New Hampshire has been welcoming visitors all winter long and still has great events to catch before the end of the season. All throughout March, Charmingfare Farm is bringing the The Maple Express, a horse drawn carriage ride, for maple tree tapping, authentic sugar shack tours and taste testing (Tickets $19). If you can’t make it out to Hawaii, The Pats Peak Ski Area is bringing the 26th Hawaiian Weekend Celebration March 11-12 bringing the tropics to the winter (Admission is $20 plus lift ticket or season pass). If you need something more extreme, consider Granite Gorge’s seventh annual Motor Mayhem March 18-19, where mega trucks race side-by-side up the BB trail and snowmobiles race up the Main Street Trail reaching speeds over 100 miles per hour (More info here).

Exploring a partially frozen waterfall along the Crawford Trail

BRETTON WOODS, NH – (Day 2 of 4) — Do you know the difference between a spruce and a balsam tree?

We’re hiking in the snow—micro crampons on our feet on the Crawford Trail in New Hampshire, with a guide from the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highlands Center.

In case you are wondering, the needles on the spruce are spikey–thus “spikey spruce” and the needles on the balsam are soft (“friendly fir”!).

It is two days before Christmas and we couldn’t’ be farther from a mall. That’s why so many families have opted to make a trip to Highland Center a Christmas Tradition—or a Christmas gift.

“Our investment counselor told us the kids won’t remember how much money we give them but will remember what we do with them,” said Cynthia Dunbar, here with her husband Mark and their two grown daughters and sons in law from Massachusetts.

“Great Christmas gift,” said their 24 year old daughter Shayla—the gift includes spa treatments at the nearby Mt Washington Hotel.

The Crawford Trail, which we learn is the longest continually used trail in the entire country—since 1819–is beautiful—icy waterfalls,  no one else in site. “It was amazing,” said 14 year old Enesi Domi. “You don’t get to see a frozen waterfall every day!”

When we got back from the 2-mile hike, the kids were decorating Christmas cookies.

A young snowshoer examines a friendly fir tree

“There is such a nice festive spirit we all enjoy but not at all commercial,” said Suzanne Siner, here with her three young kids from suburban Boston.   “I love it because the kids can be independent…they’ve made friends here in past years and we all get a vacation.

She added that the shared bathrooms and communal meals just ads to the ambiance.  “Like a college dorm for families,” she said.

Ellen Marquesee was along on the snowshoe with two of  her three daughters.  Did I mention that we can borrow everything we need? From an extra layer to the micro spikes that made hiking on the snow packed trail a breeze to hiking poles and boots for the kids.

“This is much more our style,” said Ellen Marquesee, who said they were inspired to come in winter because they had brought their youngest daughter here last summer and all had such a good time.  The hike-their first winter hike—“Was a blast!”

 After the cookie decorating and hot chocolate, we decamp down the road for an entire different kind of experience—at the historic and huge Omni Mount Washington Resort that has been a fixture here since 1902 at the base of Mount Washington  and surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest and Bretton Woods, NH’s largest ski area.

The Omni Mount Washington Hotel at sunset under a full moon on Christmas Eve

BRETTON WOODS, NH (Day 3 of 4) — For some families, it is a new tradition; for others it is one they have cherished for years.—they are celebrating the season and the holidays away from home

One mom from Boston said she and her extended family have been gathering here at the last of the New Hampshire grand hotels—the Omni Mount Washington Resort (there once were 22 big hotels here at the base of Mount Washington) for the last five years.  “It’s great you spend the time with the kids instead of running around shopping.”

“It totally de-stresses the holiday. I don’t have to cook or clean!”  It couldn’t be prettier either—mountains, snow, the big white hotel and not a mall in site.

For Billy Preti and his family, the trip to the Mount Washington Resort was a way to celebrate the holiday without being sad that his father in law had died.  “No one wanted to be home this year,” he said.  Instead, today he and his nephew were zip lining while his son and brother in law were skiing and the women were at the spa.  “It’s a different Christmas,” he said smiling.

And for Lorel Troy, who is from Southern California, it was a way to spend the holidays with her Boston-based son who didn’t have enough time off from work to join the rest of the family in California.  “This is much better than sitting around the house while they watch football,” she said of her first visit to this area.  “Everyone is having a good time.” 

Certainly there is plenty to do at this historic resort—from NH largest ski area, plenty of groomed cross country and snow shoe trails, dog sledding, sleigh rides and indoor and outdoor pool and gargantuan spa where my daughter and I indulged in blissful massages yesterday. (Loved the spa’s outdoor hot tub too.)

There are plenty of activities for the kids (candy bar bingo anyone?, music scavenger hunts movies and for the adults (wine tasting anyone? Or afternoon tea).

There is even the opportunity to go dog sledding, thanks to the teams  from www.dogsledNH.com   “It is really something when you see that this experience made someone’s day,” said Larry Perry, who took us on a 20-minute ride with a team that included brothers Gonzo and Poncho, Hara, Jill, Dixie, Lefty Miller and Corona. (It’s also possible to take a longer ride too).

Poncho and Gonzo the sled dog brothers

The dogs were so enthusiastic—and happy to be running in the snow—that we couldn’t help but be enthusiastic too.  We learned they are all rescue dogs who have come from as far away as Canada.  The brothers Gonzo and Poncho are special – Gonzo is totally blind but runs beside his brother who acts as his “seeing-eye dog.” 

It does feel like a kinder, gentler time here but the reality is, the hotel wasn’t open in the winter until 2000.  It is the last of the 22 great hotels that flourished here in the early years of the 20^th Century when wealthy New Yorkers and Bostonians would come up for the entire summer.

Today on Christmas Eve, the lobby is decorated to the hilt and families are relaxing in front of the fire and posing for pictures in front of the trees—there are several.  Luggage carts are piled with gifts.

There’s an indoor climbing pool, indoor and outdoor pools, even a historic hotel tour, the chance to make your own snowflakes or pet rocks.  There’s even the opportunity to have elves tuck in the kids (for a fee of $30 and read The Night Before Christmas.  There’s holiday movies and holiday music and the chance to dress up for dinner in the main dining room or enjoy a steak in the more casual Stickney’s, named for the original owner (we especially loved the lobster mac and cheese.)

At the ski area, families are congratulating themselves on escaping the holiday craziness at home. .  “Being here is our gift,” said Miriam Fein-Cole, who is from Lexington MA.  “It’s nice family time.”

Lori and Keith Jameson and their 11 year old son Justin said they just wanted to escape the chaos that is the holidays for a few days.  “It’s the first time we did this,” said Lori Keith.  “I’m so glad not to rush.

Next year we’re going to do it again—and stay longer.”

Exploring a partially frozen waterfall along the Crawford Trail

BRETTON WOODS, NH – (Day 2 of 4) — Do you know the difference between a spruce and a balsam tree?

We’re hiking in the snow—micro crampons on our feet on the Crawford Trail in New Hampshire, with a guide from the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highlands Center.

In case you are wondering, the needles on the spruce are spikey–thus “spikey spruce” and the needles on the balsam are soft (“friendly fir”!).

It is two days before Christmas and we couldn’t’ be farther from a mall. That’s why so many families have opted to make a trip to Highland Center a Christmas Tradition—or a Christmas gift.

“Our investment counselor told us the kids won’t remember how much money we give them but will remember what we do with them,” said Cynthia Dunbar, here with her husband Mark and their two grown daughters and sons in law from Massachusetts.

“Great Christmas gift,” said their 24 year old daughter Shayla—the gift includes spa treatments at the nearby Mt Washington Hotel.

The Crawford Trail, which we learn is the longest continually used trail in the entire country—since 1819–is beautiful—icy waterfalls,  no one else in site. “It was amazing,” said 14 year old Enesi Domi. “You don’t get to see a frozen waterfall every day!”

When we got back from the 2-mile hike, the kids were decorating Christmas cookies.

A young snowshoer examines a friendly fir tree

“There is such a nice festive spirit we all enjoy but not at all commercial,” said Suzanne Siner, here with her three young kids from suburban Boston.   “I love it because the kids can be independent…they’ve made friends here in past years and we all get a vacation.

She added that the shared bathrooms and communal meals just ads to the ambiance.  “Like a college dorm for families,” she said.

Ellen Marquesee was along on the snowshoe with two of  her three daughters.  Did I mention that we can borrow everything we need? From an extra layer to the micro spikes that made hiking on the snow packed trail a breeze to hiking poles and boots for the kids.

“This is much more our style,” said Ellen Marquesee, who said they were inspired to come in winter because they had brought their youngest daughter here last summer and all had such a good time.  The hike-their first winter hike—“Was a blast!”

 After the cookie decorating and hot chocolate, we decamp down the road for an entire different kind of experience—at the historic and huge Omni Mount Washington Resort that has been a fixture here since 1902 at the base of Mount Washington  and surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest and Bretton Woods, NH’s largest ski area.

The Omni Mount Washington Hotel at sunset under a full moon on Christmas Eve

BRETTON WOODS, NH (Day 3 of 4) — For some families, it is a new tradition; for others it is one they have cherished for years.—they are celebrating the season and the holidays away from home

One mom from Boston said she and her extended family have been gathering here at the last of the New Hampshire grand hotels—the Omni Mount Washington Resort (there once were 22 big hotels here at the base of Mount Washington) for the last five years.  “It’s great you spend the time with the kids instead of running around shopping.”

“It totally de-stresses the holiday. I don’t have to cook or clean!”  It couldn’t be prettier either—mountains, snow, the big white hotel and not a mall in site.

For Billy Preti and his family, the trip to the Mount Washington Resort was a way to celebrate the holiday without being sad that his father in law had died.  “No one wanted to be home this year,” he said.  Instead, today he and his nephew were zip lining while his son and brother in law were skiing and the women were at the spa.  “It’s a different Christmas,” he said smiling.

And for Lorel Troy, who is from Southern California, it was a way to spend the holidays with her Boston-based son who didn’t have enough time off from work to join the rest of the family in California.  “This is much better than sitting around the house while they watch football,” she said of her first visit to this area.  “Everyone is having a good time.” 

Certainly there is plenty to do at this historic resort—from NH largest ski area, plenty of groomed cross country and snow shoe trails, dog sledding, sleigh rides and indoor and outdoor pool and gargantuan spa where my daughter and I indulged in blissful massages yesterday. (Loved the spa’s outdoor hot tub too.)

There are plenty of activities for the kids (candy bar bingo anyone?, music scavenger hunts movies and for the adults (wine tasting anyone? Or afternoon tea).

There is even the opportunity to go dog sledding, thanks to the teams  from www.dogsledNH.com   “It is really something when you see that this experience made someone’s day,” said Larry Perry, who took us on a 20-minute ride with a team that included brothers Gonzo and Poncho, Hara, Jill, Dixie, Lefty Miller and Corona. (It’s also possible to take a longer ride too).

Poncho and Gonzo the sled dog brothers

The dogs were so enthusiastic—and happy to be running in the snow—that we couldn’t help but be enthusiastic too.  We learned they are all rescue dogs who have come from as far away as Canada.  The brothers Gonzo and Poncho are special – Gonzo is totally blind but runs beside his brother who acts as his “seeing-eye dog.” 

It does feel like a kinder, gentler time here but the reality is, the hotel wasn’t open in the winter until 2000.  It is the last of the 22 great hotels that flourished here in the early years of the 20^th Century when wealthy New Yorkers and Bostonians would come up for the entire summer.

Today on Christmas Eve, the lobby is decorated to the hilt and families are relaxing in front of the fire and posing for pictures in front of the trees—there are several.  Luggage carts are piled with gifts.

There’s an indoor climbing pool, indoor and outdoor pools, even a historic hotel tour, the chance to make your own snowflakes or pet rocks.  There’s even the opportunity to have elves tuck in the kids (for a fee of $30 and read The Night Before Christmas.  There’s holiday movies and holiday music and the chance to dress up for dinner in the main dining room or enjoy a steak in the more casual Stickney’s, named for the original owner (we especially loved the lobster mac and cheese.)

At the ski area, families are congratulating themselves on escaping the holiday craziness at home. .  “Being here is our gift,” said Miriam Fein-Cole, who is from Lexington MA.  “It’s nice family time.”

Lori and Keith Jameson and their 11 year old son Justin said they just wanted to escape the chaos that is the holidays for a few days.  “It’s the first time we did this,” said Lori Keith.  “I’m so glad not to rush.

Next year we’re going to do it again—and stay longer.”

Enesi on the zipline at Bretton Woods Canopy Tour

By Andy Yemma

 BRETTON  WOODS, NH (Day 4 of 4)  – “Just sit down in the harness and roll to your right,” our guides tell us.  Of course when you’re rolling to your right you are rolling right off the edge of a wooden platform attached to a white pine tree – 80 feet up in the air.  Welcome to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Bretton Woods Ski Area Canopy Tour.

 This is  a combination of nine progressively thrilling zip line rides, two hikes across suspension bridges way up in the trees, and a couple of incredible rappelling experiences.  It was the latter that really tested our mettle.

 I was with my daughter Melanie, 21, an accomplished outdoors-woman, skier and adventurer, and Enesi Domi, 14, our new friend who we got to know through the Fresh Air Fund whose family immigrated to the Bronx in 2010.  Melanie had done zip lining and rappelling before, as had I, though never at these heights and distances.  For Enesi this was a truly unique experience.

 After Melanie and Enesi successfully conquered their mental challenges of rolling off a perfectly good platform and rappelling 80 feet to the ground, I asked our guide:  “is there another way down?”

 “Not really unless you want to jump, but I wouldn’t recommend that,” he said.  ‘Just relax and grip the rope and let it out gently,” he said.

 “What if I lose my grip on the rope or it slips too much?” I asked again, with trepidation.

 “Mike (the other guide) has your ‘belay’ at the bottom.  He has complete control of the equipment.  Even if you let go completely, he would get you down safely.”

 I took a deep breath and decided it was not or never. I had tried this once before, in the Blue Mountains (actually canyons) or Australia in 2005.   On one particularly steep cliff I let my fear get the best of me and I chickened out.  Not this time I said, rolling to the right and, amazingly, not falling into the oblivion.

 I gripped my rope with my right hand and let my left hand slide down under my rear end, “for that magazine look” as the guides said.  I slowly let my grips loose and, incredibly, I just let gravity take over and rode down nice and slowly.  When I got to the bottom , Melanie and Enesi gave me high fives and “nice jobs. 

The zip lines were thrilling and not nearly as difficult to master.  Several of them were more than 100 feet in the air, the highest platform being 145 feet and the longest run 829 feet.   The two suspension bridges are 50 feet off the ground and 150 feet long each. 

The entire course is on the slopes of the Bretton Woods Ski Area, New Hampshire’s largest near the base of famous Mount Washington.   We were staying at the nearby historic Mount Washington Hotel, operated by Omni Resorts and Hotels.

You need to be 12 years or older to try this course and the price is $99 per person ($89 for Mount Washington Hotel guests).  But that includes a lift ticket to the ski area for the day, a good deal.  Even without the lift ticket bonus I would say it was worth the 2.5 hour experience, which we’ll be remembering and talking about for years.

“At first people are skeptical about the money but when they come back they tell us we don’t charge enough,” said Heather McKendry who manages the canopy tours.  To do this in winter is a unique experience—first hiking a half mile off the ski trails to the first zip lines.

“You are pushed outside your comfort zone and you have a real sense of accomplishment at the end,” McHendry said.   “What is really neat is there is a high perception of risk because most people haven’t done this before but  the risk is really low and it is set up for success.”

Amen Heather.

Poncho and Gonzo the sled dog brothers

By Eileen Ogintz
Tribune Media Services

If only all young brothers could be like Poncho and Gonzo on family trips to the snow. They never fight or bicker, and couldn’t be kinder to each other on the road.

Of course, it helps that this duo are sled dogs, rescue pups, in fact, that are part of a team from Dogsled New Hampshire that lead us on a spirited ride in the snow at the historic Omni Mount Washington Resort at the base of New England’s tallest peak. Gonzo has been totally blind since he was a pup, and Poncho helps him on the sled team and off, their handlers say. You can’t help but fall in love with these two energetic fellows.

Dog sledding, is just one of the ways you might not have thought of to have fun in the snow here in New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Valley that includes 27 towns surrounding Mount Washington, the pinnacle of the 6,288-foot White Mountains, widely considered one of the country’s most affordable ski destinations. Bretton Woods, part of the Mount Washington Resort, is New Hampshire’s largest snow sports area. Nearby is the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highland Center, which families liken to “a college dorm for families” with communal meals, bathrooms and activities indoors and out.

No worries if you don’t downhill ski or snowboard. There are still plenty of options for fun in the snow, here and around the country — inside (spa anyone? Climbing wall?), as well as outside from alpine coasters (try Jiminy Peak in Vermont or Park City Mountain Resort in Utah). There are ice castles (Keystone Resort in Colorado) and even an Ice Age Discovery Center  in Snowmass, Colo., near the site of one of the world’s largest Mastodon fossil finds. For more options, check out our Fun in the Snow section.

There are plenty of programs for those with physical and mental challenges too. (Check out the National Ability Center in Park City, the National Sports Center for the Disabled, at Winter Park, Colo., Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports) or here at Bretton Woods.)

Here in New Hampshire, the big, white 200-room Omni Mt. Washington Resort has been a fixture since 1902 when wealthy families would come by train from New York and Boston for the entire summer. (The resort has only been open in the winter since 2000.) I can’t think of a better place for a scavenger hunt — or to turn cartwheels — than in the cavernous lobby where you can cozy up in front of a roaring fire, sip a hot chocolate, play checkers or read a story. We saw families doing all that and more when we visited recently. “We’re just relaxing,” said Cathy Cormier, here for a few days with her family from Massachusetts. There is also a 50-room lodge and 70 townhomes, some with five bedrooms, for rent, as well as the recently renovated 34-room Bretton Arms Inn, built in 1896 and used as a home at one point by Joseph Stickney, who built the Mount Washington Hotel.

In recent years, the resort has undergone a $70 million renovation, including the 25,000-square-foot spa. (Look for great deals in January: Receive two complimentary lift tickets per room, per night. Rates range from $209 per night, based on double occupancy.)

Amuse the kids — and yourselves with everything from 21^st-century mini snowmobiles to rides in an old-fashioned horse-driven sleigh, tubing and indoor and outdoor (heated) pools. Weather permitting, there are back-country custom adventures (ready to go ice climbing or back-country skiing?)

Enesi on the zipline at Bretton Woods Canopy Tour

If the kids are 12, how about a three-hour canopy tour in the snow that includes not only nine zip lines (the longest is more than 800 feet and 145 feet above the ground!) but also three rappels and two sky bridges.

“People have such a sense of accomplishment when they are through,” said Heather McKendry, who oversees the program. Most people, she added, don’t realize you can even zip line in the winter (do it here for $99 and they throw in a free lift ticket). Have you ever tried zip lining in the snow 145 feet above the ground?

My family, along with 14-year-old Enesi Domi, a young friend of ours who lives in the Bronx, certainly thought it was the highlight of our recent weekend in the Mt. Washington Valley. The rappelling, including one that required a 70-foot descent, my husband reported afterward, “was what really tested our mettle.”

A young snowshoer examines a friendly fir tree

There’s also the chance to introduce the kids to snowshoeing or cross-country skiing — there are 100 kilometers of trails, half of which are in the White Mountain National Forest. The trails connect with the Bretton Woods alpine area to the west and the Appalachian Mountain Club to the east.

We spent part of our time in the Mt. Washington Valley at the Appalachian Mountain Club. (Read more about our visit there in my travel diary.) and joined a morning guided hike in the snow to a waterfall — micro crampons on our feet on the Crawford Trail, the oldest continuously used trail in the country.

Did I mention that you can borrow whatever gear you need — crampons, snowshoes, an extra layer, snow pants or boots for the kids and even carriers for toddlers — thanks to a partnership with L.L. Bean and the Appalachian Mountain Club? That’s no small thing when you don’t own any winter gear, said Diane Kane, visiting with her husband and two sons from Florida who were especially enthusiastic about the night snowball fights and making “snow cream,” ice cream made from snow.

“We never get to see snow at home,” said 9-year-old Ryland Cane. “I really like the snow!”

Us too.

© 2013 EILEEN OGINTZ, DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

At the Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado

By Eileen Ogintz

Tribune Content Agency

Got your crampons?

No worries if you don’t. You can borrow what you need at the Appalachian Mountain Club Highland Center in New Hampshire, including snow pants and extra layers, snowshoes, hiking poles and waterproof pants, all at no charge.

It may be Christmas week, but we’re as far from a mall and city crowds as we can get. We’re hiking the Crawford Trail, the longest continually used trail in the country, snow crunching under our feet as we make our way past a frozen waterfall and snow-covered fir trees. The mini crampons on our feet make hiking over the icy snow a lot easier. When we get back, there’s hot chocolate by a blazing fire while the kids busy themselves by decorating Christmas cookies.

It’s no surprise that families make a holiday tradition — or a holiday gift — to visit here in winter. That you may need to share bathrooms and communal tables at meals seems to add to the fun.

“Like a college dorm for families,” said one mom I met.

We’ve taken our kids to play in the snow at ski resorts since they were preschoolers, often at the holidays, and still try to meet up somewhere during ski season. You can’t beat skiing with Santa, historic mountain towns like Stowe, Vermont and Park City, Utah, all decorated to the hilt, torchlight parades and fireworks over the mountains New Year’s Eve (like at Snowmass, Colo.) or a sleigh ride to a special dinner at a mountain cabin (like Uley’s Cabin mid-mountain at Crested Butte.)

These days, there are more opportunities than ever to have fun in the snow off the slopes, whether you are in New Hampshire, Maine or Vermont, Colorado or Utah, which is a good thing, given that you never know what conditions will be for skiing and snowboarding and you may not want to pay the expensive freight for daily lift tickets, which can be over $100 a day. (Check out our Fun in the Snow section.)

Whatever the conditions, there’s something to be said for getting away from the crowds for a few days where it’s beautiful and peaceful and the air is fresh. Let’s not forget the outdoor heated pools and hot tubs and the ever more expansive spas where you can get a massage after all that exercise!

We went horseback riding on packed-down trails in the snow at Vista Verde Guest Ranch outside of Steamboat Springs, Colo., where we also had plenty of options to snowshoe and cross-country ski, even go out on a big sleigh with the wranglers to feed the horses. I loved that the meals — for humans — were included, so I didn’t have to worry about grocery shopping, cooking or cleaning up. Nice!

There are plenty of opportunities for fun in the snow for those with physical and mental challenges too. (Check out the National Ability Center in Park City, the National Sports Center for the Disabled at Winter Park, Colo., and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports.)

If you are an adrenaline junkie or just looking for an adventure to share with your tween or teen, how about zip-lining through the snow-covered trees 80 feet up in the air? We tried that the same holiday trip at the Bretton Woods Ski Area Canopy Tour, which offers nine zip lines, two hikes across suspension bridges in the trees and rappelling. You now can find winter zip line adventures across the country — from ArborTrek outside of Stowe in Smugglers’ Notch, Vermont, to Big Sky, Montana. There are plenty of opportunities for snowmobiling too.

Ziplining at Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont

Quebec City hosts a big winter carnival (this year at the end of January) with huge ice sculptures.

Let’s not forget the chance to see wildlife — like on a horse-drawn sleigh tour into the heart of the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a winter habitat and preserve for thousands of elk in the Jackson elk herd. You might also see bison, bighorn sheep, moose, bald eagles and more.

Or why not head out dogsledding over bumps and curbs trailing a team of huskies at the YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch near Estes Park, Colorado? At places like the YMCA of the Rockies you can enjoy winter sports, including free ice skating and tubing, without an expensive lift ticket. You’ve even got the chance to explore Rocky Mountain National Park with park rangers who offer free guided snowshoe hikes.

There’s nothing like tubing down a slick, snow-covered hill after the sun goes down. At Adventure Ridge at Vail, you can also play with ski bikes, race side-by-side down tubing lanes, watch the kids snowmobile on specially crafted mini-snowmobiles or head out on a guided snowshoe tour with a naturalist.

When was the last time you played in a giant snow fort? You’ll find the Kidtopia Snow Fort, complete with hidden tunnels and a snow maze, at the top of the gondola at Keystone Resort where you’ll find free Kidtopia events every week, from parades to fireworks. Every Friday night, Aspen Snowmass honors the Norse God of Snow Ullr with a big kid-friendly party atop Snowmass Mountain with ice skating, tubing, s’mores by a big bonfire and music.

I’ve snowshoed in blizzards and on one memorable bluebird day in the sunshine at nearly 12,000 feet above ski level at Keystone Resort, taking in amazing views of the Rockies. Once, we even snowshoed through a ghost town outside of Aspen where we finished with a gourmet lunch at Pine Creek Cookhouse. It’s an easy — and inexpensive — way to get everyone outdoors together. Young kids can snowshoe; so can seniors. Parents snowshoe with babies in a back carrier. At Northstar in Lake Tahoe, there are special evening stargazing snowshoe treks.

Just make sure to pack your long johns!

(If you are heading to Colorado for some fun in the snow, check out Eileen’s Kid’s Guide to Denver, Boulder and Colorado Ski Country. Follow @TakingtheKids at Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.)

© 2015 EILEEN OGINTZ
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

Appalachian Mountain Club is always suggesting to go out and grab a breath of fresh air. Whether it’s going out for a bike ride, going for a swim or taking a hike, AMC’s trails and surrounding waters are the perfect place to go. However, sometimes you need to take a break, and AMC is suggesting to read a book. AMC Books announced the publication of Chasing Summits: In Pursuit of High Places and an Unconventional Life. The book is available for purchase.

Things will be popping at Waterville Valley Resort in New Hampshire during the weekend after Thanksgiving.  There are things to do for everyone from the 4^th Annual Cold Turkey Plunge, to a visit from Santa on a dogsled. And don’t forget to pick up a Christmas tree. The fun begins with a Welcome Back to Winter Party on Friday, Nov. 25, to kick off the winter sports season at Waterville Valley Resort. This free reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Conference Center includes appetizers, drinks, and desserts. The next day, Nov. 26, at 1 p.m. join the Cold Turkey Plunge, a swim in the icy waters of Corcoran Pond. This fundraising event benefits the Waterville Valley Adaptive Sports program, which provides athletic opportunities for persons with cognitive and physical disabilities. At 3:30 p.m. Santa and his elves will ride into Waterville Valley pulled by a team of sled dogs from The Valley Snowdogz. Finally, be sure to stay for the tree lighting ceremony at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Square, followed by a spectacular fireworks display over Corcoran Pond. Local hotels have lots of deals, including a  “Cut your own Christmas Tree” package at the Black Bear lodge in partnership with the Rocks Estate.

For more information on the Cold Turkey Plunge and the Waterville Valley Adaptive Sports Program, visit www.watervilleadaptive.com.

This daily tip is sponsored by Waterville Valley Resort.

Omni Hotels & Resorts is bringing big holiday events for the family across the country! The Omni Grove Park Inn (North Carolina) is holding their 24^th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition on Nov. 21, 2016 with the winning creations on display from Nov. 27, 2016, to Jan. 5, 2017. Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa (Texas) brings Holiday Lights & Ice, a 4,000-square-foot ice rink opening Dec. 16 for locals to ski. Omni La Costa Resort & Spa (California) brings their 3rd annual Gingerbread Festival, showcasing displays from Nov. 26, 2016 to Dec. 30, 2016, starting with holiday cookie decorating and a tree lighting. The Omni Homestead Resort (Vermont) brings the New Year’s Eve Family Merry Masquerade ball, guests’ stays will be filled with magical memories.  Omni Berkshire Place (New York) offers the Bloomingdale’s Shopping Experience to ease your holiday shopping worries. Omni Mount Washington Resort (New Hampshire) offers the classic winter experience with skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and ice skating.

New Hampshire has been welcoming visitors all winter long and still has great events to catch before the end of the season. All throughout March, Charmingfare Farm is bringing the The Maple Express, a horse drawn carriage ride, for maple tree tapping, authentic sugar shack tours and taste testing (Tickets $19). If you can’t make it out to Hawaii, The Pats Peak Ski Area is bringing the 26th Hawaiian Weekend Celebration March 11-12 bringing the tropics to the winter (Admission is $20 plus lift ticket or season pass). If you need something more extreme, consider Granite Gorge’s seventh annual Motor Mayhem March 18-19, where mega trucks race side-by-side up the BB trail and snowmobiles race up the Main Street Trail reaching speeds over 100 miles per hour (More info here).

Animal lovers can come face-to-face with New Hampshire wildlife with live animal encounters presented by expert naturalists on Sundays and select Mondays this summer and fall. Located at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Town Square, these presentations will capture the attention of the whole family, teaching everyone something new about New Hampshire animals. Discover the reasons behind strange animal habits with the presentation “Animal Encounter Series: Why Do Animals Do That?” featured on Sunday, August 20. The following Sunday, August 27, families can learn all about local New Hampshire animals and how they’ve adapted to thrive there. These inspiring hour-long animal encounters are a fun free way to get the family together on a Sunday morning.

Fall is the time when nature is arguably at its prettiest, so the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is offering an end of summer sale! The sale includes 50% stays in huts anytime October 10th -12th or 15th-19th (details). For new members, you can sign up now and save $25 from a 2-night stay in any AMC lodge or hut in New Hampshire before October 21st (before full-service season ends). If you have not experienced AMC before, consider joining one of their AMC Welcome Weekends being held in October, November and December. If you have experienced AMC or enjoy your experience this fall, know that reservations are open for the 2018 season! For any questions, feel free to reach out to AMC at (617) 523-0636.

Exploring a partially frozen waterfall along the Crawford Trail

BRETTON WOODS, NH – (Day 2 of 4) — Do you know the difference between a spruce and a balsam tree?

We’re hiking in the snow—micro crampons on our feet on the Crawford Trail in New Hampshire, with a guide from the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highlands Center.

In case you are wondering, the needles on the spruce are spikey–thus “spikey spruce” and the needles on the balsam are soft (“friendly fir”!).

It is two days before Christmas and we couldn’t’ be farther from a mall. That’s why so many families have opted to make a trip to Highland Center a Christmas Tradition—or a Christmas gift.

“Our investment counselor told us the kids won’t remember how much money we give them but will remember what we do with them,” said Cynthia Dunbar, here with her husband Mark and their two grown daughters and sons in law from Massachusetts.

“Great Christmas gift,” said their 24 year old daughter Shayla—the gift includes spa treatments at the nearby Mt Washington Hotel.

The Crawford Trail, which we learn is the longest continually used trail in the entire country—since 1819–is beautiful—icy waterfalls,  no one else in site. “It was amazing,” said 14 year old Enesi Domi. “You don’t get to see a frozen waterfall every day!”

When we got back from the 2-mile hike, the kids were decorating Christmas cookies.

A young snowshoer examines a friendly fir tree

“There is such a nice festive spirit we all enjoy but not at all commercial,” said Suzanne Siner, here with her three young kids from suburban Boston.   “I love it because the kids can be independent…they’ve made friends here in past years and we all get a vacation.

She added that the shared bathrooms and communal meals just ads to the ambiance.  “Like a college dorm for families,” she said.

Ellen Marquesee was along on the snowshoe with two of  her three daughters.  Did I mention that we can borrow everything we need? From an extra layer to the micro spikes that made hiking on the snow packed trail a breeze to hiking poles and boots for the kids.

“This is much more our style,” said Ellen Marquesee, who said they were inspired to come in winter because they had brought their youngest daughter here last summer and all had such a good time.  The hike-their first winter hike—“Was a blast!”

 After the cookie decorating and hot chocolate, we decamp down the road for an entire different kind of experience—at the historic and huge Omni Mount Washington Resort that has been a fixture here since 1902 at the base of Mount Washington  and surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest and Bretton Woods, NH’s largest ski area.

The gingerbread collection inside the AMC Highland Center

BRETTON WOODS, NH (Day 1 of 4) — Are you prepared for the outdoors?

No worries if you need an extra layer, waterproof boots or pants.  You can borrow them—free.

Welcome to the Appalachian Mountain Club Highland Center, a short drive from Mount Washington, New England’s tallest peak.

“Part of the mission of the Appalachian Mountain club is to help people get outdoors in the mountains,” says Rick McCarten, who oversees this center, which besides the 34-room lodge that can sleep 138 offers farm to table dining and activities from guided hikes and snowshoes to evening trivia. And cookie decorating.

Some of the families we meet the weekend before Christmas have made a visit here an annual tradition, like the Canes, who have come nearly every year since their nine year-old was a baby.   “It’s a great spot for a family because of the community that exists,” says Andy Cane, a professor.  His wife Diane adds it’s no small thing to be able to outfit her sons for the snow at no charge.

For the boys, it’s about the unique activities—the giant night snowball fight, the New Year’s Eve bonfire.  “We never have snow at home,“ said nine year-old Rayland Cane.  He especially liked the chance to make “snow cream.”

“There is always something to do,” agreed 13 year-old Collin.  That there isn’t TV in the rooms doesn’t seem to be a drawback, he and the other kids here said.  “I always have my guitar and art supplies and there is always a lot of activities…it is very relaxing,” said 13 year old Sarah Stockdale who has been coming with her family—including grandparents and cousins—since she was little.  “It’s a nice in-between camping and home,” she said.

The main lodge at the AMC Highland Center in New Hampshire

That there are shared bathrooms doesn’t seem to phase anyone either—it is part of the experience.

“None of us would be comfortable in a regular hotel,” said Fran Hiller, here with an extended group including a gaggle of grown kids.  “And they all wanted to come with their parents!” she laughed.  “”This is so easy—they provide all the equipment.

In fact, says McCarten, the crowd here won’t be looking at the mountains—they will be outside reveling in them—hiking in summer and fall, snowshoeing and cross country skiing in winter.  “There are plenty of BMWs here,” he said.  “They are coming here because they want to rough it.

The AMC operates 51 places to stay from Maine to Virginia—from campsites to back country huts to lodges like this one—unique because of its emphasis on programming, especially for families, and even its liquor license.  The AMC is celebrating its 125 anniversary this coming year—The Highland Center is celebrating its 10^th anniversary.

They even have backpacks for loan for babies.  They have more than 30 in their group from six different families, including grown kids who have come from around the country.  “Some are serious hikers,” she said.  “Some just want to enjoy the outdoors.”

The free lending library of gear—courtesy of Maine-headquartered LL Bean, is one thing guests comment on most, said McCarten.  He also noted that the guests coming here are not coming because it is necessarily cheap but because of the experience.  “There are a lot of nice cars in the parking lot,” he noted.

But what is key is not getting the wrong guest—those who would be distressed at the shared bathrooms (though there are 15 rooms with the private bath( the lack of a spa or weight room.

This is a place where the guests want to hike XC ski or snowshoe all day and then come in for beer and a spirited game of trivia in front of the fire before sitting down for a dinner that showcases meats and vegetables from local farmers.   There might be a talk about Moose (check out those huge antlers and those skulls!) or an art project for the kids.

“You don’t have to worry about your kids here,” said Diane Cane.   

“An  there is always something to do and there is plenty of nothing to do too,” ads her husband  Andy, looking out the window at the falling snow

It is leaf peeping season in Mt. Washington Valley, New Hampshire. Mother nature performs her magic in the White Mountains every fall.

The Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce offers the following tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit:

• Peep a leaf midweek for a perfect science field trip
• Mind your manners by showing respect for the property and other visitors
• Wear a face mask

There are inns, hotels, resorts, and campgrounds in the area. Visit here for full planning resources.

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New Hampshire has some of the best fall colors in the United States. The peak of the peeping season is around mid-October.

Make Concord your base due to its vibrant Main Street, cozy eateries, and wide range of cultural offerings. Then, head west on Rt. 9, towards Hillsborough, and pass through Pat’s Peak, which is colorful.

Local farms surround Concord, and pumpkins of all sizes are on sale. Read more about leaf-peeping in New Hampshire here.

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National Mountain Climbing Day is August 1, and what better way to spend time with the whole family than getting some exercise outdoors. New Hampshire’s vast wilderness is complete with many mountain ranges for hikers and families of any experience level.

Mount Kearsarge, Wilmot

Take the whole fam, including your pets, on this short trail with incredible views. In less than 40 minutes, hikers can reach the summit of Mount Kearsarge via the Rollins and Lincoln trail, which is less than a mile. Dogs are welcome on the trail, and visitors will even find a few spots on the mountain where they can be let of their leash to explore. Perfect for families who don’t have time for an all-day excursion but are looking to get those beautiful scenic views of the White Mountains, this spot is the one to beat.

Pitcher Mountain, Stoddard

A hike with a reward, kids of all ages will love Pitcher Mountain. This quick 25-minute trip to the summit is perfect for our summertime lovers, with fresh blueberries and raspberries for enjoyment at the top during the summer months. An easier trail for parents to bring their youngest, and under a mile round-trip, this is another great destination to take the family on your next hiking trip.

Miller State Park, Peterborough

Make a stop at the oldest state park in New Hampshire, Miller State Park in Peterborough. With a paved road taking visitors right to the summit, the 1.3-mile drive is a scenic and relaxing way to spend National Mountain Climbing Day. Hiking trails are also an option, including the 21-mile Wapack Trail, which takes hikers all the way from Mt. Watatic in Massachusetts to North Pack Monadnock in New Hampshire. If the sky is clear enough, climbers are lucky enough to catch views of Mount Washington and Boston’s tallest skyscrapers at the summit.

Arethusa Falls, Crawford

Make your hike worth the hike, by taking the Bemis Brook Trail up to New Hampshire’s tallest waterfall. Another easy trail to take the kids along, Crawford Notch State Park features 10 waterfalls, one of them being well-known Arethusa Falls. Although this climb is a little longer at an average time of an hour and a half, this is definitely a spot travelers won’t want to skip.

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