Billing itself as the world’s highest botanic garden at 8,200 feet, the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens (183 Gore Creek Dr., 970/476-0103, www.bettyfordalpinegardens.org [1], daily dawn–dusk, free) is a pleasant walk through well-maintained gardens that display plants thriving at high altitude.
Former president Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty, maintained a home in Vail [2] and many buildings are named after Mr. Ford in the town. (And no, the Gore Mountain Range and nearby Gore Creek are not named after former vice president Al Gore.)
Links:
[1] http://www.bettyfordalpinegardens.org
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/denver/excursions-denver/vail