Get Out Of Town: Best Ski/Fun Spots Around

I will admit it. I don't like skiing. For me, there's nothing worse than lugging around cumbersome equipment and making small talk with strangers on a ski lift. But my husband does. He derives great joy from taking our three kids—ages 11, 13, and 16—to nearby ski slopes. And I'm happy for him! I also enjoy getting out on weekends, but to places where I don't have to wear onerous plastic boots.

So what choices do we have for family fun? Here are a few great spots for getting out on the weekend—both ski-wise, and other-wise.

For my husband:

If you want to enjoy New Jersey skiing, check out this site, which gives a nice rundown of places close to home. (Mountain Creek, for example, is only about a 45-minute drive from Montclair.) If you want to rent ski equipment for the season, I'd recommend either Pelican Shops,with several locations in New Jersey, or Ski Barn, with outlets not too far from Montclair—in both Wayne and Paramus.

If you want to try out-of-state skiing, here are three recommendations but feel free to add your own to the comments section below.

1. Whiteface at Lake Placid in the Adirondack Mountains was host to the 1980 (and 1932) Winter Olympics and has the biggest vertical drop (3,430 feet) of any resort east of the Rockies. Yet apparently it doesn't draw a lot of visitors each year, except during the week after Christmas, which is when we went in 2010. This is a charming town, and there are plenty of fun activities to keep all ages busy—bobsledding, snowshoeing, and ice skating (on the Olympic rink) are just a few, in addition to great skiing. This resort also offers a wide variety of accommodations in all price ranges. For more information, go here. We stayed at the Placid Bay Inn, which I'd highly recommend. Although nothing fancy, we were able to snag a two-bedroom suite with a kitchen for just over $200 a night—and it's located right off the main drag.

2. Gore Mountain is another huge ski area outside Lake George in upstate New York. Improvements include increased snowmaking, new trails, and more restaurant and lodging choices. Go here for more information and to learn about special packages. For example, you can get 30 percent off a ski-and-stay vacation that's three or more nights if you go anytime from March 12, 2012 through closing day. The resort opens the day after Thanksgiving with the season running through mid-April. This resort is heavy on intermediate trails, but there are also plenty of trails to keep advanced skiers challenged as well.

3. Always ranked high in listings of family-friendly resorts is Smugglers' Notch in Vermont. Not only does this resort offer some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the region, it also offers award-winning kids' programs as well as a wide range of lodging and dining choices. The resort's Snow Sport University, which generally opens in mid-December, starts kids at age 2½ on skis and age 4 on snowboards. For those with babies, there is childcare available for those as young as six weeks. If that's not enough to get your attention, there's also dog sledding, tube sliding, indoor pools, arcades and all sorts of activities to keep even jaded teenagers entertained. For more information, go here.

Now, for me:

1) The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden. This annual tradition is good for families with kids of all ages. There are fantastic model trains and New York City landmark replicas, not to mention the gorgeous grounds and a great shop to find gifts. Get tickets ahead of time by going here.

2) If your kids have ever read or watched "A Christmas Carol," take them to the Morgan Library & Museum to see the exhibit "Charles Dickens at 200" that runs through Feb. 12, 2012. The museum's collection of Dickens manuscripts and letters is the largest in the United States and includes manuscripts of his novels and stories, letters, books, photographs, original illustrations, and caricatures. For more information go here.

3) I really love the holiday market at Bryant Park. (I also love the Southwest Porch there, where you can enjoy a cocktail in Adirondack chairs while sitting around a roaring fire pit—sort of like being at a ski resort!) While you are there, take the kids ice skating and enjoy free admission. You can bring your own skates for a completely free experience or rent a pair. The rink is open Monday through Thursday, and Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to midnight. For more information go here.