David and I have encouraged each other through challenging parenting moments of sleepless nights and diaper explosions with the phrase it only gets easier. Sure, not everything gets easier, just different, but the truth is that the physically demanding part of parenting gives way to other types of challenges as the kids get older. It’s bittersweet, of course, but also ridiculously exciting to see what the girls are capable of as each year passes. This year we can really see how much more capable they are of taking on adventures. We are looking forward to a year of exploring, camping, beach days, and more. We decided to start the year off with something we’ve been looking forward to for quite some time- taking the kids snow skiing for the first time!
We chose a location we could drive to and were planning our trip to Snowshoe when I saw they offered media and review opportunities, so I reached out. That’s when they invited us to come and play in exchange for our honest experience here on the blog.
So we spent this past weekend in Snowshoe, West Virginia. We arrived Thursday afternoon and took full advantage of all the snow fun they have to offer families. Not only was it our first time skiing as a family, it was our first time to Snowshoe as well. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, though I had hear positive things about the resort from friends, so I went in completely open-minded and ready to see for ourselves what it was all about. I’m happy to report the trip was a HUGE hit and we spent half the drive back rehashing our favorite moments from the mountaintop village experience.
Since I write this blog as I would write to a friends, there are a few takeaways from our trip that we relied on to make it a success, and I’m pleased to say that a three day weekend is the perfect amount of time for an inaugural family ski trip with young children.
10 Tips for Taking Kids Skiing at Snowshoe in West Virginia
ONE: Location, location, location… of your accomodations.
Looking at lodging options in Snowshoe can be overwhelming, as there are quite a few options, but I recommend to look at the village map while considering your choices. We stayed in the village at The Seneca, an incredible location that made ski rentals, buses, the slopes (including the kids’ bunny hill), and restaurants all less than a two minute walk. With young children, having a prime location like that makes life SO much easier.
We parked our car (in the below ground parking garage) upon arrival and didn’t get in again until we left on Sunday. We easily were able to walk to everything we needed. Though the place could use an extra layer or two of insulation (wow that wind howls!), it was clean and the location and the over-sized hot tub made the two bedroom condo an ideal fit for our family.
TWO: If possible, take advantage of ski school.
Our kids had never touched skis before. While this meant they were really excited to get their equipment, they didn’t have a clue what to do with it. While David and I certainly could have risked our sanity to try and teach them to make pizza pies and French fries, letting a ski professional take the lead turned out to be a huge blessing. Not only did they kids LOVE ski school (the instructors were so kind and welcoming) and learn the basics of how to put skis on, take them off, and make a wedge to slow down, it gave David and I the opportunity to actually ski ourselves. Since ski school is 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM (lunch and hot chocolate breaks included), David and I were able to explore the whole mountain and stop for lunch too!
THREE: Ensure your kids have the correct gear to keep them warm.
Being cold sucks. Having your kids be too cold to want to participate is really miserable. I know, it’s hard to spend money on clothes for them to wear once before they outgrow, so ask around to see if friends or family have gear you can borrow, but it’s important. From long underwear to waterproof ski bibs, to legit mittens and goggles, the right gear helps them feel comfortable enough to focus on the skiing, not their cold hands or toes, especially in Snowshoe where it can be blustery at the top of the mountain (where the kids’ slopes are).
FOUR: Go to the grocery store before you arrive.
Our condo had a full kitchen and we were so excited to be able to eat some meals there. There is no grocery store comparable to a typical large grocery store (Publix, Food Lion, etc) on the mountain so we hit up the grocery before leaving town to pick up oatmeal, bread, peanut butter, chips, salsa, vegetables, hummus and more to bring with us. It, along with the take and bake pizza we brought with us for the first night, were a huge time and sanity saver. Plus, it meant we only went out to eat when we really wanted to, instead of being forced out of the condo every time our stomach growled.
White Rabbit Market in the village // Lunch on the mountain at Arbuckle’s Cabin // breakfast at The Junction Restaurant in the village // IPA and a brown ale at FoxFire Grille in the village
FIVE: Go Snow Tubing!
Wow, this blew my expectations out of the water- mostly for how much the girls loved it. Tickets are sold for two hour blocks (we chose the 1:00 PM- 3:00 PM time slot and opted for an early lunch). You sit in your tube and are dragged to the top of a hill where you pick any lane you please and go flying down the mountain. The kids could pull their own tubes and loved the freedom of being able to do it all themselves. We threw snowballs at each other on the way up and raced each other on the way down. This was a highlight of the trip and I highly recommend not skipping it.
SIX: Plan your itinerary before you go.
There is so many things to consider (ski school, spa, escape rooms, swimming in the heated pool with water slides, off-road tours, etc). However, if you have kids with you, there are some kinks to work out, as all the activities don’t really consider each other in terms on timing. For example, kids night out begins at 6:00 PM, but for the adventure dining you must arrive at 5:45 PM. And there is catching a bus to consider too. None of it is a big deal, but your itinerary is worth combing over before arrival just to ensure your days run smoothly.
SEVEN: Splurge for a special date night out with adventure dining!
Unique experiences like the back country hut dinner are worth looking into. With the kids at Kids’ Night Out, David and I got away on an adventure date night (fitting, since we were celebrating his birthday!) by taking a Polaris RZR up Cheat Mountain Ridge Trail to a secluded cabin. There, we sipped wine, sat family-style, and ate our home cooked meals while making new friends. Chatting it up with new people in this kind of environment is so much fun for me (and David). Everyone was so friendly, the chef and server included, and the whole evening ended up just special and a lot of fun for us.
EIGHT: Go with the flow and expect meltdowns.
A ski weekend is a busy and exciting time for me, as an adult. For a kid, it can (and will) be too much at times. I feel when I share that our kids loved it or we had an incredible time, I leave people picturing us skipping down the village streets giggling the whole time. While we had a few of those moments, we also had more challenging moments like Kaitlyn melting down because David opened her drink for her (the nerve) or Hailey face-planting in the snow in protest of the lifts closing for the day and her being forced to stop. Expecting these meltdowns helped us take them in stride and roll on.
The last picture was when Kaitlyn told David that her legs had run out of muscles 🙂
NINE: Take time to play as a family on the bunny slope and magic carpet.
Snowshoe has a really wonderful set up for kids and beginners to practice on. The “magic carpet,” a conveyor belt you stand on with your skis that carries you to the top of the bunny hill, was a huge hit for the kids and the two mini-runs that come from it have a gentle slope, perfect for learning and practicing turns. Right beside it is a beginner chair lift which gives the full experience of a chair lift, but in a slightly slower and shorter fashion. We spent a full morning there just as a family and it really helped the girls’ confidence grow!
TEN: Soak in the beauty.
Being on top of the mountain means the sunset makes the entire horizon glow. The focus on all the fun activity is distracting, but taking an extra minute to stop and look around is worth it. The mountains seem to roll on forever and the sunrise and sunset light gives the scene a magical feel. Even driving to and from Snowshoe offers scenery worth gawking at, as the rolling hills and farmland of West Virginia are simply breathtaking.
All in all, I couldn’t have imagined a better experience than what we had taking the family skiing for the first time in Snowshoe. Hailey is hooked and already asking when we could go skiing again before we pulled out of the parking garage. Kaitlyn’s confidence on skis by the third day was both incredible and slightly nerve-wracking. And for David and I to enjoy some skiing ourselves while watching the girls take on something new was awesome. What great memories we are walking away with, as we literally skied, tubed, and rocked ’til we dropped.
You can see more of our adventures in this video:
We’re already brainstorming where our love of skiing might take us to next year… any recommendations?!
Jennifer says
This is such a great post! I live in Nothern Virginia and have been to Snowshoe twice while in college (on a college budget). Now fast forward a few years later and 3 kids later this is a nice review of the resort for a family. It’s nice to know going skiing with kids/family is totally possible! I snowboarded when I was younger but haven’t been it years and definitely want to introduce my kids to snow sports when they are young!
Brittany Dixon says
David has been a snowboarder for years (10 or so?) and just went back to skiing on this trip! It all came back quickly, like riding a bike. I can’t wait for you to see your kids on the slopes- it’s the coolest feeling watching the kids tackle the mountain (or the bunny slope ;))
John J. says
You certainly captured well your wonderful first family ski trip. Brought back wonderful memories of our ski trips as a family as you and Kris mastered skiing! There is something about the exihileration and exhaustion, coupled with the awesome mountain beauty, that makes a family ski trip a perfect winter getaway.
Brittany Dixon says
I have the BEST memories of all being out west together. Somehow we skied all day and even had the energy to go out dancing at night… and get lost in the snow on the way home 😉
John J. says
That was an awesome daddy-daughter escapade ! Clearly remember you taking over the dance floor. You worked the crowd! Still are. 🙂
Cassie says
Looks like a fun time! Thank you for saying that parts of parenting gets easier. I had the hardest time with the infant stage, and my MIL at every opportunity would tell me it just gets harder, I better enjoy it, etc. My little is 2.5 and it has just gotten better. I feel like the hard stuff is harder but it’s shorter in duration and frequency which overall is easier for me, if that makes any sense.
Brittany Dixon says
Absolutely! I can see why people say it doesn’t get easier, because the challenges change to more emotional or social things, but the fact that both my girls can now easily tackle a 7+ hour car ride with no problem, that we can hop in and out quickly, eat wherever, etc is a HUGE change from having to stop to nurse, change diapers, comfort, etc. And that’s just the car ride!
Trust me, it gets easier 😉
Kerry says
I’m from Boston and we have some great ski options up here. I prefer Vermont skiing to New Hampshire skiing, and Maine has great mountains too, but I’ve been lucky enough to ski out in Colorado a few times and I don’t think anything can compare. 🙂 Beaver Creek was the highlight for me, but there are lots of options. We have an 11 month old and can’t wait to get him on skis when he’s old enough!
Brittany says
Boston girl here too! Smugglers Notch in Vermont is where I learned to ski. I also love wachusett and Blue Hills is great for beginners.
Brittany Dixon says
One of my good friends lives in Boston and they go skiing in Vermont fairly often and rave about it! I’d love to try it one day. I grew up going skiing out West and I agree, it’s pretty incredible. The Rockies definitely have a piece on my heart and I look forward to showing the girls the slopes out there one day too 🙂
jen says
What an awesome family experience! Thanks for sharing the ins and outs of Snowshoe with so much detail! I would love to plan a trip there sometime in the future – really cool that it’s so close to us.
Brittany Dixon says
It was incredible that it was only 5 hours away! A little surreal. Julie told me she has been in summer and loved it, so now I am tempted to go back and explore through hiking and other outdoor activities too!
Kathy says
Looks like you had a perfect weekend and Happy Birthday David!! It is great the girls are learning at such a young age. At an old age, that is something I have never done. 🙂 Have a great week!
courtney says
This looks so fun!! We have been to Snowshoe as adults but not with kids. I saw that your stay was comped, but do you have a general price range for what your weekend would have cost? And maybe what you might have splurged for (vs not done) had you been paying yourself? We also have 2 kids that would be skiing, and I imagine those experiences would add up!
Brittany Dixon says
Hi Courtney! I’m not quite sure what the cost would have been because the prices range so much based on where you choose to say, when you go (peak versus non-peak), etc. On their website they advertise you can save up to 60% of lift tickets when you buy them online in advance, and that would be a big savings! I think you save if you book your rentals in advance, too, so definitely explore their website.
We plan to go skiing again sooner than later and plan on investing in ski school or private lessons for the kids again. I would pay to go snow tubing again too because it was such a big hit. Honestly, experiences are a priority to us (over things) and is a place we are very comfortable allocating our money too, so I’d probably do it all again, especially because we didn’t have to buy airplane tickets- hooray for driving!
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any specific questions and I’m happy to answer anything I can help with!
Laura says
I just love everything about this post! Starting off with your explanation about some things with kids getting easier (not ever easy, but different). This is refreshing to read. Sometimes I hear parents of elementary aged kids tell me it isn’t any easier. And of course I know with kids that it is never really easy, but my 4 year old is way “easier” most times than my 1 year old when it comes to getting stuff done at home, trips to a grocery store, etc. As you mention- the physical demands of an infant/ toddler is exhausting. Cooking dinner day in and day out either one handed or with with a 1 year old in a backpack is exhausting. I don’t mind working hard 14 hours out of a day, but often just “working” on dinner, laundry, cleaning, is impossible. Anyhow- I look forward for sure to this type of ski trip in about 2 years 🙂 I really love also that you were able to get some alone time with your husband with the adventure dining and ski school. I did a similar adventure dining with my husband in Montana pre-kids, up in a yurt on the mountain, and would love to do something like that again! And also- skiing the entire mountain together- heavenly! I miss that for sure. For now it is cross country skiing for us since we can take our 1 year old safely, but I really look forward to downhill when the youngest is 3/ 4. And the meltdown over not getting to open a drink- classic! Definitely have experienced this on more than one occasion! Thanks for sharing your awesome vacation! It got me psyched to finish planning our spring break/ Tuscon road trip vacation!
Brittany Dixon says
A yurt in Montana sound absolutely dreamy!! What a great experience. And doing cross-country with a one year old on your back is super impressive. I’ve been intimidated to try it without anyone strapped to me 😉
sherry says
You captured it all! So much fun to see the kids learning to ski–reminds me of the times with you and Kris-dressing, carrying ski equipment, pizza pie, ski school, etc.—just need a candy bar on a snow bank 🙂 Beautiful picture of the purple, pink, orange sky and the trees.
Steamboat Springs, CO is one of my favorite places.
Brittany Dixon says
I do feel like a failure for forgetting the candy bar 😉 <3
Sara says
I don’t have kids, but have been to Snowshoe 4-5 times over the past 10 years & we also love it. In fact, my first time snowboarding was during a lesson on that that same magic carpet & bunny slope as a 24 year old, ha ha! Glad you & your family had an amazing time.
Brittany Dixon says
I tried snowboarding in my early 20’s for the first time and woah- it’s such a different world! The bunny slope was super hard for me then and I’m pretty sure I just snowplowed down the whole mountain 😉
Brittany G says
Haha, that picture with Kaitlyn crying – it looks like Hailey is praying 😛 Dear God please help me from my crazy sister!
Brittany Dixon says
I noticed that too! LOL!
Chris says
We’ve been to Snowshoe as a family of five last year and are planning on going back again this year. While I think these comments and suggestions are helpful, I can’t help but think that having your trip compensated or subsidized by the resort would bias your opinion, particularly with respect to activities with no mention about the actual cost. Many of the suggestions made by Brittany are excellent and spot on, but one important aspect she didn’t mention was the cost you would pay as a family. I know first hand how expensive the Seneca is, as we looked into it for our trip next month. It was prohibitively expensive…$440/night before the add on fees for a two bedroom unit (the location is awesome though). Second, when you factor in the cost of skiing itself (rentals, lift tickets, ski school etc.) a family can expect to pay over $100 per person per day. Lastly, if you take kids tubing, send kids to a camp for the evening, and take an adventure dinner as suggested, you add a few hundred dollars more. So don’t expect to have a weekend like Brittany and her family experienced without spending thousands of dollars. I would be interested to know what the in-kind value of her trip actually was, or what it would cost someone who wasn’t being compensated for an honest revote. I know skiing is expensive, as we take a ski trips every year. However, offering up high end suggestions without a mention of actual cost is a disservice to your readers.
Alison says
I disagree that it is a disservice to not mention the actual cost. For one, figuring out the actual cost can be tricky as prices vary depending on whether you purchase tickets online, ahead of time, multiple days in a row, etc. Also, many hotels will offer package deals. I suppose Brittany could look on the resort’s website to find out how much a lesson and rentals are but so could any reader. And as this cost varies from resort to resort, it would vary depending on where the reader wanted to ski. Her recommendations were for taking kids skiing. Yes, they were based on her trip to Snowshoe but I feel they are valid for other resorts, too. I feel the disservice would be for Brittany to decide whether or not the activities were “worth it” based on their cost as we all have different ideas of the value of things. One family might prefer to spend $440 a night to stay in a super convenient location and save themselves an equal amount by eating in every night. One thing is for sure – skiing is expensive in almost all but a few cases.
Tracy says
What a fun trip! Looks like you all had a blast. I have to admit I’m more of a warm weather vacationer… beach or bust! I’m not a fan of cold or snow so usually look to escape it 🙂
As far as your comment “it only gets easier”… as a parent of 4 college-aged kids, I will say it definitely does NOT get easier. Physically easier yes, but so much more demanding in all other ways. I will say it gets more and more rewarding though!!!
Kelli H says
This trip looks like a blast! it looks very beautiful there and like a lot of family fun. Thanks for keeping it real with the kids meltdowns. Made me feel much better as a mom with an infant. haha Everyone has been telling me it gets easier but its only gotten harder. Then again I’m in the 4 month sleep regression stage. ahhh! I think having kids is just hard and through each age comes new challenges. At least they are so darn cute!
Jenny says
Kelli,
I have a 2.5 year old and a 7 month old and wanted to tell you that with both kids, months 4 and 5 were the hardest of all! Things will calm down in a few months – promise 🙂
Jenny
Jenny says
Wow! What a trip! I am sure you will remember this one for decades to come.