A Black Girl’s Guide to Vail, a Colorado alpine village and picturesque ski town

Before I became an adult, my experiences and vacations were limited. When I left home, I planned for my adult years to be stuffed with adventure and exploration. As my world expanded, so did my adventure bucket list. One of my biggest desires was to try skiing.

I managed to achieve this goal thanks to an invite from The Grand Hyatt Vail. I could cross skiing off my list of experiences and head to the favored ski town of Vail. The city is a popular destination for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts due to its slopes, which make it ideal for each beginners and advanced skiers, and even attracted the Obamas a few years ago. It has 5,317 skiable acres, the equivalent of 4,000 American football fields, making Vail Mountain the most important ski resort in Colorado.

When I arrived, it felt like a Hallmark romantic movie where the principal character hopes to meet her true love on a ski adventure. Unfortunately, the latter didn’t occur, but I do enter the essence of a picturesque mountain ski town with tall, snow-covered spruce trees, brick streets and sidewalks, skating on the square, and storefronts starting from ski shops to cafes. It was magical and I could not wait to try something latest.

Here’s my experience as a first-time skier visiting Vail.

Hotel

It was at the middle of my ski adventure The Grand Hyatt Vail, which makes skiing accessible as a luxury ski resort. Two unique features of the hotel include the Venture Sports Ski Rental, where you may pick up your ski equipment, and a chairlift that can take you to the mountains. The staff made sure my ski boots were placed on appropriately. You may buy all the things from goggles and gloves to easy things like hand warmers if you happen to forget your individual.

Vail Mountain’s Chair 20 is positioned right next to the ski rental shop, however the terrain is simply too advanced for beginner skiers. I had the selection of the Grand Hyatt Vail shuttle or private transportation through the hotel’s suburbs Lionshead village take gondola No. 19 to Vail Mountain for the primary time on the slopes. From the Grand Hyatt Vail, you are a quick 10-minute drive to two villages stuffed with shops, restaurants and outdoor attractions, all accessible by bus. Getting around was much easier than I expected, and I used to be glad I did not have to purchase a rideshare to explore.

The 285-room property opened in 2019 and features two restaurants, a spa and fitness center, and Topgolf Swing Suites. Terrace rooms offer balconies with amazing views. My double queen room had a great view of Chair 20 climbing the stunning Vail Mountain, and below from the terrace you may see the banks of Gore Creek.

During our downtime, my friend and I frolicked within the hotel lobby to enjoy freshly baked chocolate chip cookies or s’mores and a complimentary champagne toast.

Skiing on Vail Mountain

My personal trainer told me that skiing is “no joke” on the body, so once I told her I used to be going, we began preparing my body for the trip. I began drinking more water and doing exercises to prepare my legs and arms for this moment. But you do not know the way your body will handle all the things until you do it.

It was snowing after I arrived, making the mountains perfect for my first ski lesson. Referring to mine Vail Mountain Private Ski InstructorChristy, it’s easier to ski on fresh powder, and if you happen to fall, the landing is softer. I fell a few times and was grateful for the blanket of snow.

Vail Mountain offers group and private ski lessons, and I did a full-day lesson on the greenway, which is great for beginners. Our instructor told us the history of Vail as we rode the gondola up, made sure our boots were on properly so we didn’t bruise our legs, and taught us how to use our skis. She also showed us how to walk, slide and slide down mini hills. My biggest challenge was braking, which requires turning my hips and legs inward to form a slice of pizza on my skis. It was essentially the most awkward and uncomfortable experience, but once I began making progress, it was such a thrill. Many people of all ages and abilities participated in mountain activities. I especially enjoyed seeing how fearless the kids were within the snow. Classes will be began on the age of three. I watched little children find their way with a wild and carefree spirit. If they might do it, I can do it too.

Food, fun and leisure

Relaxing within the room was my favorite part after a long day of skiing.

In 2024, the hotel opened Makoto Vail by chef Makoto Okuwa, which offers progressive and contemporary Japanese cuisine. There were loads of sushi and small plates options to pick from. As you enter the restaurant, you may see the staff preparing food within the open kitchen. My friend took the adventurous route and got the Caterpillar roll with eel. I had the Wagyu Beef Stone, a fun way to Instagram cooking beef. We left room for the Fruit Toban Yaki and Blazing Death Star desserts, which got here with a presentation that we had to capture on our phones.

The hotel offers breakfast with various room packages and we had a buffet breakfast every morning overlooking the mountains Gessner. This restaurant is open for each the primary and last meal of the day. For dinner, it turns into an American steakhouse with various cuts of meat to pick from. If you are in search of something lighter, there’s also seafood.

We also ventured off-site to dine in Vail Village. We took a bus and walked through the village Chasing rabbits, a unique entertainment venue in Vail. The place consists of 4 different rooms, each with a different menu and theme. We ate at a restaurant with a Mediterranean-inspired menu and played games on the Rabbit Hole arcade.

Before you permit Vail, spend a while in Spa at Grand Hyatt Vail to moisturize your skin and show your muscles some love in the course of the massage. I needed this massage a lot after putting my body on skis. After this experience I felt energized. The spa also had a steam room, but you may warm up within the on-site hot tub and heated pool. After lunch I went to the jacuzzi, which was the easiest way to end the trip.

I’m so glad I crossed skiing off my list after trying it a few times. Skiing was a challenge for my body, but once I experienced it, I’d love to do it again; especially if I had a excellent spot to loosen up and rejuvenate my body like I did on the Grand Hyatt Vail.