There is much to enjoy in Vail during the summer for locals and visitors alike

This beautiful sunny Colorado weather we enjoyed earlier this week has me itching for summer and all of the fun family activities that summer brings. We live in such a great place to raise family (or enjoy an extended family vacation), particularly in the summer when you can get out and enjoy fresh mountain air, sun and a multitude of activities.

Here are a few of the activities I am looking forward to enjoying very soon:

• Taking the kids into town to ride the free Town of Vail bus, playing at the pirate ship park, cooling off in the children’s fountain and then enjoying a treat. Warning to parents: A candy store conveniently located itself right next to the fountain, so be prepared to take your kids in for a treat.
• Taking a picnic and riding the gondola up to the top of Vail Mountain to enjoy some leisurely hiking and spectacular views.
• Coming into Vail to meander through the Vail Farmers’ Market, enjoy some free jazz, getting some balloons for the kiddos and then enjoying lunch on a patio.
• The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens hosts a butterfly release on May 24 at 11 am. Local school classes release the beautiful butterflies. It is a great opportunity to check out the gardens and play at the park adjacent to the gardens.
• There are a multitude of great hikes in the area. I’m looking forward to taking the kiddos up on some of the easier trails for some exercise and to enjoy nature and take in the views.
• Speaking of nature, Walking Mountains Science Center has all kinds of great family activities. I’m looking forward to checking out their Earth Keepers Preschool program and a nature walk.
• I have also put the Bravo! Vail family concert featuring the National Repertory Orchestra on my calendar. It starts at 10am on July 14 with an instrument petting zoo—lots of fun for the kiddos as they get to try their hand at a variety of instruments. Then the concert starts at 11am.
• Beaver Creek has some great activities too. We will make it over a couple of Fridays for their Fridays at the Park with free gondola rides, pony rides with Beaver Creek Stables, snow cones, roasting s’mores and more! The Beaver Creek rodeo  on Thursday evenings is fun too. They have a mutton-busting event that is pretty humorous.
• But, the thing I am most looking forward to this summer is hanging in my own ‘hood. I live in EagleVail and it is in my opinion the best Vail area location in the summer! We have a plot in our community garden just across the street. I am looking forward to taking the kids over to plant seeds and look after the garden, and enjoy grilling out with friends in the garden. Also, EagleVail has a new salt-water pool that is just 100 yards from our back door. I’m looking forward to relaxing at the pool with the kiddos.

The Vail area boasts a multitude of spectacular hiking trails for all abilities. Photo courtesy of Jack Affleck and VLMD.

What are some of your favorite Vail area family activities and events? Share them with us in the comments section below!

One of the reasons that I am so glad to be a part of the Antlers family is our involvement in the community. As I was writing this post, it dawned on me how many of these events we have a connection to. The Antlers is the official condominium hotel of the Bravo! Vail orchestras. We host Serac Outside Adventure Film School, which is also a very cool thing going on during the GoPro Mountain Games. We are a pet-friendly hotel so home to some of the Dock Dog competitors who come to town for the Mountain Games. We also host some of the Vail Jazz Foundation’s musicians. So, not only can I look forward to partaking in these activities but also in getting to meet some of the people involved!

Posted by: Liana, the Antlers’ marketing gal

Jacquie and I had fresh tracks on Prima Friday afternoon.  Chair 11 opened with Riva Ridge, Prima, Pronto, Northstar, Northwoods, South rim, North rim and Gandy Dancer (watch for the rollers).  Its fast and fun right now.  Vail only recorded 2″ from the storm last night but over cast skies and flurries are looking promising today.  I will be headed out this afternoon for some turns with our guest if anyone is on the hill and wants to join me.  I suggest a ski with some width.  Have fun and enjoy the GREAT snow!

Jacquie killing it on lower Prima Cornice.

Lodge pole Gap

Video of me coming down South Rim. video is a little bumpy.

1962 - The Vail Journal announces Vail's official opening

When Vail Mountain opened for skiing in 1962, the area had one gondola, two chair lifts and nine ski runs. Today, it’s North America’s largest ski resort with 31 lifts and more than 5,000 skiable acres. It’s fitting that Vail Resorts will kick off its 50th anniversary festivities by installing a new state-of-the-art gondola in the same location as the original Gondola One. The new ride will boast heated leather seats and WiFi, and will speed up the mountain at 1,200 feet per minute.

The Antlers at Vail hotel opened in 1972, and general manager Rob LeVine has been actively involved in the town’s planning and development for more than three decades. “I’ve been here long enough to remember when we put an Amana Radar Range microwave oven in one of our rooms, and people would come from all over just to see it work!” he says.

In honor of the resort’s half-century anniversary, The Antlers at Vail hotel celebrates with 50% savings from November 16 to December 13, 2012. The Antlers “50 For 50” stay-and-ski deal starts at $579 per person for 4 people in a 2-bedroom condo for 4 nights—and the price includes four-day lift tickets for each person! Along with the parties, historic presentations, concerts and other celebrations Vail has planned for its fiftieth birthday, skiers and boarders can enjoy uncrowded slopes and shorter lift lines in the early snow season.

For four decades the Antlers has offered a unique Vail lodging experience in a relaxed mountain setting. Named the Vail Valley ‘Green Business of the Year’ in 2009, the Antlers is also proud to be named a Platinum Service Award Winner by the Vail Valley Partnership. With condominiums ranging from studio suites up to four bedrooms and plenty of space to spread out, each room at the Antlers offers all the comforts of home including fully-equipped kitchens, fireplaces, outdoor balconies, free Internet access and free parking in a heated indoor garage. The Antlers Vail is conveniently located in the Lionshead area of Vail with numerous restaurants, galleries and shops within walking distance, and the free Vail town shuttle stops just footsteps away. For more information, call 1-800-843-8245.

Media Contacts: Rob LeVine, General Manager, Antlers at Vail, RLeVine@antlersvail.com, 970.476.2471; or Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, darla@wordenpr.com, 307.734.5335.

Photo by Chauncey Davis

“It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,” said Ernest Hemingway, “since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.” With 343 miles of bike trails, a bicycle is the perfect vehicle for exploring the Vail Valley’s diverse contours. And for those who prefer to skip the “sweat up the hills” part, the Vail Gondola offers transport for people and bikes to the top of Vail Mountain for an exciting coast down.

The Antlers at Vail hotel is a conveniently located home base—rated #1 in Vail Specialty Lodging by TripAdvisor readers—with comfortable condominiums just footsteps from the popular Gore Creek trail and darned close to the Vail Gondola.

Need more reasons to bring your bike to the Antlers this summer? Here are seven:

1. Guests who reserve rooms by June 1, 2012 can save 20% to 35% off regular prices, with rates for a studio suite starting as low as $156 per night.
2. Both Vail and Beaver Creek offer maps for navigating the area’s 340+ miles of biking trails, and the Antlers’ knowledgeable staff will happily provide suggestions and directions.
3. Vail Mountain Bike Camps offers summer day camps for kids 7 to 13 years old, and private and group mountain biking skill lessons for people of all ages.
4. The 2012 Vail Recreation District Mountain Bike Races series runs from May 23 – August 15, 2012, offering  mountain bikers of all ages and experience levels fun and the opportunity to win cash prizes.
5. Riders looking for a summertime challenge can join the Antlers team for the 11^th Annual Comcast Colorado Eagle River Ride on Saturday, July 28. The tour begins in Beaver Creek and brings riders along the scenic banks of the Colorado and Eagle rivers, and riders can choose from the 42-, 68- or 100-mile routes. Riders of all levels are welcome, and new team members receive a customized Antlers team jersey.
6. Want to see how the pros do it? The USA Pro Cycling Challenge features elite professional teams and athletes from around the world, with a stage finish in Beaver Creek on August 23, 2012.
7. No bike? No problem. Nearby shops like Charter Sports, Vail Bike Tech and Bike Valet offer bicycle and helmet rentals for adults and kids.

Since 1972, the Antlers has offered a unique Vail lodging experience in a relaxed mountain setting. Named the Vail Valley ‘Green Business of the Year’ in 2009, the Antlers is also proud to be named a Platinum Service Award Winner by the Vail Valley Partnership. With condominiums ranging from studio suites up to four bedrooms and plenty of space to spread out, each room at the Antlers offers all the comforts of home including fully-equipped kitchens, fireplaces, outdoor balconies, free Internet access and free parking in a heated indoor garage. The Antlers Vail is conveniently located in the Lionshead area of Vail with numerous restaurants, galleries and shops within walking distance, and the free Vail town shuttle stops just footsteps away. For more information, call 1-800-843-8245 or visit the Antlers web site at www.antlersvail.com.

Media Contacts: Rob LeVine, General Manager, Antlers at Vail, RLeVine@antlersvail.com, 970.476.2471; or Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, darla@wordenpr.com, 307.734.5335.

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble and Happy Thanksgiving!

Tubing   $25

Tubing + Lift  $39

Tubing + Lift +Lunch  $44

Powder skiing near Vail, Colorado April 5th

Peter Estin hut about an hour drive (and then a 5 hour hike) from Vail

Video of us measuring the snow outside the Peter Estin Hut, we figured it was around 95-120 inches depending on where you measured

Group of Vail Backcountry skiers, the snow looks good.