What we like about ...

Mad River Glen - Honesty. MRG is not only known for its slogan, "Ski it if you Can," but also for its complete honesty in reporting its weather and conditions. That's enough to bring us back here time and time again.

Okemo - We hoped for the best when Okemo first came on the scene with the Muellers at the helm. Tim and Diane Mueller, with construction and resort backgrounds, took on Okemo ownership in 1982. Their vision was to make the area into a top-notch destination. They did it. Okemo first gained a laudable reputation for exquisite grooming (a standard others are held to). The Muellers followed with meticulous care to the maintenance of daily conditions, as well as continuous and innovative upgrades to the mountain, including terrain, pipes and parks, and upgrades to mountain base lodges and lodging. It truly is a story of the "little guy makes good," accomplished by hard work and determination.

Suicide Six -  Can you find a cozier base lodge? We think not.  Here, a huge roaring fire is the focal point of the base lodge. It begs you to take the time to just "do nothing, sip your cocoa and relax." We love it!

Sugarbush - Here's the scenario: It's March, and just ahead of a big snowfall. But this particular day, no one knows about the upcoming snow, and the area is into "shoulder" spring conditions: a stretch of marginal conditions.  With kid in tow, we go to the Mt. Ellen side in order to put the child into ski school. Keep in mind this is also a "cheap ticket" day, so the crowds are building. In spite of this, the parking attendant is warm and gracious. He is not, however, able to tell us if classes will be held. No problem though, as he invites us inside the base lodge to talk with the customer service people. As we start to talk to them, a personable older gentleman walks up to us and greets the attendant by name and then asks us what he can do. The older man begins to explain to us in a relaxed and easy-going manner that ski school is at Lincoln Peak and not to worry, there is plenty of easier terrain open over there as well. He also asks us if there's anything else they can do for us and thanks us for coming. As we leave the building the parking attendant says to us, "Do you know who that was?" We have no idea. "That's Win Smith. The CEO." he said. My husband and I look at each other and smile. The day worked out fine, even if we did miss the big snow dump that weekend, and we had new appreciation for this ski area and the man who owns most of its stock shares. Who woulda' thought it?!

Quechee Ski Club - This area is just right.  Location-wise, it's perfect. It's easy to get to. And its location is close to attractions, shopping, antique shops and sightseeing. The size of ski area is perfect, too. It's not so big as to overwhelm and not so small as to bore you. Top it off with a Mr. Clean, squeaky-clean base lodge with non-greasy, excellent breakfasts.

Killington - Yeah, we know. Mega-resort. That's enough to give most folks the heebie-jeebies. Seriously though, there's a human-side to the former American Ski Company property. We found the heart of the giant within the ski school and the folks who run it and teach. For those of you who don't know, a ski area's true colors are often seen when it comes to kids.  Ski area ski schools can be draconian. Hey, working with kids isn't the easiest thing to do. Here's our story: we had a weekend stay at Killington and signed and prepaid to have our kid go to classes for 2-days. Mind you, this 5-year old has a hard enough time walking and talking, let alone skiing. We watched from afar, and yes, behind bushes, as her instructor helped her on to the carpet, then let her hang onto him as they slid down the miniscule mound of a hill. Satisfied all was well, and our kid wasn't getting beaten, my husband and I took off to ski. After our ski day ended, we picked up our kid and found out that she requested and was allowed to spend most of her time inside . Oh well.  Tomorrow was another chance to get her onto skis with the school. Wrong again.  Following a hunch (a weak one), we took her temperature. She was on fire. Had she had a fever all day? Who knows? Anyway, skiing was not on her schedule the rest of the weekend. The next day, we dropped by the ski school and explained our kid would not be in class due to illness. They offered the obligatory "We're sorry" line, which was nice, but what happened next was ... well, surprising. They gave us our money back. But, wait! They gave us our money back for the unused day, and for the day she did ski.  They said they felt bad that she probably had been sick the previous day, and while our daughter didn't complain, they think that was the reason she wasn't "into" skiing that day. So, without even asking - we got all of our money refunded.  That's a beautiful thing.