My daughter is entering her junior year of high school and I’m very aware of how incredibly quickly time is flying by. I feel compelled to make the most of the time we have before she’s off to college. There’s nothing like scarcity to make something valuable. That economics lesson applies across the board, including to vacation time with your older kids. You want to go somewhere that you’re both going to really enjoy. On\u00a0a hosted mother-daughter trip to Vail, I quickly realized that Vail is the perfect summer destination for families with teens.<\/p>\n
Teens love to do things, especially activities that get their adrenaline pumping or that make for good Instagram photos. In the summer, Vail has an abundance of exciting activities, including whitewater rafting<\/a>, hiking, zip lining or tubing at Epic Discovery<\/a>, zooming on the Forest Flyer<\/a>\u00a0(a mountain roller coaster), mountain biking, and more. \u00a0We took a llama to lunch in the mountains with Paragon Guides<\/a>, something I’ve definitely never done before.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n I was apprehensive about the hiking at altitude given that Illinois is crazy flat and close to sea level, but nearly 5 miles later, and I was happy to have done it.<\/p>\n Whitewater rafting with Sage Outdoor Adventures<\/a> was even more fun than I anticipated, and I loved that our boat was comprised of three parent-child duos.\u00a0I was excited to do those activities with her while it’s still feasible for me to do so. I stepped out of my comfort zone, which was hopefully a good lesson for her that you’re always capable of addressing your fears and\/or trying something new.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n It was really interesting seeing my daughter share on Instagram why she loved the rafting experience. She wrote:<\/p>\n It\u2019s such a great combo of fun, adventure, exercise, nature, and so many other things. It was sooo gorgeous. While I was kinda sad I didn\u2019t have my phone to take pics, it was so nice to just take it in and not worry about the pictures. The rowing part is so fun – you\u2019re actually doing the work and having an impact on the trip and that feels so good. Plus it\u2019s just fun to stand up or jump in and watch other people jump in and just going over huge rapids and, long story short, I 10\/10 recommend.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There’s also free outdoor community yoga<\/a> on the weekend in front of Solaris if, like me, you like to balance rafting with a gentler approach to staying active.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n While I love being active with my teen, I also treasured the quiet moments we shared on this trip. We stayed at the Sonnenalp<\/a> and it offered a few different opportunities to take advantage of down time to just connect.<\/p>\n It was when we were relaxing in the outdoor jacuzzi beneath the pine and aspen trees after hiking that she shared some new thoughts about the upcoming school year.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n There was also a great fireplace with comfy cushions and a tea station in the spa. It was a cozy place to relax during a brief rain shower.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n While we found our hotel to be a good place to relax, we found lots of places around for doing so, too. There are lots of benches, especially along the creek and near the many fountains. They are also great spots to people watch.\u00a0We also saw some people hanging out in front of the local library.<\/p>\n The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens<\/a> are also a lovely and relaxing space to take a breather and just be. I let my teen nap and headed here on my own, and had a great time. It’s so nice to be able to do that with teens. As an added bonus, I could hear the music from rehearsals for that evening’s performance at the amphitheater next door, which brings me to my next reason.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Traveling with teens has a lot of perks, including that they can stay out late at night and they can appreciate cultural activities. That means that they can catch a show, concert, or performance. Those are great ways to really get to see the creative side of a community in a meaningful way. We were fortunate to attend the Vail Dance Festival. From our seats on the lawn of the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater<\/a> we had a great view of the stage.<\/p>\nAmple downtime, which might just be when your teen starts talking.<\/h4>\n
Awesome artistic performances, which teens can actually appreciate.<\/h4>\n