Rapid City or Vail?

Neither city is a beach destination. Rapid City at least gives you a decent swim in summer. Sheridan Lake, Pactola Reservoir and Sylvan Lake lie in the pines within half an hour and warm to about 20°C in high summer, so they make a refreshing stop on a hot driving day.

Vail's mountain lakes stay cold even in July, and a swim there usually means the hotel pool.

Neither city is worth travelling to for food, but the styles are very different. Rapid City's cooking is plain and regional: bison burgers, chislic and Lakota fry-bread Indian tacos, with brewpubs around Main Street and chains along the highways.

Vail serves polished resort dining in its two villages: fondue, sushi, elk and lamb on long wine lists, and lodge lunches on the mountain. It costs far more, and many kitchens close in the off-season.

Rapid City gives the curious visitor more to see. You can walk past the bronze presidents downtown and learn about Lakota history and the gold rush at the Journey Museum. The School of Mines has a museum of Badlands fossils, and the national landmarks are a short drive away in the hills.

Vail is a 1960s resort built to look Tyrolean. Apart from the Colorado Snowsports Museum, with its story of the Tenth Mountain Division, and the alpine gardens, it has almost no sights.

Evenings are limited in both cities, but Vail is livelier. In winter its après-ski fills the terraces of Vail Village and Lionshead as the lifts close, and on weekends a few bars and a small club stay open past midnight.

Rapid City's going out comes down to brewpubs and country bars around Main Street Square, and most close early. The exception is the Sturgis rally week in August, when the bars stay loud until late.

Both cities are at their best outdoors, but Vail is on a bigger scale. It has a world-class ski area above town and wilderness peaks over 4,000m in the Gore Range and Holy Cross areas. Fly fishing, rafting and gondola-served mountain biking are all close by.

Rapid City's strength is variety at lower altitude. In the Black Hills you will find granite spires and bison herds in Custer State Park, two cave systems, the Badlands and the long Mickelson Trail for cycling. It is easier on the lungs, but it is not alpine country.

Rapid City has the stronger list of day trips. Within about an hour you can reach Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the gold-rush streets of Deadwood, the Mammoth Site at Hot Springs and the Minuteman Missile silo. Together they make up much of the reason people come.

From Vail, most outings lead to other mountain towns such as Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Leadville. Glenwood Springs is the best day out, and Aspen and Denver are long drives. In both places you will need a car.

Rapid City is the easier and more varied choice with children. Generations of families have come for the reptile park, the drive-through bear park, Storybook Island and the concrete dinosaurs, as well as the wildlife and caves out in the hills. The price is long hours in the car.

Vail shines for families who ski, with large ski schools, a car-free village and summer rides at the top of the gondola. Beyond the mountain, though, there is little for children, and the altitude and cold can wear out toddlers.

Vail is far easier once you have arrived. The village centres are pedestrian, the lifts start in town, and a free bus runs the length of the valley, so a week without a car is normal. Getting there is the hard part, since the airports are a shuttle ride away and the interstate over the pass can close in snow.

In Rapid City you need a car for almost everything beyond the compact downtown. On the other hand, the roads are quiet and drives like the Needles Highway are a pleasure in themselves.

Shopping is not a reason to visit either city, but Vail's village lanes offer more for anyone with money to spend. You will find upmarket ski clothing, fur and leather, jewellery and galleries of mountain art.

Rapid City's shopping is regional rather than luxurious. It is the place for Black Hills gold jewellery with its grape-leaf designs, and for Lakota quillwork, beadwork and star quilts, which are more distinctive souvenirs than anything sold in Vail.

There is a huge difference in cost. Rapid City is modestly priced by American standards, with affordable motels and meals and many free sights. Your main costs are a rental car, fuel, park fees, and the summer peak and rally week when room rates rise.

Vail is among the most expensive places to vacation on the continent. Lodging, lift tickets, ski school and dinners all cost far more than usual, and the main ways to save are summer visits or staying further down the valley.

Vail is much stronger for music and dance, though only in summer. Bravo! Vail brings major orchestras to the open-air Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, and the dance and jazz festivals fill the rest of July and August.

Rapid City offers a modest symphony season, touring shows at the civic centre and summer plays in Custer State Park. Its most memorable performances are the powwows, especially the big autumn gathering, which Vail has nothing to match.

Vail is the better place to unwind if you are staying in town. The large hotels in its two villages have polished spas, saunas and outdoor hot tubs under the peaks, and the resort is quiet outside peak weekends.

Rapid City has little spa culture of its own. Its restful side is a cabin in the hills or a trip to the historic spring-fed pool at Hot Springs, about an hour south. Glenwood Springs plays a similar role for Vail, with larger pools and vapour caves.