Austria Haus :: Vail, CO

i love the mountains….i have a big spot in my heart for it even though i grew up a beach girl.

ever since the first time Uncle Mac invited us to ski in Tahoe, i’ve been hooked.

this spring break, i had the chance to bring li’l G to Vail for the first time.  i’ve been numerous times, but this was his first trip to one of my favorite states.

while on the flight, the pilot announced that it would be a bumpy flight as Denver was expecting a storm that would deliver 8-15″ of snow.

WHAT?!?  it’s mid April.  and that’s how Colorado rolls….snow flurry on the 4th of July?  why not!

so we decided to play it safe and stay with some friends in Golden to wait out the storm.

our friends and their supposed hypo-allergenic cat were gracious hosts. luckily they had extra benadryl b/c my claritin wasn’t working a bit!  basically, i see a picture of a cat and i sneeze.  true story.

when we awoke, we saw 6-8″ of pow pow on the ground….stunning.  that’s the Colorado i love.

then we headed to Vail.  in the snow.  wearing helmets (j/k, but i thought about it!), i drove 25 miles an hour on the highway behind a big truck so that i didn’t feel bad for going too slowly.  there are some bad drivers out there!  but once we got past Idaho Springs, everything cleared up.

then it was dry as a bone and surprisingly, the snow in Vail wasn’t looking too good as we arrived.  but then it started snowing, and we’ve gotten enough snow to make it fun…about 5″ in the past 24 hours…and it’s been c-o-l-d.  

and the place we’re staying is incredible.  our friends offered it up to us last minute…and anyone with good manners says, “yes, thank you!” to a generous offer like that!

the Austria Haus is a 5-star hotel/equity ownership resort.  you can buy in to a 5-week deed-able, mortgage-able, equity interest in the property.  and lemme tell ya, it’s gorgeous and stunning.  we’re in the heart of the Vail Village and walk or take the free shuttle everywhere.

the 2 bedroom is spacious, overlooking the Gore Creek.  the fireplace in the main room is perfect.

any chef would be happy in this kitchen!

the dining table is perfect for a large group.  of course, li’l G loves the bench and we sit next to each other for dinner each night.

and the kitchen is well-stocked.  i mean, All-Clad?  really?

the master bedroom is pure luxury.  the red toille-ish fabric adds just the right touch, and the linens offer a cocoon of perfect soft and fluffy bliss to sleep off any altitude-related sluggishness you may feel.

at 8,000′ at the base of the mountain, you definitely feel the altitude and need a few days to adjust.  each room also has a DVR and we’ve recorded a few of our favorite shows to watch when we have spare moments in between exploring, skiing, and resting.

this closet…the robes…not a detail is missed.

oh, then there’s the guest room.

the quaint balcony looks out over the Gore Creek and onto the mountain.  i can just imagine how perfect it is on a sunny Colorado summer or fall day.  don’t underestimate Vail in the summer.  i’d argue it’s better than the winter.

this trip has been way too cold to enjoy the balcony….but a girl can imagine watching the mountain bikers blaze down the mountains while she’s sipping a nice cool beverage, right?

here’s the view from the balcony across the creek, which is still pretty chilly in the summer, but awesome fun for the kids to explore.

and here’s the pool and hot tub which also overlook the creek.

the nicest woman from Vail offered us these fun ski boot mugs to commemorate Vail’s 50th anniversary.  what a treat to drink our hot chocolate in these each afternoon.  

we love hanging out by the ‘nose’ fireplace in the lobby.  it makes us laugh each time we walk by it.

and here we are under the nostril.  i hope it’s not allergic to cats!  ah-chooo!!