To Ski or Not to Ski

I spent some time in high school and college on the slopes, but not enough to fall in love with it. I think the snow is beautiful, but I'm not willing to spend a day going up and down a mountain. I have a lot of clients that love to ski and can't wait to head west for their winter vacation. Their pictures are beautiful and make me wonder if I didn't give skiing enough time!

It's actually become a lot easier to take the family on the winter ski trip. Condos are available so you don't have to eat out every meal. More and more vendors offer free lift tickets for kids with paying adults and some even offer free equipment rental for kids with a paying adults. These incentives are making the ski vacation for the family a better value. With the airlines charging for each bag, the equipment rental adds more value to the package. Ski schools are at all the resorts offering packages for all ages.  They want you to succeed and they want you to come back. It's a great time to get the entire family away from the electronics too. I don't thinking the average person is skiing down the mountain while updating their status on Facebook or sending out a Tweet. 

I live in Maryland. In the winter months the average high is about 42, the average low about 23. We average about 2' of snow in that same time period. Which really isn't bad compared to some places.  The key word is "average." After several weeks of wind, below freezing temperatures and sleet or freezing rain or snow, I am ready to head to the sun and warmth of Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico or Hawaii. I want to lay on the beach and soak up that sunshine. I need to feel the sun's rays all the way to my bones!

There are so many warm weather options. You can go to small boutique resorts, all inclusive resorts, private villas, condos, B & B's or just a regular hotel. You can stay on the beach or up in the hills. What ever you want, we can find it. There are always last minute deals for two, but families or groups need a little more planning time. There are many places in Mexico and the Caribbean that offer children 12 and under stay for free. Sometimes there are "eat, stay and play" promotions for kids. From the East Coast we have non stop or charter flights to Punta Cana, San Juan, Jamacia, and Mexico.

We really are lucky that we have so many airports (BWI, PHL, DCA & IAD) nearby. These give us the opportunity to choose the mountains or the beach, but also the best price!