Vail, Colorado: The Altitude is No Joke
- kendrickumstattd
- Jan 8, 2022
- 4 min read
For a few years, I’ve had a vision of spending Christmastime in a Colorado ski town. Although I was torn between Aspen and Vail, I ultimately decided on Vail for the charming Swiss-inspired village. The size of the town and set of activities available to visitors make this a perfect place to spend a long weekend.
Breakfast
A great diner with an extensive menu, Westside Cafe + Market also pays great attention to detail when it comes to their menu. I’d recommend reading the fine print, as there are jokes like “No naked dining…Some limited exceptions will be made!”
Also, keep an eye out for the difference between the Local’s Special and Tourist Special under the “House Favorites” section of the menu; they’re the same in every way except the price: the Tourist Special is $2 more.
Skiing
Obviously, if you’re going to Vail, you’re probably going to want to ski or snowboard. I say this with some confidence, because even I, someone with very limited skiing know-how, went skiing two of the days I was there.
I bought an Epic Pass ahead of the trip, in order to avoid the lines and higher prices of lift tickets purchased at the base of the mountain. The Epic Pass, which is a plastic ID card delivered to your home address, grants you access to the gondolas and lifts that take you up the mountain. The pass also snags you discounts on rental prices, including at Vail Sports - Mountain Plaza, where I rented my equipment.
I have respect for those brave enough to take a lift and ski or snowboard right onto the mountain, but my fear of a Bridget Jones skiing moment leads me to prefer gondolas. Of the two I took up the mountain—Gondola One and the Eagle Bahn Gondola—I preferred the views I had on the slopes when taking the latter.
Apres - Skiing
The dictionary definition of apres ski is the activities that follow a day on the mountain, but most people translate this to a chance to have good food, a few drinks, and check out the live music scene. Vail has an even mix of classier and more laidback establishments, both of which serve an essential purpose.
Given how busy this spot can get, I’d recommend making a reservation. Mountain Standard is the sister to the restaurant Sweet Basil. With an open concept kitchen, you can see the recipes designed by award-winning chef Maria Busato come to life. The butternut squash babaganoush was dreamy, and the Old Fashioned with Yellow Label Four Roses Bourbon was one of the best I’ve had, tied only with the local creation at Firebrand in Whitefish, MT.
This is a great cocktail spot. I’d recommend sitting at the bar, because the bartenders were fun to talk to. The Banana Dolphin cocktail with Bourbon, Pineapple Amaro, banana liqueur, and Tiki spices reminded me of a similar Bourbon-banana creation I had at Peak in Manhattan, which is no small compliment.
If you’ve heard of this spot, it’s likely the result of watching TikTok's of the famous Haut Chocolate. A dark chocolate lattice, holding a pillowy marshmallow, is placed over the mug as rich chocolate is poured from above, melting the lattice and dropping the marshmallow into the cup. You can pair the dessert with a shot of Kahlua or Bailey’s. There is outdoor seating next to fire pits, which I’d initially envisioned hanging out next to, but, given the cold, I’d recommend sitting at the bar along the windows. You get the same view but with access to heating.
During happy hour, between 3 and 5, drinks, including cocktails like Old Fashioned’s and Moscow Mules, are $5. Everyone knows about this deal, though, so the bar gets quite crowded. If you’re planning on meeting up with someone, don’t expect to be able to find them in this jam-packed venue.
This is the one club in Vail, and given the small size of the town, it’s surprising there’s a club at all. Shakedown Bar is known for its live music. On a Friday night, things pick up around 9:30-10 at night, but opening acts can start a few hours earlier.
Getting Around
Before booking the trip, I compared costs of renting a car and taking a shuttle to Vail from Denver International Airport and then relying on Vail's free bus system.
In the end, the public transit approach was cheaper, and probably also safer, especially if road conditions had been bad. The free buses can get you almost anywhere in Vail, including to lodging outside of the village, and I found the staff at the Vail Transportation Center to be very helpful regarding any questions I had.
Altitude Sickness
Friends had warned me about altitude sickness, how someone accustomed to living 33’ above sea level might have a bit of a hard time adjusting to an elevation of 8,150’. I waved this off, certain that my love for travel would overcome any physical discomfort. Well, spoiler alert: it both did and didn’t.
Trying everything imaginable—painkillers, the NyQuil/DayQuil duo, oxygen canisters, ginger ale, chicken noodle soup, etc.—with little avail, my one recommendation would be to work your way up to the altitude at which you’ll be staying. Denver is a mile high, which I think would have still been a shock to my body, but if I were to go skiing in Colorado again, I would spend a couple days in Denver to at least give myself a fighting chance.