Big Bear Lake or Vail?

Neither is a beach destination, but at Big Bear Lake you can at least swim. The lake reaches around 19°C in high summer, and Meadow Park has a small supervised swim beach that suits children. The rest of the shore is mostly rock and granite, with a few sandy patches.

Around Vail, the small lakes and reservoirs are for paddling and sunbathing. The water is too cold for most swimmers, so a hotel pool takes the place of a swim.

Both serve resort food rather than a local cuisine, but they aim at different wallets. Big Bear Lake runs on log-cabin diners, burgers, pizza, barbecue and brewpubs, and plenty of visitors simply cook in their cabins.

Vail's restaurants in Vail Village and Lionshead are more polished and more varied. You'll find elk, Colorado lamb and trout, fondue, sushi, long wine lists and lunches in lodges on the mountain. Vail is the better place to eat out well, though it has no cheap end and many kitchens close in the off-season.

Neither town is a place for sights, and the difference is in the kind of history each has. Big Bear Lake's history comes from the gold rush, with mining remains and old cabins along a dirt-road drive through Holcomb Valley and a small museum to match. Vail's story is skiing itself: the Colorado Snowsports Museum covers the Tenth Mountain Division, and the 1960s Tyrolean-style village and the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens make a pleasant stroll.

Vail is livelier after dark, at least in ski season. Après-ski fills the terraces of Vail Village and Lionshead as the lifts close, and on winter weekends a few bars and a small club stay open past midnight. In the off-season the town empties after dinner.

Big Bear Lake has a brewpub, a sports bar and some après-ski in the Village, and little else. Most evenings there end in the cabin's hot tub.

Both are serious mountain bases, but Vail is the bigger one. Its huge ski area, with the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin behind the front-side runs, is far larger than Big Bear's two modest but reliable ski areas. In summer the Gore Range and Holy Cross wilderness, with peaks above 4,000m, are wilder country, with fly fishing and rafting nearby.

Big Bear Lake's strength is its lake: kayaks, paddleboards, sailing and fishing boats in summer, and bald eagles in winter. On land there are short hikes such as Castle Rock and Cougar Crest, with the Pacific Crest Trail and the San Gorgonio Wilderness close by.

Vail has more within reach, nearly all of it other mountain towns. Polished Beaver Creek is next door, Breckenridge's Victorian main street is under an hour away, and silver-boom Leadville makes a good half day. Glenwood Springs is the best day out, and Aspen and Denver are possible for a long one.

From Big Bear, winding mountain roads slow every outing down. Lake Arrowhead and the Oak Glen orchards are the easy trips, and Riverside's Mission Inn is about as far as a relaxed day allows.

Both work well for families, and the difference is in what the children do. Big Bear Lake is built around snow play rather than learning to ski properly. It has sledding hills, a small Alpine Zoo of rescued bears and bobcats, mini-golf, go-karts and pedal boats in summer, and roomy cabins.

Vail suits families who mean to ski, with large ski schools, children's terrain and a safe, car-free village. In summer there are ropes courses and a mountain coaster at the top of the gondola. Vail sits higher, though, which can tire small children for the first day or two.

Vail is far easier once you arrive. The village core is pedestrian, the lifts start from town and free buses run the length of the valley, so many visitors manage without a car. Getting there is harder, with no passenger rail and a pass that can close in heavy snow.

Big Bear Lake needs a car throughout. The Village is easy on foot and a local bus and seasonal trolley help, but cabins are scattered through the forest, and snow chains may be required on the steep roads up in winter.

Vail has more to buy, though the range is narrow. Its pedestrian lanes sell upmarket ski clothing, Western boots and hats, jewellery and gallery paintings of mountain landscapes. Big Bear Lake's Village offers fudge, bear souvenirs, a few antique shops and gear rental, enough for an hour of browsing but not an afternoon.

Neither is cheap, but the gap is wide. Big Bear Lake can be reasonable midweek or out of season, especially for a group sharing a cabin and cooking for themselves, and hikes, lake views and sledding cost little. Winter weekends are when it gets expensive.

Vail is among the priciest vacations in North America. Lodging, lift tickets, ski school and meals all cost well above normal American levels. Summer rates, the free bus and staying further down the valley ease the cost only a little.

In summer Vail has a real programme. Bravo! Vail brings major orchestras in residence to the open-air Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, the Vail Dance Festival draws leading dancers, and a jazz festival follows in late summer. In winter all that shrinks to après-ski bands.

Big Bear Lake has free lakeside concerts, a small community stage and the Bavarian bands of its autumn Oktoberfest. They are pleasant extras rather than reasons to go.

Vail is the better choice for pampering. The big hotels have full spas with saunas, steam rooms and outdoor hot tubs under the peaks, and the mineral pools and vapour caves of Glenwood Springs are about an hour away.

At Big Bear Lake, relaxing is something you do privately at your cabin, with a hot tub, a wood stove and a deck among the pines. There are only a few day spas in town, and winter weekend crowds are worth avoiding.