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.

Aspen provides all the restaurants and bars you
could ever want or need You can take a stroll
through this luxurious city and find many boutiques
and much more. There is a lot of history in many of
the buildings that are in the downtown area. One of
these buildings is the Ute bank; this building can be
dated back to the silver area around the 1800’s.

With everything that there is to do in Aspen you
shouldn’t find yourself getting bored. Aspen is
located in Colorado, and with the various mountain
ranges, you are sure to find slopes that are suitable
for your level. Snowmass is one of the most popular
resorts in the world, so be sure to make reservations
well in advance.

With an elevation of 3301 feet, and a vertical drop of
600 feet, Ober Gatlinburg features eight trails: two
beginner trails, four intermediate trails, and two
advanced trails. There are three lifts, including two
quad lifts, one double lift, and one surface lift. The
season runs from the middle of December through
early March, and night skiing is allowed on all trails
except the Grizzly trail.

Rentals are available for both ski equipment and
snowboarding equipment. Private and group lessons
for skiing and snowboarding are also available
through the Smokey Mountain Snow Sport School.
You can also easily find food at the many snack
bars, food carts, the café, the restaurant, or in the
lounge.

You must not miss the longest chair lift ride in the
south! You will see awesome views of the Great
Smoky Mountains. You will also get a bird’s eye
view of some of the slopes, and you can have your
picture taken on top of the mountain. If you don’t
ski, don’t worry! You can ride back down the
mountain on the chair lift as well. Don’t forget the
Tramway. The tramway departs from downtown
Gatlinburg and takes you to the ski resort and the
amusement park.

Even if you don’t ski, you can still explore the thrill
of flying down a mountain at a high speed – or a
slow speed if you choose. This is possible with the
Alpine Slide. The slide is approximately 1800 feet
long, and takes you down a winding wooded slope.
You have total control over your speed with the
use of a braking device on each sled. Other
attractions at the amusement park include the
Black Bear Habitat, a bungee jump, a water race,
go karts, indoor ice skating, kiddie land, an arcade,
miniature golf, a Spider Web Velcro Wall Jump,
water rides, and a shooting range.

No matter what type of fun or adventure you are
seeking, there is something to satisfy everyone in
the family at Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and
Amusement Park. This is definitely a trip worth taking
– especially if you have younger kids or senior
citizens traveling with you.

Snowboarders are also welcome at Tahoe Donner.
The resort has reasonable lift ticket rates, and there
are rentals available. Here, you will also find a variety
of ski programs and a ski school. After a full day of
skiing, be sure to visit the Lodge Restaurant for a
wonderful and relaxing dining experience.

No matter where you live, there is a ski club near
you. This is true even if you live in a place that does
not ever get snowfall! These clubs regularly get
together for trips to various mountains, ski areas,
and ski resorts. Some are local clubs, meaning that
the slopes that they ski on are within driving
distance, while others are more national or global,
which means that they not only ski locally, if
possible, but they also plan ski trips.

Again, members of ski clubs often receive deep
discounts on ski vacation packages. Arrangements
are usually made through the club, so that everyone
is eligible for the discounts. The money that is
required from each member for the trip is usually
paid to the club, and the club passes the funds on
to pay for lodging, airfare, meals, lift tickets, and
other perks that are included in the trip. Because
arrangements are being made for a group of people
– which is usually fairly large – discounts are given.
This benefits all members of the club.

The discounts aren’t the only thing to be excited
about. These clubs get together regularly – even if
they aren’t getting together to ski. They join together
for other activities as well, such as cookouts and
fundraisers. Many ski clubs do annual fundraisers to
help less fortunate families and children at Christmas
time. Others do annual fundraisers to help preserve
the environment – which is usually a topic of great
importance to skiers who love being out in the wide
open spaces and fresh air.

While skiing is what brings these groups together in
the first place, it is not necessarily what keeps them
together. Their love of a common sport, and their
common interests and feeling of community is what
keeps them together – and it keeps them skiing
together for years and years. If you are a skier, you
should definitely consider joining a club. It doesn’t
matter – in most cases – what level you are at.
Beginners are usually welcomed, and this is a great
way for beginners to quickly improve their skills and
techniques out on the slopes.

Start by knowing what is available at your destination.
Is there a rental shop? How much are the rental fees
for skis, boots, and poles. If it is reasonable, and you
don’t mind skiing with rented equipment, this is a
viable option – and it makes packing and traveling
much easier.

If you don’t care for rented equipment, there is
another option. Find out if there are any ski shops in
the area. There usually are. Get prices on skis, poles,
and boots, and then ask if they buy used equipment.
If they don’t, ask if there is anyone near by that does
purchase used equipment. Call that place to get an
estimate on how much you could get for barely
used ski equipment. Figure the difference in the
money you will spend on the ski equipment, and the
money you will get for the used equipment when you
are finished with it. If it isn’t much more than what it
would cost you to rent the equipment, go for it!

Ski suits, ski jackets, and sweaters can be very
bulky, and hard to pack. These items will take up a
lot of room in your suitcase, and leave less room for
other clothing and essentials. If you are trying to
pack for a two week ski vacation, it will be impossible
to fit everything you need into one suitcase.

There is a way to solve this. Call the lodge or resort
where you will be staying. Tell them that you need
to ship a package, for yourself, to them, and that
you need that package to be there when you arrive.
Ask them if they will hold it for you at the desk. In
most cases, they will. Next, get a box, put all of
your ski suits, your ski jacket, and any other
bulky items in the box, and ship it to yourself, in
care of the lodge or resort. Shipping can be
overnight, two day, or three day depending on
how far it must travel. Depending on how much
the box weighs, you will usually pay less than
fifty dollars to ship a package in the continental
United States….which is a lot less than you
would pay an airline for extra baggage!

To save money, look for lesser known resorts. This
doesn’t mean that these resorts won’t provide you
with a fun vacation – it simply means that they aren’t
quite as well known as other resorts, and therefore,
the prices may be a great cheaper. Also look for ski
vacation packages that will include your lodging, lift
tickets, lessons, rentals, and possibly even some
meals.

Be willing to make some sacrifices if money is a real
issue. For instance, instead of eating in an expensive
restaurant each night, eat cheaper fast food, or make
sandwiches in your room. Borrow equipment from
friends instead of renting it. Join a group for lessons
instead of taking private lessons. Don’t stay at a
lodge, stay at a motel farther away from the slopes
if necessary. There are numerous ways that you can
cut down on the expense of your ski trip. It is all about
the powder after all!

Learning to ski is really quite easy. Most resorts
have a ski school on the premises, and lessons are
reasonably priced. Group and private lessons are
usually available. It is a good idea, however, to
schedule an appointment before you arrive at the
resort. This will ensure that you can start learning
to ski the very first hour of your vacation.

Most ski instructors start by showing you how to
maneuver around with your equipment. When you
are wearing ski boots, you will be inclined slightly
forward – there is a reason for this…when you are
skiing down a mountain, you will be inclined
forward! Walking in ski boots the first time is a bit
difficult – but it works just fine if you learn to walk
with your knees slightly bent.

The first maneuver you will learn is called the plow,
or snow plow. This is a technique that is done by
literally using your skis as a snow plow. You make
the back of the skis slowing move outwards, away
from your body by applying pressure – and this stops
you. You guide yourself on skies by bending your
knees and leaning in one direction or another,
depending on which way you want to go. All of these
techniques can be learned in one hour, even if you
have never been on a pair of skis in your life.

The beauty of skiing is that after you have learned
how to snow plow, and how to guide yourself on the
skis, you are ready to ski! Get on the lift, head up the
mountain, and give it a try. Control your speed by
snow plowing – go slow at first. When you want to
pick up some speed, draw your skis back in to pick
up a little speed, then push them back out into the
plow position to control that speed.

As a beginner, you should stick to the trails that are
designed for beginners. At most resorts, these trails
are marked with a green emblem. Blue trails are for
intermediate skiers, and after one day of skiing the
beginner trails, you may be ready for those trails.
The black trails are for experts. These trails can be
dangerous for people who don’t have the skill level
to handle them! Avoid black trails until you have
had a great deal of ski instruction and experience.
You will know when you are ready!

The area became a skier’s paradise in 1957. It was
developed by Robert Barrett, who made his fortune
as a uranium miner. He basically started developing
the resort because he was denied restroom privileges
at the ski area in Alta – because he was not a guest.

Now owned by a different family, the resort features
1200 acres of 63 runs for beginners, intermediate
skiers, and experts. There are eight lifts, including
seven chair lifts and one surface lift. The top
elevation at Solitude Mountain is 10036 feet, with
a vertical drop of 2048 feet.

There are five lodging options for guests, and
activities and events take place all throughout the
year. The resort looks like a Tom Kincaide painting,
and one can’t help but wonder if this is where some
of his inspiration came from!

Top elevation at Red River is 10354 feet, and the
vertical drop down the face of the mountain is 1601
feet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t snow much, and about
85% of the powder is man made. There are 58 trails
scattered over 247 acres. Red River is called the ‘ski
town of the Southwest.’

The resort has three restaurants, all of which offer
fabulous fare. Lodging can be obtained in cabins,
chalets, inns, or private condominiums in the area,
and many lodging packages, as well as ski packages
are available through Red River Central Reservations.
Red River also offers snow pass rates which allow
children to ski for free, and teens to ski at reduced
rates. This is a great way to save money on your
family ski vacation.

Red River also has a ski school, and group lessons
and private lessons are available. Even if you’ve never
skied before, you will quickly be on the slopes after
your lessons. There are even lessons for
snowboarders, who are welcome on the Red River
slopes. You can also rent all of your ski and
snowboarding equipment for very reasonable rates.

The nightlife in Red River is also great. After a day
on the slopes, you can kick back and relax at the
lodge, or visit one of the taverns in the area. For the
younger crowd, there is a great game room located
right in the center of the town. One of the great things
about Red River is that everything is within walking
distance of the lodging areas, and shuttles are
provided for transportation to and from the slopes.

You can also enjoy taking scenic chairlift rides,
hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping,
snow-mobiling, and hunting. You can even take one
of the jeep tours to go see the abandoned gold mines
in the area. So, even if you don’t ski, there is still
plenty of fun to be had at Red River Ski Resort.

Childcare is available while you spend your day on
the slopes. Your child will be well tended at the Li’l
Buckaroos Child Care Facility, and the center
provides lunch for your child as well. At Red River,
everything has been thought of and taken care of to
ensure that your ski vacation is as enjoyable as
possible.