of Snow   by Ronald Rougeaux

Vail Ski Resort is the largest single mountain ski resort in the United States. Today, you're about to learn more about the town that feeds visitors to this magnificent mound of well groomed white powder. The Town of Vail, which is located at the base, is a place that captivates the hearts of every visitor the moment he sets foot on it and here you will find out why.

Lionshead and Vail Village

The town has two major communities: Lionshead and Vail Village. It is here that a greater part of the activity at the base takes place every day. Being the site of the Eagle Bahn Gondola, Born Free Express, Cascade Lift, Vista Bahn Express, and Riva Bahn Express all of the action starts here. It is therefore not surprising that an overwhelming majority of the business establishments in town are found within this area.

Hotels, condominiums, house rentals, restaurants, bars, ATM's, ski shops, the Vail Valley Medical Center, and the Shopping Center comprise the core of businesses in this part of the base area. Since long lines at the jump off points of the lifts are common, you would naturally want to find a place to lodge in any of these two communities.

Being a rather small town, every important place is within walking distance. Perhaps this is one of the more appealing essentials that add to the drawing power of the resort. It's as if the whole place is one big backyard.

Lodging

Every winter, an influx of visitors, most of whom are from the who's-who in entertainment and business, converge here. It is therefore understandable that the business establishments, primarily the hotels and condominiums, are upscale. You'll therefore find luxurious amenities such as state-of-the-art spa and fitness facilities, on-site gourmet restaurants, on-site ATM's, fully equipped business centers with free Internet access, and heated indoor and outdoor pools with a fantastic view of the mountain in many of them.

Restaurants

When we said "influx of visitors" awhile ago, we failed to add "from all over the world". Because the resort becomes a mish mash of diverse cultures during peak season, various restaurants have been put up to cater to the varied discriminating tastes. As such, Vail has consequently evolved into a salad bowl of excellent culinary concoctions. Some restaurants have specific specialties while others, particularly the larger ones, have different sections that serve American, Oriental, European, and Mediterranean cuisine.

Cultural activity

Vail is not all about skiing. All year round, various cultural activities dot the town's calendar. Here are some of the cultural spots as well as the activities that reveal another face of the place. Named in honor of Vail's most distinguished frequent visitor, US Pres. Gerald Ford, the Gerald Ford Amphitheater has been the venue for the concerts of the likes of Elton John and Billy Joel.

A few steps to the left of the amphitheater is a small building that houses a comprehensive collection of information on skiing and its rich and exciting history - The Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum and Hall of Fame.

During Thursday nights throughout the summer, Beaver Creek, which is just a 13 minute ride away, hosts the Vail Beaver Creek Rodeo, where visitors can savor authentic Western BBQ while watching the competition.

Other cultural activities are the Bravo! Music Festival, Farmer's Market, Tuesday Night Concerts, and the Vail Dance Festival. Since the resort started building up its summer activities, visitors' traffic has steadily increased for the warmer months. Thus, the place is now slowly turning out to be a year-round resort; one that no longer relies solely on snow for its drawing power.