A typical view in Vail

I don't know for sure who coined this phrase, but I think it may be Don Diamond.  The phrase is, "In Tucson, open space is the ocean view" or something like that.

When you visit California or Hawaii or any place near the ocean, you will pay a premium for the ocean view.  Many people will sit in their hotel room and stare for hours at the ocean.  Why?

It's interesting.  It's peaceful.  It's relaxing.  And when the mood happens, you can usually leave your room and go for a walk along the beach.

Arizona is completely void of an ocean, so this is really a silly discussion.  But is it?


When I lived in Colorado, the big thing wasn't an ocean view, but a view of the Rocky Mountains.  If your home had a picturesque view of the Rockies, it commanded a higher price.  Why?  Because it's beautiful, relaxing, and interesting.

There is a reason why people like ocean and mountain views.  They give you something to look at.  A ship might sail by. A storm might come in.  The waves give motion to life.  Walking along the beach is stimulating, beautiful, and interesting.  Seeing the mountains get draped in a winter snow storm is cool.

Desert Tortoise

But the desert has our own form of ocean and mountain views.   We can watch a storm over the Rincons.  We can see them draped with snow.  We can see for long distances.  We have wildlife.  Just this last weekend I hiked along the Arizona Trail with a group of friends.  And what did we see?  A Desert Tortoise.  It was wonderful. It's like whale-watching in the desert.

Imagine our view of the Rincon Mountains.  And then imagine walking along a beautiful desert trail complete with wildlife.  Image trains.  Imagine bike paths. And then imagine that these trails lead to interesting places like peaceful natural green
spaces or interesting buildings.

Vail has all this and more.

With little cost and some effort, Vail could be just as sought-after a place to live as any ocean or Rocky Mountain foothills.

Do what you can to create a Smart Vail.