Jimmy and Kelly Daly have lived in Singletree for five years now, but their path to Eagle County wasn't exactly direct.

Both grew up in Kensington, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. They lived only a mile from each other as kids but never really knew each other until Jimmy's sister played matchmaker in fall 2007. She set them up on a blind date and the rest is history. At the time, Jimmy was finishing up at the University of Delaware while Kelly was still at the University of Scranton.

After Jimmy graduated in spring 2008 and Kelly in 2009, she headed to Arizona to pursue her Doctor of Physical Therapy. They kept dating long distance and fell in love with the West. Jimmy visited as often as he could so they could explore Flagstaff, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Vegas. Kelly finished grad school in 2013, and they got married just a few days later. Soon after, they moved to Tucson, AZ, got a chocolate lab named Sedona and settled into desert life. They loved Arizona but had a desire to see more of the world and scratch their itch to travel.

Kelly found work as a traveling physical therapist, which gave them the perfect opportunity. Jimmy was working remotely for a software company, so they could go wherever her assignments took them. They packed everything that would fit in their car and set off on a two-year adventure spanning Alaska to Massachusetts.

Their first stop was Martha's Vineyard, where they soaked in a perfect summer, with evenings spent on State Beach and weekends riding bikes around Edgartown. Next was Vail, where Kelly spent a ski season working with Howard Head. Colorado felt like home almost instantly but there was more of the world to see first. From Colorado, they drove the Alaskan Highway to Anchorage, where they spent a summer enjoying long days, lots of hiking, and camping trips to Homer, Seward, Girdwood and Denali. They filled their freezer with enough halibut to last a year.

They spent a short time on an assignment in Holland, Michigan, where Kelly could focus on her love for the geriatric population. They were able to enjoy fall in the Midwest before figuring out their next move.

Eventually, they made it back to Vail for another ski season. This time, they weren’t ready to leave. They loved the area, but more importantly, they made friends immediately. It was the community that drew them in. When a full-time position opened up in spring 2017, they bought a condo in Avon and officially made Eagle County home.

The mountains suited their sense of adventure, lifestyle, and athletic pursuits. Kelly, who had run cross country in college, got into triathlons and completed the full Ironman in Tempe in 2019. She’s now working on running a half marathon in every state. Jimmy, who ran track and cross country in college, switched from road marathons to trail running and ultrarunning. He’s run trail races all over Colorado and has finished the Leadville 100 twice and is hoping to earn another entry for next summer. With help from friend and fellow Singletree resident Fritz Bratschie, he also got into deer and elk hunting, which has been a great excuse to spend more time out in the mountains.

They've kept up their love of travel, visiting Malaysia, Thailand, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa over the years. Now with kids, they still make annual trips to Hilton Head, South Carolina each spring, and escape to the Caribbean every winter.

In March 2020, they bought their house in Singletree—right as the pandemic was starting, though they didn't know it at the time. When they went under contract, they'd never heard the word Covid. By the time they closed, the world had changed. But it was the perfect time to settle into the Singletree community. They were ready to plant roots in Edwards and start a family.

Daughter Mackenzie “Macky” was born in February 2021 and has embraced mountain life at age four and a half. She skis most winter weekends and stays busy the rest of the year with biking, soccer, gymnastics, ballet, and camping trips. She’s already showing the same itch for adventure and travel. Their son Bennett will turn two in January and is currently fascinated by trucks, diggers, dogs, and french fries.

Jimmy recently sold his business and now leads marketing for an AI software company based in Silicon Valley. You’ll likely see him running the roads of Singletree a lot this winter as he prepares for the Boston Marathon in the spring.

Kelly is approaching her 10-year anniversary with Howard Head. She’s part-time now, so she has more energy to focus on what she feels is her true calling: being a mom to Macky and Bennett. She also leads the Edwards chapter of the Vail Valley Running Club, volunteers with VVMTA ,and squeezes in pickleball games at the Sonnenalp whenever she has time.

After years of constant movement, the Dalys have found their rhythm in Eagle County. The combination of mountains, community, and adventure keeps them rooted here.