Vail, Colorado is a Fun Getaway… Even Without Skiing

Vail Things To Do

Most think of Vail as a skiing destination. But this Colorado mountain town can also deliver a fantastic “off season” family vacation.  Plus, when you visit during the shoulder season (Spring and Fall), you’ll find cheaper prices at restaurants and great deals at 5-star resorts.  What’s not to love about that?

You’ll find Vail is delightfully unique, with plenty of things to do.  Cobblestone pedestrian-only streets and European village architecture adds an international flavor to the atmosphere.  Typical of Colorado, there are plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities.  But sometimes my family enjoys just heading there for a getaway to relax.

Selecting a Resort in Vail

In support of being a massive, international ski destination, there are many resorts to choose from in Vail, Colorado.  But I say there’s really only one choice:  the Sonnenalp.  I call Sonnenalp Hotel in Vail a destination resort, because once you arrive… you will not want to leave.  Ever.

The sunshine logo and happy yellows accurately set the tone as soon as you arrive.  We’ve stayed here before, and absolutely love the elegant yet cozy rooms.  Lush bathrobes and slippers await each member of your party, to slip into and head down to the spa pool area.

The addition of a Nespresso machine almost made me cry happy tears (I haven’t seen this touch in a hotel since I was in Portugal, where I got hooked on Nespresso).

I love the European feel of the Sonnenalp Hotel so much, and its location nestled along a stream adds even further to the ambiance.  Sit in your spa robe, listening to the babbling brook and feeling the high altitude sun warm your face, even in April.

But here’s what will fully win your heart.  Behold the spa!

They do have a traditional spa which offers treatments and massage.  But this entire spa area is available free for use by all guests.  There’s an indoor outdoor pool that’s open yearround, plus three terrific hot tubs. Tea service, chilled fruit water, and giant bowls of fresh fruit are plentifully stocked and offered complimentary to Sonnenalp guests.  My kids get such a kick out of this, I’m pretty sure they ate a week’s worth of fruit during our weekend stay.

My husband is a good sport about my media/travel writing forays.  He’ll tag along, and enjoys the adventures.  But he could probably take it or leave it, as there are always projects to be done at home.   So it tickled me to hear him declare, at least 3 times during our Sonnenalp stay:  “THIS IS MY FAVORITE PLACE.”

Eat Where the Locals Eat

Armed with our mobile phones and online reviews, we almost headed out to a mediocre café.  Thankfully the Sonnenalp valet intervened, and steered us in a different direction.  “There are better places to eat than that“, he advised.  “I’d check out The Blue Moose, or Vendetta’s.”

Thank you, valet! I love this kind of authentic, local advice.

Since the Blue Moose was closed for a seasonal break (you will run into this during Spring, but there are still plenty of places to eat), we headed to Vendetta’s.  The first thing we noticed was the chalkboard out front, advertising that for “off season” all entrees were $15 and under.  Not bad!

The ski rack out front was being used by locals as a makeshift bike rack.  It’s always a good sign when you’re eating somewhere the locals eat.

We can only speak to the cheesy bread appetizer and ‘Snow Pig’ pizza… but it was amazing!  Highly recommend eating at Vendetta’s.

Free Fun:  “World’s Coolest Playground”

Ranked by Travel & Leisure magazine as one of the “World’s Coolest Playgrounds”, make sure to spend some time at Sunbird Park.  Taking inspiration from nearby bird habitats and Vail’s ski culture, architects created three “nest” bird houses made from wooden skis.

Internally, each nest has crawl tunnels and multiple levels.  With bridge connectors and the surrounding rock climbing opportunities, there was plenty to occupy both my 7 and 13 year olds.  They loved it.

Discover Gems While Village Wandering

It’s true that Vail is considered a playground for the wealthy. But it doesn’t cost anything to window shop, and this glitzy town has some fantastic shops to browse.

We discovered our new favorite shop right next to Sunbird Park – Lions Head Jewelers.  The owner of this fossil and mineral gallery travels the globe to locate and purchase these treasures in person.  It’s like a natural science museum!

Enormous, breathtaking geodes and other precious gems are on pedestal displays.  For $76,000, you can bring home your very own prehistoric cave bear skeleton.  Or just peruse the fascinating fish fossil specimens, taken from the Green River Formation in Wyoming.  Other finds include wooly Mammoth tusks from Siberia, and meteorites from around the world.

The female staff person we met was friendly and knowledgable, and shared lots of fascinating facts about the treasures this store holds.   Note:  You can take a virtual tour on their website.

The Family That Road Trips [Comfortably!] Together… Stays Together

For this road trip, we were able to try out a Mitsubitshi Outlander Sport.  It’s definitely compact, but we had no issues fitting weekend luggage for two adults and two kids.  When traveling across scenic I-70 through Colorado, there’s not much better than a full panoramic SKY ROOF!  (I’m not sure if that’s what it’s called. But hey, it’s why we called it!)  My kids absolutely loved the views from the backseat.

I was surprised at what a smooth ride this little SUV has, especially given the poor condition of our roads.  Love having the option of 4-WD when traveling the mountains in Spring, since you never know when a mini-blizzard may swing through!  When visiting a high altitude destination like Vail, which is situated at an impressive 8,022 feet, it’s something to keep in mind.

One of my favorite moments from this entire Vail weekend getaway, was jamming together in the Mitsubishi Outlander.  When my daughter plugged in her phone for charging purposes, we discovered (accidentally) that it connected her to the car’s awesome stereo system.

With a big woofer speaker in the trunk area, this sucker sounds amazing.  She subsequently played DJ for us for the entire trip, and it reminded me of the happy family road trips of my youth.  So much better than each kid wearing headphones, doing their own thing on their devices.

After enjoying this smooth driving, nice handling vehicle for a week… I was very sad to see it go!

Vail, Colorado for Your Next Getaway

Hope this gives you some ideas for a mountain getaway in Vail, Colorado!  Taking your family skiing can be fun, but is incredibly expensive and admittedly not for everyone.  Consider visiting this beautiful Colorado “ski town” during the warmer months.

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Consideration provided by brands mentioned in this post.  All opinions are my own.