Plan a Trip to an Undiscovered Ski Resort: Top 10 Undiscovered Ski Resorts

01

Bear Valley, CA

Bear Valley is one of the less well known ski resorts in California when compared to popular resorts like Mammoth Mountain and Squaw Valley. This ski area has runs that suit any experience level. Skiers will find 1,280 skiable areas, and gets over 350 inches of average annual snowfall. The summit is at an elevation of 8,500 feet and has a 1,900 foot vertical drop. Visitors will find runs that suit any experience level, and there are even snowcat tours that take adventurous skiers to the terrain that is harder to access but less tracked. 

02

Big Mountain, MT

Located outside the town of Whitefish, which offers plenty of fun after a long day of skiing. Big Mountain has over 3,000 acres of terrain, with almost 100 marked trails and plenty of bowl and tree skiing. Big Mountain gets 300 of annual average snowfall. Skiers will find a summit elevation at over 6,800 feet, and a vertical drop of almost 2,500 feet. Visitors to Big Mountain will find plenty of night skiing options.

03

Grand Targhee, WY

Grand Targhee is located on the Idaho border in Alta Wyoming, and on the west side of the Grand Tetons is a fantastic ski resort, and much less well known than Jackson Hole. The ski area can only be accessed through Teton Valley, Idaho in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Grand Targhee gets over 500 inches of annual average snow. With excellent powder and free of lift lines, there are over 2,500 skiable acres with a vertical drop of over 2,200 feet for skiers to enjoy. In addition there are nordic trails and plenty of backcountry skiing.

04

Jay Peak, VT

Located in Jay, Vermont, Jay Peak is the snowiest ski area on the east coast, averaging 355 inches of snowfall annually. The mountain has 2 peaks and over 50 miles of skiable terrain. Jay Peak's ski area has a top elevation of 3,968 feet and a vertical rise of 2,153 feet. There are 76 trails and 8 lifts over an area of 385 acres. Jay Peak is known for its challenging terrain and good backcountry skiing. The peak is best known for getting some of the most snow on the East Coast.

05

June Mountain, CA

June Mountain is just 20 miles away from the more ell known Mammoth Mountain, this ski area has many sunny days and plenty of snow. Visitors will find run sheltered by lots of trees. Backcountry enthusiasts will love the lift-accessed backcountry skiing. Although fairly well-known in California, it is still much less crowded than some of the other resorts in the state. June Mountain gets 250 inches of snowfall annually. With over 500 skiable acres and the summit at an elevation of over 10,000 feet, June Mountain is a great California ski resort.

06

Mount Ashland, OR

This Oregon ski area is one fantastic destination. Mount Ashland gets over 280 inches of snowfall annually. It has a summit elevation at 7,500 feet and a vertical drop of 1,150 feet. Skiers will love the 200 acres of skiable terrain, and 40 acres are open for twilight skiing. This resort is also great for advanced skiers, 50 percent of the terrain is designated as advanced.

07

Northstar-at-Tahoe, CA

This year round mountain resort is filled with amenities beyond the excellent skiing, including a skating rink and a big spa. There are over 90 trails on over 3,000 skiable acres. Northstar-at-Tahoe also has some great terrain parks, as well as options for cross-country skiing. The summit elevation is over 8,600 feet and a vertical drop of 2,280 feet. The ski area gets an annual average snowfall of 350 inches. Skiers can also enjoy the 344 acres of backcountry terrain, and even 7 trails for tree-skiing.

08

Durango Mountain Resort, CO

Durango Mountain is another one of Colorado's top rated ski areas. Durango Mountain Resort calls its ski area Purgatory. Purgatory gets an annual average snowfall of 260 inches. The summit elevation is 10,822 feet, with a vertical drop of 2,029 feet. Skiers will enjoy the 85 runs at Purgatory, which are serviced by 10 lifts over a total of 1,325 skiable acres. In addition, visitors to Durango will find 3 terrain parks to enjoy as well.

09

Schweitzer Mountain, ID

Schweitzer Mountain is one of Idaho's great skiing treasures. Visitors will enjoy the views of Lake Pend Oreille, and can visit the lovely town of Sandpoint after a long day enjoying the snow. The mountain has over 2,900 skiable acres, and the highest elevation is at 6,400 feet. There is an annual average snowfall of 300 inches, and over 90 trails. Schweitzer even has open bowl skiing, cat skiing, and even night skiing.

10

Wolf Creek, CO

Wolf Creek Ski Area is one of the oldest ski resorts in Colorado. The state is known for its amazing ski resorts. Wolf Creek is located in the San Juan Mountains and is well removed from the other ski resorts in the state. The ski area also gets more snow than any other resort in Colorado each year. Wolf Creek is a high alpine ski area, the base has an elevation of 10,300 feet, and the summit is at an elevation of 11,900 feet.

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Top 10 Winter Festivals

This winter as you celebrate the holidays and the beauty of the winter, take some time to explore some of the fantastic winter festivals found throughout the country. Here are a few excellent options.

Annual Lights of the Ozarks Festival, Fayetteville, AR

Held each year from Thanksgiving to New Year, Fayettville is lit up by hundreds of lights. The entire town square is decorated with lights. Visitors will also find horse drawn carriage rides and more to enjoy.

Bluff International Balloon Festival, UT

Each year in January, visitors to Utah can enjoy the stunning views of Utah's red rocks and scenery from a hot air balloon. This festival is filled with colorful balloons which visitors can ride in, as well as many friendly people and other exciting activities.

Cedarburg Winter Festival, Cedarburg, WI

Cedarburg is a wonderful town to visit throughout the year, but in winter they hold the Cedarburg Winter Festival. This festival is filled with fun winter events. Visitors can enjoy the Ice-Burg Open Gold Tournament, which is a fun new take on the sport of golf. Visitors can also enjoy the Sleeping Beauty costumed bed race on ice for a lot of fun excitement.

Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney, PA

This is the day that the famous Punxsutawney Phil predicts what the upcoming end of winter and spring. Each year on Groundhog's Day many people gather on top of Gobbler's Knob, where the yearly weather prediction is made. After enjoying the real even, travelers can also see all of the groundhogs at the Groundhog Zoo. During the festival visitors can also enjoy hayrides, ice caring, chain saw caring, food and much more.

Iditarod, AK

Alaska is known partly for its winter weather, one way to enjoy this is to try out some dog sledding. One of the most famous and well known dog sledding events is the Iditarod. The Iditarod brings together the most experienced and talented dog sledding teams in the world. They race across the Iditarod trail which covers over 1,150 miles of some of the worlds most extreme terrain. The people who choose to participate in this event have to be truly courageous and tough, and they can complete the entire trip anywhere between 10 and 17 days, a truly amazing feat.

Fire and Ice Winter Fest, Lava Hot Springs, ID

This winter festival is absolutely filled with amazing and fun events. First visitors can take the cold tube race down the Portneuf River in costume no less. Then there is the Running of the Bulls event, where participants strip down to their swim suits and run down main street. Next all of the participants get to take a soak in the mineral hot springs that the town is normally known for. Finally the festival also includes the torch parade and more.

Polar Bear Jump, Seward, AK

The Polar Bear Jump in Seward was first held in the 1980s, and it is still continuing today. There are Polar Bear events held all over the country in the beginning of January. This festival is particularly fantastic since it's especially cold  in the Alaska, and all of the jumpers wear wonderful costumes and the festival benefits non-profit  groups.

Slush Cup Weekend, Bellaire, MI

In Michigan one way to enjoy the last of winter in early March is to attend the Slush Cup Weekend. This event is filled with fun and crazy winter events. The main event is the ski and snowboard race across a pond in costume. Other racing events include the snow-shovel race or the seal sled race. Visitors that prefer a little warmer experience can instead take part in the Fuity Suity even, where all the contestants stuff as much fruit into the swim suits and possible.

Sundance Film Festival, Park City, UT

This is one of the biggest film festivals of the year in the United States. Visitors to this festival won't only have the opportunity to enjoy all of the fame and excitement of the festival, they can also enjoy all of the wonderful skiing at Park City.

Winter Festival of Lights, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Each year in Niagara Falls, there is an amazing show of lights from November through January. The show lights up Niagara Falls and visitors will also find many amazing displays and more. This festival can be enjoyed both in New York and in Canada.

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Top United States Beaches

The many ocean's and lakes of the United States are filled with amazing beaches. Beach lovers can choose from sandy beaches on the Gulf Coast, on the barrier islands of the Atlantic Ocean, the beautiful beaches of California, and of course all of the amazing beaches of Hawaii. Here are some of most stunning beaches found throughout the United States.

Ocracoke Beach, North Carolina

Ocracoke Island has 16 miles of undeveloped sandy shoreline. It is a barrier island of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and it is a part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Ocracoke is fairly remote and can only be reached be public ferry, private boat or private plane. The beach is perfect for swimming, fishing, surfing, sunbathing, fishing and even camping. Certain portions of the beautiful sandy beach can be enjoyed by off-road vehicle.

Sand Beach, Maine

Located on Mt. Desert Island, Sand Beach offers visitors to Maine an amazing beach destination. Visitors to Acadia National Park have the opportunity to enjoy all of the beauty and excitement of this park. This beach is wonderfully sandy and is even a safe place to enjoy swimming. Bordered on both sides by rocky headlands, visitors can also enjoy the tide pools as well as wildlife living in the headlines.

Sea Camp Beach, Georgia

This Cumberland Island Beach is an amazing barrier island beach. Visitors to Cumberland Island can enjoy all 18-miles of this beautiful Atlantic side beach. Sea Camp Beach has wonderful shell collecting. Visitors to this beach can enjoy the sand dunes and lots of wildlife. Here visitors can look for wild horses, manatees, horseshoe crabs and much more.

Shi Shi Beach, Washington

Shi Shi Beach is a little out of the usual mould of beautiful beaches, but nevertheless it is a truly spectacular beach. Located in the Olympic National Park on the Olympic Peninsula. This beach is a spectacular example of the wild coast in Washington, in fact is one of the longest stretches of undeveloped shoreline in the lower 48. Shi Shi  is a two mile crescent shaped beach with towering sandstones bluffs, fringed with forests and the beach is a wild mix of sand and stones. One feature of this beach is that it is very difficult to reach, the remote location has protected the beaches wild beauty. Shi Shi can be reached by taking a 13 mile trail starting in Ozette, the trail is rough, often muddy and very rugged. Unfortunately Shi Shi is not a great swimming location, as it has frequent riptides. It is an amazing example of the rough and wild Olympic coastal wilderness.

South Ocean Beach, Maryland

Located on the fascinating Assateague Island, South Ocean Beach is a beautiful atlantic coast beach. This shoreline is drivable, giving visitors the opportunities to enjoy all the miles of the beach and all of the activities of the beach. South Ocean Beach even offers some fantastic surfing conditions in the region as well.

Twelvemile Beach, Michigan

Twelvemile Beach is a beautiful an isolated beach within the Pictured Rocks National Seashore. On one side are the Pictured Rock cliffs and the Grand Sable Banks. Visitors can walk along the white sand fore its entire length. I addition to enjoying views from the state, visitors can also enjoy beachcombing, fishing and so much more.

West Beach, Alabama

West Beach in Gulf Shores is a beautiful example of an Alabama white sand beach. Stretching for about six miles, this beach offers some truly amazing white sand. Combined with the wonderful warm waters, visitors to West Beach can enjoy a great beach experience.

Van Damme Beach, California

Located on the Mendocino Coast, just north of San Francisco, Van Damme Beach offers a beautiful destination and a quiet atmosphere. From the redwoods on the shoreline to the sea caves and tidal pools, this beach offers an amazing look at a California beach. Here, visitors can enjoy a variety of recreation, including kayaking, diving and more.

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We are giving away 4 sets of tickets to the Ohio RV Supershow!

We’re exhibiting from January 9th-13th at the Ohio RV SuperShow at the IX Center in Cleveland. This is America’s largest indoor RV supershow and it will be featuring 35 new 2013 models. We are also giving away 4 sets of Family 4 pack tickets! Click below to go over to our website and enter the contest, you can also save $2 on weekday tickets!

 

http://www.asrvs.com/Home/OhioRVSuperShow.aspx

Winter Wildlife Viewing

Winter is an amazing time of year to look for wildlife. The snow dampens the sounds of the world and the whiteness preserves tracks and contrasts with the colors of the wildlife. Outdoors, the winter is like a silent, white wonderland. However, the snow and the quiet also make spotting wildlife more difficult as well. Many birds migrate for the winter and some animals go into hibernation, so you may have to look a little harder to spot the wild animals you're looking for.

During the winter, many animals change their patterns in order to avoid the cold and preserve energy. When food becomes scarcer, some animals go into hibernation; others burrow into the ground and remain out of sight. Many animals change their coats in order to camouflage themselves in the snow. Some animals migrate to warmer climates during the winter. 

Many animals that do not hibernate during the winter stay in their dens more and move much less. It is important for these animals to preserve their energy by limiting their exposure to the cold and restricting their movements. Many animals also move to a different habitat where they are less exposed.  The snow covering all of the vegetation can be a great danger to many animals, so they find more sheltered habitats. It is likely that you will see the tracks of animals more often than you will see the animals themselves during the winter. 

Snow is a great preserver of animal tracks. You may see the tracks of many different animals during your wildlife viewing expedition. When you do find animal tracks you will be able to follow the movements of animals. Unfortunately, you may be seeing tracks made by animals days earlier (depending on the weather). Even if the tracks are not fresh, it is interesting to see what animals do during the coldest season.

The snow dampens a lot of sound, but you will become more noticeable in the quiet. When trying to spot animals during the winter, try to be as quiet as possible. If you are quiet, you have a greater chance of finding an animal going about its business. If you are too loud, you will most likely scare away any wildlife in the area. 

The most important skill to practice during winter wildlife viewing is patience. You need to move quietly and slowly to view wildlife. If you are patient, you may be lucky enough to see some wildlife. If you are impatient, it is likely that you will come away from your expedition without having seen any animals. Even if you don't have the chance to see any wildlife, winter wildlife viewing gives you the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature during the winter. If you do see some wildlife in the winter, it will be an experience to treasure forever.

Courtesy of Camping.com