This fall, Chad and I celebrated our four year wedding anniversary, followed by our tenth anniversary of being together. And because of busy schedules (i.e. coaching a softball team), we decided to delay our celebration for a few months.
After a few back and forth discussions (do we head up the road to Aspen, or spend a couple hours driving toward Telluride?), we settled on a happy medium; we booked a weekend away in Vail, Colorado. Most famous as a luxury skiing and mountain town destination, Vail is a little over an hour away from us, on the other side of Glenwood Canyon. It has two waling-only town squares that are European-themed, with Bavarian influences and immense Christmas-town charm.
A few years ago Chad and I came to Vail to celebrate Chad’s 23rd birthday in June, post-college and pre-wedding. He hadn’t started his job yet and we were brand new to the area, so it was a very budgeted and quick one-night visit. We stayed in an odd Airbnb that was German-themed with mannequins and crocs everywhere and planned all of our activities were planned via Groupon. It was unique and memorable, but we decided it was time to come back and experience Vail more authentically.
And so we did! We had a wonderful time diving into shoulder season Vail and spending some one-on-one time together.
Off-season
Vail is an international destination. It’s gorgeous, fun, and walks a very fine line between rugged and fancy. In the winter, it’s a skier’s paradise. In the summer, there are lakes and hikes. In early fall, the trees explode with color.
In early November…there’s not much. It’s Vail’s off-season, and most things are put on pause. Many, many businesses are closed (including the scenic gondola, to our extreme sadness), services are halted, restaurant hours are limited, and the square is a ghost town.
That being said, it’s a great time to go if you’re looking for a budget-friendly stay. We found an extreme discount for a luxurious downtown hotel that we’d never be able to afford otherwise (still pricey though!), spent most of our time on free activities (i.e. walking around), and found mostly affordable food options amid all the closures.
If you go to Vail during the off-season, do your research first, and make your reservations early.
Where we stayed
We stayed at The Sebastian – Vail. I highly, highly recommend this beautiful hotel! With full disclosure, we scored an amazing deal based on our off-season timing. (It was still expensive for two nights, lol.) It was likely the nicest place we’ve ever stayed together, and it felt like a real treat.
Location is everything with the Sebastian. It’s right on the outskirts of the town square, blending in nicely to the European themes. Once our car was parked, we walked everywhere until it was time to check out. The amenities were also nice; we enjoyed art all over the property, four hot tubs, a library (where we played a game of chess and leafed through several vintage books), a lounge, complimentary robes, and a surprisingly speedy elevator.
Additionally, the staff was amazing—they upgraded our basic queen room to a full suite and left us a bottle of champagne when they heard it was our anniversary. They were kind and friendly and the valet parking guys were extra sweet, along with our waitresses at the lounge when we stayed until closing.
Where we ate
- Pazzo’s Pizzeria. For our first meal, we chose the closest option to our hotel. We opted for calzones, which were hot and fresh and got the job done.
- Lenora Lounge. Located in our hotel, the Lenora Lounge hit the spot for late night drinks and a before-bed snack. My churros were a perfect nightcap, alongside a refreshing Sebastian Spritz.
- Two Arrows. This coffee and bar combo shop is aesthetically pleasing and makes a mean maple and cinnamon oat latte (I opted to try their special). A little pricey, but great nonetheless.
- La Cantina. Quick counter service, delicious tacos. My order hit the spot.
- Vail Brewery. A great location, plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, and refreshing beer. My fruited sour was delightful enough for two rounds on a full stomach.
- Red Lion Inn. Historic to Vail, we popped by the Red Lion for a couple of pre-dinner mules. We sat at the bar and loved the atmosphere and the talented musician performing requests.
- Slope Room. This was our “fancy meal” to officially celebrate our anniversary and one of the highlights of our trip. It was divine. A gourmet pre-fixed three-course meal had us swooning with full bellies. Be sure to make a reservation!
- Northside Kitchen. Located a few miles west in Avon, we found Northside Kitchen on our way home after trying two other spots—they were closed for the off-season, of course. We sat bar-side again, enjoying hearty meals and a heavy-handed mimosa.
What we did
- Hot tubbed. We took advantage of the cool temps and even cooler hot tubs at our hotel! We loved having the tubs to ourselves and relaxing in such a beautiful space.
- Ski Museum. One of the highlights of our trip was the Vail Ski and Snow Sports Museum, where we learned the incredible history of the army’s 10th Mountain Division: a group of men who trained at Camp Hale in Colorado and then went on to fight in WWII on skies in Italy. Many of those veterans developed skiing in Colorado post-war. Incredible history!
- Played chess. As a couple of cute nerds would do, had and I played a great game of chess at our hotel’s library. We’ve only played one game previously, so it’s always a good match-up. Our last match was in 2016 right after we got engaged in Winter Park.
- Shopped. We ended up getting candy from Fuzziwigs, Chad a hat from Patagonia (we call it Pata-Gucci, of course), and me a simple VAIL tee from a souvenir shop.
- Walked. We spent a lot of time roaming. The European-inspired town squares are perfect for a good, leisurely stroll.
- Luxury homes. On our way out, we did a quick drive down Vail Valley Drive, checking out some stunning luxury homes right off the main drag.
- Note: though we didn’t do it this year, we previously purchased a walking scavenger hunt of Vail via Groupon, and that was a super cool way to see a little bit of everything. The Betty Ford Garden was one of our favorite stops.
- Hot tubbed. We took advantage of the cool temps and even cooler hot tubs at our hotel! We loved having the tubs to ourselves and relaxing in such a beautiful space.
- Ski Museum. One of the highlights of our trip was the Vail Ski and Snow Sports Museum, where we learned the incredible history of the army’s 10th Mountain Division: a group of men who trained at Camp Hale in Colorado and then went on to fight in WWII on skies in Italy. Many of those veterans developed skiing in Colorado post-war. Incredible history!
- Played chess. As a couple of cute nerds would do, had and I played a great game of chess at our hotel’s library. We’ve only played one game previously, so it’s always a good match-up. Our last match was in 2016 right after we got engaged in Winter Park.
- Shopped. We ended up getting candy from Fuzziwigs, Chad a hat from Patagonia (we call it Pata-Gucci, of course), and me a simple VAIL tee from a souvenir shop.
- Walked. We spent a lot of time roaming. The European-inspired town squares are perfect for a good, leisurely stroll.
- Luxury homes. On our way out, we did a quick drive down Vail Valley Drive, checking out some stunning luxury homes right off the main drag.
- Note: though we didn’t do it this year, we previously purchased a walking scavenger hunt of Vail via Groupon, and that was a super cool way to see a little bit of everything. The Betty Ford Garden was one of our favorite stops.
Tips
- Public transportation is great! Busses are free and move between town squares.
- Dress accordingly—it gets chilly. Layers are always your friend, year-round.
- Make reservations where applicable. When restaurants are closed, the demand is driven up and availability can be limited.
- If you plan on walking everywhere (very, very likely), wear walking-friendly shoes. (I learned the hard way on night one as I was trying to break in some boots. Oops.)
- When planning an off-season trip, be sure to do your research, adjust your expectations, and tip well.
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