Hi friends,
She's baaaack (for a very short period of time before I pack my bags again... eek) and comin' in hot with a little travel blog.
Let me start this off by saying I am unhealthily OBSESSED with Vail? Like it's almost to the pink, buttery chardonnay, Brussel sprouts level of obsessed. Crazy, right?
Also, very obsessed with my new ski hobby and thinking I may have a shot at the new winter Olympics (kidding but... not).
I have always wanted an adult hobby and leave it to me to pick up the most expensive one there is. Like I couldn't pick drawing? Or a walking club? Or pottery? I legit gasped when I saw the price of lift tickets, lol. She WILL be getting an Ikon Pass next year. But beyond that, I had so much fun exploring the city of Vail and you better believe I am about to drop all the details for my fellow travel addicts!
Let's go ahead and get into it...
What to do, where to stay, and where to eat in VAIL, COLORADO!
I have been to quite a few different ski towns in the Colorado (Breck, Telluride, Keystone) and Vail still remains my all time favorite. It's adorable, everything is within walking distance, the food is phenomenal, the locals are kick ass and the mountain is EPIC. Have I sold you yet?
If so, you need to book at trip stat and when you do, make sure you stay at Tivoli Lodge!
WHERE I STAYED:
This was my second time staying with the Tivoli Lodge and y'all, I swear it gets better every time. I love how cozy it is and MAJOR bonus points because it's family owned + operated so it feels very boutique-y and not commercial, but you still get the perks of a larger hotel! That freaking best part? It's STEPS away from Gondola 1. This is hands down my favorite part because mama does not want to walk far in ski boots. You can store your gear in the hotel and then pop by in the morning, suite up, & BOOM! You are first chair and ready to shred the gnar (Do I sound like a professional skier yet?)
*Disclaimer: This was a sponsored stay. I will always be honest with you guys on that. Gotta keep it real!
If you are opting to rent your ski's, make sure you go to Troy's up the street in Vail Village to get your gear because you will get a discount for staying with Tivoli. WE LOVE DISCOUNTS?! Other notable things I liked about my stay: the hot tub, the free coffee and fresh baked cookies in the afternoon, the amazing fireplace + lounge area and the breakfast buffet is wonderful!
P.S. Can we just admire how DREAMY the view from the rooms are? I felt like I was looking at a literal snow globe. It was my favorite thing to wake up to!
WHERE I DINED:
If you all haven't picked up on this yet... I love food. And I take my food very seriously. Ya girl likes to eat, okay.
I am not even exaggerating by saying this... Fall Line's dinner was a solid 10/10. SOLID! I had the pork chop and I am normally not a pork chop kinda gal (#teamsteak) but the server insisted that it would change my life and it quite honestly did? Everything we tasted was truly delicious... so much that we went back the VERY next day and got lunch, lol. If you do go for lunch, ask for a grilled cheese with mushrooms (seriously just do it) and tell them Morgan told you to do it. Your life will forever be changed, especially if you are a cheese lover.
You will definitely want to make a reservation here (I'd suggest at least 2 weeks in advance and you can snag one on Open Table) and if you are lucky enough to be in Vail on the weekend (we weren't, womp wompppp), they have an awesome late nighttime option with a DJ! So if you aren't ready to go to sleep, you can dance the night away while sipping some craft cocktails. Ugh, I want to go back already.
There were a couple different sushi spots we were looking into hitting up during our stay (love sushi) and I am SO happy we ended up choosing Yama. It's intimate and pretty small, so definitely make a rez, but HOLY CRAP the sushi is phenomenal and so fresh. I was honestly pretty impressed with the portion sizes and prices? It's not a Nobu type place and for that, I was thankful. You get a lot of bang for your buck.
P.S. Get the Blondie roll and the Caterpillar roll. You're welcome!
LEGIT ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THE BRUSSEL SPROUTS ARE AMAZING AND ONLY $8. ONLY $8 FOR THIS GLORIOUS BOWL.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
But for real, get the Brussels. They are some of the best I have had and y'all know I do notttt mess around with my sprouts. DO NOT. The food is also really yummy and the tacos are great if you are wanting a light dinner & small bites. As a Texas girl, I really appreciate a good TexMex option and I thought this was fabulous (so much so that I went both times I was in Vail). We made a reservation, but I heard they are pretty good about getting walk-ins seated and you can put your name on the list ahead of time.
A great breakfast + lunch option. We ate here every single day we were in Vail so clearlyyyyy we were fans. They have really yummy sandwiches, salads and wraps + it's right on the way out of Vail Village and steps away from the Tivoli.
If you are looking for my recommendation (you probably aren't but I will give it to you anyways)... get the breakfast burrito. Add avocado and arugula. YOU ARE WELCOME. Perfect pre or post skiing fuel!
I adore a cute coffee shop with Instagrammable vibes and this is IT. They have cocktails (we love) and super amazing coffee drinks. Ask for a Tall Hot Ian (Hi, Ian!) if you like a hot coffee with a yummy twist. I think I got one of these every day we were there!
*Honorable restaurant mentions that I have been to in the past but not on this trip: Elway's, Sweet Basil, Pepi's.
WHAT TO DO FOR FUN:
Ski or Snowboard or HOT TUB! (Duh)
Tivoli Lodge has a dreamy hot tub that never seems to be too crowded. Another hotel perk!
Shakedown Bar for LIVE music!
Everyone and their mom told me I absolutely NEED to stop by Shakedown Bar in Vail to enjoy some live music, and man I am so happy I did! It was such a blast.
...It also helps that we took shots with the performer, Dave Tucker, and ended up befriending him and becoming his honorary backup dancers on stage (go check out my Instagram for reference). But y'all... seriously, you need to come here. Everyone is dancing, the tunes are great and it's just such a fun way to end your night.
AHHHHHH I ALREADY WANT TO GO BACK. There is something so magical about Vail that I really cannot put my finger on. The people, the mountain, the food... the vibes are immaculate. I also am super happy I decided to go back because it used to be a place I associated with past memories (that often make me sad, TBH) and I was super nervous that going back would be triggering and ruin my time. And you know what? I was okay. I had moments where I would have a fleeting moment of sadness (I was there last Valentine's Day for a little reference) but I made new, amazing memories and didn't let the fear of the past stop me.
If you are in the same boat as me and you are avoiding a place that used to bring you happiness, but now only reminds you of pain... my advice is to just GO. Sit in the feelings. Be okay with the memories flooding back in. And then brush it off and enjoy yourself. Move forward and make new memories because YOU DESERVE IT.
Whew, sorry for that emotional rant. I can't control these fingers sometimes?! They just starting typing away LOL.
Anyhoo.
I hope you enjoyed this Vail travel recap! Now I am off to somewhere sunny and tropical and NEW.... hm, any ideas? Stay tuned.
Until next time...
XO,
Morg
