Head to Vail Valley for high-art indulgence

VAIL VALLEY - A winter of high-elevation thrills on the slopes gives way to a summer of high-art indulgence.

The valley promotions people call it Prima, which is essentially a giant umbrella over several cultural and music festivals that run through September. These aren't one-weekend festivals. They spread and overlap throughout the summer at various venues.

So, if you're planning a trip to the Vail Valley, think about hitting more than one at a time.

Here's a look at the highlights:

Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival: With four resident orchestras and guest soloists from around the world, this celebration stands as one of the most important arts collaborations in the West. This summer's lineup will feature the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, along with chamber music, jazz and pops. It runs through Aug. 4. For more details, go to vailmusicfestival.org.

Vail Jazz Festival: This festival will draw crowds for dozens of concerts at indoor and outdoor venues in and around Vail, Among the highlights this season: a favorite on the jazz and pops concert circuit, vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway, tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, as well as pianist Benny Green, alto saxophonist Antonio Hart and B-3 organist Tony Monaco. Returning groups include the Jeff Hamilton Trio and the Clayton Brothers Quintet. It runs June 28 through Sept. 7. For more details, go to vailjazz.org.

Budweiser Hot Summer Nights Concert Series: Starting at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday through Aug. 18, a variety of rock, country, bluegrass, funk and pop acts give free concerts in Vail's outdoor Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Eek A Mouse, The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker and Frogs Gone Fishin' are among the featured acts. For more details, go to vvf.org.

Vail International Dance Festival: One of the shorter running of the Vail Valley festivals, the dance spans from July 27 to Aug. 11. The Wheeldon Company, the resident troupe of the festival, will perform the new work "Morphoses 3.0." The Miami City Ballet also will perform in a festival that combines many styles. For more info, go to vaildance.org.

Other events under the Prima umbrella include the Beaver Creek Concert Series, the events at the Vlar Center For the Arts, the Beaver Creek Film Festival and the Vail Symposium.

Taking in an Epic Adventure

Serious Vail boarders and skiers know about the winter Epic Pass, which gives access to Vail as well as several other resorts.

The summer Epic Passes can be more expensive, but they also may be the most intense organized family adventure tours in the state.

Seven- and four-day trips take in whitewater rafting, horseback riding, gold panning, gondola rides, tours through Rocky Mountain National Park, trips to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone, and more.

Seven-day/six-night packages start at $1,195, $895 for kids 6-12. Four-day/three-night packages start at $695, $545 for kids.

For more details, go to epicsummer.com.

A bite

The Vail Valley is loaded with great upscale restaurants. But if you're looking for something reasonable, check out Larkburger in the Edwards Village shopping center. Best burger anywhere.

TAKE A VIRTUAL TRIP

If you go to vail.snow.com and follow the links to Summer, Vacation Planning and Experience Vail, you'll find one of the niftiest trip planners around. It lays out a serious of Polaroids about various activities that turn into videos when your cursor is over them. Then, you're asked to drag and drop them into a video scrapbook. Not only is it clever, it's also usable and can help tourists really see themselves there.