When you are staying in a roomy condo, like The Montaneros at Vail or where we have just checked in at Blue Sky at Breckenridge, with fully equipped kitchens, it is nice to cook with the family, put your feet up and enjoy a glass of wine, a martini or two.
No request is too difficult for guests staying at the ultra luxe Solaris in Vail Village. The 79-unit Solaris Residences–the six bedroom unit facing the slopes is to die for—is the kind of place where no guest request is too outrageous. The reindeer? They were brought from a ranch in northern Colorado, said General Manager Bill Marshall.
Condo or hotel? When kids—even grown ones—are part of the equation, I’ll opt for a condo every time. None of us want to eat out every meal or pay high mark-ups for every drink. I like the space to spread out too. That’s why I’m so glad for the Montaneros, a Wyndham Vacation Rentals condo at Lionshead in Vail.
Forget mac and cheese, unless it is homemade with local cheese. Forget chili, unless it’s vegetarian or made with local grass-fed beef. The kids — and you — have your choice of free-range chicken, homemade soups, pizza baked in a wood-fired oven and quinoa salad, not to mention artisanal beers and spirits.
Snowbasin is more than just a mountain to me, it’s my home. I have many sweet memories of my life on skis here. Like when I first got onto a pair of skis at the age of three.
In the summer this working ranch, which has welcomed guests since 1919, is famous for its family riding programs and kids’ programs that guarantee families a memorable vacation. There is a herd of 175 horses, but no more than 100 or so guests, and families return year after year.
My kids would have loved the chance to hike along the ridge and drop into the resort’s famous Honeycomb Canyon, so named because 19th century mining trails are honeycombed under the snow covered mountains. The view from the summit—10,035 feet is spectacular—the Wasatch Mountain Range in all its glory without a condo or mega mansion in site.
No, we’re not in Paris or a big city patisserie. We’re in Park City, Utah at Deer Valley Ski Resort, one of Utah’s 14 ski resorts. At Snow Park Lodge, besides the freshly baked French pastries and muffins, the breakfast offerings include eggs benedict, home-made granola, house-smoked salmon omelets and challah French Toast.
Truth be told, it was only my second morning on skis this season, it was dumping snow and I wasn’t feeling too confident. But two runs later from the top of the mountain—I loved that the gondola kept us warm—I was smiling— and still smiling after I got pulled out from where I’d fallen off the trail.
All the times I’ve been to Utah to ski—there are 14 ski areas to choose from—I’ve never stayed in Salt Lake City, but I could turn into a convert. You can get discounted gear and lift tickets at www.skinsee.com downtown and get discounted lift tickets at the Salt Lake City Costco.