As all you Dallasites may know, it was a balmy 70 degrees on Christmas Day; and while it made for great picnic weather, it hardly felt like Christmas. So I was extremely glad that my boyfriend had already convinced me to go with him to Vail the very next day. We booked 3 nights at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, which was absolutely beautiful. We had a smooth flight into the quaint Eagle County Regional Airport, & quickly spotted our driver sent by the hotel.
After an expensive pit-stop at High Country Healing, & about a 30 min drive, we started our ascent. We had to be cleared through three gates on our way up before we saw the vast log-cabin-esque resort.
Our room wasn't ready right away, but that gave us an opportunity to explore the grounds, have a drink or two, and get acquainted to the below-freezing temps. The "grand room" was bustling with the sounds of glasses clinking, families laughing, skiers struggling to walk in their boots, and live music coming in from outside. We followed the music to find a fire pit, multiple bars, a food station, and seating areas all at the foot of the ski lift. Finally, it felt like Christmas!
While awaiting our room, we enjoyed a few cocktails at the bars and stumbled into Beaver Creek Sports, a clothing store in the hotel. I found some must buy items, including the furry fanny pack and adorable boots pictured to the right. Upon checking in to our suite, we jumped on the hotel bus to Beaver Creek Village and felt like we entered a winter wonderland. Great stores to shop in, cute restaurants, twinkling lights, Christmas decor, even an ice-skating rink in the middle!
After a long day of travel & exploration, we decided to grab dinner back at the Club Lounge in the hotel and then retreat to our suite for a movie and a little of our purchase at High Country Healing. This brings me to my first "must do"...
1. DO AS THE LOCALS DO
When traveling to a state that has legalized marijuana, I suggest you try it! You don't have to smoke it; you can eat a yummy gummy fruit, suck on a piece of chocolate, nibble on a wafer, or even drink your THC. Still not your thing? Stop in to a store anyway. Our driver from the airport recommended the particular store we stopped in, but it was along the so-called "green mile" because there were EiGHT stores close by. This particular one had a "PYOB" deal (pick your own bud) that was unlike anything I'd seen before. So even if you don't buy, it's still interesting to see what all is available. Or, if you've been on the fence, the store clerks are extremely knowledgeable & there to help with any questions or hesitations you might have. Also, there's tons of CBD products that provide relaxing, calming effects but contain no THC. These products are great for after a long day on the slopes, or a stressful day traveling with family.
And no, doing as the locals do doesn't just apply to weed. I also highly suggest (pun intended) consulting your concierge about what there is to do in town. Ours was able to recommend & make us reservations to some great restaurants recently opened. If we hadn't booked our trip so last minute, we could've taken a snow cat up the mountain for dinner at Zach's Cabin, which sounded extremely cool and will be a "must do" next time!
This brings me to my second piece of advice...
2. HAVE SNOW MUCH FUN
You can't travel to a snowy spot without enjoying all that powder and ice! Most people think of skiing or snowboarding when it comes to winter sports, but there's other ways to enjoy it. We wanted this trip to be more relaxing than exhausting, but still fun, so we chose to go snowmobiling. I would say it was one of the best parts of the trip! The hotel concierge set it all up for us, making booking a breeze. The morning of, we simply hopped on the bus at our hotel & made our way to the designated mountain. There were a few stops on the way to pick up other people joining the tour as well, then next I knew we were pulling up to a building & meeting our tour guide. We opted to each get our own snowmobile, but several others were riding double. Vail Backcountry Tours did a great job of ensuring we had proper gear, guiding us through the terrain, allowing some free time to go as fast as you'd like, stopping for photo ops, and even providing hot beverages and snacks on our 2 hour tour. I had never done it before, but felt like a natural. My boyfriend even admitted to not being able to keep up at a couple points! I only advise that if you try this out, have an idea if you want to go fast, or if you're on the slower side, and inform your guide when booking. I'd say half of my group wanted to go faster, but there was a slower family we kept having to wait on. Otherwise, awesome experience!
And of course there are other snow activities as well! We looked into dogsledding, but it was a four hour commitment & we didn't schedule in enough time to do that too. Skiing and snowboarding are great options, and plenty of slopes to pick from. Not feeling that adventurous? Make a snow angel, snowman, or have a snowball fight! You'll regret not having some fun in the snow if you live in a place that doesn't normally get any. And this ties perfectly into the next "must do"...
3. APRèS SKI
For those who aren't fluent in Ski town, that translates to "After Ski". It refers to any social activities/entertainment after a day on the slopes. Now depending on your style, that could mean a beer or glass of champagne next to a fire pit while enjoying live music, or it could mean raging at the local watering hole. Most people chose to stay in their ski gear & hit the nearest bar for a couple drinks. However if you've ever partook, you might find that activities can go well into the night. For this reason, it is acceptable (not mandatory) to partially or completely change clothes. I say not mandatory because it is very common to see people still in their gear stumbling home as the bars close. Considering most people dress up to go out in other cities, it's a rare treat to be able to be in comfortable, truly warm clothes as you party, so enjoy it!
4. EXPLORE THE SCENE
If you're staying at a nice resort, it may be hard to pull yourself away & go explore the town, but you'd be missing out if you didn't! We went to Beaver Creek Village one night, and Vail Village the next afternoon. Both were adorable, but we managed to see much more of Vail Village. The buildings reminded me of Germany and made me feel as if I was in the Alps. There was a good mix of souvenir stores, restaurants, bars, art galleries, and local shops.
One local store caught our eye due to the funny name, Kemo Sabe, but it was a vintage Louis Vuitton bag in the window that drew us in. Turns out there's a woman in Austin, TX that buys the vintage bags and then repurposes them with fringe and other details. The staff was very friendly and informative, so I happily walked out with a one-of-a-kind bag & a shot of tequila in my belly.
This reminds me of a piece of advice: buy the souvenir! I wanted a Vail sweater, but decided to wait so I wouldn't have to carry it around, and then forgot about it before leaving the village. I regret not getting it right away, so if you find a souvenir you really like, get it! They're a great way to relive your vacation memories for years to come.
We also browsed a few art galleries before spotting a gorgeous pop art piece of Marilyn Monroe. Upon entering the gallery, we learned they were featuring artist "De Von", whose collectors include Mariah Carey, Charlie Sheen, & Blake Lively. De Von himself was there, so it was a real treat getting to meet the artist!
If we had stayed at our resort, we would've never known about any of this. We were having so much fun we almost skipped our evening plans! Which brings me to the last point...
5. BE PREPARED (but flexible)
The Boy Scouts may have been on to something...
Now this refers to two things: plans and clothes. Like I stated earlier, we had done some research, as well as consulted the concierge about fun things to do while there. We had dinner reservations every night, but I think we only actually made it to one of the reservations. Plans can change quickly while on vacation; you might end up wearing yourself out in the snow, or happen to walk by an appealing restaurant right as hunger kicks in. We even happened to meet a couple at the hotel bar that lives down the road from us in Dallas, and they extended an invite to Après ski. If you're so firm in your plans, you may miss out on some spontaneous fun. On the other hand, if you don't make any plans at all, you may waste your vacation time figuring out what to do, and that's fun for nobody.
This rule applies to clothing as well, because if you're a typical Texan, you may not have a ton of winter clothes. My boyfriend and I sure didn't, so we made a (rather pricey) stop at Saint Bernard Sports to ensure we were properly prepared. I'm really glad we did though, because it was below freezing the entire time there, and had we not gotten all the winter gear we did, we would've been miserable. So be sure to pack all the winter necessities, including warm socks, snow boots, under layers, gloves, beanies, and face masks!
If you follow these simple guidelines, you're sure to have a great vacation, and if you ever get the opportunity to stay at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, do it! Leave a comment with your favorite winter destination or activity!
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