The Antlers at Vail hotel’s new monthly column on upcoming events and activities
As a longtime local, I love spring in Vail!
What kid wouldn’t want to play in spring mud?
Once upon a time April marked the start of “mud season” in Vail. Us local marketers and PR professionals soon banned that term. Now we refer to this season as “shoulder season,” or just spring. But I really kind of like the term “mud season” because it tells me that the sun is out and that we are enjoying warmer temperatures. It is the time when we really have the best of two seasons. Yes, you can find some mud, but so what. My kids love to play in it, and the smiles on their faces are so worth the mess. There are many other special things about this time of year.
Golf courses start opening in the Vail area in April. Gypsum Creek is already open, Eagle Ranch opened this morning and Sonnenalp opens next weekend.
This spring in Vail, ski season is still in full swing and you can enjoy a ski break on a deck where you may even be able to get a tan and soak up some vitamin D. The Vail golf courses open. If you are an avid sportsperson and like to both ski and golf then this is the perfect season for you. How many other places in the world and times of the year can you brag that you skied in the morning and played golf in the afternoon?
The marketing entities in Vail have worked hard to attract visitors during this post Spring Break time of the year, but it is really the locals who reap the benefits. The town is buzzing with back-to-back and overlapping fun events. Wednesday was the kick off of Taste of Vail with a fun new event featuring great food and more refreshing rosé wines than you could possibly taste in one afternoon. Saturday the event culminates with the Grand Tasting. Pink Vail, the world’s largest ski day to conquer cancer, is today and we are already seeing lots of pink here at the hotel. The largest end of season celebration in the Rocky Mountains, Spring Back to Vail kicks off April 11. It also has something for everyone, from concerts to the always entertaining World Pond Skimming Championships. And, though they haven’t announced it yet, Vail Recreation District usually puts on a really fun Easter Egg hunt in Lionshead for the kids.
Every Wednesday from 4-5 pm one of our favorite restaurants, La Tour, is offering $12 French wine tasting perfectly paired with French lessons. This will continue through shoulder season though rumor has it that this may change to French Bingo. But regardless it is sure to be a fun outing.
Spring in Vail is also a paradise for bargain shoppers. Hotels offer great lodging deals. Restaurants offer fantastic dining deals. Retails stores have epic sales.
Oh, and did I mention that the lift lines dissipate? Everything is a little quieter. You can get best table in your choice of restaurant, and you don’t have to wait for anything. And best of all everyone is relaxed and happy.
I’d liken spring in Vail to summer in Arendelle. The best of two seasons, especially if you happen to be Olaf. Okay, that might be a bit of a stretch, but there are those days when it feels like it.
