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Tip: Six Reasons Why Small Ski Areas Rock
by Mitch Kaplan
Many of us learned how to ski or ride at small areas. They hold a special place in our hearts. Even if you love the glitz and glamour of the big guys, here's why you should check out the small resorts. They rock!
They tend to be simpler. That puts everything close at hand, and avoids pitfalls like kids getting lost on trails that end up miles away.
They tend to be friendly. Small areas attract locals and regulars who welcome you like you're visiting with them at home.
Services are provided on smaller scale. Day care, nursery, ski school all have fewer participants and can afford personal attention.
They tend to have nooks and crannies. With less terrain, kids are more likely to find squiggly trails into the trees, homemade jumps and bumps - and contemporaries who are looking for the same thing.
You can bail out more easily. If you're close to home, you can quit and go home. If you're staying overnight, respite is usually close by.
They tend to be less expensive. Fewer lifts, smaller snowmaking systems, less infrastructure, a smaller staff - it all adds up to less overhead and lower prices.
...... Mitch Kaplan
is the author of The Unofficial Guide to the Mid-Atlantic with Kids, The Cheapskate's Guide to Myrtle Beach and The Golf Book of Lists. He is a contributor to The Unofficial Guide to New England & New York with Kids and to the annual guide Ski America & Canada.
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