I-Spy: 11 Items Seen While Running in Vail, Colorado

Do you remember playing I-Spy when you were a kid? I can't say that I do, but it seemed an appropriate way to categorize the items that I omitted from yesterday's slideshow about my Vail run. Seeing landscapes is one thing, but spotting objects is another, and with the photos already being numerous (I had more than 40 that I would have wanted to use), it only made sense to post again.

I used my run through Vail as an excuse to take pictures of anything and everything I spotted from point A to point B. Partly because my lungs begged for the break and partly because I saw things that I've passed on more than one occasion but couldn't remember actually having a photo of the memory. So in I-Spy fashion, here are 10 things I eyed while running along the Gore Valley Trail and through Vail.

1. I spy...a concert in Lionshead. If you need more reason to ski in the springs besides the snow, let it be the concerts. Vail has them every Thursday starting in March. Plus if you're just running through like I was, you might get lucky and score some Honey Milk, Vita-Coco coconut water, or Burt's Bees products. All three had tents set up near the concert stage and they were more than willing to hand me samples--for the girl who forgot hydration (really bad considering it's even more important to have on hand at altitude) this couldn't be more perfect for refueling.

2. I spy...a picnic bench. Nestled in the woods, this eating spot is close to the creek without being a hike from the path. And it's a perfect place to curl up with a good book checked out from the library just steps away.

3. I spy...a deer. It's not a real one, but I've probably walked past this statue a dozen times, if not more, and I can't say that I ever paid attention to it before. Go figure that I want to take a picture when a family is trying to get a shot with it too, and then their child lingers.

4. I spy...a skating rink. Outside the Solaris complex lies a skating rink, something that Vail Village didn't have until this luxury space was built. Even though it was on the warmer side, the weather wasn't stopping the kids from hitting the ice.

5. I spy...a light sculpture. This light thing outside the Solaris is plain cool. It's easy to get mesmerized by it at night when it shifts colors every few seconds, changing from green to blue to purple to red, you name it. Maybe it's not as glamorous during daylight, but it tries.

6. I spy...a giant stuffed bear. OK, so I have a weakness for stuffed animals and this teddy is no exception. He's been sitting outside the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for years. I'm sure I've cuddled with him before--and wanted to take him home with me even though he'd require a separate suitcase--but I think this is the first picture I have of him.

7. I spy...a covered bridge. When you send postcards from Vail, chances are that at least one of them has this bridge included. Those postcards also usually include a shot of the clock tower but I didn't run up the steps of the parking garage to stand outside the Colorado Ski Museum to capture that shot. As for the significance of the bridge, I'm going to have to brush up on my Vail history, or ask my mom who has a good recollection on this stuff. But let's just say the bridge looks pretty cool when it's lit up at night with Christmas lights.

8. I spy...the 10th Mountain soldier. Vail was founded by two former members of the 10th Mountain Division, which was comprised of soldiers on skis. This 13-foot statue (per roadsideamerica.com) memorializes those World War II soldiers.

9. I spy...the three bears. There's nothing special about these bears sitting outside the back entrance to the Four Seasons except that they appear to be made out of wire clumped together and they look really cute when snow piles on top of them.

10. I spy...a million-dollar house for sale. I didn't know it until I flipped through the real estate section of the Vail Daily, but this house is for sale in the Vail Valley. It's definitely out of my price range, but if I had won that mega-millions lottery that was in the news while I was in Colorado, I'd consider making Vail a more permanent address. Plus it's off the beaten path and right along the creek.

11. I spy...a tennis court. I wasn't surprised to see the tennis court, or three courts (or was it four?), but I didn't expect to see it where I did. These courts are part of the Aria Spa & Club at Vail Cascade Resort and I had already run past Cascade Village, which is home to Aria. Plus I never knew where in Vail you could play tennis...until now.

Would you ever run with a camera and play I-Spy, or your version of it?

Lionshead on Dwellable