Travel Tips

Ski vacation guide: Three ski resort areas

Booking a ski vacation? The good news is you have tons of options. The bad news is it might be hard to decide where to go. Depending on where you live, your ski experience and who you’re traveling with, you’ll find some areas more appropriate than others. Use this quick guide to help decide.

Colorado
Colorado’s Aspen ski resorts are famous for being glamorous and challenging. This is where the rich and famous head to the slopes. If you’re an expert skier, Aspen is the perfect place to experience some unstructured, amazing slopes. Vail is Colorado’s other popular ski vacation area, with access to other sports like snowmobiling and dog sledding.

Vermont
Vermont offers charming resorts and quaint towns as well as a good mix of extremely challenging slopes and beginner-friendly slops. It’s one of the only areas in the United States with link-links to other resorts that saves you money on your ski vacation. Make this your destination if you’re also into dining and shopping at charming local stops.

The Southeast
The gentler mountains and slopes of North Carolina attract beginners and pros alike. Resorts like Sugar Mountain and Ski Beech bring families just teaching their little ones the basics of skiing and snowboarding. Thanks to great prices and nearby regions in Virginia and West Virginia, this area makes a perfect first time ski vacation destination.

Denver Hotels: Luxury Hot Spots

Whether you’re in Denver for art, food, sports or culture, you can spend the night in luxury at one of these incredible upscale Denver hotels. Splurge on the finest accommodations, views and amenities at one of these hot hotels:

Hotel Teatro: The Teatro opened a little over ten years ago and was recently fully renovated to the tune of over 1.5 million dollars. The boutique hotel is located near the areas top performing arts, sports and convention complexes. But it doesn’t feel like a convention area hotel or chain. The guest rooms are absolutely luxurious, with gentle gold and soft sage tones that inspire relaxation. Enjoy top of the line Aveda products in the guest bathrooms.

St. Julien Hotel and Spa: Located in Boulder, this hotel is a favorite of outdoorsy travelers looking for a zen-like atmosphere to chill out between hikes. The construction itself was meant to blend with and complement the surrounding nature. The guest rooms are decorated in pale colors with fine dark hardwoods. The arguably best feature is the amazing view of the local mountains.

Brown Palace Hotel and Spa: This hotel, Denver’s only four star and four diamond hotel, was recently named one of the Top 500 World’s Best Hotels. With guest rooms ranging from Art Deco to Victorian and a handful of fine dining venues right on property, this hotel is equipped to please a variety of travelers’ tastes. Business travelers prefer this hotel for the state of the art meeting and conference facilities.

Four Family-Friendly Activities in Baltimore

Baltimore hotels aren’t just for business travelers. Visit this energetic waterfront city with your family to enjoy some of these fun family-friendly attractions:

National Aquarium Baltimore: This active research and teaching aquarium hosts hundreds of types of marine wildlife, including reptiles and birds. Check out a giant Amazon River turtle, a dolphin in rehabilitation and some amazing invertebrates. Kids will love the variety of exhibits.

Port Discovery Children’s Museum: With exhibits and programs designed for children ages 2-10, this museum is the perfect spot to visit with young kids. It’s also a great way to get indoors when the weather isn’t ideal. Adults will love watching kids get wild in the huge KidWorks exhibit with rope bridges and slides.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore: Founded in 1876, this historic zoo features over 160 acres of animal habitats and exhibits. Key attractions include the Polar Bear habitat and the camel ride exhibit that gets adults and kids up close and personal with the beloved mammals.

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum: Got a kid who loves trains? This historic site offers train rides for only on dollar for children. The museum includes other family-friendly attractions including a wooden train play set and huge toy train exhibits. Don’t miss the original steam locomotive.

Wondering where to say? Try one of these family-friendly Baltimore hotels:

• Hilton Baltimore
• Baltimore Marriot Waterfront
• Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel

Packing for Florida Beach Vacations

Travelers heading to sunny Florida to hit the beach can save money by avoiding buying extra clothes and accessories while traveling. Here's what to pack for your Florida beach vacation.

Classy Cover-ups
Be prepared to transition from beach to mealtime in a hurry. To avoid wrangling the family through a lot of clothing changes and showers, make sure everyone has a nice cover-up to toss on for hitting outdoors restaurants.

Sandals
Pack sandals or water shoes for everyone in your party. Beach vacations, especially on big resort properties, involve a lot of walking and different terrains. You need lightweight, easy-to-rinse shoes to take you from the beach to your room.

Sun-protective Clothing and Sunscreen
If you're used to a different climate, you may be especially prone to sunburns. Keep you and your family safe with sun-protective clothing. Wear tight-knit, dark fabrics and invest in good hats and sun-protective bathing suits for the kids. Bring various types of sunscreen, including formulas for the face and waterproof formulas for the body.

Breezy Eveningwear
Don't pack anything too fancy. Beach vacations can be chic, but never stuffy. Try a lightweight maxi dress in a bold print. Pack lightweight khaki and light cotton colors for the men in your party.

Beach Toys
If you're driving to your beach vacation, save a little room for beach toys. You'll find better deals at your local stores than you will in tourist stands on the beach.