Montage Resort

Are you one of those people who heads out to your local ski area until the rocks are beginning to show through the slush? You just can’t get enough powder and skiing during those few months in the winter. You are in luck. The National Geographic Adventure magazine of December 2005/January 2006 gives those die hard skiers some ski area options for year round slopes. If you have the money and the time, you can hop from ski area to area and visit a few different continents to get your snow fix. If you don’t have a lot of money, you can pick a ski area that will take the sting off of the summer drought of skiing.

From December to February, head to the Italian Alps and Sestriere, Italy where the prices are very reasonable and the skiing is great. You may recognize this as one of the spots where events were held for the 2006 Olympics in Torino. This ski area has six resorts that are all connected with around 250 miles of trails.

Once March to May hits, many of the ski area spots in the Northern Hemisphere are beginning to close. The Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort is a smaller, less crowded area than its bigger and busier neighbors to either side: Kirkwood and Squaw Valley. The slopes are very steep and challenging and you will find the slush bowl in May a fun way to spend the day watching people.

Over the summer months, when the snow is long gone in your favorite ski area, you can head up to Canada or down to Chile and find skiing happiness. The Blackstone, British Columbia area boasts the Whistler ski area, which is one of the most famous in the world. Not only will skiers find great powder, and miles and miles of trails, snowboarders, bikers and bungee jumpers can find something to appeal to them here as well.

In Portillo, Chile, you will find a rustic ski town without a lot of the perks of some of the fancier ski resort towns. But if you want skiing bliss at its best and simplest this may just be what you are looking for. They do have one 7,000 foot run and miles of other trails.

Finally, back in the U.S. for the first skiing of the new season, you can head to Wolf Creek Colorado. They have the highest annual snowfall in Colorado and 500 acres of trails and 6 lifts.

So, take a trip (or a few) and feed your need to ski year round.

Eriani Doyel writes articles about Sports and Recreation. For more information about ski related items visit forski.com

YEAR ROUND SKIING

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Are you getting ready to plan a trip to a ski resort for you and your family? Or maybe you don’t have a family and you want to get some intense skiing (and a little socializing) in as well when you visit a ski resort. As with any type of vacation, people are usually looking for the lowest price on the best vacation package. You don’t want to skimp on the quality of your vacation, but you don’t want to spend too much either. No matter what your price range and qualifications are for the ski resort of your dreams, there are ways that you can find it without a lot of work.

In years past, when people were planning to take a trip to a ski resort or any other major trip, they would talk with a travel agency to get the best advice and deals. The agent usually had knowledge and resources to call upon so that they could get you a great deal. This is still a good option and it will save you the trouble of taking care of all of the little details of the ski resort trip.

Now, most people go on the internet to find any type of vacation. You can look up each resort individually to see what type of deals they are offering and what their amenities and features are. Or, you can go on any major travel website and see if they are offering ski resort packages. You may not be aware that there are websites that cater specifically to skiers that have all kinds of travel information and information on ski resort travel packages.

Your family can find a resort that has features such as a kid’s club or activity program during the day with small-group instruction included in some. Check on the amenities to find out if they offer things like cribs and roll away beds or even a child care program for those who are too young to ski.

For those who are not traveling with young children, you can find out information about the snow pack at the base, the forecast, and any special events or entertainment that is offered at the resort. You can also find out if the resort offers snowboarding, massages, and other more specialized amenities that would appeal to you.

There are resorts for everyone. No matter what your interest, you can find the vacation for you.

Eriani Doyel writes articles about Sports. For more information about ski related items visit forski.com

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Toying with the idea of a winter destination wedding, but not sure you want to hold the most special moment of your life in the coldest months of the year? Maybe it’s time to change your thinking. Winter weddings can be magical events. With a winter wedding you can choose any type of wedding you want. The bride can arrive at the church in a sleigh. Or, maybe she can ski down a mountain slope at a fancy ski resort. Or, perhaps the bride and groom can enjoy a sand ceremony on the beach.

Wait a minute. A sleigh, ski resort, and a beach? Something doesn’t belong here. We’re talking winter, right?

That’s the great part. A winter destination wedding or elopement means you can chose the type of winter you want. You can have the traditional winter of snow, or head off to a warmer destination. So, what kind of a winter wedding do you want?

Snowy Winter Weddings

Let’s face it. To some people there’s nothing more romantic than sitting together in front of a roaring fireplace, sipping hot cider, champagne or red wine. Whether you’re thinking of eloping, or planning a destination wedding with a group of close relatives and friends, a ceremony at a historic New England Inn or ski resort in Colorado or Utah could be just for you.

Many inns and resorts of New England have special winter wedding packages, such as the Stonebridge Country Club in Manchester, New Hampshire and the Interlaken Inn of Lakeville, Connecticut.

Perhaps you and your future spouse are ski fanatics. What better way to celebrate your marriage than to have a wedding at your favorite ski resort? It will certainly give your guests something fun to do after the ceremony. Most ski areas and resorts have wedding packages available, so you have your choice of such wonderful ski areas and resorts all over the country, like Lake Tahoe, California, Vail, Colorado and Stowe, Vermont. There’s even one town in the Adirondacks of New York which offer free skiing at the town-owned Ski Center. Chestertown in the Adirondacks would make a great winter wedding location, offering wedding guests free cross-country ski trails, a rope tow for downhill skiing, a tobogganing hill and a covered ice-skating rink. In addition, Chestertown has numerous cabins and bed and breakfast inns for you and your guests.

If some of your guests aren’t into downhill skiing, many ski areas offer other winter activities, such as cross-country skiing or tubing.

Warmer Winter Weddings

Okay, so you’re from Vermont and you’re sick of snow. You want to get away from the snow for your wedding or elopement. Follow the sun! Florida, California, Arizona, Hawaii and Mexico.

Phoenix, Arizona may seem like a furnace during the summer, but for winter weddings, it offers nice weather, luxurious spas and resorts, as well as the Desert Botanical Gardens in which to host your wedding.

While California beaches may be colder during the winter months, they still are beautiful places to wed. And, during the winter months, you can practically have some romantic beach spots to yourselves.

Winter weddings can offer so many choices. The hard part will be deciding which wonderful wedding destination to choose.

Shari Hearn is a writer and creator of Destination Weddings and Ski Vacations websites.

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