Wintergreen Resort Ski Vacation

Known as the single best ski resort in the South,

Wintergreen Resort in Virginia has quite a bit to offer

skiers. Featuring 11,000 acres with 19 trails,

Wintergreen has a top elevation of 3516 feet, with a

1003 foot vertical drop. Beginners, intermediates,

and experts will all find suitable trails at Wintergreen

Resort.

To accommodate skiers, there are six lifts, including

five chair lifts and one surface lift. There is also a

dedicated terrain park for snowboarding. The resort

is located near Charlottesville, Virginia, and you will

experience breathtaking views of the Appalachian

Mountains, and be surrounded by luxury that most

people only dream of. There is also a world class

golf course located near the resort.

Other activities include tubing, snowmobiling, tennis,

hiking, and horseback riding. The Out of Bounds

Adventure Center is a very popular attraction at the

resort with rock climbing and bungee trampolines.

The Outdoor Wilderness Leadership school offers

corporate retreats, real rock climbing, rappelling,

and mountain biking.

This is an ideal spot for a family vacation. You and

your children can participate in a variety of craft

workshops, enjoy campfires and storytelling, go on

hay rides, and enjoy many more community events

that are scheduled throughout the year. There are

many planned activities for families, including winter

hiking, skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and swimming

in a cozy indoor pool.

While vacationing at Wintergreen Resort, make time

to see the civil war history attractions, and visit the

local wineries as well. Also take time to enjoy the

Wintergreen Spa. At the spa, you can be pampered

with massages, body wraps, skin treatments, and

nail care. You can also visit the Mountaintop

Aquatic and Fitness Center which features the

latest in cardiovascular equipment, strength

equipment, heated pools, hot tubs, steam rooms,

and saunas.

The Wintergreen Performing Arts has many musical

performances throughout the year that are sure to

delight you and your family. If you are less interested

in culture, and more interested in nature, the

Wintergreen Nature Foundation is for you. This

foundation promotes the understanding and

conservation of natural resources that the Blue Ridge

Mountains are famous for.

No matter what your interests are, if getting away

from the hustle and bustle of city life is what you

want, this is the number one spot in the South for

fun, relaxation, and rejuvenation. The Wintergreen

Resort is open all year long, with activities that are

suitable for every season.

Red River Ski Vacations

Red River, New Mexico is home to one of the most

popular ski resorts in the United States, and has

been for many decades. The resort offers six chair

lifts and one surface lift, and the trails are equally

divided for beginners, intermediates, and experts.

Top elevation at Red River is 10354 feet, and the

vertical drop down the face of the mountain is 1601

feet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t snow much, and about

85% of the powder is man made. There are 58 trails

scattered over 247 acres. Red River is called the ‘ski

town of the Southwest.’

The resort has three restaurants, all of which offer

fabulous fare. Lodging can be obtained in cabins,

chalets, inns, or private condominiums in the area,

and many lodging packages, as well as ski packages

are available through Red River Central Reservations.

Red River also offers snow pass rates which allow

children to ski for free, and teens to ski at reduced

rates. This is a great way to save money on your

family ski vacation.

Red River also has a ski school, and group lessons

and private lessons are available. Even if you’ve never

skied before, you will quickly be on the slopes after

your lessons. There are even lessons for

snowboarders, who are welcome on the Red River

slopes. You can also rent all of your ski and

snowboarding equipment for very reasonable rates.

The nightlife in Red River is also great. After a day

on the slopes, you can kick back and relax at the

lodge, or visit one of the taverns in the area. For the

younger crowd, there is a great game room located

right in the center of the town. One of the great things

about Red River is that everything is within walking

distance of the lodging areas, and shuttles are

provided for transportation to and from the slopes.

You can also enjoy taking scenic chairlift rides,

hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping,

snow-mobiling, and hunting. You can even take one

of the jeep tours to go see the abandoned gold mines

in the area. So, even if you don’t ski, there is still

plenty of fun to be had at Red River Ski Resort.

Childcare is available while you spend your day on

the slopes. Your child will be well tended at the Li’l

Buckaroos Child Care Facility, and the center

provides lunch for your child as well. At Red River,

everything has been thought of and taken care of to

ensure that your ski vacation is as enjoyable as

Frost Fire Mountain Ski Vacations

For the ultimate family ski vacation, you must visit

Frost Fire Mountain in North Dakota. Located near

Walhalla, the resort features three lifts, including two

chair lifts and one surface lift, 25 acres, and ten trails

for beginners, intermediates and experts. The top

elevation is 1346 feet, with a vertical drop of 345 feet.

Although this is not a large ski resort, it is a great

deal of fun, and perfect for family ski vacations. This

is the perfect place to bring kids to learn how to ski.

Both ski and snowboard lessons are available at

reasonable rates. There is a rental shop and ski

maintenance area on the grounds, and many motel

accommodations in the area to choose from. There

is a separate terrain park for snowboarders as well.

There are many restaurants to choose from, and you

can also visit the areas antique shops when you

aren’t busy enjoying the slopes. There are many

historical sites to see in the area as well, as

Walhalla is the second oldest town in the state of

Ski Vacations – Learning How To Ski

If your family wants to go skiing on your next

vacation, but you don’t know how to ski, go ahead

and plan that ski vacation anyway! You can learn

how to ski, and you will have a great time doing it.

You don’t even need to know the first thing about

skiing before you arrive at the resort – all of the

knowledge you will need is there waiting for you,

and you can literally be skiing down a mountain

after an hour of instruction.

Learning to ski is really quite easy. Most resorts

have a ski school on the premises, and lessons are

reasonably priced. Group and private lessons are

usually available. It is a good idea, however, to

schedule an appointment before you arrive at the

resort. This will ensure that you can start learning

to ski the very first hour of your vacation.

Most ski instructors start by showing you how to

maneuver around with your equipment. When you

are wearing ski boots, you will be inclined slightly

forward – there is a reason for this…when you are

skiing down a mountain, you will be inclined

forward! Walking in ski boots the first time is a bit

difficult – but it works just fine if you learn to walk

with your knees slightly bent.

The first maneuver you will learn is called the plow,

or snow plow. This is a technique that is done by

literally using your skis as a snow plow. You make

the back of the skis slowing move outwards, away

from your body by applying pressure – and this stops

you. You guide yourself on skies by bending your

knees and leaning in one direction or another,

depending on which way you want to go. All of these

techniques can be learned in one hour, even if you

have never been on a pair of skis in your life.

The beauty of skiing is that after you have learned

how to snow plow, and how to guide yourself on the

skis, you are ready to ski! Get on the lift, head up the

mountain, and give it a try. Control your speed by

snow plowing – go slow at first. When you want to

pick up some speed, draw your skis back in to pick

up a little speed, then push them back out into the

plow position to control that speed.

As a beginner, you should stick to the trails that are

designed for beginners. At most resorts, these trails

are marked with a green emblem. Blue trails are for

intermediate skiers, and after one day of skiing the

beginner trails, you may be ready for those trails.

The black trails are for experts. These trails can be

dangerous for people who don’t have the skill level

to handle them! Avoid black trails until you have

had a great deal of ski instruction and experience.

You will know when you are ready!

Fun Valley Ski Vacations

If you are looking for a great place to go for your

family ski vacation, Fun Valley, Iowa is the place to

go. This resort caters to families and beginner level

skiers, but it is also great for intermediate and expert

skiers as well. There is something to suit all levels at

Fun Valley.

The top elevation at Fun Valley is 1201 feet, with a

vertical drop of 200 feet. There are six lifts, including

three chair lifts and three surface lifts. The new

learning center is something to see – and experience

if you are a beginner. Tubers and snowboarders are

welcome, and there is an excellent terrain park

available. Rental equipment, including tubes and boards,

is available.

Fun Valley offers outstanding group rates for groups

of ten or more. Birthday packages are also

outstanding for kids twelve and under. Every

Wednesday and Thursday night, the resort offers a

student night, with greatly reduced rates. Buddy Pass

Friday’s are also popular – bring your friends and you

will all save on lift tickets. Coca-Cola sponsors Sprite

Saturday’s at Fun Valley, where you can participate in

three activities for one flat affordable fee. Sundays are

Crystal Mountain Ski Vacations

If you are in or near Washington State, you should

definitely check out Crystal Mountain. With an

elevation of 7004 feet and a vertical drop of 3102 feet,

Crystal Mountain actually sits below Mount Rainier,

which has a top elevation of 14,408 feet. Between

the months of November and April, several feet of

fresh powder falls on Crystal Mountain, due to the

cold Cascade storms common to the area.

This is rough terrain, and there is little offered to

beginners as far as the ease of the trails go. But

lessons are available, as well as rentals for ski’s and

other equipment. At Crystal Mountain, there are more

than 2300 acres and fifty trails, making this the largest

ski area in the state of Washington. There are ten lifts

available: 2 high speed six passenger lifts, 2 high

speed quads, 2 triple chairs, 3 double chairs, and 1

children’s surface lift.

The season runs from the middle of November to the

middle of April, when the most snow fall is

experienced. There are several places to choose for

lodging, meals, and nightly entertainment, but the

biggest attraction is the skiing, of course.

The Crystal Mountain Express Buss service runs on

weekends from the middle of December to the middle

of March. You will be picked up from your lodge and

dropped off at the base plaza – where you can begin

a full day of fun on the slopes. After a day of skiing,

you should definitely head over to East Peak

Massage & Fitness to take advantage of the hot tub,

sauna, showers, and even the game room. Massages

are also available, with a reservation.

If your kids aren’t quite ready for the black diamond

trails – but you are – you can register them in the

Kid’s Club. The Kid’s Club is open from 8am to 4pm

each day for children aged four to eleven years old.

The kid’s aged 4 – 11 will be supervised while they

ski on a ‘kid appropriate’ slope, and snowboarding

is also available for children aged 7 – 11 years old.

Your child will have fun, while being supervised and

taught. The cost of the care includes a four hour

lesson, a lift ticket, lunch, and supervision. Rental

equipment is available for the kids for an additional fee.

Everyone has fun at Crystal Mountain. It is a great

place for a family vacation, but again, the slopes are

more for intermediate skiers and expert skiers –

although beginners will have fun as well. Just use

good sense, and avoid trails that you don’t feel like

Mount Snow Ski Vacations

Mount Snow, located in Vermont, is the one of the

largest ski resorts in the Eastern United States.

Featuring 26 lifts and more than 135 trails, the top

elevation at Mount Snow is 3600 feet, with a vertical

drop of 1700 feet. There are 20 chair lifts and six

surface lifts available.

Snowboarders are welcome at Mount Snow, and

there is a ‘kids only’ terrain park as well as a special

tubing park. The Grand Summit Hotel and Crown Club

sits right off the slopes, and guests enjoy a heated

outdoor pool and ski in/ski out accommodations. There

is something to suit everyone at Mount Snow.

Many different winter ski vacation packages are

available. Many of these packages are really great

deals designed to save families money. Child care is

available at Mount Snow, and the youngsters will be

well cared for, and learn to ski as well. The adults

aren’t left out of the learning process either! Both group

and private lessons are available.

Mount Snow is very family oriented. At Mount Snow

a unique ‘back-to-base’ trail system is used that

keeps everyone in your family from getting lost. Kids

under six ski and ride for free. When an adult buys a

3 - 5 day ticket during mid-week, their kid receives a

free ticket for that same time period as well. During

January, the Kids Ski & Learn Free weeks seem to

be the most popular family deals.

Mount Snow features a full service health spa that

you should take full advantage of. A variety of

massages are offered, as well as various skin

treatments. Spa packages are also available, and the

spa caters to couples as well, and wedding parties are

also welcome. There is also a fully equipped health

club and fitness classes are offered. There is always

something to do at Mount Snow – even if doing

nothing but relaxing is on your agenda!

Winter activities at Mount Snow also include

snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tubing, cross country

skiing, and sleigh rides. There is a ski shop on the

premises and rental equipment is available. There are

several restaurants and bars on the mountain to

choose from as well. Again, Mount Snow is family

oriented. You will find that this is a very safe environment

for your entire family, where you can relax and have fun

– without any worry. Be sure to ask about the family deals

when you call for reservations or information.