Okemo Mountain, Vermont (c) Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Bucolic villages surrounded by snow covered pines welcome weary travelers on their way to Vermont’s picturesque mountain peaks this holiday season. Slide down snow, share delicious family meals, and warm up by the fire together with a hot cocoa or trusty Vermont brew. Vermont ski and snowboard resorts are a majestic destination during the holidays and they offer cheerful activities and delightful packages for families and friends who want to escape it all and enjoy winter in its original state.
Mount Snow Resort
The holidays are a special time at Mount Snow. The Christmas holiday week is full of events and activities including Grommet Jam #1 for kids age 12 and under on Monday, December 28. Celebrate New Year’s Eve with a Torchlight Parade and Fireworks display plus family activities and more.
Stratton Mountain Resort
Stratton welcomes the most wonderful time of year with ideal skiing and riding conditions, family fun events, and mountain comradery. Christmas vacation happenings include live music, fireworks and holiday celebrations. Book early on lodging and save. For a full events listing, visitstratton.com/events.
Bromley Mountain
Bromley looks forward to a festive holiday season, kicked off with a super Santa ski deal on December 25. Wear a red suit, beard, hat & bowl full of jelly belly on 12/25 and ski or ride all day for $25. December 26-27 will feature the Sun Mountain Sessions Snowboard Camp, a 2-day shred fest for kids ages 12-18, complete with coaching, giveaways and special pro appearances. Got kids? In addition to great ski and board programs during the day, they’ll have the Kids Lounge ready for entertaining the most important young guests. Video games, Vew-Do boards and an indoor Riglet Park are just a few of the nightly activities scheduled from December 26 through January 2. Plus, Sylvia Fletcher and her Magic Trunk of Ventrilo-tastic characters will perform on 12/28 from 5:30-6:15pm for an extra special Kids Lounge.
Okemo Mountain Resort
From Thanksgiving through New Year’s, Okemo celebrates the holidays with a selection of sugarplum-packed, family-fun events and activities plus a great pre-Christmas lodging offer. Okemo’s `Twas the Week Before Christmas Package offers rates 50 percent less than holiday rates that begin after Christmas! Skiers and riders can save hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars with an Okemo lodging reservation for three nights or more, starting December 18 with departure by December 26. Call (802) 228-1600.
Quechee Ski Area
The Quechee Club will host a variety of family fun activities for all ages over the holiday. Enjoy the alpine ski area or more than 10 miles of Nordic Trails, sledding, ice skating, or explore the wilderness on snowshoes. Quechee encourages embracing the outdoors. In addition to premier lodging and amenities, the Recreation Department runs full winter programming with daily schedules that include events like family Movie Night and Kids’ Night Out featuring adventures like indoor rock climbing and mobile laser tag. Off campus trips are also available and include best-of Vermont winter activities like Dog Sledding and backcountry snowmobile tours. For more information about premier rentals and holiday vacation happenings, please visit www.quecheeclub.com or call (802)295-9356.
Killington Mountain Resort
Killington is set to host the 2nd annual Jingle Jam at the Mouse Run terrain park on December 19, 2015. Skiers and snowboarders will donate unopened presents to the Boys & Girls Club of Rutland County in exchange for half-off their registration fee. During December the Killington Grand Resort Hotel will also host the Vermont Holiday Festival to benefit the Vermont Foodbank, featuring hundreds of uniquely designed evergreen trees, Santa’s Workshop for kids, and free Sleigh Rides.
Sugarbush Resort
The whole family will find some fun during the holidays at Sugarbush. But first, don’t miss The Big Kicker, the winter kickoff party co-hosted with Mad River Glen complete with films, freestyle expos, food, presentations, and more. Christmas week, enjoy everything from Christmas Dinner and S’mores Cookout to VINS Birds of Prey Performance and Kids’ Cooking Class. Don’t miss the Torchlight Parade and Fireworks Display on New Year’s Eve, as well as a dog parade earlier in the day.
Bolton Valley
Nothing brings friends and families together for good times quite like the holidays, and holidays spent on snow create lasting memories. Bolton Valley’s cozy base village will be trimmed in white lights for the holidays, creating a festive atmosphere for guests at the resort. In the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, the mountain will be full of guests enjoying skiing, riding and daily family events. The Indoor Amusement Center will be open every day this week. Free, family oriented evens include a Magic Show and a Balloon Twister creating balloon sculptures. Skiers and riders will also have a chance to warm up around a campfire with complimentary hot cocoa and cookies or head inside for family movie night. Don’t miss the New Year’s Eve Fireworks and Torchlight Parade at 8:30pm on Thursday, December 31.
Stowe Mountain Resort
Enjoy savings and convenience every day, holidays included with Stowe ByPass. At Stowe Mountain Resort you can simply sign-up for ByPass online at no-charge and go direct to the lift every day you ski or ride. Add to that instantaneous savings by automatically paying the discounted ByPass rate, even during the holidays, the first time you’re scanned at the lift each day. The Evolution Stowe Card has replaced traditional tickets, using RFID technology for optimum convenience and value throughout Stowe Mountain Resort.
Smugglers’ Notch Resort
December is Holiday Magic Month at Smugglers’ Notch Resort. Throughout the month, families visiting Smugglers’ can create their own holiday magic through cookie decorating, craft workshops, and evening elf tuck-ins with bedtime stories. Christmas Eve highlights include the arrival of Santa, and a torchlight parade and fireworks. Smugglers’ ushers in 2016 with a New Year’s celebration featuring a bonfire, torchlight parade, fireworks, late night entertainment and dance parties, and a variety of dining alternatives. The Kids’ Night Out program at Treasures nursery offers children ages 3-11 their own New Year’s fun with dinner, games and entertainment available until after midnight. December vacation packages starting at $129 per adult and $99 per youth ages 3-17 include condominium lodging, daily lift tickets, outdoor ice skating, use of the heated pool and hot tubs, the indoor FunZone with games & inflatables, daytime and evening snow tubing, use of cross country skiing & snowshoeing trails, and nightly family & adult entertainment. (www.smuggs.com/skivtw, 855-814-7325)
Q Burke Mountain Resort
Spend the Holidays at Q Burke Mountain Resort with plenty to do for the whole family. There will be special appearances by the man himself, Mr. Santa Claus, and gingerbread house decorating and sledding on the slopes of Burke Mountain. Be one of the first to stay in the new Q Burke Hotel and Conference Center with plenty of amenities to keep the whole gang entertained. Outdoor heated pool and hot tub, family arcade, fitness center, fine-dining, coffee shop, and a relaxing day lodge ambiance will let you revel in the journeys of the day while relaxing fireside enjoying company. Finish off or start another day with Dinner and Comedy on Saturday, December 26th with Tony Bates and Jim Colliton in the Q Burke Darling Conference Room.
For more info, visit skivermont.com.
For more travel features, visit:
www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin
www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin
goingplacesfarandnear.com
goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com
moralcompasstravel.info
travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/
‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures
Twitter: @TravelFeatures
