I do it every January. It arrives, it’s cold and we’re cooped up and I wish I had booked snowboarding trips for the winter. When you wait till last minute, usually all the good resorts are booked up (if you’re staying overnight).
It’s not easy to remember to book a trip and wax that board of yours in the hot summer months, but ski/board season actually runs October through April (and even until June in higher elevations!). So it’s actually best to plan your winter vacations over the summer. Not to fear, you still have at least 90 days of snow in the northeast states and many places are within a couple hours of NYC (so if you CAN’T stay overnight, you don’t have to!).
Here’s why you want to book that trip:
Every winter you are looking for something to do, so why not actually GO somewhere that embraces the cold and snow and actually wants that weather? Mount Snow in Vermont is one of our favorite family destinations because it’s only 3.5 hours out of NYC (it’s in lower VT) and it has everything you want in a resort for kids (and adults!).
Why Mount Snow:
- Mount Snow is perfect for both boarders and skiers and they even have custom sports shops for both with lots of attire in case you forget something (knee pads) or want an upgraded coat.
- So you don’t board or ski? Well, now you can! They offer private and group adult lessons as well as kids lessons and thanks to Ski Vermont, January is even Learn to Ski/Board Month and they offer $49 beginner classes throughout the state at multiple resorts. Bonus – their site has a fun roundup of deals at the different resorts if you want to grab some last-minute lift tickets! Like did you know, fifth graders ski FREE in Vermont? You can apply for a passport and get three free tickets to each resort!
- Don’t want to board or ski but the kids do? Not to worry – there are lots of adult activities on site that don’t involve icy metal on your feet.
- The Spa. Don’t feel guilty about getting a nice leg rubdown after some black runs while the kids are in lessons. A true athlete knows massages are part of recovery 🙂
- The bars. The Tap Room at the main base lodge is a great place to grab a draft after some runs and before the kids are done with lessons. More below!
- Snow Shoeing Treks. Mount Snow offers a two-hour tour for only $49 a person (*including the shoes!). This is my second favorite thing to do in the snow – hike! And kids really love it cause it’s fun to wear the cool shoes.
- Kids lessons and programs. Mount Snow offers full- and half-day lessons (fully staffed!) so you can enjoy your day while the kids play. They also have a children’s daycare house for $130 a day you can drop the kids to play while you board or hit up the spa even if they don’t want to take a lesson.
- Did I mention snow tubing? Mountain resorts would not be complete without a good tubing hill and Mount Snow has one of the fastest around. Trust when I say, you’ll want your face covered as you zoom down the icy hill!
- Mount Snow has some of the best green AND black trails out there. So no matter your skill level, you can take a lift for some powdery runs. I actually LOVE the Long John green because it’s just that – really long. You can take a leisurely ride down and actually get some Instagrammable shots of you and the kids without getting in a pros way.
- Bars and food. One of the coolest parts of Mount Snow is that they have this little “village” at the base of the mountain. Their main base lodge has tons of fun eateries (and a tap room!), and they have a really fun little bar at the top of the mountain (you can ride the express Blue Bird lift right to the top!). They also have restaurants and delis in their lodges like Grand Summit you can check out, too. If you’re kid-free and want to enjoy some nightlife, I also recommend hitting up the Snow Barn (off-site) which has live music and a great selection of cocktails.
- Another fun activity families don’t think about is snowmobiling. I took Max to the top of the Continental Divide in Colorado when he was FOUR, so I know kids love it! Mount Snow offers 1- and 2-hour tours around the Green Mountain National Forest so they’re not too long and great for seeing the great outdoors plus it’s lots of fun! I would recommend booking in advance to make sure they have availability.
- Ok so you’re not ready for the snow? Mount Snow is open year round for a great and warmer summery outdoor adventure. They have boating, kayaking, hiking and mountain biking trails galore on the mountain once the snow melts.
Still need more encouragement? You can take an Amtrak train up to Brattleboro, VT (8-hour trip) from the city so you don’t even need to drive AND they have all the rentals you need. So all you need is yourself and the kids and some foot warmers to try something new. You can see more info on SkiVermont.com and MountSnow.com. AND you can check out your very own curated ski-guide from Momtrends. Nicole is one of the most avid skiers I know (I think she’s done 30 mountains this season!), so she knows a thing or two. Check it out here.
We attended Mount Snow for a complimentary family snowboard trip to facilitate this review thanks to Momtrends.com. All opinions are our own. Thanks for supporting FootballFoodandMotherhood.com!
