Other activities

Adventure Ridge at Eagle's Nest is an on-mountain activity center, open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Families and adrenaline junkies enjoy this addition in the Eagle's Nest area at the top of the gondola. It includes an ice-skating rink, kids' snowmobile track, a lift-served tubing hill, ski-biking, rebound trampolines and other activities. If you haven't tried ski-biking, do so. It is a hoot to go careening down the mountain at night with a light strapped to your head; just be prepared for exhausted legs (and don't do it the night you arrive if you tend to suffer at high altitude). Some activities require reservations, so call in advance. Blue Moon Restaurant & Bar serves very affordable family dinners. The gondola cabins are heated and lighted.

Vail has a number of athletic clubs and spas. The Aria Spa & Club (spa 479-5942, club 476-7400) at the Vail Cascade Resort has 14 treatment rooms including a couple's spa suite. Treatments include massages, wraps, soaks, facials, manicures and pedicures. The athletic facilities are the best in Vail and include a pool, 48 pieces of cardio equipment; free weights; indoor running track; and basketball, volleyball, racquetball and squash courts. The Spa at Vail Mountain Lodge (476-7960) also has fitness facilities in Vail Village and the only climbing wall in the Vail Valley. The Vail Racquet Club (476-3267) in East Vail has indoor tennis, squash and racquetball courts, swimming pool and weight room.

Take a ride on the Vail Golf Course with Steve Jones Sleigh Rides (476-8057). The Colorado Ski Museum in the Vail Transportation Center traces the history of skiing in the state. Admission is free. Vail also has an indoor ice-skating rink, several hot-air balloon companies and many other things to do. Call the Resort Information and Activities Desk at 476-9090 for the complete list.

Cooking classes with world-class chefs are taught at Cooking School of Vail (866-728-6794 or 476-1304). The school is at the Savory Inn, where you also can stay as a guest (see Accommodations).

Vail's unique boutiques and shops, mostly upscale, can keep your credit card active for days. Late March is the best time to find bargains in skiwear and winter clothes.