Orbitz Blog

Articles for ‘Ski Resorts’ Category

Our expert answers your top ski vacation questions

Saturday, February 6th, 2010
ski vacation

Pieter van Noordennen in Banff

We recently hosted a live chat on Orbitz’s Facebook page to help travelers plan their ski vacations. Away.com ski expert Pieter van Noordennen was on hand to field questions, and here are some of the highlights:

Pieter, four of my closest friends (all guys) and I are traveling from Atlanta to Breckenridge in February for our yearly Ski Adventure (ha). Neither of us are expert skiers or snowboarders, but I wonder, which peaks do you recommend for intermediate and below skiers? Thanks. –Yeavis M.

Yeavis, Breckenridge has a really good mix of easy, intermediate, and hard slopes, so you’ll be fine there. (more…)

Tags: ,
Posted in California Vacation, Europe Vacation, Family Travel, International Vacations, Nightlife, Ski Resorts, Sports Travel, Travel Tips | No Comments »

Top 10 ski vacation destinations for 2010

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

ski vacationsWhether you want to try a black-diamond run or just soak up the apres-ski scene, there’s a ski vacation for everyone, and the season is definitely here. If you need help deciding where to go, read on: Orbitz has identified the top 10 ski vacation destinations for 2010.

For the third year in a row, Lake Tahoe tops the list as the most popular ski vacation spot (based on Orbitz bookings from Oct. 1, to Dec. 31, 2009, for travel in 2010). Not surprisingly, Colorado reigns supreme as the most popular ski vacation state, with five cities on the list. And don’t worry, East Coasters, there’s a top pick in your neck of the woods, too. (more…)

Posted in Family Travel, Ski Resorts, Sports Travel, Top 10 Lists | No Comments »

Live chat with ski expert Thursday

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
Pieter van Noordennen in Banff

Pieter van Noordennen in Banff

Skiers and snowboarders, we’re hosting a live chat with Away.com’s Pieter van Noordennen tomorrow, Jan. 21, 2010, from 6 a.m.–12 p.m. ET on the Orbitz Facebook page.

Join the conversation and get expert advice on the best deals, resorts and hidden gems to help plan your ski vacations.

If you want to ask questions in advance, e-mail them to blog@orbitz.com.

Pieter, a former senior editor Skiing Magazine, learned to ski back East but has lived in Breckenridge, Boulder and Santa Fe. He has logged over 30 ski days a year for five years running, with recent trips to Jackson Hole, Banff, Revelstoke, Steamboat Springs and Lake Tahoe.

Posted in Ski Resorts | No Comments »

California ski vacation: see what’s new this season

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

ski vacationBy Lena Katz

If you think California only has one season, you are wrong, wrong, wrong. Nine months of the year the beach cities might get all the attention, but from December through February, it’s all about s-n-o-w. The ski vacation season is short, and ski resorts are in just a few areas — mainly Tahoe/Reno, Mammoth and Big Bear — but people make the most of it. And the resorts do their part with enhancements, additions and awesome new events every season. Here’s what’s noteworthy in 2010 at my favorite California ski resorts.

Lake Tahoe
Sugar Bowl, the unofficial People’s Choice ski resort, kicked off its 70th season with a lot of news, including the opening of the Backcountry Adventure Center and the debut of the Summit Chair quad lift accessing Judah Bowl. (more…)

Posted in California Vacation, Family Travel, Ski Resorts, Travel News | No Comments »

This weekend in Vail: ski vacation and a beer festival

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

ski vacation

Vail Cascade Resort & Spa

By PJ Hoberman

This weekend marks the 10th annual Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival in Vail, Colo. Beer festival combined with a ski vacation? Yes, please!

Beer lovers, geeks, connoisseurs and brewers from all over the country, and some from international locales, will converge at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa Jan. 7-9. Events range from homebrew competitions to brewmasters dinners, seminars to serving exams. (more…)

Posted in Food & Wine, Holidays & Events, Ski Resorts | No Comments »

Ski vacation: hit the slopes in Utah

Monday, December 28th, 2009

Ski vacationBy Kate Schwartz

Move over Colorado, Summit County isn’t the only amazing spot for a ski vacation. As snow begins to blanket the west, Utah is seeing a good amount of powder and an even better base. Most runs are open at Utah ski resorts, and ski enthusiasts are coming out of the woodwork. Whether you are a local looking to make first tracks before hitting the office, or a visitor taking advantage of some of the best terrain out West, a Utah ski vacation will not disappoint.

There are many stand-out ski resorts in Utah. Here are just a few of the most popular:

Alta: Alta is the one of the last ski-only resorts in the country. Committed to “preserving and protecting the skiing experience,” Alta is a great place for those who don’t want to share the slopes with boarders. (more…)

Posted in Family Travel, Ski Resorts, Sports Travel | No Comments »

Non-traditional family vacations: Skiing in the Southeast

Friday, September 25th, 2009

By Mark McCullough

Lynchburg, Va., perched in foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is known for its tobacco history and connection to the late Jerry Falwell, the outspoken evangelical leader and founder of Liberty University. What it is not known for is its skiing, but that is is all about to change. Liberty University has put Lynchburg on the map as the single venue for synthetic skiing/riding park in North America.

A border getting some air on the slopes

A border getting some air on the slopes

My family and I stumbled upon this on an end-of-summer getaway as were traveling through Lynchburg and the sun was setting on a beautiful August day. Just above the Liberty U. Campus is Candler Mountain, where there is a collection of hiking and biking trails frequented by students, and great vistas open up of the Peaks of Otter Lodge and the Blue Ridge Parkway. We drove up the mountain to catch the sunset and discovered a ski lodge to the likes of Colorado’s Beaver Creek or Utah’s Alta ski areas, complete with stone fireplaces, bear rugs and many big game trophies mounted on the exposed log walls. (more…)

Tags:
Posted in Family Travel, Orbitz Parent Panel, Ski Resorts, Sports Travel, Travel Tips | No Comments »

Ski school a valuable part of family vacations on the slopes

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Ski vacation

The writer's boys on the slopes.

By Donna Mulligan

Ask my husband and he will tell you. His favorite family vacation with the kids is spent on the ski slopes in Vermont.

Taking the kids on a ski vacation does involve some organization and planning. Staying warm and dressing in layers is essential. Chattering teeth and blue lips can cut an afternoon of skiing short, so it’s important to pack with staying warm in mind. Don’t forget multiple ski gloves, turtles, socks, thermals, snow suits and goggles. Always remember to stash a few tissues in the snow suit pockets for runny noses on the slopes. (more…)

Posted in Family Travel, Orbitz Parent Panel, Ski Resorts | No Comments »

Skiing, scenery in Banff and Lake Louise

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

By Vicky Alkhovsky

When looking for a good spring ski vacation destination, the Canadian Rockies quickly came to mind. I’d always wanted see Banff, so staying at Lake Louise and skiing nearby was the natural choice.

Though the traditional blues and greens of Lake Louise are spectacular, there is a grace and serenity to the quiet, snowy landscape visible from the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise at the base of the lake.

Sights along 1A in Banff National Park speak for themselves in the language of breathtaking beauty. Several inches of fresh snow enhanced every view. Check out my photos:


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Related Orbitz resources:

When Vicky Alkhovsky isn’t working as a software engineer at Orbitz, she’s off to find her next outdoor adventure.

Tags: ,
Posted in International Vacations, Photography, Ski Resorts, Sports Travel | No Comments »

Guidebook highlights a different kind of Colorado vacation

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

travel By Kate Schwartz

"Ramble Colorado" is not your typical guide book, and Eric Peterson is not your typical travel guide. As a Colorado native, Peterson sets out to do the unthinkable: dispel the notion that Colorado is a giant ski resort and re-energize the image of the state as a whole.

His travelogue is a unique combination of obscure facts, anecdotes and soundtrack recommendations, culminating in what is best described as a holistic approach to Colorado travel.

"Ramble Colorado" hinges on the theory that the best way to understand the essence of a community is to look no further than a local market, barber shop, or in Peterson’s case, a bar. Although the travelogue begins with one of the longest bar crawls in history, you soon understand the significance: If you truly want to understand the place, you must understand the people, and where better to make conversation than a bar?

(more…)

Tags:
Posted in Books, Ski Resorts, Sports Travel | No Comments »

« Older Entries