Making sure Mom gets out to play in the snow
Come on, moms! Got your snow pants and mittens? Let’s go have some fun in the snow — on the ski slopes. No watching the kids, no trying to keep up with your husband!
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Off the slopes snowshoe fun at Northstar California
Rather than ski, I’m going to have some fun in the snow a different way—hiking on snowshoes in the woods, though the lack of snowfall does impede us a bit.
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Families love concierge level for informality
“I love it here,” said Martha Kramer, enjoying an early dinner with her two kids, including one with special needs. She could have gone to the first rate restaurant downstairs Manzanita with her husband and his business colleagues, she said, “But this is more relaxing.”
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At Northstar CA, moms get pampered with special ski progam
This program at $295 is less than an all day private lesson. The women are grouped according to their ability, no more to four to a group. They might end up with a private coach all day. The day includes a lift ticket, the latest demo equipment and at the end of the day, champagne and canapés during a “tech talk” about equipment. Considering that a lift ticket is over $100 and demo equipment $70, this is a bargain.
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Fun in the snow at YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado
You’ll certainly be warmly greeted at the YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch, and many of the welcomes will come in the way of furry kisses by the adorable and powerful Snow Mountain Ranch dog sled team.
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Fun off the slopes: learning to build a snow sculpture in the mountains
Mountain resorts across the country offer an ever-growing array of off-the-slopes activities where the kids — and you — can get inspired to build your own sculpture either at home or near where you are vacationing in mountain country
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Kid tips for hitting the slopes for Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
If you are a newbie, there is no better time than January, the nationally designated Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month to hit the Colorado slopes.
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To Deer Valley, where guests say ‘no snowboarders!’
Instead of frustrating hours at the airport, we spent a blue sky day on Deer Valley’s famously groomed slopes, stopping for an excellent lunch. (Deer Valley is as famous for its eats as it is for its grooming and customer service.)
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Mellow Monarch Gives Families a Place to Chill
Don’t worry about buying new ski gear. Just pull your old ski gear out of the box in your garage; you’ll feel right at home at laid-back Monarch Mountain.
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Back to Bolton Valley with the ABC boys — many lessons learned
Why would three sane adult males drive five hours for a day-and-a-half of skiing and snowboarding with a group of five high school boys when there are bigger and fancier ski areas much closer to home? A guys weekend of course.
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Finding a New Shared Passion on the Slopes of Winter Park
We had a lot on the line for our first ski trip out west together. I wanted my fiancé, Jonathan to fall in love with skiing. I knew Winter Park would win him over.
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Why families love the quintessential ski town of Breckenridge, CO
Challenge is a good thing for all ages on vacation and Breckenridge offers it up in spades, whatever the kids’ ages and ability — from the Four O’clock run, which is 3.5 miles long, the terrain parks, the kids’ trails through the trees and kids’ terrain features with names like Rip’s Ravine and Dragon Trail.
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Ostracized snowboarder finds welcome at Snowbird and The Canyons
As the only snowboarder of the family, I constantly have to defend myself and my brethren that we’re not a bunch of sliding reckless criminals one strike from being locked up. I still have two strikes left, thank you.
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Something for every family in Park City, including snowboarder nephews
Until this year, I had never snowboarded in Utah. When I thought Utah, I thought tiny martinis and tabernacle choirs . When I thought Park City, I thought fancy film festivals. Turns out, Utah, and specifically the former silver-mining town of Park City, are pure gold.
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Mammoth Still Formidable in California Drought
With a trip to Mammoth planned back in October, it never occurred to me that in a few months I’d be hearing news about one of the worst droughts in California history. Sure, that’s bad news for the state’s water supply, bad news for agriculture, bad news for just about every facet of life. But most importantly — it’s bad news for ski trips. Call me an only child.
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At Deer Valley, the consensus seems to be no snowboarders
The families I met here like Deer Valley—one of Park City’s three ski resorts— because of the groomed runs but more important, because there are no snowboarders allowed. Deer Valley, in fact, is one of only three resorts in the country that don’t allow snowboarders.
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When the snow is falling, the spa is a perfect backup plan
I admit it. When it comes to skiing when the wind is howling and I can’t see in front of me, I’ll pack it in, even at such a wonderful mountain as Snowbird.
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Outwitting the storm for once for a family ski reunion in Park City, Utah
When the forecast got worse by the hour for the latest storm primed to hit the East Coast, I figured our flight from New York to Salt Lake City would invariably be cancelled the next morning.
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Unleashing your family’s inner Olympian at the North American sites
This year, do a lot more than just watch the Olympians as the Winter Games get under way in Sochi, Russia on Feb. 6. Tap into the Olympic spirit right here at home.
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Families getting out of the comfort zone above the tree line
It’s dumping snow on Breckenridge Mountain and we’re above tree line at the new Peak 6 bowls. Some of the terrain is hike-to expert — some of the most extreme at the big resort — but all of the buzz here has been about the above tree line blue terrain.
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Family central at Breckenridge CO and its new Peak 6
The mountain—it’s huge, even larger with the newly opened Peak Six that has added 543 new acres of terrain, the biggest ski resort terrain expansion in over a decade. There are Kids’ jumps and small trails through the trees and kids terrain features with names like Rip’s Ravine and Dragon Trail.
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Carving snow and ice In Breckenridge CO — you can do this at home!
With much of the nation covered in snow this week, and temperatures well below freezing, this is a great family cabin-fever-reducing activity. But here in Breckenridge, snow carving is a huge event each winter.
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Learning to ski and ride and doing it for FREE in Pennsylvania
Do you have kids that are in 4th or 5th Grade and are looking for a way to keep them busy this winter How about skiing or boarding for FREE in Pennsylvania?
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Learning a snow sport — more than just fun in the snow
Snow sports can be more than about fun in the snow. They’re about persistence and courage, trying something new (just ask the cold-hating Los Angeles boy who was with us) and empathy for those who may be struggling more than you might be.
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Take the Kids Skating at The Rink at Bryant Park
this time of year also means winter fun and what better way to ring in the season than to go ice skating in Bryant Park in the heart of Manhattan.
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To Keystone CO – one of the most kid-centric ski areas in the country
Keystone is Vail Resort’s most kid-centric resort, with kids-ski free (as long as you book a two-night stay), night skiing tweens and teens love and daily “Kidtopia” activities. There’s a parade through the village on Saturdays with kids being twirled around in tires, free cookies and hot cider in the ice-skating rink, the chance to meet and greet the avalanche dogs and ski patrollers, free kids sundaes and more.
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In Aspen, kids playing with their food is encouraged!
Never were two boys more unlike one another than mine when it comes to cooking. My elder son, Tanner, age 8, abhors anything remotely culinary, while my younger, Brady, age 5, was all but born with an apron wrapped around his waist, a wooden stirring spoon in his hand. The consummate chef and critic.
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A ski area in Vermont owned by skiers who grew up on there
It’s easy to see why families are attracted to Bolton Valley—the low-key atmosphere reminiscent of when parents learned to ski in Vermont and the fact that lift tickets are about 20-30 per cent less than at neighboring Stowe.
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First destination skivacation — blue skies in Park City
It was our first destination ski vacation. My partner Dan Foldes and I had skied in Colorado throughout our college years, but we had only gone on day trips up to the mountains. This was the first time that we would be flying to a ski town, staying in a hotel, and skiing for three days straight, just the two of us.
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Ski country is beautiful, but beware altitude sickness
It is no fun getting sick on vacation and altitude sickness is the worst. But when you are above 9,986 feet as we are in Breckenridge, CO, it isn’t that uncommon, the staff at the St. Anthony Breckenridge Community Clinic Emergency Center tells us.
