Top Three Hidden Gems for Late Season

Now that President’s Week has passed us by, we will soon be turning another page on the calendar and heading into March. There are many people (including myself) who believe that March is the best time to plan your vacation, as most resorts we work with will still have nearly every trail open well into the second half of the month. Also, some ski resorts are offering late season rates as early as March 1st, so it is certainly the best time to take advantage of a more upscale property with paying a more upscale price.

Here are the top three upscale properties offering the best value for the late season:

1) Killington Grand Hotel:
Killington's only full-service mountainside hotel is admittedly quite expensive during the weekends and holidays, but if you can manage to escape during the midweek, it is an amazing value. It is just a short ski over to the Snowshed base area and lifts, and the Grand offers all of the amenities one would expect from a 4-star property: valet, room service, convenience store, ski check, game room, and the fabulous 75-foot heated outdoor pool with two hot tubs. Late season rates at Killington kick in on March 22nd, which means you will have at least six weeks of skiing at the resort’s cheapest prices. The best deal at the Killington Grand is to book a studio unit. The room has a queen Murphy bed, queen sleeper sofa and kitchenette, and is as low as $105 per night! If you need more space, the 1-bedroom suite can sleep six for as low as $195 per night!

2) Ermitage du Lac (Mont Tremblant):
Tucked away in the southwest corner of the Pedestrian Village, this boutique-hotel offers deluxe accommodations at an amazing price. This is a perfect spot for families: the Ermitage du Lac is located just a few hundred feet from the Cabriolet, yet far enough away from the bustle of the Tremblant nightlife. It is one of the few properties offering a full hot breakfast all season. Most units have a full kitchen, fireplace, and balcony. Families can take advantage of the 2-bedroom suites, which can sleep six people and are a steal at about $260 US per night (including taxes) after March 15th.

3) Highland House / Rimfire (Snowshoe):
If you don’t have time to travel midweek and need to book your trip over a long weekend, then Snowshoe has some of the best value. Plus, the late-season rates at Snowshoe start March 1st! Highland House and Rimfire are both in the heart of the Snowshoe village, and are both just a few feet from the slopes. Step right out the front door to visit numerous shops, restaurants, and bars. The late-season weekend rates here are unbeatable, with junior studios going for about $180 per night, and 1-bedroom condos for about $260 per night.

Ski Area Dining Options

Wondering where to eat and have a nice dining experience while at a ski area? The following suggestions may help with your selections:

• Stowe - Matterhorn, recommended by my son, ”Where else can you have a choice of pizza, burgers, or sushi?” Offering midweek specials.
  
• Killington - Pizza Jerks, my other son’s favorite restaurant serving NY style pizza.
  
• Killington - Choices Restaurant and Rotisserie, my favorite restaurant, featuring seafood, veal and much more.
  
• Okemo - DJ’s Restaurant, featuring a fantastic and wide variety to choose from on their salad bar. Great seafood and prime rib.
  
• Sugarbush - Flatbread Pizza, featuring their own awesome unique pizza dough.
  
• Loon - Common Man, located in Lincoln and features great American Cuisine.
  
• Sunday River - Foggy Goggle, located at the ski area and had some great food.
  
• Sunday River - Matterhorn, located about 1 mile from the ski area and has a wide variety of food for all ages to enjoy. Burgers to Steaks.
  

If you have a favorite restaurant, just let me know and I will forward the information on to others. Enjoy!


--Goody Dwyer

Fitting In By Standing Out: Finding the Perfect Crazy Ski Hat

You get up before the sun, eat a quick breakfast of cereal and fruit, and check the latest snow reports before beginning to get dressed. You put on your Under Armor, your powder pants, your jacket, your boots, your gloves, and then after all your preparation is complete, you don the piece de resistance: your hat. As you take your first run of the day you see other hats whiz by; menageries of animals, court jesters on their way to entertain a king, and more than a few people with fleece dreads who look like they got lost on their way to the Bahamas.

Sure, trends exist when it comes to all types of clothing. Boots and gloves, jackets and pants, all are designed to cater to the customer’s interest in colors and designs, but only a hat can be made into the shape of your favorite animal and still function as it was intended to. Larry Shaw, ski expert and former reservations manager at Mount Snow, VT says that “like all clothing, there is some personality carry-over into what to get.” Clothes directly represent your personality—what makes hats so distinct from other fashions is that in order to fit in, you need to stick out. “It has been a big craze in the past few years,” Larry states, to wear something crazy and unique. It hasn’t always been this way, however. Hats have over the past 20 years literally gone from “practical and knit” to “new age material and wild looks” according to Larry, who’s seen it all out on the slopes.

So what are the most common crazy hats out there? According to Mike Jacknan, owner of the Breckenridge Hat Company based in Breckenridge, Colorado, hats made to look like animals, headphone beanies, and those with spikes are the most popular with his customers. Breckenridge offers a new and especially interesting line of hats called Knitwits, which are made to look like sock monkeys and other types of animals. The headphone beanies are a big success with those looking to play music while out on the slopes or while simply sitting in the lodge enjoying a hot chocolate. Mike explains that, “the younger ones want to blend in because it’s important at that age. Others want to match their jackets, and the much younger kids just wanna be wild and crazy. They try the hats on and see what works best for them.” Most of Jacknan’s customers range from ages 15 to 30 and they are sure to be out there on the slopes expressing themselves with their spikes and sock monkeys.

Hat experts and retailers aren’t the only ones noticing this trend—those working at various resorts and ski agencies have noticed different hats becoming more and more popular. Abigail Nelson of Wintergreen Resort sees a lot of jester hats and some interesting knit hats that look like they’re trying to be “old school.” There are also those few unique hats that one only comes across every so often. “My brother has a dragon hat,” Abigail says with a smile, “it’s really cool, it’s green and has multi-colored spikes going down the length of it.” Chad Orton of Tours de Sport, understands the rising trends concerning headgear and personality. “In some cases, sometimes a hat is just a hat—functional—and other times you want other people to see what your likes/dislikes are and how fun you are with an attention-grabbing style,” he explains.

When it comes to deciding what type of hat you want to buy, it all comes down to your own personality and interests. Chances are, if you can think of it, somebody else already has and has turned it into a hat. David Ainsley, a Virginia native, says that his ideal hat would be in the shape of a penguin. Sarah Gunther, a skier from Baltimore, believes that her hat “would be something cool and crazy. Maybe a moose.” One avid skier, Ben Wolfram, has 4 different hats, each reflecting his personal style. His helmet shows he is a risk taker, but one who is still concerned with his well being, while an Alpaca fur hat trimmed with diamond-like studs and his Fargo hat are both concerned with warmth while maintaining the throwback style. His last hat, one from his Alma Mater, Towson University, shows his tiger pride as he makes his way down the mountain.

There are so many options out there now that it can be a daunting task to try to pick out the perfect hat that will make you fit in by making you stand out. The best thing for you to do is to browse and see what is out there before making a final decision. Skihats.com and Breckenridgehatcompany.com have hundreds of hats to choose from, and perhaps most importantly considering today’s economy, they are all modestly priced and extremely affordable to any veteran ski bum or beginner determined to make a statement their first day on skis. “Most of the new lines are pretty costly,” Shaw warns, but there are several places willing to sell you something with personality for a low price. It all comes down to how much you want to stand out against the stark white snow and finding a hat that is both comfortable, functional, and that screams what kind of person you are as you ski on by or make a particularly entertaining face plant into the snow—at least you’ll be face planting in style.

So next time you are preparing to hit the slopes, what will you be wearing? A simple, 20 year old monochromatic piece of fleece that can barely pass as a hat anymore, or something vibrant, exciting, and fitted to match your distinct personality. A hat is a blank template, waiting to be filled, waiting to show everyone exactly what lies beneath. Are you up to the challenge?

-Jocelyn Carver

Jocelyn is a full time student at Randolph-Macon college and an avid skier, when studies permit. Her crazy hat collection includes a crazy penguin and a Canadian maple leaf.

Loon Mountain Happenings

Big changes are under way at Loon Mountain this year. The South Peak area is in year two of their planned 3 – 5 years expansion project that will include new trails, a new base lodge and direct lift access from down town Lincoln. The Tote Road Quad is in place to take skiers & riders in both directions between the South Ridge area and the main resort. Three trails, about 50 acres of skiing terrain were accessible last winter. Among the new trails this year is Rip Saw, their first double black diamond trail and Escape Route, an intermediate trail. This expansion will make Loon Mountain, already a popular destination, one of the largest ski resorts in New Hampshire.

Also new this year, Tours de Sport has added the Woodward’s Resort  to our lodging offerings serving Loon Mountain. Woodward’s is located on Route 3, 5 minutes from the ski area. It offers 85 guest rooms as well as a full service restaurant, bar & lounge, indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, racquetball court, and lighted skating pond. Loon is 100% open and in the middle of another spectacular snow year so call your Tours de Sport vacation specialist today or log on to our web site and design your own trip.

Rainy Day? No Problem!

Vacation is vacation no matter what Mother Nature sends your way.  While any avid skier will tell you a little rain won't stop a day on the slopes sometimes you just want to stay dry.  Don't feel trapped in your hotel room sadly staring at the sky - go out and have some fun!

Ski Resorts like Smugglers' Notch, VT  caters to families; replacing kids' daylong ski lessons with other activities when skiing is not an option. Families can also frolic in an indoor play area with an inflatable obstacle course, a miniature golf course and table tennis. It also offers baby-sitting, and puts on family entertainment every night.

At Okemo Mountain, there's no shortage of options for days without skiing. Visitors can swim, skate or play racquetball, or tune up their summer games at a nine-hole putting green or virtual golf.

When there's rain or little snow in Stowe, VT, many skiers and snowboarders head to the shops and restaurants.  What trip to Vermont isn't complete with a souvenir bottle of fresh Maple syrup! 

In Maine's Sugarloaf USA , visitors can head to the Antigravity Complex owned by the Carrabassett Valley Academy and the town of Carrabassett Valley, which has a climbing wall, skate park and bowl, Olympic-quality trampolines, weight room and aerobics room. 

And, of course, there's always the bar.   Killington, VT, known for not only being the "Beast of the East", is also a popular spot for the ski hard - play hard crowds! 

Happy hours at bars and restaurants up and down the Killington Access Road take place rain, snow or shine! 

So book a spa day, chill with friends or hit the gym. Enjoy your vacation - you've earned it! And remember, the lifts will run tomorrow! 

-Sam Norberg