Winter Vacations

If you and your family are looking to go some place over vacation consider some of these family-fun places. Warm or cold, these are some of the most fun places ever.

Winter Vacation to:

Smuggler's Notch,VT

Smuggler's Notch was recently voted North America's top Family Resort. It has 78 trails and 8 lifts. The resort owns three ski mountains and a lot of time share properties. One of the mountains is for beginers and the other two are for more advanced skiers. In the summer, they have three water parks but in the winter they cover one of them up to have two indoor hot tubs and an indoor pool. Smuggler's Notch also provides free shuttle service wherever you want to go in the resort. While you're there, make sure you try out the zipline canopy tour along one of the mountains. If you have young kids and are looking for a place to go, Smuggler's Notch is the right chioce.

Winter Vacation to: Jay Peak,VT

Located about three hours away by the Canadian border, Jay Peak has 78 trails and an open woods policy; that means you don't have to stay on a trail, you can just go wherever you want in the woods. They have trails open for any level skier or rider but there are much more choices for advanced skiers. They also have a huge indoor water park with 4 water slides and a giant lazy river. The water park also includes indoor and outdoor hot tubs. Whether you're going to the waterpark or one of their amazing resturants, you can always call a shuttle to come pick you up. If you are looking for a an advanced ski vacation, Jay Peak is perfect.

Winter Vacation to: San Francisco, CA

If you're looking for somewere slightly warmer this winter, San Francisco is a great place to go. It's not hot; the average temperature for January is 51 degrees F. In San

Francisco, there are lots of places to go, and there are great places for all ages. The Exploratorium is one such place. Located at Pier 15, the Exploratorium offers science for all ages. The Japanese Tea Garden is also excellent, especially for a short day trip. Filled with lush gardens, the garden is a wonderful place for a walk, complete with a tea house if you want tea and a snack and there are koi in some of the ponds as well as a bridge that is fun to climb over and a zen garden. Pier 39 is also good for kids and adults alike, with restaurants, an aquarium, and even sea lions piled on the docks. The Bay Aquarium also has touch pools to touch sting rays, small sharks, sea stars and other animals. There is also an underwater tunnel so the animals swim over your head, and all around you! San Francisco is a great place to go for vacation, even if you will have jet lag for a few days!

For more information go to:

Japanese Tea Garden: japaneseteagardensf.com

Exploratorium: www.exploratorium.edu

Bay Aquarium: www.aquariumofthebay.org

Pier 39: www.pier39.com