Handful of spots for snowy getaway
Plan a snowy getaway with your family. Here are five escape-worthy spots to consider:
1. The Sebastian, Vail, Colo.
Splurge on a ski vacation and let the resort pros make sure your high-altitude holiday goes off without a hitch. The Sebastian’s amenities-on-demand program can deliver ski and snow essentials to your room along with an energy-filled breakfast. Order up an extra
pair of toasty socks, hand warmers for the kiddos or another round of sunscreen. Guests can also arrange to have a steaming bubble bath drawn prior to a return from the slopes. Team up with the adventure concierge to plan a moonlight snowshoe adventure and ice skating for the older kids while the littlest one plays in the Tykes Room. Should the kids need a break from the mountain they can also opt for hosted crafts in the Upper Lobby where creating hand puppets, finger knitting and experimenting with snow slime are possibilities. Should grownups need a break, the hospitality team is on hand to make restaurant reservations and scout for a baby sitter.
Contact: www.Snow.com; www. thesebastianvail.com
2. Basecamp Hotel, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Clever and cool, your kids will love the cozy options available at this boutique hotel, where exploring the local mountain community is encouraged. The Great Indoor Family Room sports a King bed for the grownups, adjacent to a wall tented room featuring bunk beds, a faux campfire, a picnic table and camp chairs. Designed as an alternative to a cookie cutter hotel, owners have repurposed “underappreciated” buildings and infused them with “soul.” Happy hour includes homemade soups and stews. No surprise: s’mores are served nightly.
Contact: www .Basecamphotels. com.
3. The National Park Inn, Mount Rainer National Park, Wash.
Leave your technology behind and immerse yourselves in the beauty of this majestic setting in the park’s Longmire Historic District. Check in to one of 25 rooms in the two-story lodge. Relax in the lounge and sip hot cocoa near the massive stone fireplace while enjoying stories of the day and making plans for the next. Visit the general store, a circa 1911 log cabin, for access to cross-country and snowshoeing rentals and other goodies.
Contact: http://www.mtrainierguestservices.com/accommodations/national-park-inn
4. Sundance Resort, Sundance, Utah
You’ll find it difficult to emerge from the cozy lodge warmed by a roaring fire or your cabin crafted from indigenous materials. But when you do, choose from cross-country and snowshoe trails that run deep into the woods or sunlit downhill runs on the slopes of Mount Timpanagos. Founded my filmmaker and conservationist Robert Redford, the resort offers family-friendly pottery, beading and printmaking classes in the Art Shack, winter fly-fishing and dining menus with an emphasis on organic and locally sourced ingredients.
Contact: www.Sundance Resort. com
5. Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Tabernash, Colo.
Stay in a cozy cabin or opt to sleep in the High Lonesome Lodge where ranch guests take in expansive views of the Continental Divide and the Ranch Creek Valley while channeling the pioneering spirit of early homesteaders. The centerpiece of the lodge is a reconstructed Civil War-era barn. Choose from 31 guest rooms and four suites, each with private outdoor patios and Adirondack-style rockers. Grab the binoculars to catch a glimpse of wildlife roaming on this 6,000acre expanse of Colorado beauty or set out on the Nordic trails for an up-close view of winter scenes.
Contact: www.devilsthumbranch.com.