Think T-shirts, hiking shorts and polypropylene socks and you’ll get a hint of the magic of spring ski season while the snow lasts.
I know from experience that families want good snow plus sunshine on a spring break snowsports adventure. While the Christmas-New Year break is a crowded and expensive time, the spring and Easter breaks are dramatically less so, due mainly to the fact that different parts of the country have offset Spring Breaks. It may cost a bit more to book at the last minute, but do it — evaluating current conditions is essential to a fun trip at season’s end.
Spring Skiing: Pros & Cons
Depending on how late Easter falls, the choice of ski destinations can be limited. Many Western resorts close around the middle of April and most eastern mountains will close even earlier. Killington is often the only East coast choice, with very limited terrain into May. Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia often has good snow into May, but the weather can be gray and rainy.
We have skied Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Beaver Creek in the spring and enjoyed them thoroughly, though by mid-April the snow can be thin in Colorado, depending on the weather patterns of the year.
Other drawbacks to skiing late in the season include less snowmaking and a reduced number of trails; ski in-and-out housing that you can neither ski into nor out of, and a staff whose nerves are frayed by a long season.
But the joys of T-shirt skiing and basking in the rays at a slopeside barbecue are immeasurable.
Palisades Tahoe Has Enough Snow for Spring Breakers
Since it’s often open until Memorial Day after an annual average snowfall of 450” across six peaks — and generally laid back — Palisades Tahoe (the former Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows) has one of the longest ski and snowboard seasons in Lake Tahoe. For several years, it’s won ‘Best Ski Resort’ in North America from USA Today, 10Best Readers’ Choice and othe awards making it an even more desirable destination.
At our visit, it had been a good spring at Palisades with a base of 20 feet (yes, count ‘em, twenty) on some parts of the mountain and a fresh layer of powder from a three-foot snowfall just before our arrival. While the number of trails and staff was reduced from peak season, so was the customer demand. Lines were short and the skiing, well, just plain spectacular.
As with spring skiing anywhere, the best conditions are to be found in the morning, before temperatures climb and nudge the snow into the mush zone. So, we were early to the lifts. The teens skied and boarded fiercely until lunchtime, then went out for an hour more and called it a day by 2:30pm. By then, the snow on top was deteriorating and, toward the bottom of the mountain, getting downright gnarly.
Squaw Valley is just a great mountain, with many satisfying runs for every level criss-crossing over 6,000 skiable acres. It was the site of the 1960 Olympics, yet 65% of the terrain is comprised of beginner and intermediate runs, including 14 easy-to-navigate mountain zones for all ability levels.
Palisades Tahoe Plays Hard Enough for Spring Breakers
A new and fun development for 2016 is drone filming, done on mountain by Cape Productions. The company has long been in the drone photography business, so their skilled team recording your best runs, is quite a plus. Guests can sign up their group to take three runs followed by both a drone overhead and a camera crew alongside, and get a neat cut of their on-mountain experience for just $99.00.
From early April until closing, guests punctuate ski days with time at the resort’s High Camp Swimming Lagoon & Spa, perched on the slopes at 8,200 feet. Even on days when the resort lifts stay open till 2pm (yes, Happy Hour begins just as they close!), your family will find probably mushy but delightful and unforgettable conditions on mountain. This year, the snow is so good that Palisades signature events like the Snow Golf at Alpine Meadows and the Cushing Crossing pond skimming have been rescheduled for late April.
By the way, stay through Memorial Day and you can plan a “beach” day between your ski days. Sand Harbor State Park is the place for rentals so you can go boating on the lake. Chimney Beach has cool rock formations and great views. Hit up Kings Beach Recreational Area or Hidden Beach (a hike in from the eastern shore) to frolic in sand before dipping toes in the cold clear water.
Palisades Tahoe Kids Learning and Play Centers
The instruction for all ages is skillful and sympathetic. While one of my teens skied off with his class, the other enrolled in a snowboarding clinic where he ended up being the only (lucky) student. I enjoyed two of the best instructors I’ve ever skied with.
The Palisades children’s center (each mountain base has a program) has a great reputation and a super facility. Children’s classes start at age 3 and extend to age 13, with snowboard skills taught about age 5. Programs vary from private classes for toddlers to family lessons that suggest teaching techniques in parents, to group lessons that use terrain-based learning to help beginners overcome the challenge of turns. All students get progress reports that help them and their parents understand what comes next. Mountaineers and Jibbers ages 8-13 take group classes together to improve ski and snowboard skills, respectively.
You should reserve early for any of the slots in the programs, as there is great demand and limited availability. By the way, there is no longer daycare for the 2s and 3s, as before, nor was there ever a nursery for kids under 2.
Family-Friendly & Convenient Accommodation
Palisades Tahoe features slopeside lodging at the base Village at Palisades Tahoe, which bustles year round with nonstop events and nearly 60 bars, restaurants and boutiques.
Condos above the shops range from studios to three-bedroom units with a balcony and gas fireplace. Done in different styles, all have fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities on each floor, kids play room, a full time front desk staff and more. On our spring trip, we stayed in two very different lodges and enjoyed the strengths of each.
The Palisades Tahoe Lodge is located a snowball’s throw from the cable car. It has a real condo lodge feeling pumped up by a AAA four-diamond rating. It only lacks a bar or restaurant to complete the package. However, food and drink are within easy walking reach and the proximity to the lifts, ice skating, cross-country skiing and tubing, plus equipment rentals and the children’s center, is a huge bonus. With moderate rates in spring, this place is good value.
Further down the valley, seven minutes’ by shuttle bus (or the resort’s lift), between woods and streams, lies the luxe Resort at Squaw Creek, which is the complete resort you’ve always looked for. You would stay here if only for the view over the large heated pool, a breathtaking sight of valley and mountains. It’s a postcard vista and worthy of a visit even if you’ve only come for a drink or dinner.
But the delights of this resort go way beyond the many available activities and postcard look. The food offerings are high quality and the bar welcoming and warm. The rooms, whether you choose the deluxe rooms, one- and two-bedroom suites with kitchenettes or bi-level penthouses, are well appointed in haute mountain style. There is a spa with the full menu of services (my Sports Massage was the best I’ve had in years.)
Trip Planning Details for a Palisades Tahoe Spring Break
The new Palisades Tahoe is made up of the former Squaw Valley USA and sister resort Alpine Meadows, which hope to be connected by a two-mountain gondola project awaiting final approval from the state. (There’s currently a free shuttle between them.) As you can see from this video shot by Cape Productions, the gondola ride will provide remarkable views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada range as well as facilitating cross-mountain skiing.
Wherever you stay, in the base village or a nearby inn, you’ll find the towns of Truckee and Tahoe City worthy of visits for both shopping and eating events.
In the summer, the melting snow yields to the golf course beneath, the bike trails leading down to Lake Tahoe, tennis courts, and more. It’s a real destination getaway any season of the year.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
I would like to suggest a site where you can find a lot of cheap shelters and hostel. http://www.hostelrail.com
Hi BVIslands411 –
we really appreciate your comments and have just updated this story in response. Thanks for keeping us up to date! – editors
Please check this web site to get informations about trekking in Morocco.
thankx a lot
Hello,
I am giving away a free 30 minute Spanish class via Skype (conversation, grammar, etc. depending of your Spanish background. It could be from zero level to very advanced). I have more than 25 years of teaching experience and Spanish is my native language. So, don't miss this chance and write me to fit a schedule. Regular online Spanish classes via Skype are just $5/hour. I hope you will find the lesson very instructive and could ask for more lessons, but if not at least you will get your free lesson.
My email is gmelean@consultant.com
There are so many great ranches that it is a fun challange to find the right one for you…but I have to say that the Dude Ranchers' Association website and directory are a very big help…you will find quality ranch vacations that will match what you are looking for. I recommend contacting the Association for more information.
Story tapes allow the driver to be amused and entertained along with the troops. The website Audible.com has a selection of stories for children and families and it allows you to preview a story to see if you like the reader.
A & J Aparments are no longer a vacation rental.
Sage Mountain Villas, the area code would be (284) not (809) we have not used that area code in many many years and is now used but the Dominican Republic.
Hello to all ! Great site. I am new here greetings to all from Poland.
Hello to all ! Great site. I am new here greetings to all from Poland.
These are all great options and sound like lots of fun. We've been planning to visit New Zealand and the Butterfield & Robinson vacations seem to be right up our alley.Thanks for the suggestion it sure beats me stressing over the details.
If you're looking for a place to stay try to have a look on http://www.rivierAds.com. Hope this helps.
For the bargain hunter, the beauty of Yosemite can still be enjoyed with an inexpensive stay at Yosemite Pines RV Resort & Family Lodging. The resort is now offering <a href="http://www.yosemitepinesrv.com">Yosemite lodging</a> starting at only $39 for two nights for a yurt that can accommodate up to five people. Yosemite cabins start at only $49 for two nights for a basic cabin that can accommodate four people. With the Yosemite National Park entrance fee of $20 per car for unlimited entries for seven days, a family can spend less than $100 for two days of Yosemite-area lodging and admission to the park. These special rates are available at http://www.yosemitepinesrv.com/yosemite-lodging-camping-specials.html during the fall and winter season. Some restrictions apply. Yosemite Pines (http://www.yosemitepinesrv.com) is an RV resort, campground, and lodge located near Yosemite National Park. Yosemite Pines offers <a href="http://www.yosemitepinesrv.com/yosemite-camping-rv-tent.html">Yosemite camping</a> near Yosemite National Park with full hook-up RV and campsites. Yosemite Pines also offers Yosemite lodging and <a href="http://www.yosemitepinesrv.com/yosemite-lodging-cabins-yurts.html">Yosemite cabin rentals</a> near Yosemite National Park with cabin and yurt rentals. Amenities include a clubhouse, gold mine, gold panning, petting zoo, swimming pool, hiking trail, general store, children’s playground, horseshoe pit, and volleyball.
Hola, great site here 🙂
You can find information about the Caribean zone at http://www.Cahuita.cr
D.C. is incredible. I love going there for the cherry blossom festival and I have also been lucky enough to get a tour of the White House's West Wing.
The Verizon Center is a great place to see concerts, and the metro is such an easy and convenient way to get around.
I'm lucky to live just a couple hours away in Colonial Beach, a great little riverside resort town.
I always wanted to visit Jamaica with my kids (boys 7 & 12), but lots of people really discouraged me with horror stories about the safety and attitude of locals towards tourists. I was told if we decide to go just make sure we stay inside our resort. We love exploring and learning new things so this keeps me away.
Thanks,
busymom
http://www.freeguideforbusymoms.com
Hi Guys,
Just joined up, thought i would say Hi 🙂
Claire
You can contact this tour operator in South Africa that specializes in African Safari. http://www.journeyintoafrica.co.za/
Hi. I like your story. I'm here in Växjö on a study abroad semester from SFSU. I found a nice Miyata 12 speed and totally refurbished it, including a new free wheel and brake levers. My main question is how easy it is to get on Swedish highways? I giving serious thought to riding to Copenhagen via Malmo from Växjö. I'm sure I can make an average of 80 miles a day but I would really like to just hop on a highway and tread right to Malmo. Do you know if Swedes allow riding on larger roads? I had a some problems with this in the states.
Great…
I think your site is great for disussions.
Excellent site http://www.familytravelforum.com and I am really pleased to see you have what I am actually looking for here and this this post is exactly what I am interested in. It's taken me literally 2 hours and 34 minutes of searching the web to find you (just kidding!) so I shall be pleased to become a regular visitor 🙂
Thank you for the interesting piece about Provence, and for giving us the courage to consider a French holiday with OUR teenagers the coming summer! It sounds like it was a great time for all. Looking forward to following your further family holidays.
The Gaylord Resort is a great place, although it's a bit far from downtown Nashville. But if you don't mind driving a bit, it's an empire unto itself and older kids can amuse themselves for hours just exploring the place.
UNLESS ITS NOT A CROWDED DAY, I THINK THE CABLE CARS ARE A MAJOR PAIN WITH TODDLERS. I WOULD WAIT TIL KIDS ARE OLDER TO GO TO THE TROUBLE UNLESS YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE AND JOSSLE FOR A SEAT.
I ALSO THINK CROSSING THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE IS FUN, BUT ALSO LOST ON TODDLERS, SO UNLESS YOU WANT TO DO IT, SKIP THAT ATTRACTION OR MAYBE JUST WALK OUT A LITTLE WAYS.
THE EXPLORATORIUM SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR A COLD, FOGGY OR RAINY DAY – IT'S THE PERFECT PLACE FOR LITTLE ONES TO RUN AROUND AND PUSH, PULL AND POKE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.
if you're in Scotland you have to try the national dish, haggis, just don't tell your children what it is! It's actually quite delicious. Scots often refer to dessert as pud or pudding, but they mean the entire gamut of dessert items, not just pudding.
I think it's important to get out of the city and go into the country if you get the time. Check the calendars to see where a Scottish game might be where there will be bagpipers, the tossing of the caber, and all kinds of interesting Highland games. They take place throughout the spring and summer throughout the country and are well worth a detour.
I'd skip Poble Espanyol in Barcelona — way too touristy — unless you want to take advantage of the kids crafts activities.
Kids adore Gaudi's crazy Sagrada Familia, the high-spired church that soars above the skyline. Pay to take the elevator up and then climb down the tight spiral staircase – your kids will be thrilled.
Barcelona;s beachfront was developed during the Olympics, it's now a relaxing way to spend an afternoon with the kids after too much busy city-touring.
Another great kid pleaser is the aerial tram ride up to Montjuic where older kids may enjoy the Olympics museum or a quick stop in the Miro museum.
Villa Cosmica
Villa Cosmica is located on the south side of Puerto Vallarta, far away from the noise, where only the sound of wild birds and the whispering of the waves colliding in the ocean will awaken you every morning. Enjoy this 5 bedroom house, where all bedrooms surround a beautiful swimming pool with a Jacuzzi for 10 people and the most marvellous view to the bay is just a glance away from you. All the bedrooms have air conditioning, also our T.V. room with a game table and SKY cable at your service. Our living room, in the center of the villa is open to the breeze, under a beautiful palapa roof with a small bar to pamper all your senses.
Bedrooms: 5 Sleeps: 10 Baths: 6
Floors: 2 Parking Space: 2 Year Built: 2007
Size of Unit: 450 sq. mts.
Period Nightly Weekly Monthly
Jan 6, 2009 – Apr 30, 2009 $1,495.00 $10,465.00 N/A
May 1, 2009 – Nov 15, 2009 $978.00 $6,846.00 N/A
Nov 16, 2009 – Dec 17, 2009 $1,495.00 $10,465.00 N/A
Dec 18, 2009 – Jan 5, 2010 $1,840.00 $12,880.00 N/A
Jan 6, 2010 – Apr 30, 2010 $1,495.00 $10,465.00 N/A
May 1, 2010 – Nov 15, 2010 $978.00 $6,846.00 N/A
Nov 16, 2010 – Dec 17, 2010 $1,495.00 $10,465.00 N/A
Dec 18, 2010 – Jan 5, 2011 $1,840.00 $12,880.00 N/A
http://www.pvrpv.com
Gay Friendly Puerto Vallarta
Nestled between the lush jungle greenery of the Sierra Madre Mountains and the sparkling waters of one of the world’s largest bays, The Bay of Banderas, Puerto Vallarta has earned an international reputation as one of the best Gay tourist cities in the world.
Being a port city and a destination for many cruise lines including RSVP and Atlantis, Puerto Vallarta is tolerant and abundant with all things gay.
The center of the activity is the charming section of old town known as The Zona Romantica. Here you will find cobbled streets, red tiled roofs and lovely white washed buildings rich with Spanish architecture. Many gay owned and gay friendly businesses including restaurants, bars, shops and art galleries for every pallet and taste, fill the narrow streets of this splendid fishing village.
Coming Events
There are no scheduled events.
Most tourists spend their day on the gay beach. With its white sand and raging surf Playa Los Muertos is the place to be and be seen. Find a deck chair, sit back and relax and let the friendly servers indulge you with great cocktails and yummy food while you unwind and watch whales and dolphins frolic in the blue ocean waters. If beaching is not for you, Puerto Vallarta offers many gay tours to fill your days. Bay cruises, horseback riding through the jungle, bike rides along the Rio Cuale and canopy tours are just a few of the many activities available.
Late afternoon the roof top bars of the gay hotels offer entertainment and a place to enjoy and view spectacular sunsets. These lively spots are crowded with beautiful men and women drinking, laughing and sharing their stories. After the sun sinks into the ocean, it’s time for dinner. From internationally recognized 5 star restaurants to small local eateries Puerto Vallarta is a foody’s delight. At last count, Puerto Vallarta boosted over 1100 restaurants of every description. Haute cuisine to meatloaf, the list of places to dine is extensive and wonderful.
Being a top gay destination, Puerto Vallarta offers more gay bars and dance clubs than most mid-sized American cities. Cantinas, martini bars, stripper and drag shows and fabulous dance clubs await you. As some of the clubs serve until 6am, most are not busy until 1am, so it is advisable to take that all important ¨Disco nap¨ before heading out.
While the vast majority of gay travelers are from Canada and the United States, Vallarta, recently has seen an increase in gay tourists from Europe and as far away as Australia. Gay men and women world wide are discovering and falling in love with the little spot of paradise that is Puerto Vallarta, making it Mexico’s and perhaps the world’s, gay mecca.
It’s good to be gay and it’s great to travel to such a gay friendly resort town. Puerto Vallarta beckons and embraces its gay tourists and it will be a spot you will return to often.
Agree that the skiing is absolutely terrific – the tram to the top of the mountain makes this resort absolutely awesome top to bottom. But I think there is one level of skier/rider who would have trouble – the advanced beginner or beginning intermediate. There isn't as much terrain to select for this group. But it's a resort that you definitely have to experience at least once – and you might get hooked and never want to go anywhere else!
It's important to start 'em young! Of all the family vacations you can pick that can last through the decades, skiing is the very best. When the kids are little you get a break because they're having fun in ski school. When they're older and more accomplished you can ski together. When they're teens and are whizzing past you, you can still ride up the chairlift with them and have them to yourself in the condo. Then when they're in college, you get to spend quality time with them on the slopes and in the condo because you're buying your lift ticket. It's a family vacation that can continue on as a tradition until you're too old to strap on a pair of skis…
i think many accidents occur when new teen or young men (and sometimes women) who are not very experienced are out with their much-more experienced pals. They get talked into trying a part of the mountain that is too much for them and then they try to keep up. They get themselves into trouble that way and often are injured.
If you are looking into hostels and you are a family, call the hostel to get a sense of the character of the place. We went to a hostel once with our elementary age kids(not in a ski area) and it was filled with young 20 somethings and teens having lots of fun – smoking pot in the parking lot, partying, etc. Even though some hostels have family rooms, if the place is full of kids it can be uncomfortable. Some hostels do have older visitors and more families, so it pays to ask.
Don't forget to plan some time to see some of the other attractions in Monterey, like the aquarium, which has an amazing sea horse exhibition coming up and take a drive to Point Lobos to hike around and Big Sur to see some of California's most spectacular coastline. Have lunch at Nepenthe in Big Sur.
Great advice and some fun ideas for new places to try. thanks for sharing your family secrets!
All of Wyoming is a great destination with kids, but my family especially loved this place because it is really a unique bit of the Old West. Definitely worth a detour!
Hello People,
I Just joined up and am trying edit my profile but i can't see the button!! probably staring me in the face lol
thanks guys
DONT GET RIPPED OFF, GET HOOKED UP!!
THE ONLY DISCOUNT SKI AND BOARD SHOP THREE MINUTES FROM HEAVELY.
SPORT SKI PACKAGE $16 A DAY,
HEAD BOARD PACKAGE $17 A DAY,
WINTER RENTAL CLOTHING FROM $5
CROSS COUNTRY SKIIS $10 A DAY,
SNOW SHOES $10 A DAY.
WE ARE THREE MINUTES PASS THE CASINOS ON THE CORNER OF HWY 50 (LAKE TAHOE BLVD) AND ELKS POINT ROAD ON THE SOUTH SHORE OF LAKE TAHOE 775-588-0970
The 25-year-old tour company Wildland Tours has a family vacation package for 2009. It will be a great multi-generational adventure for folks who like whales, puffins, comfortable hotels, and the many wonders of Newfoundland.
Just stopping by to say that the fourm seems to be a great place so i thought that i would signup and join in on all the fun
Hello People,
Just joined! I'm liking it around here 🙂 hopefully i can contribute something to the forum in future.
G
Great article- I am a resident of oregon and my family and I enjoy the coast and central oregon. Oregon has some of the best fishing in the northwest and such a diverse climate to choose from year round. The weather is very tempermental and almost impossible to plan around so bring a rain coat and sunglasses. I think this article gave a pretty good overview of everything that Oregon has to offer.
Sunriver Resort is a quality organization with a great reputation in Oregon. I have been to sunriver probebly 10 times since moving to Oregon and we have used the resort 7 times to book vacation rental accomodations. I highly recomend them and also visiting Sunriver.
Good hotel in a great location.
I find it to be a good value hotel, breakfast facilities are one of the best i have seen. Room is great for people on a budget who want the amenities and cleanliness of a 5 star. I'm very happy with our choice.
Hello Cassiano!
I found your blog over google alerts and would like to invite you to take a look into our booking tools for Paraná. They are quite complete, with prices and options in different price ranges. If you like them, you can include them as tips in your blog:
http://www.curitiba-travel.com.br
http://www.ilhadomel-travel.com.br
http://www.morretes-antonina.com.br
http://www.superagui-travel.com.br
Thanks and until soon!
Bibiana
This is very interesting and helpful information.
Thank you,
<a href=â€http://destinationvacationsblog.traffic4pros.comâ€>Destination Vacations Blog<a>.
Hi. Good site.
Very useful for me. Thanks!
This is a very good article. Thank you.
Just wanted to add that we're on Central Daylight Time and now open at 9:30 am (Holiday World) and 10:30 am (Splashin' Safari). In 2009, we're introducing the World's Tallest Water Ride, Pilgrims Plunge, plus the new (free) HoliWatch program which will help separated family members find each other during their visit.