short-cut to: New England, Pennsylvania, New York State, Colorado, Utah, Canada.
Forget "Old Man Winter": for families who ski or board, "Winter" is a buff guy in gortex, and a chance to get onto pure white slopes under bright blue skies.
So, where to go? Often the answer's simply Go Local: if there's a ski resort in driving distance, load up the gear and head for the hills.
But sometimes local has limitations. Such as:
- vertical lift: as kids get older, the family may crave those long blue runs that bigger mountains serve up.
- quality of the snow: for most of us, ice is not nice, and champagne powder is sweet.
- kids' programs: some ski resorts go all out with teen programs, or deluxe child-care centers.
Keep in mind, when choosing a family ski resort:
• Sometimes non-celebrity places can be star-quality for families. They may not have the glitz, they may be a bit off the beaten track; but you get uncrowded slopes, lower prices, manageable size, friendly ambiance.
• ski resorts have all kinds of extra fun: snow-shoeing, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, ice skating, family games, movie nights, even dog-sledding.
• if timing's tight, be wary of places that require connector flights into small airports. (Such flights add $ to the vacation too.)
• Finally: for any family ski resort, be sure to read recent visitor comments at a site like TripAdvisor.com.
--On to region #1: New England
