Getting your player ready...
This glitzy resort is awash in renovation. Bare steel girders frame a future condominium-retail complex at Lion’s Head, and more work will take place over the next few years. Vail, wedged in a tiny valley, most often is seen as a skiing/shopping mecca. The locals want a more community feel, says one shopkeeper, and Vail is hoping to oblige. Like all resort cities, Vail takes on a semi-carnival atmosphere come winter as hundreds of people flock to the area for the mountain. But Vail is more than skiing, so take some time to explore what else the town has to offer. – Cynthia Pasquale
Getting there: Vail is 96 miles from Denver, but winter weather and traffic may increase the time you drive. Take Interstate 70 to exits 173, 176 or 180.
