So we fell in love with our first visit Vail around Christmas last year....
So we fell in love with our first visit Vail around Christmas last year. https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/best-family-ski-resort-colorado.587996/ Jennie and I are now divorced, but I just booked 2 weeks there 7/25-8/8. Mia will be with me the entire 2 weeks. Girlfriend and her 3 daughters the first week and then my mom the last week. I have a good idea eating, shopping, and hiking on the mountain. I am talking to Paragon Guides about some more intensive activities like Holy Cross ascent, Outback Fly Fishing, and rock climbing. I want to ask about other summer recommendations at Vail and day trips. We'll have a SUV that can fit everyone although we want to stay at Vail nightly. I also need to find out about fishing in Vail Village or close by, that might be best for the kids. Also recommendations for girls aged 9, 12, 15, and 16 years old. Thanks!
You sound pretty active. Rent a road bike and ride the Vail pass. Most people start at the public parking lot in town. You could also start in East Vail at the trail head. Good luck!
Lots of good rafting options around there and all the kids sound old enough to not get launched out of the raft...... If you want to chill, drive down I-70 over to Glenwood Springs and enjoy the natural hot springs. Spectacular drive as you get close to Glenwood.
@rob lay Contact the folks at Vail Valley Anglers. I have used their guides twice, as I was unfamiliar with the area: https://www.vailvalleyanglers.com/ . Highly recommended. For the kids, try https://zipadventures.com/. The ziplines are fun (once), but the private 4-wheeling tours/picnics are really a special treat. Evenings outside with music/theatre at http://grfavail.com/events/ can be very crowded, but rarely disappointing. We usually stay in Beaver Creek/Bachelor Gulch, but the whole Vail Valley is bursting with activity in the summer.
Will have to think. MANY things to do in the Summer (both on mountain and off). Day trips? Aspen (~2hrs each way...route via Independence Pass), Steamboat (~1.75hrs each way over ). Glenwood Springs (~1.25hr each way) is historic and has a sort of amusement park. Leadville is only a 100-mile loop, FYI. On mtn has Adventure Ridge (rope courses, alpine bobsled, zipline, etc.) and LOTS of mountain biking as well as hiking. Just a couple of lifts will be running. Lots of wildlife to look for (bear, mountain lion, moose, fox and bighorn...bring binoculars). Day hikes to places like Lost Lake or Hanging Lake. Piney Lake is now requiring you to have reservations just to go there, I read. So, check with an outfitter to see if you need to get any before heading out. If you're doing any hiking, do have your day bag(s). Standard outdoor gear in the event you get stuck in inclement weather and have to hunker down for a few hours (or the night). Can't tell you how fast the weather can roll in and you see a 30 degree temperature drop. I've seen it snow on July 4th. Can be miserable if unprepared. Golf is a big thing in the valley. So is rafting and fly fishing. You can shoot 5-stand in Wolcott at Sage. They also have Razor tours on their ranch. Check to see if the Wolcott Yacht Club is open. It's touch and go with them, and it's dive-y, but it's a fun place for lunch after being outdoors. There are zipline tours in Wolcott, too, but I don't really see the attraction. Wolcott also has horses to ride, IIRC, and you can check into that if you're interested, but being from TX, that may not be a big attraction. Sunday is farmer's market in Vail, FYI. East Meadow Drive from Vail Road to the VTC. All kinds of vendors. Can just walk through and have a look. Plenty of street food, too. Buy some jam(s) from chef Jean-Michelle of The Left Bank. Also, there's a good local Avocado salad dressing you can find. Or, get a bottle of The Tenth Whiskey. The Alpenrose has amazing pastries. Outdoor decks are fantastic at this time of the year. Just sit and watch the crowds. Sunday brunch at La Tour is worthwhile (I don't think they offer them any longer, but the lemon poppyseed pancakes were outrageous). I can't remember the dates of the different festivals. You won't be there fore GoPro games, which is June. You might be there for Bravo!, though, which runs for 3 weeks. There's also the dance festival. Most of these events are run at the Ford Amphitheater which is a ~10-min walk from the VTC. You'd need tickets, but you can also sit on the lawn and picnic it, if you like. The kids might get bored, though, so judge accordingly. Anyway, there's a start to get you going! CW
We had good summer fun in Vale years ago with the daughters. We rented mountain bikes, took them to the top in the gondola and coasted down the mountain roads. I met an elderly local couple biking up the mountain. Quite impressive.
We will be there with family from July 14 to July 31. We rented a house right by the Sonnenalp! Hope to see a few of you up there!