Candyce H. Stapen

Sometimes, you have to try something different. That’s why I asked myself if a middle-aged woman of average athletic ability and no previous experience snowboarding or surfing could fly through the waves on a kiteboard? Absolutely, I discovered during a two-hour lesson with 

Forget-about requiring bulging muscles. “That’s one of the biggest myths about the sport,” my instructor Felix told me. “You don’t rely on strength to control the kite and you won’t be blown out to sea,” another concern for never-evers.

What you do need: clear and patient instruction, much encouragement plus good equipment. Felix and 15 Knots provided that. In explaining the equipment, Felix pointed out the safety systems that enabled us to slow the kite’s speed quickly and if necessary, disengage completely from the kite. And just in case, Felix also showed us how to turn the kite into a life raft in the unlikely event that the wind died suddenly and we had to float back to shore.

The Isla Verde beach, long, wide enough and often blessed with steady winds of 10-15 knots that parallel the shore, is a prime place to learn. We began on the sand by launching a training kite, a small foil version with only two lines. After Felix got this kite airborne, I placed my hands next to his on the bar, feeling the wind.

Instead of brute force, as I imagined, controlling the kite, at least at a beginner’s level, required a series of gentle maneuvers that resulted in the kite executing figure eights in the air. This kept the kite flying at the edge of the power zone, that dead-ahead position in which the full and formidable force of the wind would fill the kite.

After mastering basic control, our group donned harnesses and practiced some more. Then, Felix pronounced us ready for the body drag. Much more fun than it sounds, body dragging is using the kite to move on the water’s surface.

As Felix held the kite steady in the air, we headed into the sea. As instructed, I grabbed hold of the bar on his harness and another student grabbed onto my harness. All of a sudden, we floated through the water effortlessly and swiftly as I imagined mermaids might. The feeling was extraordinary. We took turns controlling our ride. To show us just how fast we could go, Felix pointed the kite into the power zone and we zoomed on top of the waves.  It was hard to believe that we used just skill and the wind to “fly.” 

We couldn’t take another lesson because of time, but if we did, we would be on boards similar to those used in snowboarding. 15 Knots offers a variety of courses. Most beginners opt for the six-hour package delivered over two or three days. 

I asked Felix what he especially liked about kiteboarding? “It’s eco-friendly. You are not contaminating the environment. There’s no boat or motor.” Added Juan Carlos Morales, 15 Knots founding owner, “I love to feel the power of the wind in my hands.” So did I.

. Puerto Rico appears to have a handle on the problem. The number of confirmed new cases throughout the entire island has dropped considerably, from an October 2016 peak of 5, 317 to 502 cases on December 16. Nonetheless, avoid Puerto Rico if you’re pregnant or if you and your partner are thinking about becoming pregnant. Travelers should heed the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s

 advice that includes using mosquito repellant and wearing long sleeves. Those are things I do anyway while at the beach because I dislike bug bites and I burn easily.

You need to make your own informed decision about visiting Puerto Rico and other affected Caribbean islands. If you do decide to travel, you will find plenty of good deals. 

Articles

If you want to include kiteboarding in your next Caribbean vacation, all you need is a patient instructor, some encouragement and good equipment.

Caribbean Getaways: Kiteboarding, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Dental museums offer big bites of dental facts. Some open wide with historical displays of 19

 century instruments, chairs and cabinets; some drill down by chronicling changing techniques and practices and others polish children’s attitudes toward oral hygiene with hands-on displays that extract myths, replacing them with filling facts.

At the following dental museums around the U.S., sink your teeth into dentistry’s past, chew on various cultural attitudes and enjoy tasty professional tidbits. And that’s the whole tooth. 

Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry

, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD 

Opened in 1966 when administrators cut a long piece of — what else – dental floss strung across the entry doors, the National Museum of Dentistry is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The collection’s 40,000 objects include dental instruments, furniture and artwork used to explore the biological, anthropological and social history of all things dental. Among the treasures are a set of George Washington’s ivory dentures as well as dental picks and tooth scrapers used on Queen Victoria.  Fun finds: discover cultures that filed their teeth into sharp points and those that blackened their teeth; and learn that a narwhal’s tooth weighs about 22 pounds. Children can don a dentist’s white coat, peer into a huge set of teeth and brush.

Kornberg School of Dentistry’s Historical Dental Museum Collection

, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia 

To drum up business, Edgar R.R. “Painless” Parker used showmanship devised by an ex-manager of P.T. Barnum’s. In 1913 Parker created a traveling dental circus, complete with a dental chair in a horse-drawn wagon surrounded by showgirls and a brass band. Extractions cost 50 cents. Parker promised $5 (the equivalent of $115 today) to anyone who complained about pain as a result of Parker’s work. Patients were “numbed” by whiskey or a solution of cocaine and, if they yelled, the buglers drowned out their screams.

Parker made money and extracted thousands of teeth, which he kept in a bucket that is displayed at the museum. The American Dental Association called Parker “a menace to the dignity of the profession.” Some credit Parker’s flamboyant practices with spurring the ADA and other professional associations to create standards of care. Parker was a graduate of Temple’s dental school.

Dental Museum, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry

The Dental Museum showcases some 40 dental cabinets and chairs, laboratories from the 1850s to 1930s, and thousands of instruments, including the cringe-inducing “turnkey.” The dentist hooked one end of the T-shaped device around a rotten tooth, then twisted the handle and pulled. With luck, the tooth came out without a piece of the patient’s jaw attached. Dr. Stan Harn amassed the collection over decades in order to preserve and present the history of dentistry, something lost, Harn felt, as dental curricula grew. 

Photo of Edgar R.R. "Painless" Parker courtesy of the 

Daily Capital Journal of Portland, Ore., via Wikimedia Commons

At the following dental museums around the U.S., sink your teeth into dentistry's past, chew on various cultural attitudes and enjoy tasty professional tidbits.

Take a Journey through Dental History

Technological innovations will continue to shape hotel experiences in 2017 and beyond. Robot butlers that deliver room service, keyless room entry via apps, mirrors with touchscreens that allow access to email, and in-room televisions that allow streaming of your videos and photos are already available in select properties. More advances are predicted for the future.

	But as hotels continue to rely on technology to improve guests’ experiences, brands must grapple with how much high-tech versus how much “high touch” -- human interaction and personalized service -- is ideal. 

 Japan’s Henn-na Hotel in Sasebo, which opened in 2015, is entirely staffed by robots. That includes the robots who greet you at reception and the ones who tote your luggage. In the U.S. some Aloft hotels employ Botlr, a robotic butler, to bring towels, toothbrushes and other items that you request through your smartphone to your room. No tip required, although Botlr likes Tweets about the service. Currently available at Aloft Cupertino and Aloft Silicon Valley.

 The smart room mirrors in some Four Points by Sheraton properties make it easy to multitask. While brushing your hair, smoothing your clothes, or just checking out your appearance, see live weather reports, sports scores, and stock market information. If you connect the mirror to your smart phone, you can check your email too. Is there a conflict with your partner about what to watch on television? That’s not a problem in the concept rooms that feature two side-by-side televisions.  

 No one likes getting out of bed to adjust the room temperature or turn off the lights before going to sleep. Forget about such inconveniences with Aloft’s voice-activated hotel rooms, each of which comes with an iPad equipped with a special Aloft app. Along with controlling temperature and light, you can ask Siri to tell you about local attractions and even play your favorite music. Currently available at Aloft Boston Seaport and Aloft Santa Clara.      

 Hotels are incorporating more mobile functions as they target travel experiences to the generation that wants things instantly and is more accustomed to texting and apps than talking. At select Marriott properties, you can use your smart phone and special apps to check-in (and out), access your room and request extra pillows or other items. There’s no need to stop at or call the front desk for service.   

	Hotels.com celebrated its 25th anniversary by releasing a study on hotels of the future. The company partnered with futurist James Canton, PHD, of the Institute for Global Futures, to envision the hotel experience in 2060. Key predictions include:

 These bots, programmable online, will speak many languages, greet guests at the airport, deliver food and provide companionship.

 Such devices will lessen or even eliminate luggage as guests will be able to create their own shoes and clothes, and even pharmaceuticals, by downloading these items from the cloud.

 The definition of a good night’s sleep will change as neurotechnology will enable guests to choose the dream they want before dozing off. 

	These may sound far-fetched, and maybe they are, but at one time so did cell phones, the Internet and voice-activated devices.   

As hotels continue to rely on technology to improve guests experiences, brands must grapple with how much high-tech versus how much high touch—human interaction and personalized service—is ideal.

Hotels of the Future: Tech Innovations of Today and Tomorrow

	Choosing a ski or snowboard area just became easier: Liftopia, the largest online seller of lift and related snowsports tickets, released its first-ever Best in Snow Awards for North America. 

	In the Overall Best in Snow category, Vermont’s Magic Mountain came in as the number one resort, Michigan’s Crystal Mountain ranked second, and Vermont’s Mad River Glen placed third. 

	Smaller, regional mountains, some of which attract more day visitors than overnight guests, earned top rankings in several Best in Snow categories, pushing better-known destination resorts lower on or off the winners’ lists. Whatever the reason -- skier preference and/or a possible, slight skew in Liftopia’s methodology -- the best rankings, top-heavy with local finds are good for snowsports. Enthusiasts can add the award-winning gems to their mountain musts.  

	To come up with ratings, Liftopia combined survey responses from more than 10,000 of its customers with its dataset on skier and snowboarder visits. 

	“For years people have told us they wanted a ranking system that wasn’t based simply on which resorts were the biggest or relied on a handful of ‘expert’ opinions or advertising dollars. They want to find their next favorite ski area and to know which resorts are most beloved by other skiers and snowboarders,” said Evan Reece, co-founder and CEO of Liftopia.

	Liftopia divided North America into five regions -- Northeast, High West, Southeast, Midwest and West Coast. Within each geographical region, Liftopia designated winners for seven categories that customers deemed most useful in selecting a resort. In addition to Overall Best, those categories were Beginner Friendly, Family Friendly, Most Challenging, Least Crowded, Best Value and Snow Consistency and Quality.

Two Top Options for Family-Friendly Skiing, Snowboarding

Image Source: Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

		Northeast: Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, rated number one

		Southeast: Canaan Valley, West Virginia

		Northeast: Magic Mountain, Vermont, rated number one

		Northeast: Arrowhead, New Hampshire, rated number one

To come up with ratings, Liftopia combined survey responses from more than 10,000 of its customers with its dataset on skier and snowboarder visits. 

Liftopia Awards: Best Skiing and Snowboarding in North America

Cruise vacations are booming. In 2017, 25.3 million passengers are expected to sail, an increase from 24.2 million projected in 2016 and a big increase from 15.8 million passengers in 2007, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Twenty-six new ships are on order, representing a total investment of more than $6.8 billion in new ocean vessels in 2017.

“The cruise industry is responding to global demand and we are highly encouraged by both the short-term and long-term outlook,” says Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, of the CLIA. “From technological advances and deployment of new ships to new ports and destinations around the world, the industry continues to respond to desires of today’s travelers resulting in steady growth and strong economic impact around the world.” CLIA has identified eight trends that it expects will most affect the cruise industry in 2017.

CLIA expects that younger cruisers, especially Millennials and Generation Xers, will cruise than ever before. CLIA predicts this based on surveys that find travelers in those age brackets rating cruises as better values than land-based vacations.

The use of travel agents increased nearly 80 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the American Express Spending and Saving Tracker. CLIA expects that the 25,000 CLIA-member travel agents will be instrumental in matching vacationers to cruises.

 Demand for river voyages continues to increase. CLIA cruise line members currently deploy 184 river cruise ships with 13 new river vessels on order for 2017, an increase of about 7 percent.

 As more cruise lines introduce private islands, vacationers are booking itineraries that include stops at these private ports. In 2017, cruise lines offer seven private islands.

New passengers expected for ocean sailings:

 CLIA expects interest in cruising to remain strong in 2017, citing a survey in which 48 percent of non-cruiser respondents expressed interest in taking a cruise within the next three years.

Ports within driving distance remain popular:

 Cruise ships depart from a variety of ports throughout the U.S. In a survey, 74 percent of cruise vacationers who responded said they liked the convenience and nearly 69 percent of non-cruisers liked the cost savings that result from being able to drive to a port.

Cruise travelers like the dining venues and fare created by celebrity chefs.

 With adventure travel continuing to grow, cruise lines are seeing more demand for itineraries such as Antarctica.  

The cruise industry is responding to global demand and we are highly encouraged by both the short-term and long-term outlook, says Cindy D. Aoust, president and CEO, of the Cruise Lines International Association.

The Top 8 Cruise Trends of 2017

National Geographic Traveler magazine crowns 21 destinations as the top places in the world to travel for 2017. The magazine divides its choices into three categories: places that are best for exploring nature, cities and culture.

“This special issue (December/January 2017 issue) takes readers on a globe-spinning journey to 21 of the world’s best destinations,” says George Stone, National Geographic Traveler, editor in chief. “We think this year’s list represents a carefully curated selection of forward-leaning places that reveal the bright future of travel. This list is all about exploration and discovery.”  

The 21 diverse destinations provide plenty of inspiration for your 2017 vacations.

Best Culture Destinations 2017, National Geographic Traveler 

 The tiny republic, home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites, looks to the future with new buildings by noted architect Renzo Piano.

 make it easier to find lodging at indigenous villages.  

 Come for the food. UNESCO designated Chengdu as a “City of Gastronomy” as it’s the center of Sichuan cuisine. Stay to see the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base.

 The destination offers mountains, meadows, glacial lakes and drives through the Alps or for the hurried, a 17-minute high-speed train ride through a 35-mile mountain tunnel.

 Part of the French West Indies, the five Guadeloupe islands have a unique sound: Gwo-Ka, a mix of local Creole lyrics and African singing and drums. The islands also feature beaches, rainforests and reefs.

 National Geographic Traveler focuses on Georgia’s music and the new stars building on the legacies of James Brown and Ray Charles. The state hosts 75 music festivals in 2017.

 The 180-square-mile site is among the world’s richest for hominid fossils. Learn about human origins at the site’s Maropeng Visitor Centre.

Best Nature Destinations 2017, National Geographic Traveler

 Canyons, cliffs, waterfalls, and forests lure nature lovers to Kauai.

 Reindeer safaris, snowshoeing and the spray of Northern Lights in Lapland are part of Finland’s charms.

 Diving in the marine parks delivers close encounters with elephant seals, white sharks and manta rays with wing spans of more than 20-feet.

 Banff National Park offers woodland hikes, turquoise-blue lakes, rugged mountain peaks as well as hot springs soaks and upscale accommodations.

 Hundreds of jewel-colored hummingbirds and other species fly through the fog-shrouded slopes of Chocó’s cloud forest.

 When hiking the 1,000-mile Via Dinarica, trekkers can stay overnight in shepherd settlements and small villages.

 Madhya Pradesh national parks are home to many of India’s wild tigers.

Best Cities 2017, National Geographic Traveler

 Sandstone buildings aglow in sun, snake charmers in Djemma el-Fnaa square, the winding streets of the souk and the intricate ceramics of El Bahia Palace are just some of Marrakech’s charms.

 Madrid is a cosmopolitan city with parks, gardens and more than 60 museums, including the noted Museo del Prado and the Reina Sofia. Enjoy bars serving tapas and Michelin-starred restaurants.

 Anchorage offers pubs and restaurants within a 30-minute drive of Alaska’s wilderness where fishing, hiking and spotting brown bears are just some of the adventures.

 Explore the shops of flashy Gangnam, sample the street food in Gwangjang Market, take in panoramic city views from the N Seoul Tower and walk through Bukchon Hanok Village, site of more than 900 traditional Korean homes and guesthouses. 

 Along with the classic Moscow of colorful domes, Red Square and the Kremlin, find contemporary Moscow at Winzavod, a former wine-bottling factory turned art center, and other galleries.  

 Stroll the walled Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site laced with colonial mansions.

 Speicherstadt, a port warehouse district, is part of HafenCity, a large inner-city development project that includes the new Elbphilharmonie, a concert hall complex.

These 21 diverse destinations provide plenty of inspiration for your 2017 vacations.

National Geographic Traveler's Best Trips of 2017

Travelers may get two of their vacation wishes granted in 2017. Lower airline prices and more flying options are predicted for the coming year, according to a study commissioned by Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC).

“For today’s traveler, this confluence of circumstances — more planes, lower prices, more destinations – is exceptional,” said Greg Schulze, senior vice president commercial strategy and services, Expedia, Inc. “It means that the barriers to booking a dream trip are lowered. It also means that everyday travel – flights to see the family, work trips – are likely to be easier to book at a lower price.” 

New Heights for Air Travel, the jointly commissioned study, reports that economy round-trip and one-way tickets continued to drop throughout 2016, reaching their lowest point since 2013. The report analyzed worldwide air travel data from January 1, 2016 through October 24, 2016.  

“Overall ticket prices continue their multi-year decline and we see nothing in the near-term data to suggest a change in this trend, especially with the increase in airline seat capacity,” says Chuck Thackston, ARC’s managing director of enterprise information.

5 Tips to Help You Cash in on Summer Travel Savings

Travel Tips Based on the Air Travel Study

. Friday is the worst day to book airfare. Book on a Sunday for travel within the U.S. and pocket an average savings of 11 percent over the same ticket purchased on a Friday. For flights from the U.S. to Europe, booking on a Sunday versus on a Friday rewards flyers with an average savings of 16 percent. For travelers flying within Europe, reserving tickets on a Sunday results in 30 percent savings.

 For flights departing the U.S., booking a ticket more than 21 days in advance versus booking within 20 days of departure can result in a savings of 30 percent on flights to Europe and 17 percent on domestic flights.

Reserve flights and hotels at the same time.

 When online travel agencies “bundle,” or package, flights and lodging together, the agencies can reduce their pricing, resulting in significant savings to the consumer.

 For many, but not all destinations, staying over a Saturday night results in better deals, so compare prices before booking airfare and hotels. For Southern Europe, remaining over a Saturday night results in fares of 57 percent less than without the Saturday overnight. However, in China and Asia, Saturday stays often result in more expensive airfare. 

Overall ticket prices continue their multi-year decline and we see nothing in the near-term data to suggest a change in this trend, especially with the increase in airline seat capacity, says Chuck Thackston, ARC's managing director of enterprise information.

Low Airfares Predicted For 2017, Plus Tips On How to Land Them

Handelskade at night. Image Source: Curaçao Tourism

Curaçao lures vacationers with inviting beaches plus museums and cultural attractions. A shipping and refining center, Curaçao, some 35 miles off the coast of Venezuela, is home to more than 40 nationalities, creating an interesting mix of flavorful restaurants that reflect the islanders’ native cuisines.

Curaçao has good beaches, but unlike on most Caribbean islands, the best sands don’t front the hotels. The prettiest coves lie along the northwestern coast. Our favorite beaches are palm-tree lined Kas Abou, Playa Knip, winner of a 2016 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, and Klein Curaçao, an uninhabited island 8 miles off the coast. Although sometimes crowded, Playa Knip features an enticing cove and calm waters.

Willemstad. Image Source: Curaçao Tourism

: Curaçao's natural harbor, Schottegat, as well as the historic areas of Punda were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. The row of stately pastel-gabled buildings, is, arguably, the prettiest harbor in the Caribbean and a striking legacy of the island's centuries-old Dutch heritage. 

In Willemstad, each morning on the Punda side of the canal, the schooners from Venezuela and Colombia tie up, their hammocks flapping in the breeze along the water. On the street side, merchants carefully arrange stacks of papayas, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and baby mangos. Others lay out rows of fish, shouting their names in Spanish — dorado, piscadara, purunche – to interested buyers.  Watermelons, cut open to reveal their pink pulp, edge the front of some stalls like a rock border. 

 The museum showcases one of the largest African collections in the Caribbean.  For me, the museum’s highlight is its exhibit on the African slave trade. By 1788, when the last slave galleon docked in Curaçao’s harbor, the West India Company had transported 500,000 Africans into slavery. Artifacts illustrating the brutality of the system include the traps used to capture people, the cages used to hold them, and the replica of a slave ship hold that mashed 400 children into a space that 50 would find crowded. Tours are available.

, named for the Papiamentu word for “eat,” offers such island-inspired fare as curry, homemade sausage, fresh seafood and smoked beef brisket. Enjoy harbor views at Restaurant & Café Gouverneur De Rouville, known for such local dishes as keshi yena (filled cheeses), and pishka freshku (fresh fish) as well as for Caribbean chicken and Cuban banana soup. 

 Situated on Curaçao’s southside, Baoase has a beach fronting a cove and features 23 rooms, suites and villas.

Sonesta Kura Hulanda Village & Spa, GHL Hotel:

 Near the center of Willemstad, the 82-room boutique hotel with hand-carved furnishings is located within Kura Hulanda Village.

: Located in Westpunt, this resort sits atop coral cliffs and has a beach.

Curaçao boasts beautiful beaches as well as a culture that is rich in cuisine and history.

Visit this Caribbean Gem for the Best of Beaches and Culture

With sunny weather virtually guaranteed, Aruba and Bonaire lure work-weary urbanites fleeing cold climates. Both islands, situated off the coast of Venezuela, lie below the Caribbean’s “hurricane belt,” so big storms remain rare and rain is confined mostly to November and December.

The islands also share Dutch heritage, visible in the street names, gabled roofs, and cafes where keshi yena (Gouda cheese stuffed with meat or fish) is as common as strong coffee. Despite the similarities, Aruba and Bonaire appeal to different vacationers.

Aruba spreads out in a dry desert landscape of red dirt, cactus and volcanic rock interspersed with divi-divi trees, their branches bent from the 10-25 knot breezes. The non-stop breezes make Aruba a windsurfing Mecca, host to international competitions. At Hadikurari beach you can watch the experts skim the waves. Aruba also has a bustling capital, Orangestad, and glitzy casinos in most major hotels.

Palm Beach is a long stretch of sand fronting the island’s high-rise hotels. Teens, twenty-somethings and families like the beach’s bustling vibe plus the parasailing and other vendor-offered Caribbean adventures. The shops and cafes that face Palm Beach’s hotels on the inland side make it easy to find souvenirs as well as dining options, including inexpensive meals and snacks. But beware: Some hotels lack enough chaise lounges. That motivates guests to rise early to claim their spaces.

Bounce along the island’s rugged northeast coast in a Jeep, admiring the fast-breaking surf and the ruins of a gold mine. Explore Arikok National Park’s trails and caves and get a close encounter with some big birds at the Aruba Ostrich Farm.

 The beachfront property offers a casino, spa, and a Ritz Kids program for ages 4 to 12.

: The chain is scheduled to complete a multi-million dollar renovation this month. With 15 acres, the hotel offers more beachfront space than many other Palm Beach properties.

Bonaire’s well-preserved, offshore marine park makes the island a diver's and snorkeler’s paradise. More laid-back than Aruba, Bonaire has few beaches.

The best beach on the island, white sand Sorobon at Lac Bay, is also known for its superb windsurfing. The water remains relatively shallow — 2- 4 ½ feet deep – for a long way out and the constant breezes always blow towards shore. No worries about being blown out to sea. Rentals and windsurfing lessons are available.

Many of the snorkel and dive sites begin right offshore, making it easy for children and new snorkelers to explore. At 1000 Steps, walk in from the shore and swim through iron formations, teeming with fish.

Klein Bonaire, one of the more than 80 dive sites within a 15 minute boat ride from the coast, features brain coral, gorgonians, angelfish and the occasional turtle.

 and Buddy Dive Resort have on-site dive centers that offer dive packages and lessons. Harbour Village, a bit more upscale than Buddy Dive, offers hotel rooms to 4-bedroom residences. 

 features studios to three-bedroom units.

The islands share Dutch heritage, visible in the street names, gabled roofs, and cafes where keshi yena (Gouda cheese stuffed with meat or fish) is as common as strong coffee. Despite the similarities, Aruba and Bonaire appeal to different vacationers.

Discover the Caribbean's Aruba and Bonaire

Smugglers' Notch Resort, Vermont. Image Source: Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort

Skiing and snowboarding are great ways to get outdoors and enjoy winter. The movement is invigorating, the scenery, spectacular and the sports can be an equalizer for families: Kids, often less fearful than adults, may catch on quicker than their parents.

The following two resorts foster mountain confidence by creating age-appropriate classes that separate little kids from bigger ones, setting aside ample beginner terrain, and hosting après ski family activities.

Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Smugglers’ Notch, Vermont

Smugglers’ Notch, 30 miles east of Burlington, combines access to three mountains with an easily negotiated ski village, great children’s instruction and family-friendly evening activities. Smugglers’ has long reigned as one of the most family-friendly ski areas in the Northeast.

At Smugglers’ Snow Sport University, kids are divided into age-appropriate classes that separate 3 to 4 year-olds from 5 to 6 year-olds. Those 6 to 10 and 11 to 15 can enroll in skiing or snowboarding group lessons. Teens 16 to 20 meet friends and perfect skills during special two-hour lessons. Morse Mountain, home to most of the beginner terrain, features lower lifts that are easier for novices to use. At a Mom and Me or Dad and Me session, go down the mountain with your kids while learning tips from an instructor on how to teach your children. With Smugglers’ Family Fun guarantee, if you don’t learn or improve your skills at classes, you receive your money back for the lessons.

Among several parks are Sir Henry’s Learning and Fun Park where boarders perfect jibbing skills at night. At Burton Riglet Park, preschoolers use small boards to try out mini-half-pipes and rails.

Slide down the tubing hill, warm up with hot chocolate at the bonfire, play games at the weekly carnival and watch fireworks. In March when the new $4.1 million indoor FunZone opens, take on obstacle courses, laser tag, bouncy houses and more.

Winter Park Ski Resort, Colorado. Image Source: Winter Park Ski Resort

Situated 67 miles northwest of Denver, Winter Park, the closest major ski area to Colorado’s capital, is within driving distance of Denver’s airport, a welcome relief for plane-weary kids and adults. The resort consists of seven areas, or “territories,” and features 3,081 skiable acres, making the facility Colorado’s fourth largest.  

Eager knuckle-draggers (beginner snowboarders) start lessons at age 3 instead of the more typical age four. Classes for 3- to 14-year-olds divide into groups by age and ability with a limit of eight to 10 children per class. For more attention, register your children or yourself for the MAX5 program, which pairs one instructor to no more than five students. Along with skiing and snowboarding for ages 14+, MAX5 groups are also available for ski bike lessons. Pedaling down the mountain is not only fun, but reassuring since you can regain your balance by putting your feet on the ground. 

Beginners graduate to Discovery Park, an area that allows novices to hone their skills without worrying about colliding with fast skiers. Six terrain parks provide ample play for more advanced skiers and boarders. The National Sports Center for the Disabled, located at Winter Park, is the largest adaptive sports program in the world with more than 3,000 participants and 1,200 volunteers. In winter, the Center provides adaptive equipment plus ski and snowboarding lessons.

Go tubing, snowmobiling, and ice skating as well as take a scenic snowcat or sleigh ride.