Travel Ideas

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.

If you will be in Italy, you should definitely visit Limone. Limone is one of Italy’s oldest ski areas, and it is a very old village with a twelfth century church and many other old buildings. The town is located near the French border, and is only about thirty miles from Nice.

At Limone, you will experience a real taste of old Italy. The nightlife has a lot to offer, and the gourmet
food is out of this world! Food and skiing are everything here – with more than fifty restaurants, and 46 ski runs. The top elevation is 6689 with a  vertical drop of 3033 feet. Most of the runs are best suited to intermediate skiers, with a few that are suitable for beginners and experts. There are twenty seven lifts, including seven chair lifts and twenty surface lifts.

Remember that the village is very old – and the locales like it that way. If you prefer high technology and modern buildings, Limone probably isn’t for you. But if you want to truly experience Italy, Limone
must be on your list of places to visit in Italy.

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 your ready for.

Featuring more than 2500 acres of ski area and 75 trails, Durango Mountain Ski Resort has much to
offer skiers of all levels. The resort claims that there are approximately two people per acre on their
slopes during operation hours. The crowds are small, and lift lines do not exist.

Located in Colorado, the top elevation is 10822 feet with a 2030 vertical drop. There are eleven lifts,
including nine chair lifts and two surface lifts. You can find lodging at the resort, or in the town of
Durango, which is nearby. If you stay at the resort, make sure that you actually visit the town while
you are there. While the town is small, there is much to see and do.

Rentals are available for both ski and snowboarding equipment, and private and group lessons are also
available at the Durango Mountain Resort. There are plenty of activities and events both at the resort and
in Durango to keep everyone in your family happy. When it comes to family ski vacations, this is one
you don’t want to miss!

Aspen Mountain has long been known as the playpen of the rich and famous – and it is. But it is also a
great place to take a family ski vacation. Christmas in Aspen is especially wonderful! Aspen Mountain
rises above the town of Aspen, with a top elevation of 11215 feet and a vertical drop of 3269 feet. There
are 76 trails suitable for beginners, intermediates, and experts, accessible by eight lifts, including seven chair lifts and one cable car line.

While Aspen has much to offer skiers, as well as those who enjoy the night life in a ski town, you should expect lots of crowds and lift lines on the slopes. Again, this is the playpen of the rich and famous, and many people choose this ski vacation spot simply for that reason – as well as for the great runs and nightlife.

There are numerous places to stay in and around Aspen, with more than 100 restaurants to choose
from as well. Ski instructions and equipment rental are abundant in the area, and snowboarders are
welcome.

Alaska, which has always been a source of awe and  mystery, has some of the best skiing in the world,
and the Alyeska Resort is one of the finest resorts in the state. With a top elevation of 2751 feet and a
2501 vertical drop, the area gets an average of 631 inches of snow annually.

Although this is some of the best skiing in the world, you won’t find the slopes overly crowded, and there
are no long lift lines. There are nine lifts, including six chair lifts and two surface lifts, and one cable car line. There are 68 trails for beginners, intermediates, and experts, with the majority of the trails designed for intermediate skiers.

Night time skiing is allowed, which makes your ski experience more adventurous and thrilling. You will
see snow capped mountains, hanging glaciers, and of course, the famous Northern Lights. This resort is
ranked number nine of the top twenty-five killer ski trips by Skiing Magazine.

The season begins at the Alyeska Resort in mid November, and runs through mid April. This area of Alaska boasts the longest daytime areas in the United States, with approximately sixteen hours of daylight each day during April. During December, however, there are only about seven hours of daylight – which makes night time skiing necessary if you are going to get in the time that you want to spend on the slopes.

The Alyeska Prince Hotel is the place to stay! Here you will enjoy elegant rooms and fine dining. Nightly
entertainment is available as well. There are other nightlife spots in the area as well, that are not
associated with the Hotel.

If tubing interests you, then visiting the Glacier Tubing Park is an absolute must! Featuring two lanes of terrain and a surface lift, everyone in the family will enjoy spending time at the tubing park. The Alyeska Terrain Park is a must for snowboarding enthusiasts. Other winter activities that can be enjoyed in and around the Alyeska Resort include flight seeing, helisking, ocean cruising tours, dog sledding, ice climbing, back country skiing, mountaineering, and polar bear viewing.

At the Alyeska Resort, the ultimate winter vacation can be experienced. Brave the elements, then return
to the Hotel for some pampering. Get a taste of what Alaska is really like, and what skiing is meant to be!
There are activities for the entire family to enjoy, and there are many area sights and attractions to be
enjoyed as well. This really is an awesome winter family ski vacation!