An Autumn Visit to Vail

During World War II, the US Army established a training camp near Vail, Colorado where the 10th Mountain division trained for alpine combat. That division fought in the mountains of northern Italy. One of those soldiers, Pete Siebert, returned to Colorado and worked at several ski resorts. He came up with the idea to create a new ski resort at the base of Vail Mountain with his buddy, Earl Eaton.  Construction began in 1962 and the town of Vail was incorporated in 1966. Built as a European resort village, Vail is now world famous for it's huge ski resort and it's celebrity filled apres ski. The name Vail has always conjured up some magical place to me - mountains, European looks and growing up in the midwest, it seemed like a place I would never get to. So when we were headed to Breckenridge's Oktoberfest, I thought what's another hour and a half to Vail?
Turns out that Vail was having an Oktoberfest that weekend also! So to Vail it was!
 

We arrived in Vail on a beautiful fall morning where the end of the Colorado Grand was happening and an afternoon Oktoberfest celebration. After inquiring at the visitor center, we found that buying a lift ticket on both the Lionshead Village lift and Vail lift combined, we would have our lunch included. So we headed up in the gondola to eat some lunch and take in the far reaching views, after taking in the charming alpine style village with it's Swiss style chalets and gabled roofs.

After enjoying the views and our barbeque lunch, we went back down the mountain and took the free bus into Vail proper.(The town runs a shuttle bus between Vail village and Lionshead ) We walked across the small bridge with it's famous view, and enjoyed a bit of the Oktoberfest celebration. There were yodelers and tables in the street for people to sit at and enjoy their food and drink.

Part of our lift ticket included the lift from Vail village. So we went back up the other side of the mountain and enjoyed sitting in some adirondack chairs watching the mountain bikers fly down the mountain. 

It was my first visit to Vail and I couldn't have asked for a better day. Sunshine, views as far as you could see and only a small crowd.It definitely exceeded my expectations! If you visit Colorado in the fall, I suggest a visit to Vail! 

Lucky me,  I visited again at Christmas - and I liked it just as much - but that's a story for another day!

How about you? Have you been to Vail? What did you think?


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This post is part of a link-up with: The Weekly Postcard at Travel Notes and Beyond and Weekend Travel Inspiration at Reflections Enroute!