Where to go for family ski trip?

[spanannie]

Skiiers would be me, DH, 6.5 year old DS, and 4.5 year old DD. We would be going in March (spring break) and also taking 8 mo. old DD (she will have a babysitter, though). This will be the first time for me, and the kids skiing, so we'll be spending some time in "ski school." We are leaning toward Colorado, but have no clue which area is best for our family. I'd love any suggestions and insight!

[lorinick]

Breckenridge Colorado is very nice. And that time of the year there is nice. Still snow but not as cold. Nice shopping, spa's and great resturants. All important to me. Since I hate skiing. My dh and son ski great. He has gone to ski school and contuines to brush up on new skills every year. Smuggler in VT. I think I remember that correctly. And Canada is another great one. It's great their too. I cant' remember the french name of the town. But amazing. Dh and our son go to Colorado yearly. Sometimes I go sometimes not. Last year I had my 6 mt. old and not interested in going away. So I passed and they went.

[merianne16]

I would check out the resorts in Park City Utah. They have fabulous snow, great shopping, dining, and entertainment and several ski resorts right in town. They also have awesome ski schools. My favorite resort there is The Canyons.

[npace19147]

Definitely go for western skiing if it's all the same to you - the snow is a lot more powdery, which makes falling easier, and the weather tends to not be as cold as in VT. CO, ID are both good. We went to Sun Valley and had fun, but didn't use the ski school so can't comment on that.

[geochick]

I live in Salt Lake City. Utah is a gem for winter sports! Check out the ski resorts in Park City (tons of night life, restaurants, lodging, etc.). PC is a very cool ski town (even in the summer).

My local favorite ski resort is Alta. It's right next door to Snowbird (great resort), but I like the skiing at Alta best. I'd stay at Snowbird and ski at both Snowbird and Alta.

Of the 3 areas, I think Park City offers more variety, but you'll save a ton of money by skiing where Utah locals ski...Snowbird and Alta.

Let me know if you have any questions about resorts or the area.

http://www.parkcityinfo.com/

http://www.snowbird.com/

http://alta.com/

[bubbaray]

Whistler, BC. :)

[WatchingThemGrow]

I dunno if you're trying to do a budget thing, as I can't see any ski trip being budgeted, but....if you're not, I have some ideas.

My own kids have only seen snow a few times, but I used to get invited out West with friends who had kids (5-12 age range, different families on different trips). A couple times we did Steamboat Springs and one trip was to Snowmass. They were both fabulous. I also have been quite a few times with random friends before we had any children. For fun on AND off the slopes, Steamboat has a great natural spring warm pool in town. I looooooove the hot water slide there, and there are changing rooms, a bathing suit spinner, etc. It will make for great memories for the little ones as well as the time on the slopes. Steamboat seems to be pretty family oriented IMO.

Whistler is fun too, but I feel like it might be a tad big/spread out/harder to get to with a larger family, etc. Could be wrong, that's just my initial thought.

Oh, with Steamboat (and the others too, probably), the free bus rides to dinner just made for a good, easy time with the kids.

I am jealous. I sooo wanna go this winter.

[StantonHyde]

I also live in Salt Lake and, like GeoChick, I love the "locals" places. BUT if I were bringing a family of first time skiiers, I would stay in Park City. Look for a condo on VRBO (Vacation Rental by Owner)--or go through one of the property management companies in Park City (they will be listed on the general Park City site).

Deer Valley is immaculately groomed and does not allow snowboarders. It also costs a mint!! Park City has a good variety of terrain and a good ski school program--I took 2 seasons of lessons when I moved back west. The Canyons has the biggest area and their ski school has great ratios for younger kids. (I am putting my DS in their locals program this year) I don't know that I would stay at the Canyons as it is north of PC, but the shuttle bus system in PC is so good, it may not be an issue. (You may not even need a car--there are several companies that pick up at the airport)

Remember that you can rent baby equipment and have it delivered to where you are staying. Just Google "Baby Rental Equipment" and you will probably get a national directory where you can search for Park City. (I have used 2 different services this way in different towns and it has been awesome!! I actually rented a full crib--great!) All of the resorts have good baby day care setups as well.

Rent ski equipment for the week. You can do that any ski area or in town PC. Most ski schools will require that your kids wear helmets--so make sure you can rent those too.

March will be nice and warm. I usually have my DC in expedition weight long underwear, a fleece top, a snow suit, elbow mittens, and a neck gaiter (very important for little chins). And the helmet keeps their heads warm. They will also need goggles--I don't know if you can rent those but they are not that expensive. They attach to the helmets and stay on WAY better than sunglasses. Make sure you have plenty of sunscreen!!! And be sure to drink LOTS of water--it is very dry here and you don't want to get a dehydration headache/altitude sickness.

Try the www.fodors.com (http://www.fodors.com) chatroom--search for Park City in the last year and you will find lots of info.

Have fun planning!!

[daniele_ut]

Another vote for Park City. I also live in Salt Lake and we snowboard at the Canyons in Park City. Dh is an advanced rider and I am very much a beginner. There is a huge variety of terrain there for all levels of skiers and the resort itself is really beautiful. DS was too young for the ski school last year, but we've had friends use their ski school/childcare and they've said good things about it.

The biggest advantage in my mind to Park City is the location. You can fly into Salt Lake in the morning and be on skis for a half day afternoon. It's less than 45 minutes from the airport to the resorts and when you are travelling with kids, a long trip *after* the plane ride just stinks. There are no other US resorts that I know of that are that close to a major international airport.

There are great restaurants on Main Street and there is a Tanger Outlet center right at the Kimball Junction exit that has a Coach, Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Gymboree, Hartstrings, etc. It's nice for a few hours off of the slopes.

[M&Mmom]

I vote for Winter Park/Mary Jane, Colorado. This has been our favorite skiing for years and years. It has built up a lot in the last few years, but we still love it. The ski school is great for kids and for adults.

Another option DH and I went last year (alone!) was Mammoth. It was much smaller and therefore less crowded, but a lot of fun for a weekend away.

[MontrealMum]

And Canada is another great one. It's great their too. I cant' remember the french name of the town. But amazing.

Lori is probably thinking of Mont Tremblant, QC, which is 1h30-2h north of Montreal in the city of the same name. http://www.tremblant.ca/index.htm It is very popular with Americans and does lots of packages, including air fare. Locals often avoid it because it's so packed. Traffic is a nightmare. An inside, local tip...for small kids and ski school the more popular resort would actually be Gray Rocks, also in Tremblant - this is what the locals would chose. If you are looking for less busy resorts in the east I would suggest checking out: Whiteface, NY, http://www.whiteface.com/newsite/index.php or Le Massif http://www.lemassif.com/en/ which is east of Quebec City. We often ski at Jay, but they are very no-frills and maybe not so suited for your once-a-year trip with the family type of trip.

If it were my choice, though, and I was flying anyways - I'd go out west - anywhere. Skiing in the west is so much nicer, especially spring skiing, than in the east. DH and I stayed at Snomass (near Aspen) in the off season once for a wedding (bride had connections) and the resort itself is amazing. Four pools, better workout room than most gyms, great food, huge condos...but I can't talk about the trails or skischool since we were there in the late spring. We did ski at Copper Mountain (CO) on our last trip out west and liked it a lot, but no kids then, so we didn't really take notice of any facilities/accomodations for them. Friends that live in BC LOVE Whistler.


ETA: DH would kill me for forgetting Lake Louise/Sunshine - he used to work there eons ago. I've never been, though, so it didn't pop into my head immediately. http://www.skibig3.com/

[Jen841]

I second Winter Park. We had a great time there 2 years ago with the kids. J loved the ski school program. Friend wants us to consider going to Sol Vista by there this year... comfort of a smaller family place with easy access to Winter Park.

[bethie_73]

I've lived in Vermont and Colorado. So those are the only ones I know.

Vermont is nice, lots of trees, hard pack snow though, but they do make quite a bit through the season. Stowe is nice (you can stay at the Trapp Family Lodge if you are a Sound of Music fan). I mostly skied st Smuggs, (Smugglers Notch) because DH's aunt works there.

Colorado has more powder, so its kind of a preference thing. I like Vail and Breckenridge, but I would probably look at Copper Mountain in Colorado. Great mountains and lots of powder. I admit I have never stayed there, as it was a couple hour drive, but it is where my BIL and SIL always go and they really like it.

Sounds like fun!!

[tylersmama]

If you're leaning toward Colorado, I might think about Keystone or Beaver Creek. Spring Break can be a little crazy, which is the main reason that I would avoid Breckenridge. If you buy a multi-day lift ticket to one of the Vail Resorts, you can ski all of them (Vail, BC, Keystone and Breck; you can also go to Arapahoe Basin on your ticket), so you can certainly go to Breckenridge for a day if you want, but it's by far my least favorite of the VR ski areas. It's windy and it's crowded. At Spring Break, it's going to be REALLY crowded.

Keystone has a nice little resort area and one of the few beginner areas that's on top of the mountain rather than the bottom. It's an easy drive to Breckenridge to take in the town if you want to. Vail and Beaver Creek are great, too, but will be more expensive. Beaver Creek is hardly ever crowded, and the mountain is a ton of fun, especially with fresh powder!

[spanannie]

I was originally thinking of Beaver Creek. I'm looking at lodging right now and still confused about where you want to be when staying there. They give three options on their site: Beaver Creek proper, Arrowhead Village or Bachelor Gulch. I don't know where it is best to be. I want to be reasonably close to skiing (no 15 minute shuttle) and also be close to the action (shopping, dining). I have a fairly good "budget", but getting in Beaver Creek proper might be a stretch.


If you're leaning toward Colorado, I might think about Keystone or Beaver Creek. Spring Break can be a little crazy, which is the main reason that I would avoid Breckenridge. If you buy a multi-day lift ticket to one of the Vail Resorts, you can ski all of them (Vail, BC, Keystone and Breck; you can also go to Arapahoe Basin on your ticket), so you can certainly go to Breckenridge for a day if you want, but it's by far my least favorite of the VR ski areas. It's windy and it's crowded. At Spring Break, it's going to be REALLY crowded.

Keystone has a nice little resort area and one of the few beginner areas that's on top of the mountain rather than the bottom. It's an easy drive to Breckenridge to take in the town if you want to. Vail and Beaver Creek are great, too, but will be more expensive. Beaver Creek is hardly ever crowded, and the mountain is a ton of fun, especially with fresh powder!

[jayali]

I was going to suggest Beaver Creek. I have never been, but lots of people from work do their family ski vacation there and LOVE it. I hear it is very family oriented, but again it is only hearsay.

I LOVE Park City and really love that you fly into SLC and are practically on the mountain. I haven't been in a long time but I remember it being geared more toward adults. It could just be that I was single and childless at the time that makes me think that.

[tylersmama]

I was originally thinking of Beaver Creek. I'm looking at lodging right now and still confused about where you want to be when staying there. They give three options on their site: Beaver Creek proper, Arrowhead Village or Bachelor Gulch. I don't know where it is best to be. I want to be reasonably close to skiing (no 15 minute shuttle) and also be close to the action (shopping, dining). I have a fairly good "budget", but getting in Beaver Creek proper might be a stretch.

I would probably go with Beaver Creek Village then. Bachelor Gulch will most likely actually be MORE expensive since AFAIK the only lodging choice there is the Ritz Carlton! I know very little about Arrowhead (I've never stayed in BC proper, only daytripped or stayed at a friend's place in Avon), but it looks like it's farther out so not as much going on. The shuttle bus is actually very easy there (at least compared to other places) but I understand not wanting to have to deal with it with kids in tow! BC is definitely family-friendly. It's more expensive than other resorts, but from everything I've heard, your whole family is treated accordingly while you're there. A couple of my favorite things about BC: escalators up to the lifts (no slogging up stairs in ski boots!) and the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies at the bottom of the escalators at the end of the day! :jammin:

[mdb78]

I vote for Winter Park/Mary Jane, Colorado. This has been our favorite skiing for years and years. It has built up a lot in the last few years, but we still love it. The ski school is great for kids and for adults.

Another option DH and I went last year (alone!) was Mammoth. It was much smaller and therefore less crowded, but a lot of fun for a weekend away.


Another vote for Winter Park, Colorado! We did a family trip when I was 13. 6 kids total ( my cousins ranged from 7-10). It's still one of my favorite skiing spots. :)

We've been to Mammoth the first week of Feb. and it was not crowded at all! We did notice it was busier on the weekend.

I hated Heavenly at Lake Tahoe. It was not Heavenly at all!

[bcafe]

For spring skiing I would head to Canada. We had wonderful weather and plenty of snow @ Lake Louise and Sunshine and this was in April. The Canadian Rockies are quite different than the US Rockies--more jagged. We also have done spring skiing at Steamboat and if I remember correctly they run "kids ski free w/adult passes" I am envious!

[nfowife]

We (no kids) went to Breckenridge this past February. It was my first time skiing but not DH's (we went with BIL/FSIL as well). We had a great time and I think it would be awesome for families! There were tons of kids everywhere. There was a ski school/day care center on the slopes and little kids (like 4 and up) were just whizzing by me, it was so adorable!! I took a full day lesson and that was enough for me to do 2 more days of skiing on my own. I felt pretty comfy on the greens by the time we left, I probably could have moved up, but I just wanted to have fun and I'm pretty cautious. The full day lesson was a must IMO for a first time adult. It really made the difference for me to enjoy the vacation. We stayed at the Mountain Thunder Lodge and had a 2 bedroom condo. It was fabulous and was in a great location. We could walk to most anything but if we wanted they also had a shuttle that would drive you and pick you up anywhere around town (if it was cold, if you had your ski boots on, etc.). There are plenty of family-friendly restaurants in town as well. I have nothing but great things to say about the entire vacation!

[WatchingThemGrow]

We also have done spring skiing at Steamboat and if I remember correctly they run "kids ski free w/adult passes" I am envious!

Totally forgot about that. It tells you a little bit about how they cater to families at Steamboat.

[cono0507]

We go out to Breckenridge every January with my in-laws and love it. If you go there and have a half day free they have a cute little children's museum in town.

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

Annie Utah is much better than Co. That is, unless you want to use the condo for free then NY it is!!! (yuck).