Park Meadows is a great location and a great value. The Vail Cascade Hotel has it's own chair lift and ticket booth located next door to Park Meadows. From Park Meadows it's an 8 minute walk to the Cascade Lift. Park Meadows is located one mile west of Lionshead, west on South Frontage Rd. just past the Cascade Hotel. The next street on the left after Cascade Village is Matterhorn Circle and it will dead end into the Park Meadow's parking lot.
Park Meadows has 29 privately owned condominiums in a two story building. There are 3 two bedroom units, which offer 640 square feet of living space; the remaining 26 units with either one bedroom or studio layouts, offer 320 square feet each. Every unit has a full bath, fully equipped kitchenette, telephone, cable television, and individually controlled heat. There are a variety of sleeping arrangements accommodating 1 to 4 people in a one bedroom or studio setting, and up to 8 people in a two bedroom unit.
The City of Avon provides an excellent FREE bus system. Getting up to Beaver Creek or over to Vail is fast and inexpensive. The Free shuttle up to Beaver Creek runs every 20 minutes and the ECO Express Bus runs to Vail from the Avon Center and from Beaver Creek every half hour at a cost of $ 3. There are many economical restaurants and shops in Avon. There's even a Walmart, Burger King and a City Market. In the summertime there are many activities centered at Avon's Nottingham Park including the largest fourth of July fireworks display in the state.
Red Cliff is Eagle County's oldest town. It's a 13 mile scenic drive through Minturn and over Battle Mountain to Red Cliff from Vail. Red Cliff is surrounded by the White River National Forest and it is the jumping off point for some of the most popular cross country skiing, mountain biking snowmobile and four wheel drive trails in Eagle County. Cross country skiers have been skiing the 12 miles from Vail Pass, over Shrine Pass and down into Red Cliff where The Reno Cafe has been a favorite apre´ backcountry dinning spot for over 30 years. More recently mountain bikers have been making the same trip in the summer. Several excellent crags lie just outside of Red Cliff and offer some of the best sport climbing routes in the county.
Ski Cooper offers an affordable alternative for the whole family and it's only 20 minutes from Red Cliff.
Leadville is only 25 minutes up Hwy. 24 from Red Cliff. Take a drive to Leadville elevation 10,430 and take a step back into Colorado's history. You can tour the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum, take a ride on the Leadville Rod and Gun Club. Leadville has lots of reasonable restaurants, campgrounds, and hotels. Stop by the visitor center in the center of town and get all the info. You can also continue on through Leadville on Rt.24 then take Rt. 82 over Independence Pass alive. 12,000 ft. to Aspen. Rt. 82 Continues through Aspen back to Glenwood Springs and then I-70 takes you back to Vail.
(719) 486-2656
(888) 949-6682
The Pando Cabins are located at historic Camp Hale, 30 minutes away from Vail and Beaver Creek, 10 minutes away from Ski Cooper. This is the place to get away from it all. The cabins are located near fishing, snowmobiling, mountain bike trails, etc. and cabin guests receive a 15% DISCOUNT on all Nova activities. This would be a great place for a honeymoon or just some peace and quite. These luxury cabins would also provide a great location for a group retreat or family get-together.
The plus side to staying in East Vail is that there are various reasonably priced condominium units available in East Vail, and East Vail is serviced by a free Town of Vail Bus. The Bus comes by every 15 minutes but there are many stops going to and from East Vail. It it seems to take all day. You're going inbound in the morning, outbound after skiing, inbound for dinner and entertainment, and outbound before the last bus of the evening.
There is only one restaurant in East Vail, one liquor store and one convince store. Because it is at a higher elevation, and because it stays in the shade most of the time, during the winter, East Vail is colder, there is more snow, and the roads stay snow packed longer. For a family that cooks meals at their condo and, isn't interested in going back-and-forth into Vail, East Vail is quiet and reasonable.
To go from East Vail to Beaver Creek, on the bus, would take over an hour. If you are staying in East Vail, and you expect to be going back-and-forth into Vail and Beaver Creek, you should consider having a car. The supermarkets are in West Vail and you would have to change busses in Vail going and coming. Give yourself a break on the way back from grocery shopping and get a cab.
Beware of the condo managing companies that
make getting the key to your unit a scavenger hunt. If you arrive
during business hours you may have to go by the office of the
managing company. Imagine a shuttle van full of tiered guests
having to wait for you, while you are first taken to the management
companies office to check-in and then wait again while you are
taken to your unit. Or you can imagine getting in late yourself
in a rental car with no flashlight trying to read street signs
and house numbers in the dark. Sometimes especially after dark
keys are left in lock boxes either at the office or at the unit.
If you stay in East Vail in the summertime, and you have a car,
it can be a good deal. If you stay in East Vail in the winter
and use the bus, it is workable, but not convenient. Getting into
a cold rental car, late at night, after dinner and a few drinks
and driving on icy roads is a good way to ruin a vacation. If
I were you I'd stay anywhere but East Vail.
East Vail is served by the FREE Town of Vail Bus System.