Montauk Seafood Grill

Ask any Antlers employee where they go for seafood and chances are they will say Montauk. With fresh fish and seafood flown in daily Montauk Seafood Grill is the perfect restaurant if you have a hankering for some coastal fare while land locked in the mountains. Located in Lionshead Village, just steps from the Antlers, it is an ideal location for guests not wanting to venture too far from their condo. While Montauk specializes in seafood they also have a variety of steaks and an ever-changing grill list.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A few of my menu favorites are the malpeque oysters on the half shell,

Crispy Calamari

Rhode Island calamari with basil aioli & tomato caper dipping sauces, Hawaiian ahi tuna, and the herb crusted halibut. Other Antlers favorites include the lobster mac and cheese with mascarpone and aged white cheddar and chives, Alaskan king crab legs and the specialty cocktails.

Here are some of our Montauk pictures taken over the last few months

Former employee Rob Gray ready to chow down on some crab

Ratz, Darci, Sara, Joe, Amy, Mark and Tyler

Oyster Shooters......Bottoms up!

Amy is really excited to eat!

Its Starting To Look A Lot Like Christmas…..(Dec. 18-25)

The holidays in Vail can be a magical combination.  This year looks to be better than ever with Vail’s, week long,  Holidaze celebration.  The holiday activities include Snowman decorating, kids glow stick parties, and free concerts by Milkshake and Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could.  Got a sweet tooth?  I hope so, because Brownies and Candy Canes will be given away at the base areas all week.  All these fun, family activities, along with some great early season snow, promise to make Vail “the place to be” this holiday season.

Deluge Lake Hiking

Deluge Lake, located in off exit 171 in East Vail (only a 10 minute drive or 20 minute bus ride from the Antlers, is a great hike for a amateur hiker. Its fairly steep at first giving you a good warm up, then levels out to a nice long gradual ascent to a lake nestled in a valley between several peaks. The hike is about 7 hours round trip so be sure to bring food and water. Now a minor drawback to this hike is for the first 2 miles or so you are still within sight and sound of route 70. So it takes away from the whole nature experience early on. Still, I was blown away when we got behind the mountain, out of sight of the road, and into the Rockies. Gore Creek valley is an awesome sight to behold with many jagged cliffs overlooking the creek below. Then as we got further up the trail we discovered a valley straight out of the sound of music. Grassy knolls dotted with white rocks, a picture perfect creek running right down the middle. It was really an awesome place to be. Getting over that stream was pretty fun, it is a log hanging over a small waterfall that wasn’t exactly secure. We nearly lost one of our hiking members into that stream but luckily he was able to regain his balance. As you follow Deluge Creek up the valley, you will reach your destination, a secluded lake hidden between some massive, scree covered rocky crags.


View Deluge Lake and Gore Creek Hiking Trails in a larger map

This map includes the trailhead location in relation to the Antlers and Vail (just move the map a little west/left), Deluge Lake Hiking trail, and I included Gore Creek trail as well which is a hike I plan to accomplish very soon.

Vail Rotary Duck Race

Labor Day Weekend

Sunday, September 5, 2010, at 2:00 PM.

Presented by the Marketplace on Meadow Drive

Thousands of rubber ducks travel through the heart of Vail on Gore Creek once a year for The Vail Rotary Duck Race!


The rubber ducks, which sell for $5 each, are dropped into the Gore Creek Sunday at the Covered Bridge. The ducks then float quickly down the creek toward the finish line at the International Bridge. The first 20 ducks to finish win prizes for their owners. The money raised goes toward the Salvation Army’s food bank, scholarships for local students and the Children’s Medical Voucher Program, which gives local children without health insurance vouchers for medical care. The Antlers at Vail will be purchasing a large amount to help out as always and we’re still offering 15% off your Vail room rate for Labor Day Weekend! So, if you’re looking for a great option for Labor Day Weekend, pack up the kids and head to Vail.

My Holy Cross hiking experience

Hello, I am Tyler the new night shift guy at Antlers in Vail. Just last week a friend of mine came out from Massachusetts to camp and hike Mt. of the Holy Cross just around the corner from us in Minturn. We had a great time from start to finish and I recommend the hike to any moderately experienced hiker. Not having a car, we took the bus to the I70 exit 171 and walked to the trailhead on our first day. It was only about 10 miles at 10000 feet so it was a good warmup for my friend who was still adjusting to the lack of oxygen. We camped at the trailhead overnight which was my first time camping in these mountains. Got a pretty heavy thunderstorm that night, had a deer curiously investigate our camp, and managed to forget only one item for our entire trip… eating utensils. So we made due with what we had, some sticks shaped like a Y wrapped in duct tape! Not to confuse anyone, let it be known that this is a one day(8-10 hour) hike, we just decided to make it two since we had no car and wanted to camp anyways.

The next day we woke up early (highly suggested for this hike as the mountain is known to create bad weather) and continued on towards the top. The trail crosses over Notch mountain and down into the valley between the two mountains, then back up along the rocky North Ridge for the final ascent. The last 2 miles or so you are clambering over some pretty large boulders to reach the top so watch your footing, especially if it rained. Once we reached the top we had a great view of the Rockies in all directions, we could see the back bowls of Vail Ski Area and Eagles Nest, and you are standing on top of a massive rock face descending to the valley below and the Bowl of Tears, a lake in the valley. Well worth the trip, we signed the register and decided to head back down since it looked like bad weather was approaching. The only drawback to this whole hike is when you are leaving, you must climb again over Notch mountain to get home. Not fun when you just hiked 6 miles there and your legs are sore. Still, overall the hike was an awesome experience, especially for me since I worked as a lifty at Vail Ski Resorts last year and nearly everyday I saw that peak to the southwest and yearned to climb it. Now I have, and I recommend you try it too.

This is a basic map depicting how to get to the trailhead, and then the North Ridge trail to the summit.  Zoom out to see other points such as Antlers in Vail and the road leading to the trailhead.

View Holy Cross North Ridge in a larger map

Vail Farmers Market

Baklava, cupcakes and a mechanical bull are not your typical farmers market finds-but Vail is not your typical farmers market. With over 100 vendors the Vail Farmers Market & Art Show is the largest in the Colorado Rockies. The market is held each Sunday from 10am to 3:30pm on Meadow Drive in Vail Village. It is a quick ride on the In-Town bus from the Antlers at Vail. You can find everything from locally grown produce to hand crafted clothes and jewelry and even some home made dog treats. The last farmers market will be on September 26 so be sure to check it out.

Vail Farmers Market

Palisade Peaches

The Peach Preserves are amazing.

Local Art Vendor

Jewelry

Fresh Lemons

Cherries

Gyro

No trip is complete with out a Nicky’s Quickie Gyro

And a cupcake of course!

Cupcake

~ Darci