If we’re talking about great skiing destinations, I want to weigh in! Here are four of my faves:
Bachelor’s Gulch in Colorado
Bachelor’s Gulch is a “suburb” of Vail, which used to be the epitome of a great ski village.
But it got too big, so Beaver Creek was built. If you are going to Beaver Creek, stay in the Hyatt. Ski-in/ski-out—pretty darn nice. And Beaver Creek improved on many of Vail’s defects.
But perfection was achieved with Bachelor’s Gulch, which is a suburb of Beaver Creek.
Stay in or near to the Four Seasons Resort. The spa is amazing.
Outdoor pools and hot tubs are next to the outdoor fire pit, there’s live family-friendly entertainment and a bar. And the high-end restaurant in the hotel is owned by Wolfgang Puck; it’s the best restaurant in Colorado—hands down.
Not to miss: A sleigh ride to and from dinner at Beano’s Cabin. Maximum charm, great food. Make reservations many weeks in advance.
The skin-care products in the Four Seasons spa are organic and worth the trip just to purchase and use them for the following year.
Telluride in Colorado
First, a warning: Beware the altitude. The town is actually on two sides of one mountain and they are connected by a tram.
OK, with that out of the way, I can tell you about how great Telluride is for a Woman’s Trip. They sponsor “Women’s Week” several times during the year. You ski with a small group of women with comparable skills and a very empowering female ski instructor. They guarantee to make you a better skier—and they do.
There are also many full-group activities such as workouts, wine-and-cheese apres ski, spa time and a closing dinner.
Not to miss: Taking the tram to dinner. The town twinkles below as you snuggle beneath blankets provided by the tram operators.
Squaw Valley in California
What’s so great about Squaw Valley? It’s got a lower altitude than Colorado, it’s 30 minutes from Lake Tahoe, and then there’s that view of the lake from the top of the Squaw Creek run.
We recommend you stay at The Inn at Squaw Creek. Nice spa. Nice enough restaurants. The outdoor pools are too far to walk in the winter though.
Squaw Valley didn’t really exist until one man traveled to Europe to convince the International Olympic Committee to hold their Winter Games there. His bid was a long shot, but he charmed them. Then he had to quickly build the infrastructure.
Not to miss: The Olympic Village that is a tram ride above the town.
Boyne Highlands in Michigan
Family-friendly with European charm, this resort is smaller than those in Colorado but the amenities are almost as nice. It’s got a good restaurant, night skiing, outdoor pools and hot tubs. The best part, though, is the ski school. It’s run by Australian Olympians, who are great with kids and have wonderful manners.
Not to miss: Drive into Petoskey and Harbor Springs, Mich., for dinner.
