Bringing the College Kid Home for Summer

Or... The drive through the desert in the "Purple Sauna"

I am sitting at my desk in Vail on a beautiful June day.  The sky is blue, trees are green, and wildflowers are coloring the landscape.  It's supposed to be 80° and sunny today.

I REFUSE TO WRITE A STORY ABOUT A SNOW VACATION TODAY!!

So, I'll talk about one of those 'mandatory' trips.... How about picking up your college freshman and bringing her home for summer break?

Her Stuff...
How did ALL this fit into a dorm room?  And why are we traveling with skis in June in Las Vegas? Are there ANY clean clothes, or is everything 'my laundry'?

An Old Broken-in Car...
I bought that car new when the now-college-age-kid still needed a car seat.  It's no longer pretty; the purple paint is peeling, the seats are torn, and there's a smell (maybe that's the laundry?).  NO AIR CONDITIONING!!! It's 115° in the desert, OMG!  But it's a safe car; reliable, maintained, and perfect for a person who does not yet earn their keep :-)

An Executable Plan...
Drive a total of 16 hours over the course of 2 days.  Leave early in the morning to avoid the 'heat of the day'.  For all stops, park in the shade.  Take lots of breaks and cool down in air-conditioned shopping malls and restaurants.

Highly Essential Mental Game...
Road Trip..... Away Game... Have Fun???  YIKES!

And Off We Go....
Do you know how loud the volume must be to even hear the radio when traveling 80 mph with the windows open?  And how LOUD it becomes when you make an intermittent stop? There's the excuse for so many youth who drive with excessively loud music, right??  And what psycho-minded meteorologist claimed the term 'wind CHILL'??? C'mon...
The wind (filled with bugs) in my hair, the desert air (dirt and debris) on my face, the truck driver tan on my left arm (start a new asymmetrical trend in women's fashions?)... And many cold drinks initiating extra bathroom stops (Where is that next town?)...

Viva Las Vegas...
We decided Las Vegas would be best to spend the very hot afternoon.  It probably has the most cubic feet of air conditioning of any place on earth.  We wandered in a LARGE (they all are) casino to 'dry' off and then enjoyed lunch INSIDE, absolutely NOT on the 90° restaurant patio.
More wandering through the various shopping vestibules.. No buying stuff, however. There's no room in the car to carry much more than a postcard.
We finally came upon the Flamingo Hilton and found a bird sanctuary. Then we told all of the relatives that we went 'birding' today. We called it our mini-vaca' and posted the photos.

 

Onward...
Whoever told you that the desert cools off in the evening was not being truthful, but we needed to move on. And why is it that when the AC fails, the thermostat continues to work perfectly and flash the outside 3-digit temperature in the driver's face endlessly?
We found another shopping mall for a late dinner and were careful to sit far from any other patrons so as not to impose our 'sweat' of the day upon others.  We finally arrived at our hotel and ran straight to the showers, yay!

The End...
We arrived safely the next day.  The ride through the higher altitudes was cool and comfortable.  The car, the skis, the stuff, the 'laundry' and all applicable aromas are now home in Vail... where it makes perfect sense to not replace broken air conditioning in your car, whew!

And the Future...
We think that the fall semester start date should align with a drop in the desert temperature. But if that doesn't work out, we'll grin and bear it! :-)

Make your journey a pleasant one, always! :-)

Joyce

 

Summer in the mountains

Summer time is still the most favorite time to travel for most people. The kids are out of school, the weather is nice and everyone is ready to escape to a different place, away from the everyday routine. For most parts, lodging gets more expensive in the summer though which makes a summer vacation not very affordable. Did you know that this is different for the mountains? Prices for lodging drop in the summer and most hotels offer great promotions

Do you know what my favorite part is about summer time in the mountains? The weather (74 degrees, NO humidity), no bugs (Thank God!) and there is SO much to do.

Just last Sunday, I got to enjoy an adventurous off-road trail that lead to this beautiful lake in the middle of nowhere called Blue Lake. It was gorgeous! Crystal clear water and no other people around! I just had to share this moment with you.

Does this make you want to come to the mountains as well? Call  (866) 981 SNOW or email me at Janine@snowsportvacations.com.

I look forward sharing more of my adventures with you J

Janine

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