Rocky Mountain Taco now serving at Home Depot in Avon
Eagle County’s original taco truck is parked in a new location.
The truck that has served guests for more than a decade in Eagle County has been moved to Home Depot in Avon, where it is operating every day starting at 7 a.m. with a full menu that includes breakfast burritos.
The truck will stay open to 7 p.m. each day with the standard Rocky Mountain Taco menu that includes favorites like the alambre bacon/steak mix and the popular “Hippy Crack” vegetarian potato taco.
Rocky Mountain Taco was started by locals Jose Reza, Chris McGinnis and Dan Purtell in 2015 with a truck parked outside Vail Mountain Brewing in EagleVail, but a change in that arrangement left the truck without a new home for several months.
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The Home Depot location is the latest in a number of different ventures that has brought Rocky Mountain Taco trucks up and down Eagle County in both temporary and semi-permanent locations.
In 2020, the business expanded to include a brick-and-mortar location in Minturn.
Home Depot is located in Traer Creek Plaza in Avon, next to Walmart.
— John LaConte
Vail Valley Partnership honored for sustainable tourism campaign
The Vail Valley Partnership was recently named one of 12 Communications Award of Excellence winners by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) — a national association with more than 1,600 members including chambers of commerce and related business and economic development organizations.
The Vail Valley Partnership won the award for its sustainable tourism campaign, theydidwhat.org, trans-created in Spanish as quehicieron.org. Created in 2024 and launched in 2025 with the Basalt Chamber of Commerce, the bilingual effort focused on how visitors and residents alike can adventure responsibly and protect cherished local destinations. The no-nonsense travel guide advocates for sustainable adventuring in Eagle County and is free for anyone to share via the English and Spanish online toolkits.
The 16-judge panel noted, “Vail Valley Partnership identified a real and pressing issue and responded by engaging community partners in a campaign that is beautiful, fun, creative and bilingual. The result is a truly successful 360-degree campaign that speaks to both residents and visitors in a way that feels authentic, inclusive and genuinely inspiring.”
Local creative agency Hyfyve was integral in creating the campaign. Founder and long-time local Dennis McMahon said, “Everyone can learn something here, and leading the creative execution has been a heartfelt reminder that I, too, can always take better care of the place I love.”
The 12 winning entries will now go on to compete for the Best in Show title within their total annual revenue range category. The three winning entries will be revealed at ACCE’s annual convention in New Orleans during the July 21 awards show.
Velvet & Sage clothing store opens in Gypsum
Velvet & Sage, a new retail shop located at 620 Red Table Drive, opened late last year in Gypsum.
“Given the recent growth in the down-valley area, we believe our shop fills a unique niche by offering affordable yet stylish clothing and shoes right here in Gypsum for the local ladies (including teens)!” Velvet & Sage owner Wendy Martin wrote in an email.
A member of both the Eagle and Gypsum chambers of commerce, Velvet & Sage is a bit off the beaten track, but word is spreading quickly, Martin added.
Described as “a women’s boutique offering thoughtfully curated, chic, and affordable clothing,” Velvet & Sage is on Instagram and Facebook and can be reached by phone at 970-279-3372.
Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa gets Condé Nast nod
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa has been nominated among the world’s top resorts in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
“We are honored to be named in the RESORTS category, and we would love your support. Voting is unlimited and closes June 30, 2026,” Westin Riverfront shared in a recent email.
The Readers’ Choice Awards are decided 100% by travelers, giving the honor extra credibility.
“If The Westin Riverfront has been part of a memorable experience, we’d be grateful if you took a moment to vote for us”
Go to the Condé Nast Traveler website to vote.
Inntopia reports Mountain West summer lodging holding strong
Overall summer occupancy in lodging properties across the Mountain West remains up 3.7%, with increased occupancy in all months except October, according to DestiMetrics’ monthly Market Briefing released by Inntopia (with data collected through May 31).
The report revealed that daily rates and aggregated revenue for the summer are up, the Fourth of July weekend is looking strong, length-of-stay is surging, and even Canadian bookings are starting to rebound, if only modestly.
Occupancy during May was up 3.9 % compared to May 2025, and the Average Daily Rate (ADR) was up a solid 8.2 %, with the increase in both leading to a considerable 12.6 % increase in revenues, the report states.
“We are launching into the summer on an optimistic note this month — even with the slight dip in booking pace — as we have been watching consumers buying into summer travel during the past two weeks despite one of the most dramatically mixed bag of economic indicators we’ve seen in a long time,” Tom Foley, director of business intelligence for Inntopia said in a release.
“That pent-up demand from the dismal winter helped get the summer off to a good early start and allowed properties to tinker with rates and determine the rate tolerance from consumers with the Luxury category doing particularly well,” Foley added.
— Compiled by David O. Williams
