Kim Fuller, Special to The Denver Post
Vino stop
Stop into the new Monkshood Cellars winery in Minturn (107Williams St., 719-339-0344, monkshoodcellars.com) for an afternoon tasting. Owner and winemaker Nathan Littlejohn has table wine and a dry cider on tap, and he’s unveiling some of his first rounds of production this summer, including a chenin blanc.
Grab a seat at the bar if it’s rainy, but on nice summer days, the garage door will be up to bring the outside in when it’s warm.
Stay
While you’re in town, check in at The Minturn Inn (442 Main St., 970-8279647, minturninn.com). This B&B is a restored log home built in 1915; each of the nine guest rooms has a unique take on amountain-western theme.
Or, budget travelers can book a bed or a room at The Bunkhouse (175 Williams St., 970-827-4165, vailbunkhouse.com), a boutique hostel with rates starting at $39.99 per night. There’swi-fi, and a stay includes linens, towels and access to the community kitchen.
Eat
For dinner, head to Avon’s Boxcar Restaurant & Bar (182 Avon Road, 970-470-4121, boxcarrestaurant.com). It’s a community hangoutwhere ownerchef team Cara Luff and Hunter Chamness create seasonally inspired shared plates and main dishes that are driven by locally sourced products— most notably, a housemade pâté, sausages and rillettes, aswell as full cuts of beef, pork and more sourced fromcolorado Meat Company, which is also in Avon. Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post Coffee and doughnuts
You’ll have a decision to make
— quick stop or a long, leisurely breakfast?— atnorthside Coffee & Kitchen, located just off the Avon exit on the south side of Interstate 70 (20Nottingham Road, 970-949-1423, thenorthsidekitchen.com). Grab-and-go is certainly an option as this eatery is known for its doughnuts. Or you can sit and rub elbows with the localswhile enjoying a hearty plate of huevos rancheros.
Hit the trail
Load up the bikes or tie on your trail shoes to take a 30-minute drive down valley to Eagle, the premier spot to mountain bike in the Vail Valley (where most of the trails are hiker and runner friendly aswell). The Boneyard Trail’s singletrack climbs steadily for 3 miles to great views at the top of a ridge. From the top, return via Boneyard or head down Bellyache Road, or keep going— you’ll have access to miles of trails still from here. Following Pool and Ice Rink and/ordirt Surfer trails will let youmake a big loop out of the ride, but you’ll have to arrange a car shuttle or ride through Eagle back to the neighborhoodwhere you started, at the intersection of Bluffs Drive and Bellyache Road.