Vail is easily one of my favorite repeat spots in Colorado. I love wondering around the village, I love the drive getting to Vail from Denver, and I love the scenery in the area. I’ve probably visited Vail at least 5 times and I still haven’t grown tired of it. It’s obviously a popular skiing spot, but being someone who hates the cold, snow, and winter, I’ve never been there during that time and I’m fine with that! I have visited in every other season though and they all have there own positives and beauty. It’s a wonderful place to visit when you’re wanting a relaxing getaway with great views.

I think my first visit to Vail wasn’t until adulthood, after I had moved away and gone back to Colorado for a visit. I absolutely loved it. It was so charming and I felt like I was in the Alps. If you live in the U.S. and can’t make it to Switzerland, then definitely try to at least visit Vail. During my first visit there, it had been when the car show was happening that I had wanted to check out. It’s an annual show that takes place in September in Lionshead Village. This event makes for some great photos – beautiful cars with the mountains and European-looking village in the background – amazing! Best of all, it’s free!

Another year, after I had the boys and they were around 3 and 1, we took another little trip to the mountains and this time we stayed the night in Vail, or rather near Vail. We had done a short hike at Guanella Pass and then went to Dillon Reservoir for lunch before continuing on to Vail. We stayed at the Westin Riverfront Resort in Avon. Since we were a larger group, we booked a 2-bedroom suite, which was wonderful. Huge window in the living area overlooking the pool and mountains. Unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy it to the fullest as we had stopped for some photos near Dillon Reservoir along the way and I had ran up the hill to Sapphire Point Overlook and I think because of the altitude, drive, maybe not drinking enough, I ended up with a terrible migraine. The view was worth it though, I think! It’s a great place to stop along the way to Vail. Anyway, the room in Avon was great and we had plenty of space for 5 adults and 3 little kids. I would definitely choose to stay there again. We enjoyed a usual stroll through Vail Village, getting ice cream and chocolate-covered apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

The last trip I took to Vail, we did just as a family the kids were a bit older (almost 6 and 4). We didn’t stay in Vail, but had stopped there since my husband had never been there as we made our way to Moab, Utah (in my next post). Even though I had been to Vail many times, I never did the Eagle Bahn Gondola ride up to the top of the mountain – Eagle’s Nest. Once at the top, we grabbed some fries for a snack and spent a little time up there before heading back down to continue our drive to Moab. The gondola is a little pricey, but it was worth it though for some breathtaking views. The gondola operates from 9:30am to 4pm, mid-June to September. Tickets are $67 for adults and children under 13 are free with a paying adult. You can buy your tickets online here, or buy in person at the Vail Village Ticket Office. One thing to note is that depending on thunderstorms, they won’t operate the gondola. So, it might be better to buy your tickets in person in case you don’t want to end up getting stuck at the top of Eagle’s Nest for hours.

I love visiting the Vail and surrounding area in the mountains because there are so many spots relatively close that you can pick a different one each time, while still getting to enjoy a stroll through Vail Village. Breckenridge is another scenic village to stop at that’s south of Dillon/Silverthorne and about 47 minutes southeast of Vail. Guanella Pass (where we stopped a previous time) with Silver Dollar Lake Trailhead and Bierstadt Trailhead is also a nice stop. Both trailheads are about 30 minutes south of Georgetown (along I-70). I highly recommend visiting that part of the Rockies.

Now for Maroon Bells…Maroon Bells is 2.5 hours southwest of Vail so, we had stopped there on our way back from Moab. We spent the night in Glenwood Springs, which is along I-70 since it had more reasonably-priced hotels compared to Aspen (much closer to Maroon Bells). Maroon Lake was a perfect place where I wanted to get sunrise photos so, to my family’s discontent, we woke up nice and early so we could drive an hour and catch the sun rising over the lake! I still think about the beauty of it, even years later. The amazing scenery and perfectly crisp air and the kids’ happiness once they woke up a little more and breathed in the freshest air. This is definitely in my top 3 spots in Colorado. There are a few trails from the lake, but we only walked around the lake and sat for a bit, taking it all in and getting plenty of photos. The kids were wonderful.

As always, getting out to super early is amazing for many reasons, but there being just a few people is one of the top reasons. I feel like I can’t fully feel like I’m nature if there are so many people crowded the area and creating noise. Maroon Bells is a place that requires a timed-entry ticket and the parking lot is very small! So, another reason to arrive early. Vehicle access begins mid-May through October. There’s also a shuttle bus to take you from Aspen Highlands (still requires a reservation). I can’t recommend this spot enough as it’s truly breathtaking and doesn’t require a hike to reach the lake.

Up Next – Moab, Utah