Winter is here ladies and gentleman, it’s time to bundle up, make that hot chocolate, and hit the slopes. Let me introduce you to the best places near and far to hit up the slopes. I’ve spent most of my childhood learning how to ski and snowboard. It is a family tradition of ours. I’ve traveled all around trying to find the best places for not only snowboarding or skiing but the best atmosphere and people to be around, because let me tell you, it makes a huge difference when you’re surrounded by a positive atmosphere. At a very young age, my father taught me how to ski, and sooner rather than later, he was destined to teach me how to snowboard. I started off slow, just little places in the Midwest, mainly Wisconsin. After a few years, we decided to hit up the mountains in the big cities for a larger adventure. As years went by, we started to see all of the best places in the world. It began to feel like a life long adventure. Since I’ve been traveling all my life, only 17 years worth, but let me tell you; I do feel quite confident in the places I’ve found. Here are the best places local and distant for a skiing and snowboarding getaway.

Local:

Located in Kenosha, Wilmot Mountain has trails from beginner to advanced. Yes, it is not like the Colorado mountains in Aspen, but it is a fun place to get together with friends. If this is your first time trying anything, this is the place I recommend. They have easy trails for training, and once you start to feel confident in your skills that’s when you move up a level, they have multiple paths so you’ll never feel unchallenged since there is always another trail to try.  It’s only about 45 minutes away depending on where you live. Over the last year, Wilmot has improved their mountains drastically and added many more trails for you to challenge yourself before you hit up the real slopes up in the big cities. It is a favorite of mine for how close it is.

Located in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. About one hour and 15 minutes away from Vernon Hills. Alpine Mountain is another one of your ski and snowboard resorts to travel to over this winter season. Not only does Alpine have an abundance of trails to ride, they have the cutest places to crash at for the weekend. You must be at least 21 years of age to rent a room, but that’s not a problem. Grab your family and friends or siblings who reach that requirement and head down for a weekend to bond over boarding and hot chocolate. If you’re just a beginner, don’t worry they got you covered. They have so many lessons for all age levels and skillness. They will show you all the tips and tricks to become a great snowboarder or skier. It is much like Wilmot Mountain, but we all need new places to travel to. The people are amazing, and trust me they’re so willing to help out anyone if they want to learn how to ride. If you’re staying home this winter break, I do recommend taking a nice get away to the Alpine Mountains for a nice local and fantastic trip.

Out of the Midwest:

One of my favorite cities to travel to is Aspen, Colorado. Not only is it a beautiful city, but it is also one of the most famous ski and snowboard areas in the nation. Some of my favorites consist of Buttermilk, Aspen Mountain, and Aspen Highland. I only recommend these for more advanced snowboarder and skiers, but hey, if you’re confident in yourself, go and try it. Be spontaneous. These areas are full of loving people who are always there to help you when you need it. The atmosphere is amazing by the little lodges that they have and the warming up center with delicious treats and warm hot chocolate to keep you cozy after a long day on the slopes. Sometimes when you go down there, they will have competitions. My favorite ones to watch are the men’s halfpipe contest.These young lads are extremely talented, and it opens your eyes to a whole new world. We live in the midwest where there aren’t competitions like that since we don’t live in the right area to have mountain ranges. So if you’re a person who loves adventure and beautiful scenery, I totally recommend speaking to your family about traveling down to Aspen, Colorado for your next family vacation.

Out of the Country:

Last and finally is Parsenn, Switzerland. This is probably one of the most advanced places I’ve been to yet, but it is surely one of the greatest and most astonishing places I’ve seen all my life. Not only is the scenery surreal, but the cultural artifacts makes you feel immersed into a whole new world. Yes, it is out of the country, so things may be different but trust me stepping outside your comfort zone and really immersing yourself into a whole new life, that is what traveling is all about. It’s about creating new memories and putting yourself out there since life is about taking risks. I can say myself that this was a risk. The mountains are insane, but it sure felt amazing to get to the bottom of the mountain and overcome my fear of thinking that I wasn’t able to actually complete the course without falling halfway through. They have amazing trainers there that do speak English, since a lot of people from the United States travel to their ski and snowboard resort. If you’re thinking about doing something adventurous and almost heart dropping, I recommend taking a chance on these slopes and to really immerse yourself into their lifestyle.

These are definitely some of my favorite places to ski and snowboard. I have accumulated all of these places over the past few years of my life. I think that skiing and snowboarding is a great skill to pick up for the winter season, not only is it fun, but it also is something to go out and do and be active during the time when people are usually just sitting at home. It may not be a warm sport where you can sit outside all day for, but it is certainly a really self-rewarding sport because when you accomplish that goal that you thought you couldn’t do, it is the best feeling ever. For this winter season, I recommend all of you to go out and try something new. Try skiing first, see where it gets you, but remember don’t get frustrated when you keep getting knocked down, because that is the whole part of learning the sport. You get knocked down, and you stand back up and try again. But when you do it, let me tell you, you’ll never want to stop again. Be active this winter season and hit up some of the slopes. Stay warm, Vernon Hills!