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Taking the Kids: Fun in the snow in new ways and on a budget

Eileen Ogintz, Tribune Content Agency on

“Less hassle, less hype, affordability (and less restrictions) are what many skiing and riding families are looking for,” agreed Troy Hawks, a spokesman for Sunlight Mountain Resort in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, also known for their hot springs.

In Colorado, the Gems Card, which offers two-for-one lift tickets at 11 different resorts, including Ski Monarch and Sunlight, is just $35. In recent years, smaller resorts have invested in infrastructure — everything from lifts to snowmaking to terrain expansion and technology for lift tickets, said Chris Lismayer, a spokesman for Colorado Ski Country.

In Utah, two kids under 10 ski free with a paying adult at Brighton Resort and at Brian Head and Nordic Valley with a Power Kids Pass.

“We have seen a huge amount of our Power Kids passes,” said Nordic Valley’s, CJ Brown. “Everyone is excited to escape and come up to our small valley to be on the slopes in the fresh mountain air,” supporting local businesses, he added.

Not only do families want to get outdoors, but they are also seeking unique, socially distanced experiences. Lutsen Mountains Ski and Summer Resort, on the shores of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, recognized as a dark sky sanctuary by the International Dark Sky Association, is touting the chance to see the Northern Lights.

Abercrombie & Kent reports interest in winter adventures like tracking wolves in Yellowstone or seeing the Northern Lights in Alaska from a luxury chalet built on a glacier.

 

Snowshoe through the vineyards at the Traverse Wine Coast in Traverse City, Michigan, and stop for a glass of wine outdoors at a winery. North Conway, New Hampshire, named the number one ski town in North America by USA Today’s 10Best.com, is surrounded by 7770,000-acre White Mountain National Forest — plenty of room to social distance and try something new.

Have you ever tried fat bikes in the snow?

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia, the 13th in the kid’s guide series, was published in 2020, with The Kid’s Guide to Camping coming in 2021.)

©2021 Eileen Ogintz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


(c) 2021 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

 

 

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