Vail, Colorado

Summer Vacation 2017, “Out West!”

Day 12: Moab, UT and the drive along the Colorado River, on Utah Hw 128, and then I-70 into Vail, CO

1)Get up early for breakfast, walk across the foot bridge over the Colorado River
2)Drive along Utah’ s Highway 128, which follows the twists and turns of the Colorado River, 10-50 feet above the river, and far below the top of the canyon it formed, from Moab to Dewey, UT; then I-70 into Vail, CO
3)Pool time with friends who met up with us Vail
4)Fondue dinner at The Swiss Chalet in Vail - great food!

Day 13 - 14: Vail, CO

1)Lazy day with a 3-mile hike from the hotel to a hill across I-70 and pool time
2)Dinner at the grill and patio table... outside the room... 20 feet from the rushing Gore Creek, for which the Marriott Streamside is named
⁃AWESOME food thanks to Ann Marie
⁃AWESOME family and friends
⁃and AWESOME location
3)Painting at the table after dinner - another great idea by Ann Marie
4)Lazy day with another hike... this time above 8,000 feet... we rode the Eagle Bahn gondola to the to
5)the kids riding the Forest Flyer toboggan / roller coaster at the top of the gondola.

Photos:

The hotel is at 8,000 feet elevation... but we’d be going higher.

After waffles and playing some pool and some other relaxing time, we went outside, where we saw this elk. Matt joined us and shared how he was sitting on the sofa, next to the patio door, and how the elk walked right up to the patio door, looked in, and then walked away!

The Marriott hosted a hike in Vail, called the Trapper’s Run hike... a mile or so down the road and up a decent hill.

As we left, and passed through the roundabouts (which are needed because the valley just isn’t wide enough for more traditional interstate exits), the elk came running through

These are Columbine, the state flower of Colorado.

Abby captured many other photos of flowers.

This is the view from the peak of our hike (yes the trail continues for many more miles)

After more pool time, we grilled by the creek... the picnic table five feet behind where I stood to capture this photograph.

The next day we went into Vail and rode to the top, where people ski in the winter and where you can hike... and still see snow in late June (almost July!).