Vail is really two places: a recreational resort and a town. Most visitors don't worry much about the distinction. They tend to flock to Vail during one season (winter) for one thing (snow sports). The largest single-mountain ski resort in North America—with nearly 30 ft/9 m of light, dry powder, a whopping 5,300 acres/2,145 hectares of terrain with 34 high-speed lifts and 275 days of sunshine each year—Vail is a mecca for downhill skiers and snowboarders.
But there is more than snow sports in the Bavarian-style alpine village, where horse-drawn carriages meander down pedestrian-friendly streets and the shopping and dining are world-class.
Summer, packed with sports and festivals, is increasingly the time to visit. Vail's perch at 8,150 ft/2,527 m in the Rocky Mountains makes it a retreat from the heat of lower elevations. Warmer weather (generally June-September) also allows more recreational options—golfing, rafting, hiking, biking, horseback riding—and as many cultural choices as during snow season (typically November-April).
Unlike its posh Colorado cousins Aspen and TeRead More ... lluride, Vail does not enjoy mining-town mystique. The town, which is just 100 mi/160 km west of Denver, grew out of an empty sheep pasture in the early 1960s and was later bisected by a four-lane interstate. Much of the town's architecture reflects the sometimes-regrettable ski-area style of the 1970s and '80s. Still, the Vail Village area enjoys a Tyrolean charm (thanks to founding fathers with Alpine roots) that almost makes up for the town's lack of history. And though Vail doesn't attract Hollywood stars the way Aspen does, some see that as a plus.< Show Less
