New Year’s Skiing at Vermont’s Sugarbush Resort: Fun for All Ages and Abilities

 Posted by on January 1, 2013  Comments Off
Jan 012013
 
New Year's Skiing at Vermont's Sugarbush Resort: Fun for All Ages and Abilities

With Boston and most of New England seeing its first solid snowfall and sustained cold weather in two years, we couldn’t pass up a last minute invite to welcome in the New Year by hitting the slopes at the Sugarbush Resort with our Vermont cousins.  With access to  two mountains (including 4,000 ft Mt Ellen), 3 terrain parks, tons of gladed areas and the 2,000 acre Slide Brook Wilderness area, Sugarbush offers incredible views of Vermont’s rustic Mad River Valley while providing all the creature comforts that family travelers love including over 50 miles of trails,  top of the line rentals, a great lodge, good food, on mountain hotels and condos with room for more than 2,000 guests, and well regarded ski and snowboard schools. We arrived about 10:30 am [...]

Families Welcome Smugglers’ Notch Winter Adventure Program for Teens Ages 16-20

 Posted by on December 26, 2012  Comments Off
Dec 262012
 
Families Welcome Smugglers' Notch Winter Adventure Program for Teens Ages 16-20

Smugglers’ Notch, one of our favorite Vermont ski resorts, has added a new Winter Adventure program for teens ages 16-20.  The program mixes intermediate and advanced ski fun with the opportunity to explore a wide range of alternative winter sport options on and off the mountain. Thursday through Sunday, the morning starts at the teen friendly time of 10:00 am with an intermediate to advanced Snow Sense Session where the group skis and rides together focusing on exploring the mountain, reading terrain, and having fun – instead of focusing on formal technique. After lunch, the group heads back out with  instructors for specialty sessions such as ice climbing, backcountry snowshoeing, Ice Canyon Via Ferrata, and Winter survival skills. Smuggs has always offered one of the most comprehensive on mountain ski and snowboard [...]

January 2013 is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month in Vermont – Check out the Great Deals

 Posted by on December 18, 2012  Comments Off
Dec 182012
 
January 2013 is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month in Vermont - Check out the Great Deals

Thinking about taking the family on a ski trip but worried that not everyone knows how to ski or snowboard?  Don’t worry its never too late — our teens didn’t learn until they were in middle school.  This year, the major Vermont ski resorts are banding together to help make it more affordable that ever to learn to ski. Specifically, January 2013 will find most of Vermont’s major mountains offering some of their best ever Learn to Ski and Snowboard promotions all month long.  Many resorts will be featuring  a  $29 non-holiday package that includes professional lessons, equipment rentals and a beginner lift ticket.   Registration for the $29 package at any of the participating mountains is available at skivermont.com/learn .   Lessons are available non-holiday while supplies last. Already know how to ski?  Then bring a friend (or [...]

Find Family Ski Fun on Campus During a Visit to Middlebury College

 Posted by on December 4, 2012  Comments Off
Dec 042012
 
Find Family Ski Fun on Campus During a Visit to Middlebury College

Internationally recognized Middlebury College, located in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, is well known for its challenging liberal arts curriculum and its excellence in foreign language studies.  Founded in 1800, the college is home to 2,500 undergraduates from 50 states and dozens of foreign countries. Many of its students choose Middlebury for the excellent academics combined with the opportunity to spend four years living at a historic  New England campus surrounded by beautiful views of the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks plus unlimited access to all variety of outdoor adventures in any season.  According to Wikipedia, “The campus is known as “Club Midd” because of its bucolic setting and the quality of its recreational and residential facilities.” If your family vacation or college visit plans bring you to this part of New England during the winter, be sure to save some time [...]

Jay Peak Lowers Prices and Adds More Fun for Teens and Tweens

 Posted by on November 20, 2012  Comments Off
Nov 202012
 
Jay Peak Lowers Prices and Adds More Fun for Teens and Tweens

Since being acquired by new owners in 2008, northern Vermont’s Jay Peak Resort has undergone a multi-million dollar transformation to become a state-of-the-art four-season destination with a range of   on-site amenities including expanded ski trails and snowboard terrain, new lifts and snowmaking, a new nordic center, ski-in ski-out lodging, an ice rink, an indoor waterpark, and a golf course.  With 2100 feet of vertical,  385 skiable acres, and 77 trails, slopes and glades teens and tweens are sure to find plenty of options regardless of their skill level.  The Resort rates 20% of trails as novice, 40% intermediate and 40% advanced.  The Resort typically gets 375 inches of natural snow in a winter so it opens early and closes late each season. For cost conscious families, the Resort has announced that it is lowering the [...]

Three Vermont Ski Resorts that Cater to Families with Teens and Tweens

 Posted by on September 27, 2012  Comments Off
Sep 272012
 
Three Vermont Ski Resorts that Cater to Families with Teens and Tweens

Vermont continues to be one of our favorite family ski destinations year after year.  Just a few hours from home we find easy access to big mountains,  expansive snowboard terrain parks, and  a wide range of great off slope activities, lodging and restaurants that appeal to our teens as well as mom and dad.  Families taking a ski vacation with teens and tweens need to be honest about each family member’s skiing abilities and interests.  Some teens may want to ski hard all day while others are pretty rusty and might benefit from a private lesson or all day camp.  Mom might want a spa and dad might want to ski a half day before taking a turn on a snowmobile tour. For a multi-day ski vacation, unless your family plans to ski [...]

Teen Friendly Christmas Shopping in Montpelier, VT

 Posted by on December 1, 2011  2 Responses »
Dec 012011
 
Teen Friendly Christmas Shopping in Montpelier, VT

If you are heading to central Vermont between now and Christmas try to stop by the capitol city of Montpelier for a couple of hours of shopping and relaxing.  Montpelier’s classic New England downtown is certainly the antithesis of the shopping mall Christmas experience.  There are no chain stores or chain restaurants here.  Instead, Montpelier offers an eclectic mix of book sellers, handmade crafts and jewelry boutiques, organic clothing, wearable art, vintage collectibles, and independent coffee shops, diners and restaurants.  For teens, equipped with cell phones and a buddy, Montpelier is small enough that mom and dad can turn them loose to browse and shop on their own for a couple of hours. We found ourselves Christmas shopping in Montpelier,VT on Black Friday (dubbed Flannel Friday as part of a local holiday promotion).  The horsedrawn wagon [...]

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