Zine Unveils Best Family Ski Resorts for 2013

With winter bearing down on most of us, Family Travel Magazine, a zine that covers the same sort of stuff I do, has released a list of the best family-oriented ski resorts across the country.

On the list are some of my personal faves, including Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire, Keystone Resort in Colorado, Big Sky Resort in Montana, Northstar in California and Shawnee Mountain in Pennsylvania.

(As a total aside, the last of the bunch is where I learned how to ski when I was 8. It ended badly, especially for a random old woman walking in regular boots at the base of the bunny slope. My buddy and I inadvertently clothes-lined her. Her ankle got broken. I've been traumatized ever since.)

What I love about the list is that it includes snow-tubing as a viable option for families; whenever I ask friends (and readers!) what they like best about the ski resorts they visit, this always comes up as a popular activity for kids and grown-ups alike. I also like that Family Travel editors indicate which of the resorts offer daycare.

What I don’t like about the list is the length. The darn thing is too short! How anyone could put together a list of family-friendly ski resorts and include NOTHING from Idaho is beyond me. The indoor bowling alley alone at Sun Valley Resort is worth some love.

Also, as a resident of California, I can tell you this: There are more than two ski resorts worth a mention, and the Tube Park and Snow Play at Mammoth Mountain makes that No. 1 on my list.

Finally, folks, I give you one word: Okemo.

You know, Forbes.com only picked the Vermont resort as one of the “10 Best Ski Resorts for Families” in 2011. The place offers free skiing and riding to all humans 6 and under, five beginner surface lifts and a host of other family-friendly amenities.

Which ski resorts do you prefer to hit up with the family in tow? Leave a comment and let us know.