Compromise is the dirty little word that has a major impact on big families like ours. With such a wide age range and list of interests, everyone has to give a little every day to keep things working. Never is this so obvious than when we start to plan a vacation. Often times, the effort to make everyone happy ends in enjoyment for no one.

To try a new tactic, we decided to plan a vacation with our middle two kids in mind. This would be a vacation where they wouldn’t have to compromise.  Like the cliché, the middle kids in our family are often the overlooked ones. They aren’t the oldest or the youngest, so their needs are often folded into the desires of someone else.  This is unfortunate for my 12 and 9 year old boys because they are certainly valuable and deserve to have a say, but more importantly they are at such a fun age. That’s not to say that my other kids aren’t at a fun age, but…whatever, just add it to my mounting list of mom guilt.

Leaving two kids at home while jetting off for a fun weekend with has some special considerations, mostly more guilt. To somewhat alleviate the “guilt factor” we decided to take the middle kids skiing-something they love, but the others don’t, and to only go away for a long weekend-so we wouldn’t be abandoning the “left behinds” for too long.

Our destination of choice was Snowmass, a mountain that promised both beginner skiing and a family friendly atmosphere that would keep the kids busy enough all weekend. The wild card in our plan was the hotel choice, the Viceroy Snowmass located in at the base of Snowmass Mountain. If planning a ski vacation has taught me anything, it is that the bulk of the enjoyment is in choosing the right hotel. It has to be properly located to be in the center of the action, and have enough amenities to keep everyone busy. 

~The Exterior of the Viceroy set against the Mountains~

With the other two kids happily ensconced at The Grandparent Resort (seriously it is like Disneyworld with breakfast in bed every day there) we headed for four days in the mountains of Colorado with some very happy and important middle children.

A Long Weekend with Some VIK (Very Important Kids)

Even a so-called ‘long weekend’ can feel short if you don’t plan your time right, particularly on a mountain. The logistics of skiing with kids often sucks up all the extra time, making the weekend feel more like work than vacation. From the moment we stumbled, travel weary into the lobby and grabbed a cup of complimentary hot chocolate, the atmosphere took on a very relaxed and ultra-vacationing feel. In fact, I am convinced that the designers of the programming and amenities at the Viceroy had to be parents who had spent more than one weary weekend trying to make a ski vacation work with kids. All of the normal frustrations of gear and getting around were handled seamlessly and freed us to just relax and have the family fun we came for.

Thursday-Arrival Day

Our first order of business was an escort to our room from a very friendly valet. Not only did he do the requisite job of taking care of our bags, but he went the extra mile to find out our name and make suggestions on how we should spend our weekend. This level of service and genuine care continued throughout  the weekend with every employee we encountered.

~Living Room in our Two Bedroom Suite~

Our room was a two bedroom suite with a full-sized kitchen and a washer and dryer, two amenities that are a must for families. If we had chosen, a concierge could have stocked the kitchen with our grocery list, but we brought along our staples for the weekend.

Once we were settled into our room, we headed down to Ski Valet located on the bottom floor of the hotel to get our gear settled for the weekend. The Ski Valet inside the Viceroy is a subsidiary of Four Mountain Sports. This gear shop has nine shops throughout the four mountains in the area and is a one-stop shop in every way. Gear can be adjusted, returned, stored, and transferred overnight at any of the locations, meaning that the need to schlepp gear is a thing of the past.

~Ski Gear is prepped for use each day for a quick grab and go~

While I settled lift tickets for the weekend, the boys were fitted with their gear and we requested that the gear be sent to ski school so it would be ready the following day. It was by far the easiest ski rental ever and I was practically skipping at the idea of not carrying tons of gear in the morning.

Dinner was as convenient as the ski valet, and located in the main lobby at 8K. The fine dining restaurant with a Louisiana down-home flair had absolutely everything I needed in a dinner to remind me that I was on vacation, including dessert (more about that later). The atmosphere was elegant, but not so elegant that it didn’t feel welcoming to families. A kid’s menu proved that kids are regular diners in the restaurant. I vaguely remember that dinner was delicious, but the details were completely eclipsed by dessert. Around the table we ordered a Peanut Butter Pie with Caramelized Pecans, Lemon Tart, Chocolate Cake with Almond Frosting, and Cinnamon Apple Stuffed Donuts. They were heavenly, and it was impossible to choose a favorite.

Full to the brim, the parents were ready for relaxing by the fire, but the kids had another idea-the pool. We had been assured that the pool was heated to a warm 85 degrees, but I was skeptical. Heated pools are never hot enough, and the air outside certainly wasn’t warm. I prepared myself to be shivering in order to indulge the desires of my middle children. However, that was not the case. The pool was, in fact, warm enough to be very comfortable for the kids. I was even saved from my suffering by the roar of an ‘oh-so-inviting’ fire in the cozy cabana outfitted with plush couches.  “Suffering” for the sake of my children was never so easy.

~Suffering for the children~

 

Friday-Ski All Day

A full day of ski-school was on deck for the kids and my husband. All three of them have recently decided that they want to snowboard rather than ski, so the learning has started all over.  Before the lessons began, we grabbed a quick, but filling breakfast at 8K. The buffet was not only convenient, but extensive with an omelet station, plenty of fruit, and bread for fueling up.

 From breakfast, we were just a quick ride on the Luge away from the mountain base.  Viceroy Snowmass is just a short five minute walk from the base, but the Viceroy provides a golf cart, known as the Luge, to ferry people directly to their destination.  Once again, I was glad not to be carrying gear, or myself through the snow.

There was some confusion at check in to ensure that we had all of the paperwork, but once they were squared away, the process of checking into Ski School was easy. I especially appreciated that they had plenty of personnel on deck to help with getting equipment in place.  Both boys ended up at a level that meant a private tutor all day, and they went off happy as could be with their instructors.

While my kids and husband were happily boarding, I was happy to do anything but. Since an injury two years ago, I have been boycotting all snow sports. Instead, I hopped back on the Luge for an appointment at the Spa at the Viceroy.

Generally, I am not one to love the spa experience. Of course, I enjoy the treatment part (I’m not a total mutant), but lazing around before and after just doesn’t excite me. I would much rather enjoy my massage and then move on to the next thing. This spa, however, might have actually changed my mind.  Undulating panels of warm wood and golden tones are set against golden curtains and the occasional natural element, like an elk horn chandelier. The 7000 square foot spa was designed by Jean-Michael Gathy, and has such an intriguing ambience that I am happy to stay for a while.

~The beautiful and relaxing lounge at the Viceroy Snowmass~

The complete relaxation that accompanies an hour of not hearing the word “Mom” came to a screeching halt when I reached into my locker and saw that I had missed a call from ski school. Flipping frantically to my waiting text messages, I saw the words that set my heart to racing: “Evan’s been hurt. I am heading to ski school.”

Unable to reach me (stupid relaxing spa), Ski School instructors contacted my husband, who was luckily nearby.  Cramming my panicked body into my clothes with one hand, and texting with the other, I was finally able to quiet the part of my brain that was worried about the worst. Evan was fine, just a hard fall, and a very swollen ankle.  His board instructor kindly offered to take him back to the room, so that my husband could continue with his lesson. In true Snowmass form, everything was handled without any hassle. The instructor escorted him back to the room , courtesy of the Luge and left his gear with the Ski School to have transferred to the hotel later. By the time I had mis-buttoned my shirt, and run out the spa with untied shoes, he was happily sitting in our room sipping a coke and icing his ankle. To say that the service was ‘above and beyond’ would be an understatement.

For dinner, we hopped the Luge again for a ride to Ricard Brasserie in the village.  The cozy, café atmosphere facing the Village Express Chairlift allowed us to watch the last of the die-hard skiers come down the mountain for the day. Inside, we enjoyed crusty bread with truffle oil and a round of dishes that had just enough of a French flair to be interesting, but familiar enough that the kids were comfortable.

~Family Fun by Fire at Ullr Nights~

Although it was dark, the fun for the evening was just heating up on the mountain with Ullr Nights. Each Friday, in honor of the Norse God of Snow, Elk Camp becomes a winter playground for families. The atmosphere from the moment we stepped off the gondola was fun filled and raucous.  The kids enjoyed ski bikes and playing on the giant snow playground. Ice skating and tubing were also available, while live music echoed around the roaring bonfire.  S’mores and small talk around the fire served as the perfect end to a very full day.

~Just watching the Ski Lift Go by at Assay Hill~

Saturday-Family Time, Snow Time, All the Time

With one final day to try out their new boarding skills, my husband and nine year old jumped up early for a half-day on the mountain. For convenience they could have easily taken the Assay Hill Lift directly from our hotel, but because I wanted to tag along and I wasn’t wearing skis, we took the Luge to the village. Together we rode the Elk Camp Gondola to the top of Snowmass Mountain and I was able to take some pictures and watch my husband and son show off ( and fall down) a bit. When my toes started to get cold, we agreed to meet for lunch back at the hotel around noon and they head off into the great white beyond.

~A little Father/Son Snow Bonding~

When lunch rolled around, those of us who weren’t skiing assembled in the “backyard” of our hotel to meet up with the rest of the family. Before long, we saw their familiar forms coasting down Assay Hill to join us at the Nest for lunch.

The Nest Public House and Restaurants is a gastro-pub inspired diner that is both pool-side and slope side. Grab and go burritos are popular for those who want to get right back to the mountain, be we wanted to sit awhile and catch up from the day.

The convenience of the Nest is an ideal meeting place for families whose activities are spread around the mountain.  Once again, the ease of ending a run right at the hotel and passing off the gear to the waiting valet for a relaxed lunch was a welcome change from the usual crowded lunch counter.  While it was still casual, the menu was much more thoughtful than the typical “on mountain” fare, and also less expensive overall.

~Comfort Food at the Nest Public House~

We warmed up over beer cheese pretzel bites and soup just as a light snowfall began to fall magically outside.  Texans are always giddy to play in a falling snow, so we bundled up again and headed to Elk Camp for some snow tubing.  On an all-time favorite family scale, this snow hill was voted typical for the magic carpet that climbed the hill, but got major points for allowing a belly flop method of sliding down the hill.

When we returned, pink cheeked from the top of the mountain, the base village was bustling with a live action show, involving a juggler and balloon animals. The show was a part of the Very Important Kids (VIK) program that is a recently collaboration of all family friendly events in the area. A calendar filled with free activities happening around the village and beyond gives families more ways to have fun together. Many of the activities are scheduled in the après ski hours of 3:30-4:30, so kids can have a little fun between skiing and dinner.

~Delights from Bia Hoi~

Dinner for us convened at Bia Hoi, a casual southwest Asian restaurant that promised big flavors. Again, there was a kids menu available, but we opted to share the large portions and eat family style.  The flavors did not disappoint, and even though I am not a huge Asian food fan, it was easily my favorite Asian meal ever. Appetizers of Crispy Egg Rolls and Pork Scallion Dumplings warmed us up just in time for the Crispy Rice Salad. This dish was the most surprising in a great way with a crunchy texture and a tangy sauce. For the main course we shared large bowls of Pho Soup and Kung Pao Chicken. All of it was delicious, so much so that we sadly had to skip the dessert of green tea ice cream.

~Just Chillin in the Village~

On our final night in Snowmass, we considered the idea of taking the multi-colored gondola affectionately known as Skittles up to the Snowmass Mall where we could have checked out the Snowmass Mammoth Discovery Center or done a little bowling at the Slopeside Lanes. Instead, we decided to hang out the base village around the fire and then a take a slow stroll back to our hotel. The size of the Base Village and the convenience to the Viceroy had made for the perfect weekend away with our middle boys, that there didn’t seem to be any reason to look beyond where we were. Everything we needed, from great food to great activities, had been perfectly packaged in a very memorable weekend. 

~The Viceroy Snowmass hosted our stay in Snowmass. They did not require that I express a particular viewpoint and all opinions are my own.~