For a long time, beachy destinations have had a corner on the all-inclusive scene—which is a shame if you don't want all your vacations at the beach. After all, no matter the destination, it’s always nice to take a break from constantly reaching for your wallet.
 
Vail Resorts—which operates hotels and activities in several mountain areas, including Colorado’s Vail, Keystone and Breckenridge—is bringing the all-inclusive to the mountains. Its six-night Epic Summer package bundles room, board, and activities for a single price: $1,195 for adults and $895 for kids 12 and under (the trip is recommended for ages 6 and up). The package includes:

• lodging at your choice of a lodge,  inn, or condo (booked independently, rates start at $130-$199 a night)
• all meals, including a parents-only dinner with a kids’ evening activity (estimated worth is about $65/adult and $50/child per day; for a family of four that makes $230/day x 6 days  = $1,380. In addition, the kids' evening activity night adds about $80 in value)
• transfers to and from Denver airport (usually a hefty $174/person, so $696 for a family of four; though you could conceivably rent a car for less)
• all activities: a guided trip Rocky Mountain National Park;  a whitewater rafting trip; a horseback riding trip at Beaver Creek Mountain (usually $115/person); gondola rides to the summits of Vail and Keystone mountains; a walking tour through the old Victorian mining town of Breckenridge; a gold mine tour with hands-on gold panning; a cowboy wagon ride and campfire dinner
  

Deal or no deal? Eureka! This ain't fools' gold, folks. A family of four booking this package would pay $4,180. When you factor in known values for lodging, transfers, and our estimated expenses for food, the subtotal comes to $3,350 if you choose the highest-end lodgings. We coudn't break out most prices for activities, since the company created them especially for this package. But we know that the horseback riding activity is worth $460 all on its own, and we estimate that the remaining activities—rafting trip, wagon ride and dinner, gondola ride, and so on—are easily worth at least $900 for a family of four. All in all, we estimate the value of the total package at about $4,700. We love that this package not only saves a lot of money, it is jam-packed with fantastic fun and needs zero planning. 

Alternatively, you could book a three-night Epic Summer package for $695 per adult and $545 per child; it includes basically all of the same activities, but sometimes in shortened form. The packages are good for travel dates from June 26 through September 6. For more information and reservations, call 888/538-3742 (EPIC).