We have waited, (not so patiently I must admit), for the snow to fall this winter so that we could throw the ski rack onto the roof of our car, load our equipment, and head out for a long weekend of nearby skiing.
Alas, a beautiful weekend of blue skies, made it worth the wait. Hosted by the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, we checked in Thursday night. The lobby/Grand Cafe was quite lively, with a view of the half-dozen illuminated igloos on the Embers Terrace. You immediately get the feeling you are on vacation.
A quick stop in our room and then we went to dinner at Leinenkugel's Mountain Top Lodge at the Mountain Top Ski Chalet (on property.) Leinenkuglel's sits on the second floor, at the base of the ski mountain, so as we stuffed ourselves with cheese curds, pizza, and burgers, we could scope out the runs for the next morning.
Knowing we had a nice fireplace in our room to return to, we didn't feel guilty to call it an early night.
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Our room was but a five minute drive to the The Mountain Top the next morning. There was ample parking, however, you can also take advantage of a trolley that runs throughout the resort.
My husband and kids are very good skiers. I learned at a late age, and before I could really advance my skills, I had kids. Having children suddenly made me afraid of things I never was before. Skiing for me is now just as much a mental challenge as it is physical. Which is why I was so delighted to find so many beginner/intermediate runs at The Mountain Top. In fact, of the 21 available runs, nine are for beginners and three are for intermediate level skiers. All were nicely groomed too.
One of the biggest sources of my anxiety are the chair lifts. (I broke my arm coming off one once.) However, what stood out to me at The Mountain Top was that the chairs were spaced out either by speed or distance (or both), such that there was plenty of time to get on and off without worry of running into anyone. They were also manned by adults that seemed very alert and assisted with the boarding of every chair. The result, was not only a calmer me, but the lifts rarely had to be paused for anyone falling on either end, which also kept the lines down to basically none. IMHO, this is a strategy more resorts should employ.
Regardless of whether beginner skiers take lessons at The Mountain Top or not, this is a perfect place to ski as a beginner. The way the beginner runs intertwine at points, allows for every run to be approached differently. This was a playground for us, and allowed me to build up my confidence to get back to some of the intermediate and even advanced runs. While the mountain may be very beginner-friendly, there are still advanced runs (Black Diamonds), and even Double Black Diamonds for the more skillful. And, since it does lean towards beginners, you don't find expert skiers and snow-boarders hot-dogging down the mountain. The area is also small enough that as I "played" on one side of the hill, I could shout up to my kids on the next lift chair over as they tackled the more advanced runs. Not once did we need to pull out a cell phone to find each other.
The Mountain Top Ski Chalet also houses the Timber Grill, which is a cafeteria style eatery just across from Leinenkuglel's. It was an excellent stop for lunch. In warmer winter weather, there is an outdoor patio with heaters.
After a full day of skiing, we went back to Leinenkuglel's, had drinks by the fire, and talked all about how I was shredding it.
Another great thing to note about skiing at The Mountain Top at The Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, is that they also have night skiing until 9pm Sunday-Thursday, and until 10pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. That's added value for your lift tickets and/or gives you the flexibility to start late or take breaks back in your hotel room throughout the day.
Adult lift tickets range between $50 and $70, with children under 12 getting a 35%+ discount.
If you are visiting The Grand Geneva Resort and Spa in the winter, there is more to do than ski. They have a sledding hill, an ice rink, and other indoor activities for the kids. You can make use of the indoor swimming pool, or buy tickets to the Moose Mountain Falls Waterpark at the Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark at Grand Geneva. And of course, there's always the spa!
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We were hosted for our second night at the Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark at Grand Geneva. The Timber Ridge Lodge is perfect for families. It is an all-suite hotel with a full kitchens, stocked with all the tools needed to cook for yourselves if desired. The highlight of the property is Moose Mountain Falls Waterpark. Four free waterpark passes, per day, are included with a one-bedroom suite, and six passes with a two-bedroom suite.
The waterpark includes two 35 foot slides (one raft, one body), a lazy river, pools with basketball hoops and floating lily pads to climb over, and for the smallest guests there is Tiny Timbers, a safe area with small slides, swings, and other water features.
Our favorite part was soaking our sore muscles in the indoor/outdoor jacuzzi.
When staying at the Timber Ridge, you have access to all the great restaurants at the Grand Geneva, as well as their own onsite options. We ate at Smokey's Bar-B-Que for both dinner and breakfast the next morning. It offers casual family dining with food everyone will enjoy.
On top of everything else, Timber Ridge has Crazy Coyote’s Cave Arcade.
Be sure to check out all their stay packages. There is a package to meet every need.
Whether you stay at the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa or the Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark, whether you ski or splash, whether its 40 degrees outside or ten, you'll have plenty of activities to choose from for a fun family getaway.
*Though we were hosted by both Grand Geneva Resort and Spa and Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark, the opinions expressed are my own.
