Vacation in Vail, Colorado in Summer: Escape Heat and Humidity

A vacation to Vail, Colorado, in the winter is almost cliche. But did you know that Vail is a great place to vacation in the summer as well?

We escaped the heat and humidity of the Midwest in August of this year and drove west to the Rockies. It was 100 degrees at 5 p.m. as we cruised through Denver, but once we got to Vail the weather was gorgeous for our entire one week stay.

Temperatures in the 70s and low 80s with severe sunshine were the order of most days. A couple of afternoons saw a few clouds and scattered light showers but it caused us no grief whatsoever. Vail is known for 300 days on sunshine per year and at that altitude the sun is bright!

(If you forget your sunglasses or want to upgrade, there is a great sunglass shop in Vail Village.)

Each morning we woke up to clear, crisp air that only once enticed us to wear a jacket with our shorts. The air is a bit thin but that just makes it a welcome relief to the thick humid air we are used to that time of year. Just breathing is fun in Vail.

Lion's Head village is undergoing a lot of construction currently, so the bike shop we visited was happy to have customers. Biking is one of the most enjoyable things to do in Vail in the summertime. There is nice bike path along scenic Gore Creek (so named because Al Gore invented it, I think) but bicycles are welcome everywhere in Vail.

Speaking of everywhere, you can even bike up to the top of Vail Mountain! If the trail is too steep, you can put your bike in the gondola that goes to the top and just do the easy part and ride downhill. Be sure and allocate some time for investigating the activities on top of the mountain, but also enjoy the magnificient views.

The Bike shop will also be happy to take you up the interstate about 15 minutes and let you off near a very picturesque lake. From there you can take the bike trail, part of which is the old U.S. Highway, through some of the best scenery in the country down to East Vail.

On the bike path you will see something else Vail is known for, golfing. Beautiful fairways and greens are perfectly laid out in the valley. If your other half golfs and you don't, shopping or a spa might be the order of the day for you.