Off-the-Slopes Winter Fun
by Candyce H. Stapen
Long ago we learned that the best way to get through winter is to
be active. Even if you don't like carving turns down mountain trails,
you and your kids can still enjoy the snowy landscape. Simply find
a resort that fulfills your winter fantasy, a place where you and
your kids can dogsled, cross-country ski, ice-skate, and cuddle
under blankets as Percheron horses pull your sleigh across pastures
glistening in the moonlight.
Wyoming
Jackson Hole
The Old West, albeit yuppified, thrives in Jackson Hole. Real elk
antler archways grace the town square and the wooden storefronts
seem brought from central casting as do the beautiful people sporting
Bogner parkas and hand-painted suede boots. Downhill denizens thrive
on the slopes of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort as well as Grand Targhee.
But Jackson, the gateway to Grand Teton National Park, offers plenty
of off-the-slopes fun as well. Search for coyote tracks and learn
about moose and bighorn sheep on a snowshoe or cross-country ski
trek through the park led by Hole Hiking Experience guides (866-733-4453;
www.holehike.com).
With younger kids or non-Nordic skiers, take in Grand Teton National
Park's wintry landscape on a safari-style Wildlife Expeditions drive
led by biologists from the Teton Science Schools (888-WILD567; www.wildlifeexpeditions.org).
Get within yards of hundreds of elk on a horse drawn sleigh ride
through the 25,000-acre National Elk Refuge north of Jackson. Munching
the hay left for them, the elk, standing in bunches, nonchalantly
lift their muzzles to eyeball the fascinated onlookers (307-733-9212;
http://nationalelkrefuge.fws.gov).
Another way to make it through the woods: paw power. On a dog sled,
you savor the wilderness without the noise of snowmobiles or the
exertion of cross-country skiing since the huskies whisk you through
the snow-laced forests. Some outfitters give you a chance to mush
while with others you ride in the sled swaddled in blankets. Some
sleds fit one adult and one small child while another adult, if
the guides permit, can stand on the back with the musher. Outfitters
in the Jackson area include Continental Divide Dogsled Adventures
(800-531-MUSH; www.dogsledadventures.com).
Jackson Hole offers a variety of accommodations. Teton Village
condominiums near the base of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort are
convenient. Just outside of town, Spring Creek Ranch, a luxury resort,
lies on a 1,000-acre wildlife sanctuary (800-443-6139; www.springcreekranch.com).
For Jackson Hole Mountain Resort call (800) 443-8613 or go to www.jacksonhole.com.
Quebec, Canada
Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello
After dogsledding, sleigh riding, snowshoeing, or ice-skating, warm
yourself by the massive, four-sided fireplace, the centerpiece of
the Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello. The 211-room hotel, fashioned
in 1930 from 10,000 red cedar logs, offers a country elegant getaway.
The resort, situated on the west side of the Laurentian Mountains,
midway between Montreal and Ottawa, occupies more than 3,000 acres
and is adjacent to the Fairmont Kenauk, a 6,500-acre wilderness
preserve.
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Great Places, Great Deals
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Best of Barbados: Book a US Airways
Vacation at a selected hotel and receive $250
per person airfare credit for two adults, plus
one night free with a minimum seven-night stay.
Travel must be booked by December 10 and is valid
through December 20, 2005. Sample rates for the
all-inclusive Almond Beach Village, which has
a comprehensive children's program, start at $1,399
per person for seven nights and include airfare
from Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh,
or Washington, DC (800-352-8747; www.gousv.com).
Orlando,
Florida: At SeaWorld Orlando, encounter
penguins, pet stingrays, meet dolphins, and get
twirled upside down and dropped some 65 miles
per hour on Kraken, the park's coaster.
With temperate weather and fewer crowds, fall
and winter are best for visits. With the Orlando
World Center Marriott Sea World Two-Night package,
get two nights accommodations for up to four, admission to SeaWorld for length
of stay, Ride Again passes, and more. The cost
is $378 per room and the package is available
through January 4, 2006 (888-99-WORLD; www.worldsbestvacation.com).
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At the four-star hotel, ranked among Conde Nast Traveler's top resorts,
you and your kids can also ice fish for trout, slide downhill on tubes,
try curling, and swim in the indoor pool. A children's program operates
for ages four to 12 from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Sunday. A
bonus for drivers' age 16 and older: learn off-road skills at the
resort's Land Rover Driving School.
The Family Fun package, available January 2 to March 19, 2006,
includes one room for two adults and two children under age 13,
daily buffet breakfast, one bistro dinner plus kids' meal dinner,
a one-hour sleigh ride, plus another seasonal activity from $316
per room. Minimum stay is two nights. A supplement is required for
ages 13 to 17 (819-423-6341; www.fairmont.com).
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre
Always top-rated, Whistler/Blackcomb lures dedicated downhillers
with more than 8,000 acres of patrolled skiing plus an additional
100,000 acres of heli and Snowcat backcountry adventures. The Pan
Pacific Whistler Village Centre, which opened July 15 in the heart
of the mountain's lively pedestrian village, appeals to families
with Alpine devotees as well as non-skiers. Along with skiing and
shopping, you and the kids can go dog-sledding and zip along cables
strung from tree to tree in the snow-covered woods.
The Winter Magic Family Adventure Package includes, for two adults
and two children under 12, a three-night stay in a one-bedroom suite
with a full kitchen and a pullout couch in the living area; daily
breakfast buffet; a three-hour ZipTrek ecotour through the forest;
a dogsled ride through the Soo Valley, and a sleigh ride to a fondue
dinner. Rates from $1,665 available prior to December 22, 2005 (888-905-9995;
http://whistler.panpacific.com).
– Candyce H. Stapen’s latest book
is National Geographic Guide to Caribbean Family Vacations.
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