Vail

By Monyse Bélisle, Ski Product and Marketing Director

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I’m paid to go skiing, visit hotels, try new restaurants and attend conferences in the most beautiful winter destinations. But, of course, someone has to sacrifice their time to make sure our customers can enjoy the best vacations possible, right? Okay, I know—I have the best job ever!

This year, I finished the season off in Vail, accompanied by my colleague and friend, Paul Dubrûle. After attending several meetings during the negotiations conference, we finally got to take a break and test out the product for ourselves. Paul went off on his own to ski the back bowls of Blue Sky Basin, which provides access to mainly expert terrain. No doubt he had a few scares while skiing those steep couloirs and zigzagging through the glades. I, on the other hand (being a little more conservative), decided to stick with the groomed slopes. And, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to do it—after all, Vail has more groomed runs than anywhere in the world! It’s impossible to get bored here or even ski the same run twice in a day.

After a full morning, we met up for lunch in one of the resort restaurants. Surprisingly, there were lots of healthy options to choose from, which is rare for an American resort. At the end of the day, we headed over to Garfinkel’s bar—one of my favourites—for a little après-ski enjoyment. As I headed back to our slopeside condo afterwards, I stopped in at a few shops along the way.

The next day, we decided to start the day off like the locals and have our breakfast at the Little Dinner. Everything was fresh, fast, and delicious—good fuel for our second day on the mountain. We also made sure we were well hydrated since the altitude was having quite an effect on us. Once at the summit, we were still amazed by the vast expanse of the area and the variety of terrain. To end this second glorious day on a fine note, we indulged in the best ribs in town at the Bully Ranch. It’s a place I always love going back to. Paul will tell you that it’s an absolute necessity during any trip to Vail.

Riding the shuttle bus back to the Denver Airport at the trip’s end, I was already bursting with excitement at the idea of telling the Gendron team about my stay, and sharing all my discoveries and favourite things about the trip.

What stood out the most for me about this particular ski vacation is the fact that, in Vail, the skiing is always extraordinary, the food alone is worth the trip, and the accommodations are unbeatable. You simply can’t go wrong!