COME TO LIFE / Vail, Beaver Creek, Avon, Eagle 3 SIDETRIPS Adventures offers a fly-fishing trip on private waters of the Piney River. Treat yourself to the delight of gourmet dining at 10,000 feet at Game Creek Restau-rant , whose location on Vail Mountain provides unmatched views. Beaver Creek offers an-other unique restaurant option at Beano’s Cabin (4) , a grand yet rustic on-mountain epicure-an experience. Transportation to either place ranges from a gondola, wagon to a horseback ride. Be sure to check the schedules for summertime special per-forming arts events such as the Hot Summer Nights Concert Series (3) , the Vail Jazz Festi-val , the Bravo! Music Festival and the Vail Dance Festival , which brings dancers from all over the world to a gorgeous outdoor stage. access, which provides the valley with a special place for learning and discovery through guided hikes, camps and other family activities. Avon’s Zagster bike-share program provides an easy way for residents and guests to get around town. Eagle is growing in popularity as a homebase in the valley. Town Park is a hub of activity in Eagle, with yoga, a play-ground, cottonwood-shaded picnic areas and summer concerts. The Eagle Pool & Ice Rink is another hot spot and the launching point for the town’s main trailheads for mountain bikers, trail runners and hikers. More than 100 miles of trails can be accessed within 1 mile of town. There’s also a pump track, BMX track and MHOR R/C Raceway radio-controlled car track, and the new Eagle River Park whitewater park just off I-70 has waves and holes for surfing, kayaking, rafting and tubing, as well as a beach area and fire pits. Stop in to Eagle Pharmacy and Batsons Corner Store to get the inside scoop on conditions. Gypsum has a shooting range, fishing ponds right in town limits, a championship golf course that’s usually one of the first to open in the mountain region for the sum-mer, the Dry Lake Motocross Park and access to BLM lands. For rock crawlers with off-road vehicles, the Middle Middle rock-crawling trail north of town looms with large boulders, undercut ledges and waterfall climbs. Farmers’ Market Fridays starting in June bring local flavors and 18 town parks are perfect for picnics. Minturn ’s galleries, antique shops and summer artisans’ markets are worth a gander; Red Cliff is a jumping-off point to mountain biking, cross-country skiing, wild-flower hikes and more; Edwards ’ Riverwalk shopping district has a relaxed feel and a variety of mountain boutiques. In any season the region’s 10th Mountain Division Huts provide backcountry stopovers for showshoers/skiers and hikers. Book early — these unique stopovers get snatched up fast by those looking to live in relative backcountry comfort. DAY 3 Choose another valley town for today’s adventures. Avon ’s a treat with meandering trails and Nottingham Park , home to the state’s largest Fourth of July celebration, paddle boats, stand-up paddleboards, fishing and picnic spots. The new Des-tination Jump, Splash, Learn playground in Nottingham Park offers natured-themed swings, a zipline, climbing features and more. In winter Nottingham Lake opens for old-fashioned ice skating and hockey. The West Avon Preserve , just north of I-70, offers winding trails of all levels of difficulty. There’s also the Walking Mountains Science Center , an innovative natural science learning cam-pus with a stream, wetlands, pond and National Forest 4 STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Avon (page 192), Beaver Creek , Eagle (page 197), Edwards (page 197), Gypsum , Minturn , Red Cliff , Vail (page 205) 168 / 1-800-COLORADO CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM RIGHT: BEANO’S CABIN; HOT SUMMER NIGHTS CONCERT SERIES, JOHN-RYAN LOCKMAN; 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION HUTS, C2 PHOTOGRAPHY.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2020: Page 168
