Summer Hits the Vail Valley

We love where we live.  Between the two of us we have been here for 63 years and counting…

So, when we say things like “this place is sinfully ugly, there’s nothing to do, and we don’t know why anyone would visit or relocate here” we are just kidding – most of the time 😉

Vail Valley Insider is our way of reaching out to you to share our passion for where we live.  We won’t overload your inbox, we promise! 

What we will do is share details on the dining scene, events & activities, local personalities, and lodging & real estate opportunities so you feel more “in the know”. 

Let us keep you connected to this place that we all agree is special. 

 Dana Gumber & Mike Connolly

There is so much going on in the Valley during the summer that any attempt to put it all down in one place would produce a post of encyclopedic proportions!

The following is just a smattering of what’s happening in July and August 😉

Bravo! Vail – Performances by the Dallas, Philadelphia, and New York Philharmonic Orchestras spread over 4+ weeks in multiple venues.

Vail Dance – Nightly performances over two weeks in late July/early August at The GRFA and the Vilar Center.

Vail Symposium – thought provoking presentations and discussions

The Amp – Hot Summer Nights free concerts – Alo and a Johnny Cash Tribute, plus a whole bunch of other great music events (including The String Cheese Incident and Melissa Etheridge).

The Vilar – Lyle Lovett, a Neil Diamond Tribute, comedy with Paula Poundstone

Open Air Markets – Minturn and Edwards on Saturdays (check out brunch at the Minturn Saloon!) and the Vail Farmer’s Market and Art Show on Sundays.

The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is an awesome venue to explore, and the adjacent Ford Park combines with the Gardens for a fabulous late afternoon picnic spot!

Lionshead is the place to be on Thursday evenings this summer for free concerts featuring a variety of music genres.

Coming in September – those golden aspen leaves and Oktoberfest!

Perched (appropriately) above the Valbrunna clothing store in Vail Village, this little slice of Italian heaven has become one of our go-to restaurants. 

In the winter, the intimacy of the atmosphere inside the restaurant pairs perfectly with the warmth of the food and wine.  And in the summer, the chance to sit outside on the deck marries up perfectly with the freshness of the everything on the menu… and the cocktails! 

When it is available, the Prosciutto e Melone starter is to die for.  They make their own pasta in house using Italian flour, and the dishes made with it reflect Executive Chef Simone Reattie’s 20 years of experience and a love of cooking nurtured by the Italian grandmother, La Nonna, he grew up with in Cortina d’Ampezzo. 

We often turn up at 5pm on the dot to get seats at the bar which quickly fills up.  It too has a wonderful atmosphere for dinner, or just a cocktail and appetizer before heading to a Village event. 

Reservations are cherished at La Nonna, in part because you can’t make them more than 30 days out. And while the entire experience invites you to linger indefinitely, the demand for tables on any given night means the staff are adept at politely nudging you to finish that last glass of wine or the espresso martini you paired with dessert! 

We encourage you to check them out at www.lanonnavail.com or call them to make a reservation on 970.393.5959.  You can also make a reservation on Open Table.

It’s still the middle of summer here in the valley and we do everything possible to squeeze every ounce out of these days. 

Because, as crazy as it seems, the snow starts flying again within the next 90 days and the lifts start turning at Vail in 120 days!

(Psssst… If you need a little fix to get you excited, watch this piece on Vail’s Back Bowls.)

So while there is still time to get here and enjoy warm days and cool nights, there’s some logic in getting your ski season trip planned out now. 

At this point in the booking cycle for winter it usually isn’t about getting the best “deal”, but more about securing what you want before it’s no longer available. 

If you enjoy staying in private residences, particularly some of the fabulous homes available in the valley, booking sooner rather than later means you get the right bed configuration, in the right house, in the location you choose, for the exact dates you need. 

If instead you prefer staying in a condo or one of the outstanding hotels in Vail and Beaver Creek, there are more of those to pick from than private homes, so you might feel like there’s no hurry to get something booked for this coming ski season. 

And you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong – but if you are someone that likes to have vacations planned in the future so you can look forward to them on your calendar, then there’s no time that is too soon to get your ski trip booked! 

Staying at the Four Seasons in Vail or the Ritz Carlton in Bachelor Gulch means you have access to outstanding concierge services. If you are booking a private residence, I highly recommend working with an agency that can help organize all the details of a trip in addition to lodging – ground transportation, gear rentals, luggage delivery, rental cars, dinner reservations, grocery shopping, private chefs, adventure excursions, etc., etc. 

I will be posting options for private residences and luxury hotel stays this winter on my Facebook page at Connolly Travel, as well as in this space every month. Or you can connect with me on [email protected]. 

See you here in the valley soon!!

If the local real estate story for the past several years has been about tight inventory – more buyers than sellers – that trend may be reversing itself this summer. 

In the resort real estate markets, many purchases are made on emotional terms as well as financial terms – families vacation here and decide that they would like to have a more permanent presence to share with multiple generations. 

And who doesn’t want to wake up to views of the Gore Range, have days filled with the sound of the Eagle River or Gore Creek, or be awestruck by the alpenglow of a winter sunset here.  You can’t duplicate those feelings in many other places! 

What we are currently seeing in our real estate market is that the uncertainty of general economic conditions is slowing down the decision-making process for many buyers.

Properties are therefore staying on the market longer than they have over the past several years, leading to an increase in supply during what is normally the prime part of the year for listings to come onto the market. 

It doesn’t meet the definition of a buyer’s market just yet as there isn’t much downward pressure on price, but for those buyers able to move quickly it has been quite a while since such a plethora of options and opportunities has existed. 

There are unique opportunities in the market as well.  Main Street in Minturn is a fun, eclectic mix of old and new, and 562 Main Street is an example of old Minturn meeting new possibilities. 

It is a fabulous property with frontage on both Main Street and the Eagle River.  The lot could be redeveloped (almost 0.2 acres) or the existing classic 2100+ square foot home could be updated and expanded to become a multi-generational family compound.

Since inception, the Four Seasons Resort in Vail has cultivated a loyal following, resulting in consistent demand for both the whole ownership and fractional units within.  5101J represents a rare opportunity to own a 1/12^th interest in a 2-bedroom south-facing unit.  Vail Village is at your doorstep and the exceptional standard of service of the Four Seasons makes every stay outstanding. 

I am always happy to connect and talk about opportunities to turn your “maybe some day” view of ownership in the Vail Valley into a reality!  Please visit our website or connect with me by email at [email protected].

It may be too soon to call the competition around the “drink of the summer” for 2025 but we have twice now come across The Sharona which may not so quietly be leading the vote count.

The New York Times Style Section recommends The Sharona as an alternative to the classic Negroni, and Wine Enthusiast labels it a “Sherry-Spiked Negroni Riff That’ll Make Your Motor Run”.

More cocktail ideas coming soon…!

The first new major ski area base village in the US in over 20 years is taking place in the Heber Valley in Utah. Extell Development is leading an extraordinary coalition of partners to develop the old Mayflower area along US 40.

Dear Valley Resort came on board last year to be the mountain operator - and it only made sense for them to do so as the new terrain is tangent to their existing ski mountain.

The first couple of lifts out of the base area started turning on January 9, 2025 and more terrain and lift access will open this coming winter.

Fully operational is a Grand Hyatt, acting as the initial anchor for the new village. A Four Seasons Residence & Hotel is currently under construction, as are some of the new condo buildings.

(Check out the photos and video for Deer Valley East Village to see the vision!)

So why is a Vail Valley newsletter talking about Deer Valley? Partly because we are always jazzed about new ski areas, and this development will nearly triple the skiable terrain at Deer Valley, firmly planting it close to the top of the list of largest ski areas in the US.

We are also proud that several ski resort professionals from Vail have consulted on this project, and a variety of other resources with ties to Vail are participating in it.

And, as real estate people, we recognize this development as a unique opportunity to own some “beachfront” property at a world class resort.

Dana has represented a few clients already who have seen the value in getting in early - if you want to know more about what’s currently happening at the East Village, please reach out to Dana!

We will keep you posted in this space on how the project takes shape