While some Spring Breakers flock to the golf courses of Scottsdale or the pool scene in Vegas, others find March and April the perfect time to hit the slopes. This year in particular is a fantastic season to take advantage of Spring Ski Deals. According to industry reports, rates at most ski resorts are down 9.5% this year, which is coming on the heels of another 9% drop the previous year. That’s great news for people looking for bargains at Vail hotels or Telluride resorts.
Spring is a perfect time for skiing not just because of the deals, but also because of the warmer weather and soft, carvable snow. You may not be able to throw down a Double McTwist 1280 Whitesnake like Shaun White or schuss through the gates like Lindsey Vonn or Julia Mancuso, but you can in your mind even if you are just taking tentative turns on a green run.
I wrote last month about Kidtopia at Keystone Resort. With its giant snow fort, special kid-friendly activities, and even Disco Tubing Night, Keystone is an excellent place for a meaningful family experience. Keystone also features ice skating, ski racing, snow biking, and one of the most extensive night skiing operations in the country.
Not to be one-upped by its neighbor to the east, Vail offers a full line up of spring fun as well. The events culminate the week of April 12 with Spring Back to Vail, a seven day extravaganza that includes free concerts, on-snow events, and street parties. Headline acts include the joyful sounds of the Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars, quirky singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen, and hip-hop star/humanitarian Wyclef Jean.
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Winter arrived to northern Arizona with a wallop on Monday. It was the state’s first official blizzard in over ten years. (Most of us desert-dwellers in Phoenix didn’t know that for a snowstorm to qualify as a blizzard there must be three hours or more of three conditions — continuous heavy snow, sustained winds of 35 mph or greater, and visibility of less than 440 yards.) Flagstaff had all that and more, with some areas receiving over two feet of snow by yesterday morning.
Fall colors are a hot topic right now, whether you are in