Returned Saturday from an awesome vacation in Vail, thanks in part to all the great information received from Fodorites - thanks! Flew into Denver and took Coskier's advice to eat lunch at the Tiki Bar in Dillon. It was late as there was a wreck on I-70 (we saw two, keep that in mind if you're catching a plane) but sitting on that deck with the beautiful view of both the mountains and the lake took away all our frustrations and weariness. I highly recommend it. Finally got to Vail and to our condo (at The Wren) which I had rented through VRBO.com. The complex was a little tired, but our unit was very nice with a balcony overlooking Gore Creek and Vail Mountain, incredible view! Guess where we spent most of our time? It was a quick 5-minute walk to the village and just next to the Ford Amphitheatre and park. Hubby and son played golf several times (hubby was very impressed with the Vail Golf Club)while I rented a bike and rode on great bike paths with incredible scenery. Favorite restaurants were Blu's (great menu), Pazzo's for pizza and Italian, Red Lion, Ore House for chateaubriand and a new place, Bogarts. Only disappointment was not getting to Sweet Basil. The night we had planned to go we got stuck on the top of the mountain at Beaver Creek when they closed the chair lift, and stayed there 1.5 hours till they sent buses up to get us! Anyway, by the time we got to a phone we couldn't get a reservation; next time we know to call more in advance. Got take-out sandwiches for lunch twice from Joe's Deli (wonderful!) and gave our wallet a break while admiring the view from our balcony. Went to Breckenridge and 14-year-old son loved the Alpine Slide (until he wiped out)but recovered enough to want to stop on our way back to Denver and do it 3 more times! Ate lunch at Eric's in Breck (fun place, it was full by noon on a Monday) and the Breckenridge Brewery on our second trip there. Also had lunch in Lions Head at Bart & Yetti's, a fun place. Running was awesome, the altitude didn't bother me, but the hills can be killer! Weather was incredible, highs in upper 80's and lows in upper 40's but it never felt too hot or cold because it was so dry. It made coming back to the humidity in Tampa very difficult. Again, thanks for all the info, we had a great time and I would highly recommend Vail and Summit County in the summer!

thanks for the report! Summer in the high country is very special. Glad you made it to the tiki bar, it is one of my favorite places.

Thanks for the info! We're going with two teens in a couple of weeks and I can't wait. Staying at the Marriott Spa and Resort. Do you have an opinion on that hotel?

If it's the one at Lionshead, it looked very nice. There is a little bit of a walk to Wail Village, but it's a gorgeous path along Gore Creek. I'm very envious - I've had a hard time being back at work today as images of our vacation keep coming back to me! Have a great trip!!

The Marriott was purchased by Vail Resorts a few years ago and has gone under extensive renovations in the past year. I'm not sure if they remodeled all the rooms or just some, but you might want to request a remodeled one. Also, prior to the renovation, there were only a few floors with A/c. You might want to check on that as well. Its comfortable sleeping weather, but if you nap during the day, it may be a little hot.

Its only about 200 yards to the gondola, the a fore mentioned Bart & Yetis and other restaurants in Lionshead. From the center of LH to the center of Vail Village is only about a mile. A nice walk, but there are free buses that run between them.