Vail

Pros: Tons of trails and terrain---especially for the more experienced skiiers.
Cons: Limited beginner terrain. High prices. Charges for parking.

If "bigger is better", then Vail must be just about the best ski resort you can experience in the United States. The place is huge: it spans almost 7 miles, end to end, as Interstate 70 runs through the Vail Valley, and the ski resort's ...

Pros: They've become more reasonable for their customers
Cons: parking is expensive, window purchases of lift tickets are still gouging

I’ve never cared much for shallow, materialistic people. These are people who think that the world revolves around them. These are people who think it is better to look good than to feel good. These are people who have their heads stuck so far in the...

Pros: Large terrain with more than adequate variety of runs. Pleasant town
Cons: Not too many challenges for expert skiers. Very expensive

About myself I was a former ski instructor, 40-50 days of skiing a year; now I am happy with just 1 week -10 days a year but I hope you would still allow me to be your e-guide to Vail. What is special about Vail? Size is truly what ...

Pros: Terrain, Dining, Snow, Nightlife
Cons: Can be a little pricey

As a child growing up in Colorado, each summer my family would drive west to California to see my grandparents. Oftentimes my parents would elect to take the scenic route of Interstate 70 through the mountains instead of the drab landscape of Interstate...

Pros: varied terrain, fun for kids, good for non-skiers, challenging mountain
Cons: expensive, fair food

Here's the straight skinny on Vail: It's huge, it's varied, and it's a terrific choice for an all-around holiday. My heart belongs to Mammoth, but Vail, I think, has a more global appeal, and caters to all levels in a way that most ski resorts do...

Pros: more terrian for skiers and boarders
Cons: cost $$

Finding unbroken powder at 2:30pm on a high season weekend is not supposed to happen. Welcome to Vail's Blue Sky Basin, 520 acres of new terrain that allows skiers the chance to get those "first tracks" even as the sun is on the wane.
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Pros: great mountain, great night life
Cons: expensive! lots of hype and rich posers

The saying around Vail is that the winter brings you there, but it's the summer that keeps you there. I spent a ski season living, working and partying in Vail, and for better or for worse, I resisted staying for the summer. If I did, I have a feeling...

Pros: Fantastic snow, tons of terrain
Cons: expensive, not as varied as WinterPark

I just returned (Dec 2000) from Vail and had a wonderful time...here's my advice:

1) Hit the internet for cheap lodging deals. I found a week at a condominium for 7 nights for $400 people (slept 4 people). Incredible steal. Best places to...

Pros: Great downhill mountain biking
Cons: A bit expensive, trails not well marked

Although I've never had the opportunity to go skiing at Vail, I did get the chance to spend a day mountain biking down the slopes. I can't compare the quality of the terrain with other mountain biking areas because this was the first time I'd ever done...

Pros: offers a lot more than skiing
Cons: Bring your credit card

If you are looking for a good ski resort with everything, Vail is it. But you have to be willing to pay a price for a good trip to this mammoth resort. Lift tickets are now around $58 for a one day adult ticket. Hamburgers are around $7-8 at the...

Pros: Taking in all of Vail Valley
Cons: Transportation

It's that time of year again. We have gotten so much snow that Vail actually opened early this year. Vail received the #1 rating among all of North America's ski resorts for good reason. Simply put, it is the best ALL AROUND ski resort experience...

Pros: Everything is perfect
Cons: Quality costs and you pay for it in Vail

I have been going to Vail for 22 years and every time I wander to another resort and come back, I wonder why I ever left. It is not just the size of the mountain, the awesome beauty of the Gore range, the powdery snow and the fun of racing to the back...

Pros: Some of the best terrain in North America, Long Runs, Blue Sky Basin!
Cons: expensive, expensive, expensive

I skied Vail about 5 days this 2001 season and I still maintain it is the best resort in an easily accessible part of our country. By this I mean getting to Denver and up the mountain is pretty easy for most people. Perhaps the 2 great Montana resorts...

Pros: Great Slopes
Cons: Costs a little bit

Vail has a lot of slopes with different levels of difficulty. There are many lifts to get you up the mountain quickly and efficiently. That way you are skiing, and not standing in line. A lift ticket at the slopes cost about $55 in season. At...

Pros: Better than average food
Cons: RIDICULOUS prices!

I took my ex-wife and three of our kids to Game Creek to eat the last night of our week long trip to Vail.

The place required credit card held reservations. (My first reservations appeared here.)

We took the free bus to Lionshead,...