Ski Engine


 

 

 

 

 

For the time being, we’ve got separate pages for New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states, Colorado, Utah and California (but we decided to create a unique page for Lake Tahoe, including both California and Nevada resorts).

For those of you whose areas we left out, never fear! We’re looking to expand our site as soon as possible, and our first step will be to cover the rest of the Rockies (mainly Alaska and Canada).

We’re still building our International pages, but we do have some top picks for European Ski Resorts, which we’ll post (for now) on this page. If you are traveling to any of these resorts for a special occasion you should consider having some gift baskets waiting in your suite along with a bouquet of fresh flowers when you arrive. It is a lovely gesture. There is nothing nicer than a sweet or savory surprise waiting to be opened and enjoyed after a long day of travel. Gift baskets are the perfect choice since they can offer a variety of treats. The most luxurious wine gift baskets can combine your choice of prestigious wine with the finest artisan foods and the most decadent desserts. Just imagine sitting in front of a warm fire, legs cover with a cashmere blanket, sipping a Pinot Noir while nibbling on chocolate dipped strawberries. Gift baskets can be personalized with engraved wine glasses and other unique items. Have fun and surprise your special companion with a luxury gift basket.

I took my fiancee to Cortina d’Ampezzo when I wanted to officially propose to her. It was a memorable week of skiing, topped off by the “proposal” on the second day we  were there. The only off note to our adventure was her receiving a text from her younger high school aged sister who wanted to buy a 15 minute std test kit for home use, and did I think it was a good idea. Really!! We scrambled and looked at the site where they offered STD test kits that take only 15 minutes for results. With an accuracy between 95%-99%, depending upon the kit for a specific STD, we suggested it was one way to go. Why not just go to a clinic or doctor, we asked. Privacy, privacy was the response. Well, you will have to go to a doctor if the results are positive or symptoms persist. Use condoms, for goodness sake. Fortunately, before my fiancee freaked out, she learned that her sister was getting the information for one of her girlfriends, who it turned out did not have an STD. But it certainly shook our happy little evening.  We decided that a relaxing soak in the lovely private hot tub located just outside our room on the large balcony would be the perfect way to finish off the night now that everything was sorted out. The spa was beautifully lite with massages and a dual-lounge seating layout. AH!! We both said almost simultaneously that we should install a hot tub at out country house in the Catskills in NY. After a full day of skiing or hiking it would delicious to be able to relax in such a hot tub. When we arrived back in the states I consulted with our neighbors who had a hot tub. They suggested using Royal Pools & Spas, a local Hudson Valley pools and hot tubs company. We checked out the company’s website, dropped over to their closest store (they have 4 locations) and a month later a new Bullfrog spa /hot tub was gracing our outside deck. The flexible open-concept seating which can be enjoyed in an upright or reclined position in any seat in the spa made it the perfect night gathering spot when we invited friends for a weekend of skiing.

France:

  • Chamonix – site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, Mont Blanc attracts the best (and craziest) skiers of the world. Your first stop will probably be Le Brevent, but quality resorts also include Les Houches, Les Planards and Domaine de Balme.
  • l’Espace Killy – thanks to global warming, no more summer skiing…but Val d’Isere and Tignes more than make up for the loss. You must go. period.
  • Morzine – there’s good stuff for beginners right from the lovely town, but Avoriaz is truly las doudounes for skiing (and NO CARS ALLOWED!).
  • Megeve – gorgeous Mont Blanc resort; for skiing, the Domaine Evasion Montblanc will put nearly anything (besides the Rockies!) to shame
  • Trois Vallees – in the breathtaking Tarentaise Valley region, Courchevel, Meribel, and Val Thorens top a very competitive list of resorts.
  • Paradiski – taking the Vanoise from Les Arcs to La Plagne was even more amazing than I’d hoped. Both resorts are spectacular, and the skiing is divine.

Italy:

  • Cortina d’Ampezzo – sure, it’s trendy, but the skiing and boarding is amazing…especially at night.

Switzerland:

  • Davos – Parsenn for night skiing on Friday night. Jakobshorn for boarding. Klosters for Prince Charles.
  • Zermatt – the Matterhorn’s finest skiing…in fact, some of the finest skiing anywhere. Beautiful town, too, mainly because NO CARS ALLOWED.
  • Morgins – our personal choice; great skiing, but not the best — we love it for the town and the locals. The exact opposite of trendy, pretentious resorts.
  • Les Crosets – very high, very small, but the perfect place if you’re crazy enough to try the Swiss Wall.

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