To ski or not to ski, we have the answer
| Do you dream of being the first skier down a black diamond run covered in fresh powder but find yourself stuck with a significant other who fantasizes about being the first sun bather on the beach to snag that coveted cabana by the bar? If this sounds familiar, then you are in a mixed marriage and no time is more taxing than winter. You’re ready to suit up and hit the slopes while your sunflower is ready to strip down and hit the beach. Thankfully, ski resorts now offer activities for the non-skiing partners, children, and parents generous enough to accompany their snow bunnies. Here are a few resorts that offer more activities for your beach bum than sipping hot chocolate with a book. |
| Vail flights | hotels | forums Consistently ranked the country’s most popular ski resort by skiers and ski magazines Vail, Colorado is America’s largest and most famous ski mountain. With 193 conventional trails to choose from, Vail offers a run for everyone. While many runs pander to intermediates, experts can brave the world famous Back Bowls. Vail doesn’t snub snowboarders but rather segregates…I mean…accommodates, the floppy hat set on four terrain parks. For the non-skier, Vail Village offers a number of high-end shops and boutiques hawking everything from fine art to pricey jewelry and gourmet cookware to Christmas ornaments (According to “Building a Ski Village for Dummies” every ski village must have at least one Christmas store). Vail is not for bargain hunters, so when the money runs out visit the Colorado Ski Museum-Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame located at the Vail Transportation Center.Favorite run name: Rasputin’s Revenge |
| Squaw Valley flights | hotels | forums As if Californians don’t have enough places to play in their great state, Lake Tahoe offers one more escape for the rich, famous and liberal. You and your non-skier can compromise with a late March trip to Squaw Valley so your warm-weather friend can enjoy the High Camp Swimming Lagoon & Spa. This mountaintop oasis features an enormous heated swimming pool with islands, fountains and waterfalls, and a party-Jacuzzi welcoming 25+ people. Skip the slopes one day for a spin on the Olympic-size ice skating rink with breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe, and then walk over to the Papoose Discovery Center for snow tubing or sledding. Don’t worry skiers, Squaw Valley offers thousands of acres of open bowl skiing. Rather than traditional ski trails, lifts are rated beginner, intermediate and advanced based on the type of terrain that they access. With 33 lifts to choose from, there is enough variety to keep every skier and snowboarder happy.Scariest run: Palisades Plunge |
| Smugglers’ Notch flights | hotels | forums Families with small children will want to check out Smugglers’ Notch in Vermont, voted the number one family ski resort for eight years in a row by Ski Magazine. Smugglers’ Notch provides not only bunny slopes, children’s ski lessons, and day care, but also a separate activity center for older (and crankier) teenagers. Non-skiing family members can choose from endless outdoor activities such as snowmobiling, dog sledding and air boarding and indoor endeavors such as spa treatments, art workshops and yoga. Of course, there is one kind of ice even your warm blooded friends will appreciate. Vermont is home to Ben & Jerry’s, so spend the day learning about ice cream production. Who are we kidding, speed through the tour and get to the free ice cream at the end.Run that best describes our skiing style: Timberrr |
| Whistler Blackcomb flights | hotels | forums In British Columbia, the Whistler Blackcomb Resort has the largest ski-able area in North America (about 8,000 acres) and its well-known mountains will host many of the ski events for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Sign up for the Fresh Tracks Breakfast which offers early birds a mountain-sized breakfast buffet and early loading privileges. As soon as Whistler Patrol gives the okay on avalanche clearance, you’re free to hit the open runs on the upper half of the mountain. For non-skiers, the immense resort offers spas, an eight-screen theater, a public library, and a historical and wildlife museum. Take the resort’s day trip to Vancouver (about 80 miles) which includes eagle watching, Shannon Falls, Stanley Park, Chinatown, Granville Island, and free time in the city.Run most likely to find a PETA demonstration: Catskinner |
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| From our mixed marriage to yours,Steve (beach bum) and Paul (skier), Kayak.com co-founders |
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| All this talk of skiing got you in the mood? We thought so, that’s why we are sending one lucky Kayaker and a friend on a three-night ski trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, courtesy of Spring Creek Ranch and Condé Nast Traveler. DETAILS |