Needing a change of scenery for creative inspiration, some decompression time and wanting to get in a few ski turns, I took a mini-vacation to the Vail Valley.  I was excited to stay for the first time at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain in Avon, Colorado.  It’s a wonderful property that’s a short gondola ride to the slopes at Beaver Creek.   The gondola is just a few steps away from the resort’s ski valet.  Honestly, it’s one of the easiest ski access resorts I’ve stayed in.  Add in that with a luxurious spa, wonderful places to dine and I feel like I’m sharing Vail Valley’s in this blog.

@jenniferbroometvTaste of why you should stay at ##Westin Riverfront in ##BeaverCreek (Avon) Colorado. ##fyp ##foryou ##travel ##skitrip ##ski ##tiktoktravel♬ Taste – Tyga

To avoid weekend crowds on the slopes, my friend Cheryl and I checked in late afternoon on a Sunday.  We were in a traditional room overlooking the pool and with a great view of the mountain.

Shortly after arrival, we headed over for an early dinner at Maya Mexican Grill off of the lobby.  In National Margarita Day, which we both missed celebrating by a couple of days, we ordered the La Vida Buena Skinny.  Any day is great for a margarita, right?  The La Vida Buena is Dulce Vida blanco tequila, Pura Vida citronage, soda, lime and agave.  Any time I see tableside guacamole on the menu, I’m in.   Maya has about seven different add-ins and toppings including serrano peppers, cilantro and pepitas.  We went for all of them in our guac.  Craving comfort food, I ordered the veggie enchiladas as my entrée.  They are filled with rajas (thinly sliced poblano peppers), mushrooms, yellow corn and topped with a poblano salsa hit the spot.  I was thankful the portion wasn’t huge because that meant room for a little something sweet to cap off the meal.  We indulged and ordered the fried ice cream.  You get three small scoops of dulce de leche, pistachio and vanilla fried ice cream topped with two crispy buñuelos.  The sweet treat sent me off to dreamland in the Westin’s Heavenly bed, after rubbing a little lavender balm on my wrists and temples.  Since they can’t do turndown service because of pandemic, I thought the balm on the nightstand was a wonderful extra amenity.

The morning temperature started out in the low single digits and I was on deadline for a project for The Weather Channel Local Now, so I spent the morning working in the lobby, which feels more like a grand living room.  After grabbing a latte from the Starbucks in the Westin, I snagged a table by the window so I could steal glances of the slopes while editing a video.  I had hoped to get in some turns, but my work took a little longer than anticipated.  I thoroughly enjoyed a change of scenery for my “home” office.

Cheryl works for United Airlines and took a much-needed relaxing morning and slept in.  When she wandered downstairs to the lobby, we decided to enjoy brunch in Maya.  I took my laptop up to our room and took a few moments to enjoy the view from the balcony.  In Maya, we sat down in one of the oversized booths and gabbed over coffee.  When my avocado toast arrived, it was almost too pretty to eat!

Needing to walk off brunch and wanting some fresh air, we took an early afternoon walk along the Eagle River, which is right outside of Westin Riverfront.  It was a spectacular March day.  Afterwards, we retreated to comfy spots in the lobby.  Cheryl sat by the fire reading and chatting with her sister on the phone while I worked.  I really loved the cozy and creative energy of the lobby.

I hadn’t been inside a spa in over a year, so it was a treat to get some late afternoon pampering at Spa Anjali inside the Westin.  Both of us had booked treatments ahead of time.  Organic Spa Magazine named Spa Anjali a “Top 10 Green Spa.”  I indulged with the Magnesium Melt, a 75-minute treatment.  It’s a full body exfoliation scrub followed by a magnesium-rich cream and massage.  This treatment promotes healthy energy levels and reduces tension which was exactly what I needed.

In a little bit of a la-la-land daze from our spa visits, we headed back to Maya for dinner, this time joined by my friend Jon who had just gotten back from a winter expedition to K2 In Pakistan.  You know it’s a great spot if I go multiple times in two days!  Our table must have been feeling an island vibe because all three of us went for the Pineapple Lemongrass margarita.  Of the two margaritas I sipped at Maya, this one was my favorite, probably because it’s different.  It’s a super refreshing blend of blanco tequila, lemongrass, pineapple and mint.  Yes, we ordered the guacamole made tableside again.  For dinner, I went for the mahi mahi tacos topped with chipotle slaw, avocado and cilantro.  I loved the presentation of the fish tacos on a piece of wood.  They were delicious.

Instead of ordering dessert, we went outside by the fire pit for s’mores.  Normally the Westin does fresh cookies daily, but because of COVID, they gave us a s’mores kit voucher to redeem in the Riverfront Market, a gourmet market filled with unique snacks and grab-n-go items.  They also serve breakfast, lunch and even do backpacks meals to-go (with a rental backpack included).  There’s nothing like roasting marshmallows and trying to melt chocolate on graham crackers to fill you with smiles and giggles.  It had been ages since I had made s’mores and I loved every gooey morsel.

Logging some miles was first thing on my agenda the next morning.  I have a Peloton bike but had been wanting to try the Peloton Tread and there’s on in the Westin’s fitness center.  I headed down to The Athletic Club, logged into my Peloton account on the Tread and got an early morning workout done.  Afterwards I popped into the Riverfront Market for a latte and energy bar for quick fuel before gearing up to ski.  I couldn’t believe how easy it was to get on the slopes.  I got my skis at ski valet, walked out the door for a 3-minute gondola ride over to a chairlift and off I went carving some turns on a stunning bluebird morning at Beaver Creek Ski Resort.

Cheryl opted to take the Westin shuttle up to Beaver Creek Village and enjoyed a few hours wandering around while I skied.  Once off the slopes, I did a quick change, checked us out, took one last look at the fabulous lobby and drove up to the village.  We grabbed lunch by the window at Beaver Creek Chophouse.  Their patio is one of my favorite spots in Beaver Creek for lunch or apres.  It was already packed, but the table by the window ended up being perfect.  I went 100% comfort food by ordering a grilled cheese and tomato soup.  It hit the spot after a morning of skiing.

Next, we headed over to the Beaver Creek Nordic Center to rent snowshoe gear and get a lift ticket for Cheryl so we could head up to McCoy Park.  It’s one of only a handful of lift access Nordic centers in North America.  We took off through a grove of aspens and had a ball snowshoeing.  It was the perfect ending to a girls getaway at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa complete with delicious culinary experiences, relaxation, outdoor adventure and the Westin’s signature Heavenly beds, which truly are heavenly.

Author Jennifer Broome spent her first girls getaway at Beaver Creek, when she first moved to Colorado in 2010 and some friends came up from San Antonio.  It holds a special place in her heart.  She’s thrilled to share a new find in the Vail Valley.  Check out the Hot Spots to Stay or Explore Colorado sections for more ideas of where to stay and what to do in Colorado.