Shops

There is as much shopping as skiing going on in Vail [1], with many familiar stores but also a few one-of-a-kind shops that represent the culture of the area.

The Golden Bear (286 Bridge St., 970/476-4082, www.thegoldenbear.com [2], daily 10 a.m.–6 p.m.) has been around almost as long as the town of Vail selling their iconic jewelry as well as clothing and other accessories.

Axel’s (201 Gore Creek Dr., 970/476-7625, www.axelsltd.com [3], Sun.–Wed. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Thurs.–Sat. 10 a.m.–8 p.m.) is another local shopping institution that features leather goods—cowboy boots, belts, and very decorative belt buckles and tailored clothes for men and women.

Going for that Nordic look? Check out The Swedish Clog Cabin (500 E. Lionshead Mall, 970/476-8083, www.tessaclogs.com [4], Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–1 p.m.), where they specialize in imported clogs that are hand-painted locally. And there is just about everything else imported from Sweden—food, books, clothes.

Throughout Vail [1] there are many sportswear and sports equipment stores such as Pepi Sports (231 Bridge St., 970/476-5202, www.pepisports.com [5], Sun.–Thurs. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–8 p.m.), which has men’s and women’s gear and equipment for rent.