Tag Archives: outdoors

Ski & Snowboard, Travel, Winter Adventure, Winter Travel

Family Ski Vacation: Park City Mountain Resort, Utah

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Park City Mountain Resort, Utah

This is a historic year for Park City as it connects its Park City and Canyons resorts, making Park City the biggest resort in the US.  With 3300 acres, 9 bowls of terrain and a 10,000 foot summit, Park City is a great place to find adventure with your family. 

parkcityThe speedy lifts on the front side of this 50 year young Utah favorite destination is just what families need to get their adventure groove on.

Park City Mountain Resort is located in the heart of Utah’s famed western town of Park City, just a 30-minute drive from Salt Lake City Airport. The US Ski and Snowboard Teams train on the front side and the 2002 Winter Olympic snowboarding and ski racing events were held here.

What Programs Do They Have For Kids?

Kids Signature Programs offer just the right mix of fun and education; the perfect balance for getting young ones started on the slopes. By limiting class sizes to five students or fewer, they give your child more personalized attention with more time to play, more time to practice and more time to learn.

They’re now open for the 2015 2016 ski season at Park City. Here’s the video to prove it!

Click here to learn more about Park City Utah.

Ski & Snowboard, Travel, Winter Adventure, Winter Travel

Family Ski Vacation: Breckenridge, Colorado

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Breckenridge, Co

Breckenridge is a world-class destination for Colorado vacations with kids who are looking to experience a fun Colorado family vacation in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. There are tons of activities and restaurants on and off the mountain and lots of options of where to stay.

 

Parents can also watch their kids excel on the hill after a day of lessons at their world renowned ski school. Adult, Child, and Private Lessons are available for all family members.

Need a break from skiing? Take the kids ice skating, sleigh rides  or snowmobiling. You can even enjoy a ride on Breckenridge alpine slide or just relax in the historic Town of Breckenridge.

When fortune seekers flocked to Breckridge back in the 1800s little did they know they found something better, the perfect ski mountain town.

Ski & Snowboard, Travel, Winter Adventure, Winter Travel

Family Ski Vacation: Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

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Taos New Mexico

Taos Ski Valley is located in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in Northern New Mexico, with access to 1,294 acres of skiable terrain, and receiving an average 300 inches of snowfall annually. The ski area has a great mix of terrain combined with a distinctive mix of European, local Native American and Spanish cultures. It’s also  home to one of the country’s highest rated ski schools.

Ski & Snowboard, Travel, Winter Adventure, Winter Travel

Family Ski Vacation: Telluride Ski Resort

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Telluride

Nestled in the southwest corner of Colorado, 100 miles from the nearest stoplight, Telluride encompasses 2,000 acres of lift-accessible terrain. Once dubbed “To-Hell-You-Ride” from its mining town days, Telluride is now a chic,  modern town.

Telluride Ski Resort boasts some of the steepest, deepest and most diverse terrain of any ski resort in North America.

Ski & Snowboard, Things to Do, Travel, Winter Adventure, Winter Travel

Family Ski Vacation: Stowe Mountain, Vermont

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Stowe Mountain, Vermont

Stowe Mountain Resort is just totally lux and I got very used to having the ski valets run up to me at the end of my run and grab my skis, tag them and whisk them away to storage. The next morning they were magically waiting for me. At $400 a night the rooms were not cheap, but the views were stellar, the restaurant food superb, and the spa was ultra relaxing. Our in-room fireplace made it the perfect evening with a blustery snow storm just outside.

Stowe Mountain Resort, is the definition of the luxury Eastern resort, and provides quality skiing and riding for all levels of family abilities. The area’s lift system includes a gondola to shuttle guests between Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, and its “sister” mountain, Spruce Peak.

Mt. Mansfield  gets 333 inches of average annual snowfall that falls over it’s 2,360 foot vertical drop and 485 acres of skiable terrain.

The Stowe Mountain Lodge, located in the base village, is a 312 room luxury hotel and spa that has been recognized as one of the greenest, most sustainable luxury hotels in the world.

Fall Family Adventure, Ski & Snowboard, Winter Adventure, Winter Travel

Family Ski at The Blue Mountain Ski Area in Pennyslvania

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Blue Mountain Ski Area is one of the most searched for ski areas on the Internet.

It’s a favorite for Pennsylvania and New York families who love to ski and snowboard. Skiing is a great way to spend time as a family and this mountain is a good size for families. Blue Mountain Ski Area

Blue Mountain boasts the highest vertical in PA at almost 1100 feet. There’s plenty for everyone to do there.

Located in Little Gap Valley alongside the Pocono Mountains, Blue Mountain has 39 trails, and 164 ski-able acres.  It’s definitely family friendly for parents. It has a flexible 6 hour ski ticket (so you get there when you get there) and has one of the largest beginner terrain areas in the tri-state area.Blue Mountain Ski Resort in PA The learning center offers private and group lessons, but also strangely, promote the idea of you teaching your own kids if you are comfortable (I always did this because I was a ski instructor) but I don’t know if I’d recommend that for anyone that wasn’t trained in teaching skiing.

Blue Mountain is not only for beginners, it’s also got 3,000 foot long Double Black Diamond Trails, where skiers earn a breathtaking view of Pennsylvania’s beautiful Pocono Mountains.

Blue Mountain Resort  also has some cool features where they includehands-off lift ticket scanners, RFID, that will fast track you through lift lines. The Summit can be reached by the High-Speed Detachable Quad and the 6-Person Chair Lift. In addition, three double chair lifts give access to the western mountain side where skiers and boarders will find novice, intermediate and expert terrain. Numerous mogul fields and glades accompany Blue Mountain’s varied terrain for all skill levels.

As for lodging and food. No one’s going to go hungry while skiing or boarding at Blue Mountain resort. BlueMountain_thumbThey have over twelve places to eat slopeside and even more around town. There’s no on site lodging but plenty of local ski and stay parters in the immediate area for you to choose from.

For more information, click Blue Mountain Ski Resort. 

Ski & Snowboard, Things to Do, Travel, Winter Adventure, Winter Travel

Family Ski Vacation: Mammoth Resort

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Mammoth Mountain

Located in the southwest corner of the volcanic Long Valley Caldera on the eastern edge of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range; Mammoth Mountain reaches over 3,500 skiable acres and a 3,100ft vertical drop.

The mountain is blessed with over 400 inches of snowfall a year and it’s the highest elevation in California at a neck-bending height of 11,053ft.

The modern resort has world class terrain options, and an ski season that can sometimes last into July.


Educational Adventures, Fall Family Adventure, Halloween, Parenting, Things to Do, Travel

Fall Adventure: Go Apple Picking with the Kids

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There’s nothing that says Fall like a crisp, sunny day out in an apple orchard picking apples with friends and family. You may end up wondering what you are going to do with all these apples (seemed like a good idea at the time) but that’s not a big deal. Apple sauce is always a safe bet and the least time consuming. If you are looking for a good place to go Women’s Day magazine has compiled a great list, one of the places on the list, Applewood Orchards in the Hudson Valley of New York is a frequent family favorite. Check out their story here.
10 best Apple Orchards for Apple Picking and Family Fun.

take the kids apple picking

How To, Parenting, Summer Adventure, Summer Travel, Things to Do, Travel

Surfing Lessons for the Kids (and You) Waikiki Beach, Honolulu Hawaii

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Surfing is a great sport for kids. It gets them out in the fresh air, surf and sun, teaches them balance and is something the whole family can do. But you don’t want to take them out into the big surf without being prepared. Waikiki Beach in Honolulu Hawaii is where surfing was invented. There’s a great section of the beach that for all intents and purposes makes for a perfect bunny hill for wave riding. There are non stop lessons going on everywhere you look.  We visited Waikiki to check out the surf and we weren’t disappointed. We got together with friends and took lessons through Big Wave Dave’s Surf Shop. It was a great day of mom and daughter bonding. At one point we even got up on the boards at the same time. That’s something we’ll never forget. Big Wave Dave is where my friend, a Hawaii local takes her kids for lessons and I couldn’t recommend them more. Prices are reasonable and you can get a package of professionally shot photographs (with a long range telephoto lens) to capture the moment. Click here to sign up for surfing lessons   kids learning to surf Hawaii Waikiki Beach

Fall Family Adventure

Take the Kids Apple Picking This Fall

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It’s always a bit sad to have to say goodbye to summer but the upside to it is that Fall is on it’s way, in all its colorful glory. And one of the fun things about the fall is of course apple picking.  Just about every state has some form of pick your own apple farms.

There’s nothing like getting out in the country with your family and friends and spending the day in the apple orchards. Of course with that often comes sampling homemade doughnuts and apple cider.

Don’t forget there’s also a range of other things to do while you are out there. Puppet shows, baby animal petting zoos, games, hay rides, mini-villages and towns for kids to play in. There’s always something to do at the orchard besides just picking apples.

Here are some tips to make your trip the best it can be.

1) Check the hours of the orchard. Also it’s a good idea to check their websites for updates on when the apples will be ready.

2) Leave the pets at home. There are usually a lot of people and not every facility is pet friendly. It’s best to leave the pup at home.

3) Don’t eat the apples in the fields. The orchards make their money once a year on apple picking and they work hard to make it a great experience for you. Don’t cheat them. Make sure to bring your apples back for weighing, then wash them and chow down.

4) Line up the recipes. You will never be able to eat all the apples that you pick whole. You will of course, pick far more apples than you need, if there are any kids involved in the process. Plan to do some apple pie baking. Apple sauce is a great idea.

5) Make it a tradition. Kids look forward to annual expeditions with you. It’s an adventure your family will always remember.

For the best places to go apple picking, check out this list.

Apple Picking in Any State

Varieties of apples and seasons vary

Places to Apple Pick in New York Area

New York season usually starts after labor day and ends in October. Don’t wait until Halloween, there’s usually not much left on the trees by them.

Picking apples in Massachusetts

September to mid October marks the peak of apple picking season in Massachusetts

Pick your own apples in California

New England doesn’t get to have all the Fall fun, so too do the left coast dwellers. Sept to October is prime season for apple picking.

San Francisco Bay Area

Apple Picking in the Oak Glen Area

Here’s a video that explains how to pick the best, healthiest apples.