One of the trends we have been hearing about recently is the return of families to the meetings and events mix. It seems that a lot of us travel frequently and spend enough time away from our significant others and kids. When the chance arises, it’s nice to bring them along for the journey. For employers, it is a nice perk to offer employees and can be fun for meeting and event planners to build families into the itinerary.
In some recent Colorado travels, I found myself needing to be in four communities over a period of 12 days straight. My kids needed to be along on both sides of the journey, but right in the middle was a business trip in Vail. This is a perfect place to have two teens along as it’s small enough that they can take a hotel shuttle into the town of Vail or Lionshead to shop, walk around, grab a bite to eat and take the gondola to Adventure Ridge without a parent being along. There’s also the amazing biking and walking path along Gore Creek that connects properties like Vail Cascade and Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek to all sorts parks and great things. At both places you can rent bikes right on the property.
While I was touring around Vail, my kids were totally content lounging by the pool at Vail Cascade (not to mention the free poolside s’mores and movies on weekend evenings), going back to our spacious condo for breaks, and enjoying the basketball court and workout room in Aria Spa. For littler ones, there is an amazing pirate ship playground at the ski area base in Vail, and it’s fun to splash in the creek in shallow areas.
There is an abundance of great gathering spaces in Vail, and I was fortunate to see the many options along with recent guestroom renovations at Vail Cascade and to visit several Vail Mountain venues and attend a Bravo! concert at the lovely Ford Amphitheater. So much to pack in a weekend, but a great blend of work and family time.
Beth Buehler
Editor
Colorado Meetings + Events
