2008 is going to be a very intellectual year for the participants and members of the Vail Symposium, who will be following drug scandals, international politics, cross-cultural art, and documentary films all from the Eagle valley.

This winter we will travel from India to the Peruvian Amazon to Antarctica; we will dig into history from fossils to the Vietnam War to Camp Hale; we will experience the art of Spanish music, Cowboy Artists, and Japanese calligraphy; and we will delve into sports scandals, cave microbes and organ transplants — all the while, being right here in our Valley.

The Symposium calendar is available through our calendar, and through the Vail Symposium website, where tickets to programming can be purchased and more details for programming can be found.

Personally I am still exceedingly grateful for last year’s Denver Art Tour that lead us around the Denver Art Museum, the new Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Logan collection of Denver. This year there is a Contemporary Art Tour scheduled for Beaver Creek, as well as such rare opportunities as a Bonsai Workshop, Japanese Brush Calligraphy, a Studio Glass Tour, not to mention Behind the Scenes tours of Vail and Beaver Creek, a historical Camp Hale Snowshoe, and the Active Minds series that provides major-university quality expert lecturers to the community on some of the most controversial topics.

Be sure to keep checking the Eagle Valley Blog Calendar to find out what will be happening on your days in the Vail valley.

At one time it seemed that Aspen and Vail / Beaver Creek had a rivalry, each trying to one-up the other on lift ticket prices as seasons alternated. This year was Aspen’s turn, with a price of $87, until Vail Resorts announced its rise in ticket prices this week. Now it seems, that the whole industry is facing a rivalry with the price of crude oil. Does skiing in Colorado everywhere cost this much?

• Copper Mountain:up to $79 one day, but steep discounts provided at 2+ day rates. Distance from Vail: 25 gorgeous driving minutes.
• Ski Cooper: $39! A great deal but many fewer on-mountain amenities. Ski where the 10th mountain division used to train, on the continental divide in some of the highest altitude. Distance from Vail/ BC – one careful hour or 35 bat-out-of-H*** minutes.
• Breckenridge: Up to $86 depending on the week of the year. Check their prices online. Distance from Vail: 45 minutes.
• Keystone: $79. Distance from Vail /BC – 50 minutes. Keystone has night skiing too, so this may be a good choice if you get a late start.
• A-Basin: Colorado’s first, and lowest! Only $58 and score a season pass for less than the price of five nights. This bald mountain on the continental divide is still “the Legend.”

I was really hoping to find you a deal, folks. Here’s what I would say: stay next to the mountain you want to ski- get an early start, and hit it hard. Take a couple of days off to enjoy some snowshoeing or ice climbing in East Vail. The cost of renting a car may outweigh the lower lift prices at other destinations, but we understand. Realistically, the prices have only gone up $10 or less, so just find a place to stay that makes that cost back for you. Places like Beaver Creek West that are close to the bus route but off the slopes make a great compromise. Again, sorry the ticket prices are so high! But we’d really love to see ya.

It can be easy to plan a long-distance family vacation to a destination like Vail or Beaver Creek without all the right advice and information, especially for first time ski parents. It makes going to Florida – with its short sleeves, sandals, mickey hats, and sunscreen, look like a breeze. Taking the same vacation to a ski destination in Colorado can be comparatively called the gale-force wind. Its cold, its elevated, its strenuous, and we try to isolate the kids in ski school (“but mom! this is is supposed to be VACATION!!”) Inexperienced adults can generally make it on their own, picking up an extra pair of glove liners, socks, or Hot Chillys to stay comfortable and make the bathroom break a little less arduous. Kids don’t have that flexibility- even the flexibility to stop and use it while in ski camp. This makes it even more important to cover all your kids’ bases even over your own before they set foot on the snow. Even better, save a few bucks by gathering the gear and the plans before you get in the car or on the plane. (more…)

With this many wines, its no wonder that Avon Liquors always gets it right! There are all varietals, countries, and price ranges, and as I learned candidly from one particular customer, some rare finds.
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So we find ourselves at the point of of the burning question- what are our readers looking for? What do you need out of the Vail Valley Blog? We gotcha weather, snow conditions, and the most complete calendar you’ll find anywhere. What are we missing? Here’s your chance to let us know.

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