Page 48 - The Hunt - Spring 2020

TRAVELER
A Tale of Two Vails
The Colorado
resort town is bustling in spring thanks to majestic slopes, afternoon après hours, fine shopping and great local cuisine.
In spring, Vail, Colo., is one of those rare places that gives visitors a taste of the warm weather to come, while serving up a strong reminder of the season that’s nearly passed. This storied town is home to Vail Village and the slightly smaller Lionshead Village to the west. Each is within a 10-minute walk or quick free bus ride from one another. Both have lifts, resort hotels and more. On the snow-packed slopes looming above, skiers and snowboarders carve slashes in the glistening white powder.
In Vail Village, a quaint town situated at
just over 8,000 feet that strides the fast- flowing Gore Creek, locals and tourists alike meander the high-end shops lining a handful of pedestrian-only streets. Gorsuch, the elite Colorado-based department store at the corner
of Bridge Street and Gore Creek Dive, boasts small rooms of clothing, home accessories and ski supplies spread out across multiple split- level stories. Or drop in at Vail Fine Wines, where owner Kevin Lawrence has put together a collection of rare and highly rated wines
and whiskies that would be the envy of most Manhattan purveyors. Inside, worldly imbibers share their experiences from a château in Bordeaux or a distillery in Kentucky, ignoring the cheeky message in the store’s window display: “Absolutely no anecdotes/bragging about your bottles from the past.”
Back outside, folks stake their claim to sunshine-dappled tables on restaurant patios as lunch nears. Not being a skier, I prefer the dining scene. For the similarly minded, the
154 THE HUNT MAGAZINE
spring 2020
By Roger Morris
MATT INDEN/MILES