You know those gorgeous small towns in the Christmas Hallmark movies that you think can’t possibly be real because they’re that beautiful? Well that my friend is a small ski resort called Beaver Creek. It is the perfect family vacation ski resort . It sits outside of Vail, Co and where your next snow, dream vacation lies ahead.
Accommodations for Our Family Vacation
We stayed at the Beaver Creek Lodge which is at the village and a couple minutes walk to the escalators that take you to the lifts. While it’s not a ski in ski out resort, it was as close as you can get to one! The convience of being in the heart of things is immeasurable. And y’all know I love convenience.
It is perfect for family vacation because all the rooms are bedrooms, either 1 or 2 so you are able to accommodate large families. I shared a room with 3 other people aside from my family of 3! The bedroom we chose had two queen beds and the livingroom sofa covered into a bed.
Family Vacation in The Village
The ice rink
The ice rink is in the smack middle of it all. It is large and overlooks all the restaurants, stores and hotels. We went in the beginning of February which is ski reason and it was not too crowded at all! It’s either the best kept secret or too cold for people in February, lol.
In the same store where you rent your ice skates, you can also get necessary clothes you might have left at home. As a matter of fact, you can purchase full skiing gear here as well. Just keep in mind you are paying resort prices so if you want to keep the cost down bring your own goggles, gloves etc and just rent the equipment.
Where to eat
The Pizzeria
Near the ice rink, one of the best pizzerias I have ever had called the Blue Moose Pizza. Perhaps it was the tiring slopes or the cold weather but we devoured several amazing pizzas. And the drinks were also on point.
Be prepared to wait a bit if you’re during peak season because the place is hot! That’s how wonderful it is. Their best kept secretly is definitely not this place, lol.
Rimini
This little cafe like restaurant had world-class gelatos, crepes, chocolate, pastries and coffe y’all. It’s very quaint however gigantic in incredible food and drinks. We chose to have breakfast here a couple of times over the course of the long weekend.
It was also casual enough that our toddler could feel comfortable being himself. He of course was delighted to taste all the yummy treats. Just keep in mind the selection of breakfast and lunch was on the smaller side as their specialty is pastries and hot beverages.
I must tell you though you must sit by their window. Gosh I regret not having someone take a photo from the outside. With my cappuccino I sat there and felt like I was in a movie. It was snowing and to see the sweet town and breathtaking mountains in the back was magical.
Superbowl
We happened to go during superbowl weekend as it was my wife’s birthday. We didn’t have any reservations and were worried about not having somewhere to watch the game. Well while there was a wait, we obtained a table big enough for the six of us near a tv! It was a great casual dinner with burgers, wings, beer and football.
The Shops
I mentioned that there is a store for skiing equipment and clothes. Well there are also adorable children shops. Anotner perk fir a family vacation. Our son needed more thermals than we anticipated so we stopped by a couple stores and got the perfect clothes for him to stay warm and to ski. He also enjoyed a little souvenir. Afterall it was a children’s store. I recommend you leisurely walk around to check them out, one by one.
Now off to the slopes!
The first day we decided to ski we grabbed out rentals that were reserved and ready for us inside the hotel’s shop. Literally in a couple minutes we were at the escalators that led us to the base of the lifts! There is a 5 star resorts that’s directly behind the lifts for a true ski in and ski out experience. Well what is neat for those of us that didn’t stay at that hotel is that we could eat at their restaurant that was convenient steps away.
Once we were there we had to get our lift passes for the day. These did require a little walking as the stores and restaurants were stretched out a long way. Here is where they also have ski lessons before you go on the mountain.
Once on the mountain my goodness gracious is was gorgeous! I was completely blown away. The mountains, the trees, the fresh air, the powdered snow. We all took our time skiing and snow boarding, even my then two year old. They have a small restaurant up there with a small variety of snack and refreshments.
Funny story
You know I have a funny story on every trip. My sister in law had a minor accident there. Well we became so distracted by that that we weren’t paying attention and the lift closed! You should have seen our faces when we realized this. Yes a few people were still there but those people skied so perfect that they could just ski down the mountain. We were not those people, lol.
Well we ended up having to call ski patrol via one of those emergency phones. Just imagine their reaction when we told them we were stuck up there with a toddler and a senior citizen (my MIL who was not skiing.) Baby boy and I got to ride the patrol jet and the rest of my family was pulled via sledding by a man skiing. Ha ha ha! I still remember waiting around for a bill at the end for that “rescue” and luckily it never came.
So please explore this gorgeous town with your family. If you want to see video stories of the village including when we got rescued, head over to my Instagram page and click on Beaver Creek highlight at the top. You can also find more inspiration about Beaver Creek. And Europe family vacation.
Love,
Angelica
