What an amazing Christmas.

Four years ago, after selling the family home and down sizing it became evident that I wouldn't be able to gather my whole family in my tiny, cozy little bungalow for the Holidays. Coming home for Christmas has been a tradition for as long as I could remember, and I was heart sick at the thought that we may be scattered that year.

I was watching an old movie one night, with magically beautiful snowy Christmas scenes, and that when it hit me, why not rent a home for holidays in a mountainous snowy region. After looking through several brochures, I found myself enchanted with the idea of having Christmas in Vail Colorado.

What could be better? We rented a large home for the gathering, and planned to stay for the week prior. Seeing the glow on my grandkids face the first time they laid eyes on snow was absolutely priceless. As soon as everyone gathered, we decorated the home with our own holiday trim, and set out to find the perfect tree. That evening, we sipped cider and enjoyed being together.

The next day, and the rest of the week, was filled with a twinkling magic, which can only be created when Christmas lights shine of freshly fallen snow. The downtown area is beautifully decorated with the lights and sounds of the Holiday. One day, my 10 year old granddaughter looked up at me and said she felt like she just stepped off a Norman Rockwell painting, as everything was so serine and beautiful. It warmed my heart to see my rosy cheeked rivals, giggling their way threw our snow fights, or sledding down the hills for the first time.

Now if you were to ask my daughter and son in law, Vail is all about the amazing skiing. They came off the slopes each and every day with excitement glowing through them, anxious to return the next day. According to them, the skiing in Vail is second to none.

Well, needless to say, our whole vacation was magical, and the beginning of a whole new family tradition. We will be renting "our" home every Christmas season from now on. If you haven't explored the advantages to a Christmas vacation with the family instead of just a gathering, I strongly encourage you to consider Vail Colorado as your destination. Perhaps you can start a whole new tradition as well.

Learn more about this author, Alyx Simms.
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