Vail Resorts
Vail, Colorado
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As the largest single-mountain ski resort on this continent, colossal Vail is the reigning monarch of the American ski kingdom, with 5,289 acres of pillowy bowls, ego-boosting cruisers, sickeningly-steep chutes and pristine tree runs. That's not to mention its village, a sprawling carnival of 104 clubs, restaurants and bars catering to the court jester and the bejeweled royalty alike. The newest place to stash your skis and boards (oh, wait, the valet will take them for you) is the Arrabelle, a 36-room luxury hotel at Vail Square with its own escalator to the Eagle Bahn gondola. From there, it's a short hop to Vail's sublime Back Bowls, which could swallow most other ski resorts and then some. But save time for the front side, where there are tourist-free tree runs off the Vista Bahn Express Lift and prime-people watching at Mid-Vail. If you've brought some rookie riders with you, Vail is one of the few places where beginners can learn at the mountaintop.
It's a rite of passage to huck steep Lovers Leap in Blue Sky Basin, as the slew of YouTube faceplant videos attest.
A five-spot will get you Patron silver margaritas all day, every day at the Tap Room. No guarantees on what you'll get after you buy a few rounds for the ski bunnies.
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Photos: Courtesy of Jack Affleck
