Family Ski Trip to Winter Park, Colorado
We took our family on our first ever winter vacation! We went to Winter Park, Colorado to go skiing and let me just tell you packing for Mexico and packing for Colorado are two very different things! We have 3 kids ages 2, 4, and 8 so we had lots of gear to pack, but I’m really happy with the layers I chose and gear that we brought. So I’ll make sure to share links to everything because I know that I was super overwhelmed when I thought about the 15 hour road trip or all the packing that it would take, so I’m here to make it less daunting for you!
First up! I cannot stress enough how much easier packing cubes will make your life if you are traveling. And if you’re doing heavy ski gear, like bibs and ski coats, get compression packing cubes! This will keep everyone’s items organized and make it easier to fit inside of your suitcase. These can be a little pricey, but you’ll have them for years to come and they will change your travel game from here on out!
Road Tripping
I really like to limit my kids screen time in general and road trips are no exception. I did buy them two new DVDs because it was a 15 hour road trip and I’ll take sanity when I can get it. But that being said I had plenty of activities, books, and snacks for them to keep them happy on the road as well as in restaurants or when we had some downtime in the condo. I had magnetic puzzles, where’s waldo, mini bop it, car bingo, and the list goes on. The key to car activities and games is to not bring everything out at once, you have to stagger the activities to prolong everyone’s interest. We’ve done quite a few road trips with this method so I know that its tried and true.
And speaking of road trip hacks, don’t forget your car toilet (this has saved us on more then one occasion). When you travel with kids, the more clean up supplies the better! Things like trash bags, paper towels, and wipes because you just never know.
If you guys get car sick, you have my condolences. Few things take more joy out of a road trip then being nauseous. And if you’re entering the mountains you have higher elevations to contend with so make sure you take a look at this list below because a few pre-emptive steps can make all the difference.
Things like, having suckers on hand to help the kids pop their ears or a coffee can lined with a bag for a stomach emergency, will make you the road trip mom boss that you are when it counts.
Layer up!
We were in Colorado for two weeks so we had everything from -5 degrees to 35 degrees so you’re going to want fleece layers, neck scarves and waterproof coats, gloves, and bibs. We brought lighter weight hats as well as baklavas and we used everything! It was really nice to have options that didn’t break the bank because buying at the resort would be too expensive for our size family. Again, this is why compression packing cubes are so key - more clothing options while taking up less space.
Ski Gear!
We rented our ski’s, poles, and boots from Christy Sports just a short drive from the resort and they were fantastic! They were so knowledgeable about everything which really put me at ease because speaking from personal experience the right ski boots can make or break your skiing experience. I’ve had boots that were too large which resulted in me not being able to control my turns. Then I had boots that were too small which resulted in my legs going numb and me dropping to the ground from sheer lack of feeling. So it really is a Goldilocks situation when it comes to ski boots. Take the time you need to get the fit right and go where you can be properly guided to get it right.
Kids grow so fast I would definitely recommend renting vs buying gear. Plus it will save car space not having to haul skis and poles. The one piece of ski gear that we did buy was their helmets which came with goggles so it was a great deal considering helmet rental is $10 a day and I felt it was more hygienic for them to have their own. They can continue to use the helmets for roller blading or bike riding so I felt it was worth the money and effort to pack the helmets.
Where to stay?
We have 3 little ones so it made more sense for us to stay at the Winter Park Resort - close to the slopes in case someone needed a break or got hungry and this was the BEST decision! If you stay off site you have to find/buy parking or take a bus/shuttle home. But by staying on site we just had to hop off of the ski lift and walk to our condo. The resort had lots of things to do including ice skating, tubing, shopping, and plenty of restaurants to choose from. We did a mix of cooking in the room and ordering food to bring to the room. Again the variety was so nice because the days I was too tired to cook we could just order out and the days I did cook we had a fully stocked kitchen with an blender, insta pot, oven, and anything you needed to make a “home cooked meal” in your room.
Final thoughts
A winter vacation is unquestionably a lot more prep work then say a Florida beach trip but I feel like it’s totally worth it! My son discovered his talent for skiing, my daughter her love of ice skating and my other son his obsession with crispy waffles (they make fresh waffles on the slopes and around the resort). It was a soul searching type of experience for me to learn to ski at 32 but I’m incredibly proud of my husband and I for putting the work in to taking the kids at their current ages so they could have this experience.
Even though I was scared out of my too tight ski boots, I will never forget skiing high on the snow capped mountains, breathing in the thin fresh air, and looking over at my family perfectly backdropped by the kind of landscape that’s fit for a postcard.
