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VAIL VALLEY — When you work in the Vail Valley's resort and hospitality industry, the holidays aren't usually options for vacation time.
Those who have lived in the valley at least a season come to terms with that fact and find alternative ways to celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Joe Steiner, who works for Peak Properties, a luxury vacation property rental company, said nobody he works with can leave around the holidays, especially around Christmas.
“That's right when we're getting people ready for winter (accommodations),” Steiner said.
Steiner and his roommates cooked a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving in Edwards and invited other work friends over — it was the next best thing to going home to Chicago for Turkey Day. Steiner said he'll probably get together with friends again around Christmas to cook and hit the slopes together.
“I just don't usually go home for the winter holidays,” he said.
Katie Jackson and her boyfriend, Travis Pons, moved to the valley from New Hampshire last year. They also work in the hospitality industry and couldn't find the time to go home this Thanksgiving. Jackson said she had to work the days around Thanksgiving, but there wasn't enough time to fly home.
Jackson paired up with her neighbor to cook a Thanksgiving dinner. The two got together several weeks ago because they knew they'd be stuck here during the holidays, so why not make the best of it, Jackson said.
Jackson made the turkey and her neighbor prepared a lot of side dishes. They sat down to dinner pretty late because her neighbor, who works in a hotel, didn't get out of work until about 4 p.m.
John Pendergrass was one of Jackson's dinner guests — he works two hospitality jobs, so going home to New York wasn't an option. He worked his job as a caretaker on Thanksgiving Day and was happy to have a hot meal awaiting when he got off work.
Plus, he said his mother had just visited him here in October, so not going home wasn't so bad this year.
That just the way it goes when you live in a ski town, Jackson said.
Lauren Glendenning can be reached at 970-748-2983 or lglendenning@vaildaily.com
Those who have lived in the valley at least a season come to terms with that fact and find alternative ways to celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Joe Steiner, who works for Peak Properties, a luxury vacation property rental company, said nobody he works with can leave around the holidays, especially around Christmas.
“That's right when we're getting people ready for winter (accommodations),” Steiner said.
Steiner and his roommates cooked a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving in Edwards and invited other work friends over — it was the next best thing to going home to Chicago for Turkey Day. Steiner said he'll probably get together with friends again around Christmas to cook and hit the slopes together.
“I just don't usually go home for the winter holidays,” he said.
Katie Jackson and her boyfriend, Travis Pons, moved to the valley from New Hampshire last year. They also work in the hospitality industry and couldn't find the time to go home this Thanksgiving. Jackson said she had to work the days around Thanksgiving, but there wasn't enough time to fly home.
Jackson paired up with her neighbor to cook a Thanksgiving dinner. The two got together several weeks ago because they knew they'd be stuck here during the holidays, so why not make the best of it, Jackson said.
Jackson made the turkey and her neighbor prepared a lot of side dishes. They sat down to dinner pretty late because her neighbor, who works in a hotel, didn't get out of work until about 4 p.m.
John Pendergrass was one of Jackson's dinner guests — he works two hospitality jobs, so going home to New York wasn't an option. He worked his job as a caretaker on Thanksgiving Day and was happy to have a hot meal awaiting when he got off work.
Plus, he said his mother had just visited him here in October, so not going home wasn't so bad this year.
That just the way it goes when you live in a ski town, Jackson said.
Lauren Glendenning can be reached at 970-748-2983 or lglendenning@vaildaily.com
