The Must-Read Guide of Vail, Colorado

Vail's iconic village with the Gore Range Mountains capturing the sunset in Vail, CO. Photo- Craig Orsini, Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.

The Must-Read Guide of Vail, Colorado- Where to Stay, how to ski the Mountain, Where to Eat and Drink.

Vail is one of the most renown ski resorts in the world. It was one of these resorts I always wanted to visit when I was young growing up in Argentina. Luck struck me and I was able to visit several times, and also worked for Vail Resorts long time ago now. International visitors always want to visit either Vail or Aspen. Those are the famous resorts they know. This made me then put together the Must-Read Guide to Vail to help you organise your trip to this grand resort!

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Vail's 10th Mountain Division skier. Photo: Vicky Galarraga. @vickydevail. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.
Vail’s 10th Mountain Division skier. Photo: Vicky Galarraga. @vickydevail. The Must-Read Guide to Vail, Colorado.

The History of Vail

Ute Indians used to settle within this territory in the summer. They used to travel to the most arid lands on the west during winter. The Utes used to call the Gore Range that overlooked the valley the “Shinning Mountains”.
Came WWII and the United States created a training center called Camp Hale. Here the 10th Mountain Division trained for alpine combat. They went on to fight on the Mountains of Northern Italy. When they came back, they were the force to develop the ski industry in the USA.
One veteran of the 10th Mountain Division, Peter Seibert, came back to Colorado. He joined the Aspen Ski Patrol and Ski School. Then he went on to become the manager of Loveland Basin Ski Area. At that moment, Seibert and Earl Eaton start looking on developing a new ski resort in the Rockies.
Eaton was local to Colorado and started skiing when young. By 1940, he was ski racing in Aspen while working for the Civilian Conservation Corps in Glenwood. In 1957, he and Seibert climbed Vail Mountain in winter and realised of its potential as a ski area.
Friends Skiing Groomed Terrain in Vail, CO.. Photo: Daniel Milchev. Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.
Friends Skiing Groomed Terrain in Vail, CO.. Photo: Daniel Milchev. Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.
Vail Mountain Wooden Clock, painting by Martina Diez-Routh in soft pastels, pan pastels and pastel pencils on pastel paper 80x60cm unframed, on sale framed.
Vail Mountain Wooden Clock, painting by Martina Diez-Routh in soft pastels, pan pastels and pastel pencils on pastel paper 80x60cm unframed, on sale framed in a wooden light rustic wood frame. Actually exhibiting at the QC Terme hotel in Courmayeur Mont Blanc. See it in my shop here.

The most expensive ski resorts in the USA

Deer Valley is considered the most expensive ski resort in the USA by a survey conducted by CheapHotels.org. The most expensive ski resorts in the USA.

The most expensive ski resorts in the USA

A new survey from CheapHotels.org ranks the most expensive ski resorts across the United States. After comparing 20 popular destinations, the survey found Deer Valley, in Utah, is the most expensive ski resort based on cost of lodging alone.

The survey compared 20 ski resorts in the United States, mainly selected based on the number of hotel rooms

The survey used the average price for the cheapest available double rooms in each destination, through the months of February and March 2019, to establish its rankings. Only hotels with at least 3 stars and located within a ski resort were considered.

Beaver Creek Ski Carry. Photo: Vail Resorts. The most expensive ski resorts in the USA. Beaver Creek occupies 2nd place on this list.
Beaver Creek Ski Carry. Photo: Vail Resorts. The most expensive ski resorts in the USA. Beaver Creek occupies 2nd place on this list.

Guests staying at Deer Valley spend on average $543 per night for the most affordable double room; in second place for most expensive ski destination, Beaver Creek in Colorado charges $416 for its least expensive double room. Rounding out the top three is Alta resort in Utah, at $413 per night.

Vail Mountain Wooden Clock, painting by Martina Diez-Routh in soft pastels, pan pastels and pastel pencils on pastel paper 80x60cm unframed, on sale framed.
Vail Mountain at night with  the Wooden Bridge and Tower Clock, painting by Martina Diez-Routh in soft pastels, pan pastels and pastel pencils on pastel paper 80x60cm unframed, on sale framed. Check it out in my shop here.

The top 10 destinations are mostly found in Utah and Colorado, with California and Wyoming making appearances in the fifth, seventh and ninth spots. California’s Squaw Valley is fifth most expensive overall at an average rate of $302 per night, while the state’s Northstar is $264 per night and in ninth place. In Wyoming, Teton Village is seventh overall, at $292 per night.

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