Tips For Your Next Ski Vacation- from a Local

When taking your yearly trip to the mountains, there are a lot of things to consider. How do we get there? Where do we stay? Where should we eat? The trip is all about spending quality time together as a family as well as participating in the best sport on earth (some argue that football is a close second). You want things to go smoothly. Don't fear logistics, skiing vacations are easy enough to manage and a ridiculous amount of fun. Here are few tips and hits to use while in the mountains.

Start the trip off right. If you're road tripping it, bring snacks, games, and movies to entertain everyone during the drive. Books on tape can be a great way to pass the time. Drive carefully and get in the rightmost lane if you're driving slower than the posted speed. To ski, you need the right clothes, equipment, and a lift ticket- for every person in your family. You also need to bring casual clothes to walk around the village in and to relax in the condo. Pack in advance so you don't forget things. As far as equipment goes, it is best to invest in some good skis and some good boots. As an adult, you're not going to outgrow them. For a sport you'll participate in for the rest of your life, why not invest some money? Renting equipment for 1 week can cost just as much as a nice set of lightly used demo skis. You can try to be as prepared as possible but forgetting something is almost a given. Instead of buying a set of goggles or new gloves right off of the lift, walk further away from these places to find a better deal.

On the mountain, here are a few suggestions to employ. Set up meeting points throughout the day. If two family members only want to ski bumps, let them split off and meet up at 10:30am for hot chocolate mid-mountain. Set up a time for lunch too. Finally, pick a landmark in the village near the chairlift to meet around 2pm. Even though most of us have cell phones, sometimes there is bad to no reception covering some or all of the mountain. Also, you may not hear (or feel the vibration) of your cell phone because you're not focused on it. Another tip is to pack individually packaged candies so that you can pass those out during the day. It is a nice little surprise while standing in a lift line or sitting on a chairlift. If you're trying to keep costs down, use a 2-1 or 3-1 rule for lunch. For 2 (or 3) days, bring your lunch & stash it in the lodge or cafeteria. On the 3rd or 4th day, buy lunch on the mountain.

In the village, remember that there are a lot of people around you. It's okay to walk with skis on your shoulder but don't turn quickly and watch out when you lift them up onto your shoulder. Yes, skis can be bulky and awkward, but try to be aware of your surroundings. Teach your kids about walking around in the village too. An aware skiing community makes for a better community- on or off the mountain. Get a hot chocolate in the village. There is nothing quite like it. Even when you're tired, get out and walk around the village. It loosens up your muscles and since you're no longer in ski boots, you'll have freedom of movement in your ankles. Finally, if you're staying at the resort for 5 days, take the middle day off. There are other cool things to do in mountain towns and taking a day off from the shred will be good for your body and you'll also be more excited to get back on your skis. Go snow tubing, ice skating, snowmobiling, or just go shopping around town.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN!