Built in 1966 as a faux Austrian village for upmarket clientele, Vail in the USA is one of the biggest and most popular ski resorts in the world (situated on the Rocky Mountains). The town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality located in Eagle County in Colorado in the USA at the base of the Vail ski resort that was opened in December 1962. Vail ski resort is a popular destination throughout the year for outdoor fun and frolic. Unlike other ski towns like Aspen, Steamboat Springs or Breckenridge which were originally towns prior to the establishment of the ski resorts, Vail grew as a town after result its ski resort came into prominence.

Vail ski resort features seven bowls and intermediate gladed terrain in Blue Sky Basin. It is presently owned and operated by Vail Resorts, which also operates three other ski resorts, namely, Breckenridge, Keystone, and the nearby Beaver Creek.

Vail has a base elevation of 2,470 metres while the summit is 3,530 metres high. The skiable area at Vail is 5,289 acres including 193 trails. The longest run is Rive Ridge, which is 6.4 km. The average rainfall at Vail is 346 mm.

History:

Vail was founded by Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton in 1962. It was named after Charles Vail, designer of the highway that passed through the valley. Construction of the Vail resort began in 1962 and it was opened on December 15. At the time of opening, Vail had one gondola and two lifts. During the 1970s, Vail emerged into a Super-resort. In 1976, A gondola accident at Lionshead killed four and injured eight. Later, an improved monitoring system was installed to prevent further mishaps.

Vail hosted the Alpine Skiing World Championships in 1989 and 1999.

Skiing at Vail:

Vail Mountain has three sections: The Front-Side, Blue Sky Basin, and the Back Bowls. Blue Sky Basin ski area is 10 km from the village and offers adventurous skiing opportunities in out-of-bound but safe slopes. The Back Bowls offer opportunities of powder skiing to skiers of all levels. The expert skiers can enjoy the tree-rooty Hairbag Alley and the Minturn Mile, an off-piste run much longer than that starting in the Back Bowls. Snowboarders can also feel excited by trying out the four terrain parks and a superpipe. The skiing season at Vail continues from mid November till mid April.

Other activities:

• Snoeshoeing, snowmobiling, skating, tube sliding, ski-biking at Adventure Ridge centre for fun on the mountain
• Child care:
  Children aged between three to six years are looked after at Golden Peak Children’s Centre. Adventure Ridge is another top attraction for children’s activities. It also has a snowmobile track.
• Shopping:
  Vail mainly has upmarket boutiques, galleries and ski and souvenir stores. Avon, Silverthorne have good selection.
• Balloon ride over Vail Valley (contact Camelot Balloons; web site: www.camelotballoons.com).
• Breathtaking views across the Rockies
• Visiting other resort towns like Breckenridge and Aspen
• Après ski:
  Lion’s Den is lively place for après-ski. Red Lion and Tap Room (both in Vail Village) and Sanctuary, FuBar and Bridge, all Bridge Street are top rated destinations. 8150 has live music while The Club, Seibert Circle, has wild acoustic performers.
• Eating out:
  Wildflower, La Tour, Bully Ranch are few among the innumerable eateries at Vail.

Accommodation:

• The Arrabelle (slopeside retreat)
• Evergreen Lodge

Reaching Vail:

• By air:
  Vail can be reached from Eagle (20 km) and Denver (190 km) airports. Taxi and shuttle service are available to reach Denver airport.
• Getting around:
  USA’s largest free bus network serves tourists for exploring the resort and the adjacent areas. There are also bus srvice to Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin.