Not too Early to Plan that Ski Trip

We are a house divided.

The carful of kids have a couple of free nights to use before the end of the year so we are headed for the hills. This year the Winter Break Ski Trip is Santa Fe, New Mexico.

When you have kids in school and two weeks off at Winter Break--a Mom has to plan ahead. There is plenty of competition and only a limited number of rooms-- remember not every room is available to those of using points or vouchers.

I called about a month ago and my first choice was already booked. Yes, that was the first part of October for reservations for the latter part of December. You can't wing it with a carful of kids and expect to get a good deal and your first choice.

Mom is not going to give up that easy. The carful of kids love the snow and we don't see much of it in Texas.

When researching for our next adventure, I always have to stay flexible and plan early. Sure enough, I find something better--if Mom wanted predictability and convenience, the carful of kids would stay home.

My criteria for our Winter Break Ski Trip:

• A family-friendly ski resort that is not too big--has to have a conveyor-type ski lift for my younger kids and lots of options for ski school.
• Plenty of seasonal activities to do after the last run of the day--remember ski resorts usually are winding down at 3:30 or so. 
• Some family-oriented, non-chain restaurants to sample local cuisine.
• Close enough to our home base of Central Texas that we don't lose too much time driving.
• A ski resort close to a Best Western because I have points for free nights.

Keeping all that in mind, New Mexico is a natural choice for us. It's about 12 hours to the snow-covered mountains and it is a great value for families.  

Now all I have to hope for is SNOW.