The Ultimate Vail Bachelorette Weekend Guide Part 1: What to Do
Few places lend themselves to a beautiful bachelorette weekend quite like Vail.
Designed as an Alpine Village with charming storefronts, Swiss and Austrian architecture, and of course world-class skiing, Vail is picturesque without a doubt, and offers no shortage of chic activities. But it’s more than that—Vail is simply enchanting. It’s a place that must be experienced to be truly understood, in all its exquisite beauty and endless charms. And of course, when it comes to bachelorette weekends, a weekend in Vail can be as activity-packed and as photogenic as they come. Picture yourself gliding down the mountain and après skiing in high fashion or exploring the Village and winding down with a hot rock massage at the spa. For the ultimate guide to a bachelorette Vail weekend, look no further. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself mentally packing a suitcase full of retro ski sweaters, fur coats, and winter boots stat.
This is the first of a three part series that covers What to Do, Where to Shop, and Where to Dine in Vail. Let’s start with a list of activities that express the full range of Vail’s charms— from its refreshing natural beauty to its high class sporting, artistic and cultural events, and so very much more.
What to Do
1. Hiking & Nature Walks
One of the best-keep secrets in Vail is that its summers are positively Edenic. No one will argue that Vail winters are magical and the skiing, matchless. But summers transform Vail into a watercolor painting of a place, all lush greens and pastel wildflowers. Perhaps the best way to soak in its beauty is via a hike or guided nature walk, where flowers await, along with winding streams and mountain vistas. Take the gondola up to Gondola One or Eagle Bahn, and make your way down the mountain, drinking in the meditative beauty of your hike. Beaver Creek also transports you via chair lift to the mountaintop, where many beautiful paths await. Guided nature walks are particularly lovely in Avon and Vail, and will take you past streams and meadows, flora and fauna, allowing you to observe the beauty of the mountain in each changing season. Once back at the base, you and your girls will be ready for a lunch at one of the many restaurants at the Arabelle at Vail Square.
2. Betty Ford Botanical Gardens
This is a visit quite near and dear to my heart. The gardens offer the most enchanting choreography of alpine botanicals, creating a dream of color and beauty that seems to have emerged from a painter’s mind. If you were to ascend to the heights of alpine meadow, these are the fragile flowers you would find—resilient plants who defy all odds to offer their beauty to the world. Conservation efforts go towards protecting vulnerable alpine flora and other high-altitude plants and habitat, making this a place where artistry and heart meet in a most unforgettable way. The garden flowers are ensconced in a kind of mountain sanctuary, hidden away behind a pair of gorgeous iron doors. Here, the flowers work in choreography with soothing waterfalls, stone pathways, and natural steps that lead to sweeping mountain views and quiet koi ponds. Visiting during the summer, when the gardens reach the pinnacle of their beauty, is a delight—but it’s equally magical to visit during winter via snowshoeing tour!
3. Village Walks
One of the most underrated—and best—ways to experience Vail is simply to walk around the village, allowing yourself to aimlessly wander. You will be enchanted by the Swiss buildings, chalets, shops, and the intangible magic that is Vail. Beauty is offered so freely, as every balcony is adorned with flowers, every street corner brightened with hanging baskets. You’ll be walking, lost in thought, and suddenly look up to see the most beautiful sight—something majestic, like a swath of mountainside, or something minute, like hand-painted flowers on a pair of shutters. Strolling the Village at dusk is a particularly beautiful way to end a mountain day.
Some of my best Vail memories are simply of doing this—taking gentle strolls, breathing in the gorgeous air, drinking in the atmosphere—all that gorgeous scenery along with something more down-to-earth. I love the village life, as couples walk to and from dinner, children race by on bikes and wait in line for ice cream, and so many dogs are living life to the fullest. It’s wonderful to get lost in this scene, to become immersed in the simple charms of this indescribable place.
4. Biking
If adventure is your lifeblood, you won’t want to miss the chance to be whisked up by gondola to the top of Vail Mountain and bike your way down. Summers in Vail are for cycling and mountain biking, so be sure to consider bike rentals as this is one of the best ways to explore the entire mountain.
5. Dogma Athletica
If you’re looking for an indoor workout, Dogma Athletica is the premier training facility. It’s not an understatement when I say that their yoga classes transformed my style and approach to movement and enriched my practice in the most beautiful way. Dogma Athletica’s cycling, personal training, and yoga classes are more than a workout—they’re an art form. Don’t miss Rod’s classes, whether fitness or yoga-based, as these will be some of the most grueling and gorgeous classes of your life. After your class, explore Edwards’ little village, which is charming with its many shops and cafés. (Valleygirl and Merle Norman—yes, the cosmetics store—are my favorite boutiques. Don’t miss the latter, which is the essence of a hidden gem, with its eclectic and almost Y2K chic collection from mostly European lines.).
6. Gondola rides
For peak Instagram captures, plan an evening gondola ride, bundled up in your best winter furs or summer fits. You’ll love the breathtaking scenery and, once at the top of Vail Mountain, you can order a round of hot chocolates and savor the views. The perfect place to pose for photos and catch all the après magic.
7. Vail Dance Festival
There is nothing quite like watching a ballet—for instance, the Romeo & Juliet pas de deux or those set to Chopin’s Nocturnes in Into the Night—in this beautiful open-air amphitheater, which reveals the mountains, endless skies, and forest greens. Watching art unfold among this natural beauty—it’s overwhelming, really. You will feel taken to a higher plane as you listen to classical music and witness the beauty of dance amidst the grandeur of nature, all coming together in a charged way. Watching the dancers onstage, with the stars shimmering overhead, the trees above them, and the alpine gardens just beyond—it’s like watching an enchanted vision, a true Midsummer Night’s Dream of fairies dancing in the forest. An exquisite experience, a masterpiece of both natural and expressive beauty.
Some Images via Vail Dance Festival Website
8. The Four Seasons Vail
The place to see and be seen at Vail. If staying here, take full advantage of the whole luxury world that’s been created by The Four Seasons: the spa, the pool, hotel bar, rooftop hangs, and the incomparable people- watching opportunities. The Four Seasons embodies the best of a high-class ski resort, as convenient and elevated as hotels come.
9. Dogsledding
One of the more adventurous activities on the menu at The Four Seasons! Because really, who wouldn’t want to cozy down under wool and alpaca blankets and be pulled around by a fetching team of huskies? Practice your royal wave, for every sled requires one (I think). Afterwards, explore the kennels and hang out with the puppies to perfect a winter postcard of an afternoon.
10. Snow-Shoeing
When in Vail, do as the locals do. Snow-shoeing is both a great workout and a gorgeous winter experience. Allow your concierge to arrange a well-organized snow shoeing tour in Vail or Beaver Creek and traipse your way through frosted meadows and evergreens. My rec: in the wintertime, the Vail golf course (which is stunning) is converted into pristine tracks for cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing trails. And if you happen to be in the Cordillera area, a bit further up the mountain, the snow-shoeing tracks are matchless, the area pristine and secluded.
11. Gorsuch Ski Café
This place is off-the-charts adorable. I realize it’s a ski rental and shop, but the café part of this equation is my favorite. Coffee is served in retro cups with tiny, illustrated skiers, just dying to be photographed. Said coffee is perfectly poised to pair with the gelato or pastries on offer. The patio, adorned with Swedish blankets and fur throws, sets a Scandi chic mood you’ll want to luxuriate in. Trust me, your Instagram story will thank you for your visit here.
Sunday mornings in the Village are enlivened with the presence of the seasonal farmer’s market. Sort through local wildflower honey, granola, and fresh produce, and occasionally find artisanal jewelry, clothing, and trinkets. The farmer’s market is the ideal way to enjoy a languorous Sunday morning or spare hour after brunch.
Image via Visit Vail Valley
13. The Arabelle at Vail Square
The newly redesigned Arabelle at Vail Square has transformed the Lionshead area (although the real ones will miss the Lionshead days of Cabbages & Kings, otherwise known as the cutest boutique in the history of boutiques. iykyk). Everybody catches the après scene here, huddling up on the outdoor patios and mingling at Tavern on the Square. (Underrated pick: The Blue Moose Pizza, which is somewhat of an institution in Vail and Breckenridge.) Super cute shops (especially Arriesgado!), pastry stores, gelato stands, and more make this a must- visit.
14. RockResorts Spa at The Arabelle
The spa at The Arabelle is particularly sublime. To plan a perfect mountain weekend, be sure to experience both the powder and après spa-wind down. There truly is nothing more satisfying than a hot rock massage or facial after an invigorating day on the mountain or a hot sauna after all that bracing, mountain air.
15. Indoor & Outdoor ice skating
There’s nothing more enchanting than ice skating outside, in the mountains. Beaver Creek’s ice rink, set in the heart of the village, is an iconic visit—few places more fully embody Alpine charm. I’ll never forget the bronze statues of Kristi Yamaguchi, hands over heart as she extends into an attitude position, and Paul Wylie, arm outstretched and edges deep in a spread eagle. Skating here is quite simply a joy. And the newly renovated Arabelle square in Vail offers seasonal outdoor skating in the most picturesque environment. It’s so lovely to take in all the beautiful shops and restaurants while skating—truly, the most elevated form of window shopping there could be.
For experienced ice skaters, the indoor Dobson arena is one of the most beautifully built and distinctive ice rinks, with its tall wooden rafters, glass panes, and flags from every country. Skating here, you will feel transported to the sixties in the best possible way—as though you should be wearing a retro ski jacket and practicing figures for the upcoming Olympics in Grenoble.
Ice skating archives from yours truly. Skating and training in Vail was one of the great joys of my life. Some of these photos are not in Vail, but are from the same era, if you will.
16. Riverwalk Theater, Edwards
If you long for a reminder of simpler times, the Riverwalk in Edwards is throwback in the best possible way—a place that feels like it belongs in Stars Hollow. The tiny postcard town with its cute shops and restaurants add to the ambiance. Every time I go to the Riverwalk, I’m reminded of the first movies I saw there--- the ultimate being a viewing of The Princess Diaries, followed by an ice cream. I mean. The nostalgia is real.
17. Frost Bar
Ladies, frost yourselves! The icy elegance of this bar, located inside The Sebastian Hotel, will inspire your best winter outfits and photos. When I think of Vail nightlife, this is the place that comes to mind, with its pearlescent chandeliers, snow-inspired bar, and architectural fireplace.
18. Horse Carriage
Is it a bit tourist-y? Of course. But there’s hardly a more magical way to experience Vail Village. While most associate the horse carriage ride with winter—bundled under fur blankets with cups of cocoa, gliding beneath a soft snowfall—my one and only horse carriage experience was in summer. And wasn’t it a joy. We left the dance festival by horse carriage and had the unreal experience of riding through Vail at night, beneath a full moon, with the entire village nearly to ourselves. I will never forget the celestial beauty that night—how full the moon was above the dancers, how sparkling the stars. We had just watched the Chinese version of Cinderella onstage, and my goodness, if this wasn’t a fitting end to such a fairytale night. No one was more surprised than me to find that our carriage never, at any point, turned into a pumpkin.
19. Skiing
Why is it last? Because it’s most obvi. If you’re planning a trip to Vail, you know all about the ski scene. Experienced skiers will be enamored with the back bowls of Vail, while beginners will be beautifully at ease in Beaver Creek. There’s so much mountain to explore, it’s hard to do it justice in a paragraph. Experience the beauty of nature’s grandeur with the thrill of sport in a world-class atmosphere. Vail offers some of the most pristinely groomed runs and gorgeous powder imaginable; you could spend a whole winter and not even scratch the surface.
Be sure to follow along next week for Part II as I introduce you to the best and most beautiful shops in Vail! Prepare yourselves, dear readers: the fashion game in Vail is real.
