What Happens in Vail Stays in Vail

Tramming. Try it sometime. You'll like it.

Turns out I'm still in a funk - 2011 has not been my best year. Most days I get a tremendous amount of things done while leaving a larger amount of things undone and wondering: A) Where is all my time going? B) Why am I not enjoying anything? C) Am I even capable of relaxing?

So do I jump at the chance to spend Labor Day weekend in Vail with my sister Diane in their timeshare? I do.

We had a splendid time. And it became very clear that however much fun we manage to have, I still need a vacation from vacation.

Above, Eve will serve as our representative mini-golfing child at the base of Lionhead. Here, the other three demonstrate the myriad joys of a water fan once we rode the tram up to the Glenwood Adventure Park, perched high atop our favorite mountain town of Glenwood Springs, about an hour west of Vail.

Labor Day weekend brings the mega-crowds to Vail: they had a street fair featuring A Taste of Vail, and one of their great over-priced bakeries hosted a cookie-decorating tent. Irresistible.

And speaking of overpriced...only in Vail, right?

Accosting a moose sculpture, of which there are many. Well, at least large bronze artworks of various sizes and shapes, along with gorgeous landscaping, ladies in short-shorts and Uggs, a pampered lab or two on a leash per couple and/or family...no tiny dogs in purses for the moneyed mountain folk. Just lots of overpriced shirts, bottles of beer, sunglasses, vests and cars. It's reassuring to know that there's still money to be made somewhere, I guess.

Awesome Alpine Coaster in Glenwood - what a great invention, an alpine slide as coaster. Almost as great as the zipline over the canyon.

What can I say? I'm a mountain gal. And I'm raising the next generation.