Charlie B asked:


I’m trying to plan a ski/snow vacation for my family and want to find a place that has activities or programs for kids, rather than just catering to a younger crowd or romantic honeymooners. I’m looking within the U.S., though I could be open to Europe if it turns out European ski resorts are more child-friendly. Any places spring to mind?

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2 Responses to “What are the best family-friendly ski destinations?”

1. Kitten S on May 22nd, 2009 4:56 pm

   I know it sounds crazy, by Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska. It is sooooo beautiful. They have ski lessons all day long, and the hotel is beautiful. You can visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Glacier (even though it will be super snowy, they have an indoor museum type deal), the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage (the other places are in Girdwood but Anchorage is only about an hour away).

   By the way, everything is child friendly the kids LOVE IT there! I didn’t list a single place where your children would not be more than welcome. In fact, they will enjoy the trip more than you and your wife will!!! It will be extremely educational and super high intensity fun! The ski instructors are awesome with the children.

   If you go, you must eat at the hotel. They have either a 4 or 5 star restaurant. Also the Double Musky Inn is in Girdwood, and it serves AWESOME food, but go early, they don’t take reservations, and I think they are closed on Mondays. If you can make it to the Haute Quarter Grill in Eagle River, 20 min past Anchorage, go. The food is awesome, but if you’re going to go that far also stop at the Eagle River Nature Center. Lots of hands on stuff for the kids, and the guides are wonderful. Now if you decide to go away from Anchorage, go to the Sea Life Center at Seward, Alaska.

   Oh by the way, the trip from Anchorage to Seward (Girdwood is along the way) is known as the Seward Highway. It is ranked one of the ten most beautiful drives in the world. You’ll see plenty of bald eagles (especially in Eagle River. Ask about them at the Haute Quater Grill about 50 of them nest near the restaurant), moose, and maybe mountain goats and dall sheep if you look closely enough.

   Don’t worry too much about the snow, they have the infrastructure to keep the roads clear. You can go ice skating, ice fishing, snow machining (yeah you folks from the lower 48 call it a snow mobile), but you’ll have an awesome time. I attached links to all of the places I discussed.

   If you go, let me know how it went!

2. Holly at Travelocity on May 23rd, 2009 3:11 pm

   A ski trip is a great idea for a family vacation — you can enroll the kids in a great ski school for the day and know they’ll be well taken care of (AND be learning something at the same time!), while you get some precious time on the slopes yourself. And afterwards, when you all meet up, everyone will have a different story to share over hot chocolate!

   The range of family-friendly resorts is actually pretty mind-boggling, but here are a few stellar choices to narrow it down:

   VERMONT:
   Billing itself as “America’s Family Resort,” Smugglers’ Notch offers private ski lessons for kids as young as two, while even four year olds can take a snowboarding class. As well as a great ski academy, the resort offers “kids’ nights out,” weekly fireworks shows, and even science programs for those a little more interested in test tubes and bunsen burners than whizzing down a mountain! There’s a day care center for babies as young as six weeks, and TWO teen centers to choose from for older kids.

   At Okemo Mountain, kids under six ski for free (which will save you a buck or two), the day center stays open well into evening (meaning you can drop the little ones off if you fancy a spot of night skiing), and there’s even a parent-free apres-ski area known as The Zone, where kids can warm up and grab a snack without mom and dad.

   COLORADO:
   Winter Park boasts a Children’s Center Lodge (which organizes lessons for 3-to-15 year olds and offers a 25-acre Learn To Ski area away from the rest of the park), as well as a kid-friendly cafeteria specializing in chicken fingers and mac n’cheese. Throw in a dedicated children’s rental center (only kiddie sizes available!) and you’ve got a real family-friendly resort.

   Crested Butte Resort has a special “For Kids Only” button on its website for little clickers! You’ll find a kid-friendly magazine, a kids’ trail map, and special kids’ nights out, including pizza, snow tubing, s’mores-making, and movies.

   UTAH:
   Brighton has been voted “#1 for Child/Family-Friendly Terrain” by a local parenting magazine for the last six years — talk about a ringing endorsement! As the first resort to offer totally free skiing and snowboarding (all day, any day) to children six and under (and $25 skiing for kids aged 7-12), it’s certainly set a pretty great precedent (and could serve to save you a whole bunch of money…)

   CALIFORNIA:
   Diamond Peak bills itself as “Lake Tahoe’s Premier Family Ski Resort.” It’s relatively affordable for the area and offers “Family Ski + Ride” packages, and the “Interchangeable Parent’s Pass.”

   Soda Springs boasts what it calls “Tahoe’s Best Snow Park For Kids,” a specially-designed park for children ten and under that includes carousels, a moving carpet, and tubing. The resort also offers mini snowmobiles for children aged 6-12.

   And if you do venture out to Europe — though, honestly, I think you can find enough family-friendly spots in the U.S. — look into Montchavin and Les Coches in the French Alps (good childcare, as well as being totally pedestrianized), Selva in Italy (which hires British nannies to look after kids — how about a Mary Poppins experience?!), or Arosa in Switzerland, whose wide slopes make it an idea place for kids learning to ski.

   Hope this helps — have a great vacation with your family, wherever you end up going!
   –Holly