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Feature Article
Oktoberfest
Rolls Out Fall Fun in Vail Valley
by Margaret Malsam
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People of all ages enjoy Oktoberfest. Last year our 4-year-old grandson was having so much fun eating hot dogs, gulping root beer and dancing the polka with us that he didn't want to leave.
Beaver Creek's Oktoberfest runs Aug. 31–Sept. 1 in the plaza. A few weeks later, Vail stages two Oktoberfest weekends, Sept. 13–15 and 21–22. These are perfect times to celebrate the change of seasons by listening to lively German music, sipping on frosty drinks and feasting on great food in the cool mountain valleys.
Great Fall Values
Besides being such a festive time, the fall in Vail Valley offers great vacation values. Lodging rates plummet and parking garages are free until ski season starts in mid-November. Many restaurants and sidewalk cafés offer lunch specials, and dinner prices are much lower during this time. During Oktoberfest, many restaurants add traditional German food specials to their menu.
In addition to dining at fine restaurants, you can enjoy your meals in many different ways in Vail. For a romantic picnic lunch, purchase food at a local deli and dine on the banks of gurgling Gore Creek. Or you can join your kids for playtime in the children's playground at the bottom of Vail Mountain and eat hamburgers from a fast food restaurant on a picnic table.
I felt like a queen last Oktoberfest when my husband and I dined with our daughter, her husband and family at the Kaltenberg Castle at the base of the Eagle Bahn Gondola in Lionshead Village. When Prince Luitpold of Bavaria decided to expand his royal Kaltenberg beer brewing to America, he built this grand castlelike dining hall for his brewery restaurant. The inside is like a European art gallery with beautiful hand-painted wall murals, ornate woodwork and freestanding columns, which were fashioned in Bavaria and shipped to Vail.
Not only is the atmosphere royal, so is the Bavarian food prepared by their Austrian-trained executive chef, Helmut Kaschitz. I feasted on thick pieces of sauerbraten in rich brown sauce, spaetzle with a delightful cheese accent and red cabbage. The restaurant, with its big wooden tables, high chairs and concrete floors, is a great family place. The coloring menu and the delicious spaetzle really made a hit with our grandchildren. For more information, visit www.kaltenberg.com.
At the Alpenrose, 100 East Meadow Dr. in Vail Village, we feasted on sausage and sauerkraut for less than $10. We couldn't resist picking one of their Bavarian desserts, which were so temptingly displayed in a showcase. For gourmet food at its best, try Sweet Basil, 193 East Gore Creek Dr. in the village. Chef Bruce Yim puts his masterful touch on everything you order—from warm lobster salad to roast stuffed pheasant to the honey lavender cake with rich cream/wine sauce.
Sapphire Restaurant and Oyster Bar (in former location of the Gore Creek Grill) boasts the only oyster bar in the Vail Valley. It features innovative American cuisine with Asian and classical European influences.
When the Crowds Leave
When the Oktoberfest crowds are gone, you may want to linger another day to stroll through picturesque Vail and Beaver Creek. It's fun to just observe people and their dogs.
In Vail, you can ride the free shuttle to view the many faces of the shops, fountains and unique sculptures. Buses also connect East to West Vail, but it's faster to drive between these two points.
I usually catch the Vail shuttle by the covered bridge in front of the Colorado Ski Museum, which features exhibits on the history of skiing and the important role of the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale during World War II. Located on US 24 between Vail and Leadville, the ruins of old Camp Hale are set amidst beautiful fall foliage. A memorial atop Tennessee Pass (a few miles south of Camp Hale) lists the members of the 10th Mountain Division men who were killed in action (a detailed account of the Camp Hale story follows at the end of this article; see below).
Another activity in Vail is viewing the wildflowers still in bloom in the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, the highest public alpine gardens in North America. Last year, the garden's horticulture director traveled to the Andes Mountains in Chile to collect seeds from plants suitable for growing in Colorado's mountains. These seeds have been cultivated and planted, adding an interesting new element to the Alpine Gardens. You can walk through anytime, but a guided walking tour offers an opportunity to learn more about these magnificent flowers that thrive in Vail's high-altitude climate. Through September, the Alpine Gardens offers garden tours on Monday and Thursday mornings. For more information, contact the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens at 970-476-0103.
Before leaving the valley, ride the gondola to the top of Vail Mountain and feel the season's early snow crunch beneath your shoes as you tread the trails. This is a reminder that winter is not far away and that soon these resorts will be bustling with skiers. But for now, you can savor the quiet beauty of a golden fall day in scenic Vail Valley after an exhilarating Oktoberfest weekend.
How Vail Began From Ski Troop Training Camp to World-Class Resort
Skiing took root in Colorado long before the mega-resort of Vail appeared on the scene. It's hard to believe this beautiful Bavarian-style village emerged from steep mountainsides and open valleys to become the nation's largest ski resort in just 40 years. Skiing, however, was well underway at other places in Colorado, such as Aspen, Arapahoe Basin and Winter Park, before ski lifts were constructed on the slopes of Vail Mountain.
In the 1940s, 20 years prior to Vail's inception, members of the U.S. Army's elite 10th Mountain Division ski troops trained at Camp Hale (near what would become Vail) for high-country combat duty in Europe during World War II. Many of the 10th Mountain Division Men were experienced skiers and mountaineers from the East Coast and Europe.
When the war ended, 10th Mountain Division veteran Peter Seibert envisioned a European-type ski experience on the pristine peaks of our Rocky Mountains, and returned to Colorado to start the state's ski industry. In 1962, he joined forces with local rancher Earl Eaton to found Vail. With the help of others, they built ski resorts, operated ski schools and shops, invented new equipment—even published ski-oriented newspapers and magazines.
Carrying out his lifelong passion for skiing, Seibert continued working for Vail Resorts as a full-time adviser until he died of cancer at age 77 this past July. Seibert, along with more than 100 other skiing greats, has been named to the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame, located in the Colorado Ski Museum in Vail Village. Other inductees in this prestigious gallery include ski racers, ski instructors, ski innovators and physicians. These skiing pioneers contributed immensely to the Colorado ski industry.
One entire room of the Colorado Ski Museum is devoted to the 10th Mountain Division. Richard Over, one of the 10th Mountaineers, serves as an executive board member of the museum and takes an active role in preserving memories of the 9,250-foot camp and its dedicated trainees. Over explains that the training at Camp Hale was quite rigorous. "We had to carry over 90-pound packs on our backs while skiing and snowshoeing."
Nothing remains of Camp Hale now except monument markers showing pictures of the original camp, where ruins of old foundations are still visible. The military camp was located north of Leadville and south of what is now Vail on U.S. Highway 24. The site was chosen because of the railroad and highway access. A monument atop Tennessee Pass (a few miles south of Camp Hale) lists the names of the 992 men of the 10th Mountain Division who were killed in action.
The Colorado Ski Museum/Ski Hall of Fame is two blocks east of I-70 (exit 176) at 231 S. Frontage Rd. E. It is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., June–Sept. and Nov.–April. Admission is $1 (free for those under age 12). Phone 970-476-1876 or 800-950-7410 for more information.
Margaret Malsam is the author of two books and a staff writer with Restaurant News of the Rockies.
BEFORE YOU GO
When planning your Vail Valley fall vacation, call or visit your nearest AAA Travel office for a Colorado map and TourBook®.For information on Vail and Beaver Creek off-season bargain lodging and special Oktoberfest vacation packages, contact your AAA travel professional.
For information on events, dining and activities, contact Vail Valley Tourism, 800-525-3875 or Beaver Creek, 970-845-9090. Web sites: www.vailalways.com or www.visitvailvalley.com.
COLORADO FALL DRIVES—A SAMPLER
SAN JUAN SKYWAYCrossing three passes (Lizard Head, Red Mountain and Molas), this scenic byway is quintessential Colorado with snaking roads set amidst 14,000-ft. peaks. The portion from Ouray to Silverton is known as the Million Dollar Highway.
Where: US Highways 160 and 550, State Roads 145 and 62
Towns on the route: Durango, Cortez, Dolores, Telluride, Placerville, Ridgway, Ouray and Silverton
Distance: 236 miles Travel time: 6 hours
Road conditions: Paved
Diversions: Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad ($55-$60, reservations strongly recommended, call 888-TRAIN-07)
Recreation: Hiking, off-roading, fishing, camping and hot springs
PEAK TO PEAK HIGHWAY
Designated in 1918 as Colorado's first scenic byway, this route provides classic scenery, including views of nearby Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Where: State Roads 119, 72 and 7
Towns on the route: Estes Park, Allenspark, Lyons, Ward, Nederland and Central City/Blackhawk
Distance: 55 miles
Travel time: 1.5-2 hours
Road conditions: Paved
Diversions: Gambling in Central City/Blackhawk; St. Malo-Chapel on the Rock; shopping and the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park; mining history in Central City
Recreation: Hiking, mountain biking, off-roading and camping
GUANELLA PASS
This former wagon route ventures through thick stands of aspen, making it an ideal autumn retreat. Towering Mounts Evans and Bierstadt offer scenic alpine views.
Where: Guanella Pass Road, between Georgetown and Grant (on US 285)
Towns on the route: Georgetown and Grant
Distance: 22 miles
Travel time: 1 hour
Road conditions: Paved and gravel
Diversions: Meander around two of Colorado's best-preserved Victorian towns, Georgetown and Silver Plume
Recreation: Hiking, fishing and camping
GRAND MESA
Climb this picturesque byway to the plateau's 11,000-ft. top where the landscape transforms into subalpine forests of spruce, fir and aspen-dotted with 300 lakes.
Where: State Road 65
Towns on the route: Mesa, Skyway, Cedaredge
Distance: 63 miles Travel time: 2 hours
Road conditions: Paved and gravel
Diversions: Pioneer Town in Cedaredge (interpretive center with a country store, schoolhouse and saloon)
Recreation: Hiking, mountain biking, fishing and camping
WEST ELK LOOP
Known for its display of brilliant fall colors, this scenic byway traverses Kebler Pass.
Where: Gunnison County Road 12, State Roads 133, 135 and 92, US Hwy 50
Towns on the route: Carbondale, Redstone. Marble (nearby), Paonia, Hotchkiss, Gunnison and Crested Butte
Distance: 208 miles Travel time: 6 hours
Road conditions: Paved, gravel on Gunnison County Road 12 over Kebler Pass
Diversions: Black Canyon of the Gunnison (short detour on US 50); town of Marble (short detour off SR 133); Blue Mesa Reservoir
Recreation: Hiking, mountain biking, fishing and camping
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