Vacations Blog

The family spent the recent Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend at our Lake Tahoe North Shore compound in Dollar Point. We’d been promising the kids a trip up to the snow for about two years now but I’ve been hesitant to make the drive until I was reasonably sure it wouldn’t snow.

Let me explain.

We’re not really snow people in that we don’t ski or snowboard or take part in any other snow related activities short of building snowmen or sledding. The last time we went to Tahoe during the winter we nearly got snowed in. I couldn’t manage to get the chains on the car and had to be towed out of the Dollar Point development, much to my embarrassment. In short it was an exercise in frustration and one I vowed not to repeat. So when I say I would only make the drive if I was reasonably sure it wouldn’t snow I mean at least during the 48-hours we planned to be there.

As luck would have it the weather was on our side that weekend. The forecast was for clear skies and cold temperatures, which to my way of thinking is just about perfect, so go we did.  We arrived about 12:30 AM on Saturday to a freezing cold cabin and what appeared to be a broken furnace. The house was probably below 50 degrees, and remained so until the following morning when the heater inexplicably decided to begin working. I did not question it I simply enjoyed it, and left it on for the remainder of our visit lest it decide to stop working again.

But this is all background information that I’m sure does not interest you so let’s get to the activities.

The kids wanted to do some sledding so we drove to the summit of Mt. Rose. From Tahoe City it’s about a 45 minute drive on N. Tahoe Blvd (Hwy 28) to the Mt. Rose turn-off (Hwy 431). On the drive up Hwy 431 there are a couple of other places that are great for sledding as well. Don’t ask me exactly where, but they’re right on 431. You can’t miss them. Just look for the people sliding down the hillsides.

According to Wikipedia, Mt. Rose is “the highest point of the highway and the highest mountain pass open-year round in the Sierra Nevada.”  In other words, during the winter you’re very likely to find snow there, which we did. Unfortunately we also found a lot of other people there so we had to share the hillside, alas.  Never the less we spent about two hours having a great time nearly killing ourselves.

If skiing is more your bag there are more than twenty resorts in North Lake Tahoe to…enjoy your bag – including Squaw Valley, Sugar Bowl and North-Star, just to name three. Many of the ski resorts offer “sno-parks” for those of you with younger kids.

For lots more on Lake Tahoe winter activities check out Gold Country Best, with information on ice-skating, snowmobiling and even dog-sledding.

Of course we had to hit CB’s Pizza & Grill, our traditional Tahoe dining establishment.  While the pizza is good this time we opted for something other than pizza. CB’s offers a full array of burgers (the girl is a burger fanatic) and sandwiches, salads, pastas and appetizers.  A note of caution; don’t order the eggplant Parmesan.  My wife ordered it and it was basically a thick slab of tough eggplant covered in sauce and melted cheese. Eggplant Parmesan should be sliced thin, fried and then baked with all the accompanying goodies.  Live and learn.

It was a short trip; up late Friday night, home by Sunday evening. But that’s one of the great things about Tahoe. It’s only a 3-hour drive from most locations in the San Francisco Bay Area.  At 188 miles door to door, it’s a very doable weekend trip for us, and one we’re hoping to do again before the spring thaw.

You wouldn’t know it by looking in my back yard or at the snow covered streets and fields that surround my house, but Ohio does not receive adequate amounts of snowfall to accommodate a successful ski resort.  Enter Snow Trails in Mansfield, Ohio.

Snow Trails opened in 1961 (Ohio’s first ski resort) relying on the technology of snow making machines that first came into use in areas of the Catskill Mountains in New York.  The machines create a fine mist that when combined with the cold dry air creates snow.

How much snow?

Generally, when the air temperature is at 28 degrees the machines at Snow Trails can produce enough snow to cover 5 acres with 1″ of snow in 12 hours.  Triple that amount (15 acres) with just a 4 degree drop in the temperature.

All fine and dandy, you say, but just what does this mean to those of us in the Midwest who want to get out and ski?  Simply put,  Snow Trails in Mansfield offers quality skiing close to home.  It’s not necessary to spend exorbitant sums traveling to far away destinations when there is such good skiing in our own backyard.

Snow Trails offers several slopes for skiing as well as snow boarding from beginners to advanced.  Several lift tickets and rental options are available, each designed to accommodate your specific needs.  For the freestyle junkies there are several terrain parks built from scratch each season that are sure to suit your XTreme cravings.  The Terrainasaurus Park is a beginner park and open to all–no height or age restrictions.  The Salomon is for intermediates and the Sobe, voted in the Top Four terrain parks in the Midwest, for advanced.

Also, whether you are an accomplished skier that needs a brush up or a total newbie Snow Trails offers lessons to suit your individual skiing level.  And for the kiddies, several options are available.  The Cricketeer Program (ages 5-9) is an all day lesson, 9:30- 3:30,  that provides instruction in a fun and safe environment.  The $89 fee includes area ticket, equipment, helmet, snacks and lunch.  The Cricketot Program ($69 for ages 3-4) is an abbreviated version of the Cicketeer.  Children must be potty trained and able to follow simple instructions.

Snow Trails also offers a tubing area perfect for the entire family.  There are no age or height restrictions.  The tube chutes follow a gentle slope down the mountain with an extended run out to slow you down.  Repeat often!  Worried about that tiring trek back to the top?

No worries.  The tubing trail has easy access to a conveyor carpet that makes getting back to the top no harder than sitting down.

Snow Trails in Mansfield is the perfect family skiing destination and no doubt a sure cure for that nasty cabin fever that inevitably hits us all this time of year.  Hours of operation are weekdays 10:00 am – 9:30 pm (9:00 am Saturdays and Sundays).  The tubing park is open Monday through Thursday 5:00 pm – 9:30 pm, Fridays until midnight, and Saturdays 10:00 am – midnight (9:30 pm on Sundays.)

Take the Mansfield-Bellville exit (interchange 169) off of I-71 and look for Possum Run Road.  Snow Trails is located at 3100 Possum Run Road Mansfield, OH  44903.  There are several lodging options in the area.  Be sure to check the Snow Trails website for daily deals and discount coupons.

Photo credits:  Snow Trails Website, and Ed Lamaze

The chill of winter is settling upon us in America’s Heartland and already we are enjoying the sequela induced by cabin fever. That’s sarcasm, people. Anyone with children surely knows that whenever you sequester five energetic and bored children to the indoors for any extended period, come springtime you’ll be needing a handyman, or a general contractor. Thank the heavens for the Central Ohio Metro Park System.

Metro Parks operates 15 parks year round in seven Central Ohio counties. Educational and recreational opportunities abound for patrons of all ages and best of all, facilities and the programs are available free of charge. Thanks, voters. Don’t get the wrong idea about that statement. According to the park executive director, the Columbus (Franklin County) Metro Parks system has the largest land area, 23,500 acres, of any of the parks in Ohio but by far the lowest per resident expenditure (less than $20 a year per resident) and lowest tax millage. The Metro Parks system enables anyone to enjoy Ohio wildlife and nature year round.

What’s more enticing, is that the Metro Parks are conveniently located in you own backyard, there’s no need to travel far for a perfect wintertime getaway. And with literally hundreds of programs and activities scheduled this winter, you’re sure to find something to your liking.

Nature programs will teach young and old how the animals survive the cold Ohio winters. Twelve of the fifteen parks have designated pet trails. It’s not just Susie and Billie with cabin fever. Fido and Fluffy need to get out, too. There are over 140 miles of trails to explore. The annual Winter Hikes Series will be kicking off Saturdays in January and February. Guided or self-guided hikes are available with refreshments and for the hearty–a decorative patch if you complete at least seven of the thirteen scheduled hikes.

When conditions are favorable most of the parks have cross country skiing trails. Several others have excellent hills for sledding: Batelle Darby Creek, Blacklick Woods Golf Courses, Highbanks, Sharon Woods or Blendon Woods (kids only). Call the park office, 614-891-0700 to verify conditions are right. Batelle Darby Creek and Blendon Woods also offer skating ponds.

Diehard golfers will be happy to know that Blacklick Woods Golf Course is open year round. From November through March it’s not necessary to call for a tee time though you may want to call the pro shop and verify that the course is actually playable. 614-861-3193.

Don’t let the chill of winter keep you locked indoors. Now is the perfect time to get out and enjoy the wonder of nature. The cool air and serenity of a secluded trail can be invigorating.  Columbus’ Metro Parks offer the perfect wintertime escape and just what the doctor ordered for that nasty case of cabin fever.

Park hours are generally 6:30 am until dark. Click here for specifics. Photos: Ed Lamaze, and courtesy of Charmaine Gray, Diana Morse and Kim Leach via ParkScope Metro Parks Guide.

It’s common to be able to stand in one spot in Los Angeles and have a simultaneous view of the ocean and of snow-capped mountains.  ‘Tis the season for skiing and snowboarding, but for less physically ambitious powder lovers, the opportunity to frolick in the white stuff after just a short drive is too good to pass up.  The Big Bear and Mountain High areas are local favorites for a quick getaway to decent cold-weather sports and outdoor activities.

Now that we’re experiencing a cold snap and the Big Bear area is expected to receive 6-12 inches of snow, this seems to be the right time to check it out.  (First check the weather to make sure the big storms have passed and driving conditions are ideal.)  You can simply drive out to those areas, pull over to the side of the road where it looks safe and white, and play.

-Take 210 out to 30. Then you take 18 or 330 to Lake Arrowhead or Running Springs and Big Bear.  About 100 miles from LA, 2-3 hours.

-Drive up the Glendale Freeway and keep following Route 2 up into the mountains until you are in the snow. 45 minutes tops.

For more organized adventures, check out Mountain High Resort which offers snow tubing in addition to skiing and snowboarding, or Alpine Slide, home of the all-season tubing experience.  There are several smaller snow-play  resorts in the San Bernardino Mountains as well.

While you’re up in the mountains, if you and your kids are enjoying yourselves, this is the time to get them on skis and try it out.  After all, falling from a short height is a lot less painful, so maybe they will grow up actually looking forward to skiing, instead of hating it and avoiding it because they tried too late in life and spent the whole first lesson on their bums.  Not that I know anyone who did that.  For sore tushies, a visit to the animal park might be a nice respite and take the focus off the pain.