You’ve made your reservations,

purchased your tickets in advance, packed your whole family and are ready and excited for a weeklong trip in Vail! You are the envy of all your friends. You can’t wait to hit the slopes the very next day. Your family skies their hearts out, everything from the front mountain shoots, to the expansive back bowls. You have your “discussion” about what is Siberia Bowl and what is Mongolia Bowl, sharing your adventures with one another over a delicious dinner in one of Vail Village’s gourmet restaurants. Before you know it, day three roles around and you bought a 5 out 7 day ski pass, but it occurs to you that you made absolutely no plans for the non-ski days. Well, here are some suggestions of fun things to do that don’t require ski boots. 

For those with plenty of energy left and who don’t want a highly advised rest break, there is always ice skating outside in the lovely settings of the Solaris in Vail Village and the grand backdrops of the Arabelle in Lionshead Village. You can rent skates on site in both locations. For the speed demons, there are evening adventures in Vail’s downhill tubing at the top of Eagle Bahn Gondola out of Lionshead Village. Of course, you could always try out some snowshoeing in East Vail, losing track of time among large snow covered spruces and pines, and maybe even spotting a deer or a snowshoe hare along the way. No, really, those are hare tracks, tail and all, but you can snap a photo of them and tell all your friends back home that you were tracking Bigfoot! 

For the family members who wish for a more relaxing day off, Vail is home to many luxurious spas, and some pretty high end shopping. You can spend the day being pampered and treated like royalty, as you very well deserve for organizing this memorable trip and mobilizing the whole family. 

Speaking of memorable trips, here is an activity for the whole family. If you are having so much fun, why not use your day off to preserve those memories in something you can have back home with you, forever. Schedule a photo session with a professional photographer, outside. Your family can enjoy themselves now, and have these photos to look at for years to come. Your local professional photographers are not afraid of the snow. In fact they love it, which is probably why they live here. They will follow you on the mountain, or take you to a gorgeous local spot to capture your family at their best, enjoying everything Vail has to offer.

Three little boys in winter clothes a the Vail Nature Center

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it is a good opportunity to take advantage of bargains. If you don’t want a full session, you can schedule a mini-session when they are available. This photographer is doing them on Friday February 12th by the river in Riverwalk, in Edwards. It’s not looking to be a powder day on the slopes, and so a good time for some pre-Valentine’s Day fun with your sweetheart or family, off the mountain. Just remember to book your photographer in advance so you can have the best possible experience.

Couple sledding
Couple licking an icicle
Couple on a bench in Vai Village