The Mountain Passes to Vail

The drive from Denver to Vail has to be the prettiest drive that
we saw....well, that is a hard decision.... but just the pure, clear crisp air and the panoramic majesty of the mountains was awesome.
Just pass the road at the base of Breckenridge Mountain was a scenic overlook to stop for pictures and I have to say it almost made me cry it was so amazing.
It was very cool in the mountains and came a storm the day before these shots.

Anything above 9,000 feet got snow!
So we went from 80 degrees in Denver to a low of 25 degrees in Vail.
The ski slopes closed late April, so this was the off season.
We had the quiet little town to ourselves.
We had lunch at the famous Red Lion Bar and Grill in Vail Village and enjoyed looking at the pictures of the stars through the years that had been there.
There were many unique shops to browse- although some were quite expensive-- a pirate ship playground and free transportation between all the lodges and the shopping and eating areas.

We stayed at the Lion's Square Lodge and it was very cozy and comfortable, and in ski season, is a ski in and out resort. I hope to return for a winter visit, but I did note the average low temperature for January is 2 degrees or so.

Again, the pool was the hit.
It was a very awesome experience for the kids- outdoors and heated pool and hot tub with the snowy mountains in the background.
As the snow melted,
the waterfalls and creeks rushed crystal clear freezing water!

Oh, and I got a great t-shirt for my collection in Vail, too!