A Winter Wonderland: Vail’s Enchanting Charms

Jan 16

I’ll admit, I was tired getting on that plane.

We had just worked several very long days in a row, and Iwas missing my family fiercely. But I was immediately filled with Christmas spirit the second I stepped into magical Vail and reunited with my little family.

Vail in any season is one of our favorite stops, but Vail at Christmastime is something quite special, especially with the ones you love the most.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to spend our time in Vail!

Snowmobiling to Lake Penny
Skiing is priority number one for the kids, but this year we tried something new! In pursuit of a little
adventure, we hopped onto snowmobiles and embarked on a thrilling journey up the path to Piney
Lake. The crisp mountain air, the beautiful snowy landscapes and the snowball fights along the way with
our dear friends made this our new favorite tradition. You won’t believe the views of Vail Mountain
from up there! We went through Vail Backcountry Tours. Ask for Shea! She was our guide, and she was
amazing.

We caught the dads having more fun than the kids!

2. Beanos Cabin

Another one of our favorite Christmas Vail traditions is dinner at Beano’s Cabin! They take you up through Beaver Creek’s iconic Aspen Groves in a Snow Cat “sleigh” beneath the stars! By the way, in the summertime you can go up on horseback!

You walk in, take off your boots, and slip into some warm slippers to enjoy your gourmet dinner on top of the mountain with the most magical scenery surrounding you. There is a huge warm fireplace to cozy up while you wait for your table, and the food is always out of this world! They often have lovely live music, and it’s really just the coziest experience.

We love it and try to go every year.

Here is a picture from a few years ago in front of the fireplace at Beano’s.

3) Magical Evenings

Most of our evenings were spent meandering through Vail Village enjoying the carolers, the various tree lightings, stopping in our favorite shops (Skipper and Scout has the cutest children’s clothing!), dining at Matsuhisa (our favorite!) or Sweet Basil, checking out the arcade at Chasing Rabbits, or viewing the ice skating shows from our balcony!

The décor alone at Chasing Rabbits is worth a stop! We couldn’t get over the entrance to the arcade.

As always, we closed our trip with a visit to the Blossoms of Light Show in the Denver Botanic Gardens. It’s always absolutely show-stopping, and I’ve never seen a light display quite like this one. We had dinner at an incredible spot called Olivia. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable.