Lake Tahoe - Snow Lover or Nay-sayer, all is Good

I just spent a few days touring some of our great destinations in Lake Tahoe, CA.  Oh, so fabulous. The sights are endless.  Sometimes a little too distracting when you are driving, oops..

One of the challenges about a ski / ride vacation is that oftentimes, we have friends and family who we like to vacation with, but they don't want to ski / ride.  As a result, over the past 2 decades, the snow resorts have gotten pretty good about becoming more 'versatile' with non-ski recreation options to lure the nay-sayers to the snow resorts.  The resorts at Tahoe are the best, though...

When I first arrived, I wasn't much of a fan.  OMG!! After all, I've lived in Vail for almost 30 years and these resorts don't measure up statistically with # of lifts, vertical drop and few other (now) irrelevant issues.  In a very short time, I was 100% sold on the lure of NV / CA skiing and riding, but mostly about how truly versatile these places are for everyone.

For instance, in Squaw Valley, a non-skier can ride the tram to High Camp and enjoy impeccable views of the Sierras, as well as enjoy a visit to the Olympic museum, where Squaw hosted the 1960 Olympic games.  Enjoy fabulous food and drink while soaking in more views, or even poolside beverages.  But most of all... be with your friends and family, where the snow sport lovers and 'nons', can share a mid-day visit.

Northstar will satisfy your retail shopping urge both before or after your 2:00 PM complimentary champagne toast.  Later, give the kids a treat and watch them fly on the bungee trampoline.  With a just-the-right-size user friendly base village, you'll instantly be in your comfort zone... making the best memories ever!!

Ant then there's Heavenly.. really the gem for the non-skier / rider.  So much to do in this lakeside city.  A mini-Vegas, so gamble or see a show.  How about a dinner cruise on Lake Tahoe?  A ride on the gondola?  Inside or outside, a perfect destination. I don't know that there's another place where you can combine such a wide variety of attractions.

And last, a true favorite.. Hyatt Regency, Lake Tahoe Resort and Casino.  The catch all.  Stay here, play here.  Enjoy family friendly activities, luxurious rooms, kid stuff, snow stuff, casino stuff... all the stuff.  Ski and ride shuttles to the resorts AND only 40 minutes from Reno airport.  This place was magical.  There's nobody who can't be pleased here. Yay!

So, there's my pitch on Tahoe.... Add easy and reasonably priced flights to Reno, and we'll help you sort out the rest.  But really, let me share my passion.  This one works for everybody.

Best Regards,

Joyce :-)

What will I do ALL Summer with My Kids???

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day holiday... Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate in many places, but that's why Netflix was invented, right?!?!

Next holiday is July 4th and typically the weather at the mountain resorts can be more reliable for a great weather holiday week. Yay!

Do you know this guy?

copyright Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Perhaps not literally, but you've met the type if you've been on s snow vacation.  We call them the 'locals'.  They call you the 'tourists'.  Sometimes you are grateful for each other.. sometimes you can't stand each other, haha!  But, you share a mutual passion for adventure and outdoor play.  And they certainly have figured out how to do it cheaply.. It won't cost you a bundle either, promise!!

So this summer, take your kids on an inexpensive road trip to a BIG mountain... Here's what you'll need to do when you get there... ALL for FREE :-)

• Enjoy the cool breeze and no bugs!  Imagine not needing air conditioning, and only a light jacket.
• Look at the stars on a clear night.
• Photograph the wildflowers.
• Chase a fox back into his rock 'home'.
• Explore a hiking trail, clear creek, and waterfall and not care when you lose cell phone service.
• See a bear.
• Watch the fireworks and say ooohhhh!!!
• Take your headphones off, the whole family.

copyright Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Check out these great Destinations TODAY!

Give us a call 866-981-SNOW or send us an Email... We'll tell you the facts and figures quickly!

Looking forward,

Joyce  

How My Lodging Unexpectedly Changed My Trip

This past weekend, my daughter graduated from college (GO BEARS!).

We had 10 family members from all over the US convene in Berkeley, California.  In my role as the 'professional' travel arranger, I was the family nominee to organize the trip.  I selected our hotel based on location and where I could get the best industry discount, of course, ha!  And there we landed at the Marriott Renaissance ClubSport in Walnut Creek; not the closest location, but the price was right and it had the right bed configurations. These are comparable priorities I use when I organize snow destination vacations for clients.
Here's the 'typical' preliminary conversation and questions discussed when I help a client narrow their snow vacation lodging search:

1. How many people? Is the group couples, singles, kids, group of friends, family, etc.?
2. How many bedrooms (or hotel rooms)?
3. What is your minimum quality requirement?  This relates to budget.
4. How far from the lifts, skier village will you stay? Ski in ski out, walk to lifts, shuttle route, or perhaps you'll use a car each morning?
5. Do you have any specific special requests? Hot tub, pool, fitness facility, childcare services etc.

Anyhow, we got to the hotel and quickly learned that we had inadvertently arrived to a mini-resort and that the hotel offered amenities well beyond our expectations. I had seen the written bullets about the facilities, but really didn't pay much attention. Our trip included a lot of people, was taking place over a short period of time and a seemingly had a very full agenda.  We thought the accommodation was 'just a place to sleep'.

Well, within the first 24 hours we found that our dinner plans needed to be modified cause the Friday commuter traffic heading to our destination was going to be intolerable. The hotel had a great poolside bistro, a reasonably priced menu and delicious food. Problem solved!

Next, we needed a place to 'chill' between the commencement ceremony and our celebration dinner and there were many, many choices of gathering lounges in the hotel.

And finally, this property offered one of the largest and most luxurious fitness facilities I had ever seen and included 10-20 daily options in exercise classes at no additional charge. Our whole gang enjoyed a Sunday morning of side-by-side treadmills, spin bikes, weight training et al.

And we never even got to the spa...

In hindsight, our accommodation became our focal point.  We didn't have to commute to visit together, and we didn't have to worry about weather, traffic, entertainment, or any other logistics. The commencement was thrilling, and we had no other worries...

Why am I telling you this??? Cause I want to sell you the best snow destination vacation EVER! The realities...

1. It's cold and it might snow.
2. It gets dark EARLY in winter.
3. You will be tired at altitude.
4. Skiing and riding often make for sore feet, knees, backs, and everything else.
5. You might have a hangover. After all, you are on VACATION!

Very often clients tell me "It's just a room.  I won't spend anytime there." Perhaps, but based on parameters noted above, wouldn't it be nice if you could?? I'm not saying you need to spend more $, but certainly evaluate your needs and priorities with a better assessment of the actual.  Your accommodation is IMPORTANT and I / we (our team) have the experience, exposure and relationships to make the best match for you... AND, we don't cost any more than if you would have done it yourself.  So, there's a great deal all around... 

One last plug, summer is magical in the mountains...  Let us show you NOW!
                                                           

Joyce

joyce@snowsportvacations.com

My way into the travel industry and the difference between online booking sites and me..

Do you remember the times when you were little and your family asked you what you want to become when you are older? My answer was “I want to be a travel agent so I can be on vacation forever.” Well, that didn’t quite work out. Yes, I am a travel agent but no, I am not on a never-ending vacation. I am still very happy about my career choice though. Do you know why? Because I get to help other people go on vacation and create memories.

When I got older though and it was almost time to actually choose a profession, I doubted if becoming a travel agent was a smart choice (especially since I knew by then that being a travel agent does not mean being on vacation forever).

It seems like everyone used online booking sites to book their vacation. No need for travel agents, right? NO! I was wrong.

I know…online booking sites give you options on flights, lodging, etc. as well; but there is a big difference in using an online booking site and booking through a real person.

Let me give you some examples:

• you save time. A LOT of time. Why? We do the research for you…where the best snow is, which hotel meets your needs (yes, we listen to your needs), what the best access is from YOUR preferred airport, etc. Instead of giving you 500 options from which only 3 meet your expectations, I give you these 3 options directly. There is no need for you to look through all 500 options.
•   We know the business. Do you know what this means for you? We know where to get you the best service and the best price from PERSONAL experience.
•  Our sessions don’t expire! What does that mean? Well, I’m sure you experienced this before: you finally went through all 500 lodging options and it’s time for dinner. You leave the computer on so of course when you come back you see the page with the hotel you chose…but wait now it says, “session expired”. Which page was my hotel on? There are 180 pages! Well, this will not happen when you book through us. Remember? We are real people, our sessions don’t expire.
• There are NO hidden costs. We give you the total amount you have to pay directly. No extra credit card charges, taxes or service fees as a bad surprise. Yay!

 These are just a few examples but I think you get the point.

So, I guess becoming a travel agent was still a very good choice. Now it’s time for you to make a choice.  Are you ready to book your next vacation and create memories?

Have a great week,

Janine

The Off-Season in a Snow Town

Early May... The last of the ski resorts closing.  Sometimes it snows, sometimes it rains, sometimes we have sun, warm or cold.. we just don't know.  You can count on a 'bluebird day' once in awhile and they will come more often that that.

A QUIET EVENING IN VAIL VILLAGE, MAY 4, 2015

What happens when the mountain closes and the tourists are no longer around?  Well... the same as everywhere else, just with more empty beds in the neighborhood.  We have school, work, prom, sports, home care, grocery shopping, car repairs and so on...  We refer to ourselves as the 'locals' and I guess we become a little more like everyone everywhere else.

This season doesn't last long... The snow resorts turn to summer playgrounds just as school lets out and the magic is back. perfect climate, lots to do outside and EASY to get to... If you love it here in the winter, you'll love it more in the summer!

VAIL FARMERS' MARKET & ART SHOW: JUNE 21 - OCT 4 2015

A Thanksgiving Tale

To our Friends and Family,

The staff at Snow Sport would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday.  May your journey forever exceed your expectations and your dreams always be realized.

Please enjoy the following 'Thanksgiving Story' forwarded to us by one of our friends from Vail earlier today.

With Best Wishes,

The Staff at Snow Sport

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.

Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to 'clean up' the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even more rude. John, in desperation, threw up his hands, grabbed the parrot and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird spoke-up, very softly, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Why Buy it From Us and Not Them

We are all out there trying to attract you.. We want to get your attention and then sell you stuff that you can get anywhere.  But, we think you must get it from us or it's just not as good.
Sound familiar??  Does this happen in your profession as well?  It's just the way things are, right?

So..... here's our story.  Of course, we think our reasons are quite sound, and we hope you'll ultimately agree.  We absolutely can do it cheaper, save you time, and therefore provide the best value snow vacation possible.

Here's how we can help you most...

1.  Special deals.  We get regular communication notices of virtually ALL snow destination promotions.

2.  More connections.  The snow industry is a small one.  The professionals from the destination resorts work well together and we are in the best seat to negotiate, locate that 'extra' room, waive a minimum stay policy, find you that extra discount... or whatever.

3. Extra favors.  "Do you want to haggle with me or your computer", as one of our team members so clearly states? Talk to a live person invested in your vacation, and you will get results.

4. Save money. More often than not, your snow vacation costs less if we do it than if you had put it together on your own.  This results from our expertise and ability to evaluate product need and best value.

5. Save time.  Do you want to sort through ALL of that information on the web, or have one of us show you only the pertinent material?

So next time, give us a shout.  We'll get it right for you!

The snow is in and more to come!

Have a look at Vail's "Sounds of Winter" 

See you soon!

The Gang at Snow Sport