Apple Vacations and VacationRoost today announced their partnership in the launch of a new ski program effective October 10, 2011. The partnership will increase Apple Vacations' current ski offering to 23 destinations across North America. The program provides consumers with a complete travel-planning solution, including air transportation, lodging, ground transportation, lift tickets, gear rentals and more.

"Apple Vacations is excited to offer a greatly enhanced ski program using the VacationRoost platform," said Apple Vacations President Timothy Mullen. "VacationRoost's leading-edge technology, ease of booking, expert destination knowledge and customer service made it an easy choice. We are already hearing positive feedback!"

VacationRoost will provide complete website merchandising capabilities, online booking and full call center reservation services under the Apple Vacations brand. The Company is able to provide customers with this service thanks to its extensive availability of ski destination inventory, its direct-connect technology that powers real-time availability and rates online, and its industry leading Destination Expert customer service team that ensures guests find the perfect ski vacation every time.

"Expanding Apple Vacations' ski program is something we are very excited about and is a great opportunity," said Julian Castelli, CEO of VacationRoost. "We look forward to being able to offer their customers the best ski vacations available in the industry."

About Apple Vacations

For more than 40 years, Apple Vacations, America's Favorite Vacation Company, has provided affordable, top quality vacation packages from U.S. departure cities nationwide to vacation destinations throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Europe, as well as top ski resorts throughout the US. With the support of travel agents, Apple Vacations has delivered more passengers to Mexico and the Dominican Republic than any other North American tour operator. Apple Vacations is consistently voted Best Tour Operator to Mexico as well as Best Tour Operator to the Caribbean by readers of the leading travel trade magazines.

About VacationRoost Inc.

With more than 150,000 vacation rentals in 84 beach and ski destinations across North and South America, VacationRoost.com offers the largest selection of professionally managed vacation homes and condos throughout its network of websites and affiliate partners. Travelers can search, compare and book their vacation rental online, or work with an experienced destination expert to find the perfect vacation home for their vacation. VacationRoost's team of travel professionals is committed to making booking a vacation rental as easy as booking a hotel room online.

SOURCE: VacationRoost

source: www.westsideintltravel.com

Oct 17, 2011 - Skiing is often the easiest part of planning a winter vacation. With a family, making a destination resort trip can be chaos.

Recognizing that the best advice comes from those who have survived family ski trips, Krista Parry came up with the idea for the Snowmamas web page. Parry, who works for the communications department for Park City Mountain Resort, realized she was answering a lot of questions regarding family ski trips and came up with the idea for the site in 2008.

“There seemed to be a dire need for a community of parents that could provide tips on how to plan a winter family vacation,” Parry said.

While the page is based out of Park City and is linked to the resort’s website, Snowmamas is a useful resource for families planning a trip.

The success of the page comes from using advice from real parents, not only from Utah, the West or even the United States.

“We have contributors to our discussion from all over the world,” Parry said. “We try to divide the country into regions and get representatives from each one. We had several international applicants this year.”

More than 1,000 people applied to be a Snowmama for the 2010-11 season. Only 10 made the cut, but another 200 or so form the Snowmama advisory council.

Parry said tighter rules reduced the number of applicants for the 2011-12 winter, but that the quality of entries was exceptional. Several veteran Snowmamas will help the newbies out.
source: www.sltrib.com

Breckenridge, Colorado - Even Che Guevara has been spotted in Breckenridge, with a pair of ski goggles perched on his nose - albeit just as an image emblazoned on a bright red T-shirt in a shop window on Main Street.

'Powder for the People' reads the slogan in capital letters under the face of the revolutionary. It's a reference to the default consistency of snow in these parts. Draped next to it is a smart designer anorak decorated with glittering rhinestones.

The picture is apt for this little town west of Denver in the US state of Colorado, which is among North America's top ski holiday destinations.

Like the other resorts in the Rocky Mountains, Breckenridge has its share of million-dollar holiday chalets, but the outlaw image counts for more. Mariah Carey and Kevin Costner are welcome to stick to the pistes in upmarket Aspen. 'Breck' feels more at ease with daredevils like Olympic winner Bode Miller.

'After all, we do have a reputation to live up to,' said Gail Westwood of the local Heritage Alliance history society. She scrunches through the snow in a long skirt, her hair tied up in a bun, passing colourful Wild West buildings with crooked facades.

Westwood recalls the turbulent beginnings at the Gold Rush camp 150 years ago, with tales of golden nuggets, gunslingers and red light districts. The ghost of Sylvia the widow is still said to haunt a Victorian mansion at 130 South Main Street, roaming the rooms in search of a new husband.

Breckenbridge ski resort seems tamely civilised by comparison to its Wild West past.

A carpet of conifers reaches almost up to the valley stations of the ski lifts. Although the peaks are all around 4,000 metres high they are not particularly jagged. The Rocky Mountains are a few million years older than the dramatic Swiss Alps and their surfaces have been worn away by eons of erosion caused by wind and weather.

Breckenridge's diverse network of 155 slopes is grouped around four adjacent mountains of the Ten Mile range - pragmatically named Peak 7 to 10. The season lasts from November through to April, with the best snow to be found from January to March.

A range of lifts and the celebrated Breck Connect gondola take skiers to the base of Peak 8 in style. While traversing the Cucumber Gulch nature reserve, travellers should keep a lookout for a bad-tempered elk said to hang out at the base of Peak 7.

Broad, well-groomed intermediate slopes await ski beginners, especially around the base of Peak 9. Some visitors will want to whirr up the Imperial Express Superchair at Peak 8 - the highest lift in North America, rising to 3,910 metres.

For those who like it a little wilder, there are a number of dramatic chasms leading up to Peak 7.

For snowboarders and freestyle ski fans there five terrain parks with big halfpipes. Breckenridge is proud of keeping up with the times, as one of the first Colorado resorts to embrace new-fangled snowboards 25 years ago, allowing them on its hallowed slopes. These days, snow bikes are the big hit in neighbouring Keystone.

Keystone is a ski territory without a discernible centre. Only 300 people live here the whole year round and the community is made up solely of hotels, lodging houses and apartment complexes.

The driving force behind the creation of Keystone was pioneer Max Dercum, whose bulldozers started cutting runs in 1971. The first were dug where Dercum and his co-founders had a hunch that they would turn out to be good - today there are 135 trails, half of which feature challenging terrain suitable for advanced athletes only.

Unlike in Breckenridge, the ski areas are not sited conveniently next to each other but lie around Dercum Mountain, North Peak and The Outback. Behind Dercum Mountain lies The Outpost, a blockhouse lodge with a well-regarded restaurant.

Keystone is cheaper than Breckenridge and more suitable for family vacations. One of the attractions for youngsters is a life-size snow castle complete with towers and a labyrinth. The town features sledge runs, snow tubing and a skating rink along with a magical forest of mineshafts, tunnels and bridges.
source: www.monstersandcritics.com

Toronto, Canada – Toronto-based Porter Airlines is launching seasonal service to Burlington, Vermont, this winter, augmenting its winter ski flights from Newark and Toronto to Tremblant in Quebec and Quebec City, expanding its U.S. network and adding a new destination for passengers looking to enjoy a season on the ski hills.

With twice-weekly roundtrip flights from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to Burlington International Airport beginning on Dec. 15 until April 8, passengers can enjoy easy access to northern Vermont skiing and snowboarding as well as an assortment of other local attractions.

“Our new service to Vermont is a perfect complement to our current winter schedule already featuring prime destinations such as Mont Tremblant and Quebec City,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “Burlington offers access to an incredible array of spectacular ski hills, and a vibrant community to explore.”

The Burlington schedule includes weekly round trips on Thursdays and Sundays, with the exception of long weekends which offer Thursday and Monday roundtrip options. One-way fares start at $99, plus applicable fees and taxes.

“This is a great partnership that will boost tourism in Vermont and provide an economic boost to our ski areas,” said Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin.

Special Porter ski packages from Stowe Mountain Resort, Jay Peak, Smugglers Notch and Sugarbush will be offered at the Ski, Snowboard & Travel show in Toronto, October 13-16, and at www.skivermont.com in the coming week.

The service supplement’s a resumption of Porter’s ski service from Newark International Airport directly to Mont Tremblant in Quebec, eliminating the long drive to the popular ski destination from the New York City metro area. From Dec. 22 to April 12, passengers can enjoy weekly roundtrip flights from Newark International Airport to the base of Mont Tremblant.

“Canada is world-famous for our award-winning outdoor attractions,” said Deluce. “Introducing non-stop flights to Mont Tremblant provides passengers in Greater New York with even easier access to some of the best skiing we have to offer.”

Highlights from the new Tremblant schedule include weekly departures on Thursday mornings, return flights on Monday mornings from Dec. 26 to Jan. 2, and return flights on Sunday mornings from Jan. 8 to April 12. Passengers can also connect through Toronto for even greater travel flexibility with 11 weekly departure times and 10 return options.

“The non-stop flight from New York with Porter is a great opportunity for our guests to enjoy a drastic change of scenery in only 90 minutes or so,” said Alain Houde, Directeur Général of Tourisme Mont-Tremblant. “They can maximize their leisure time and hit the slopes in record time.”

Porter offers the only non-stop service between Newark and Mont Tremblant.

Porter is partnering with Ultimate Ski Vacations to provide air-inclusive packages, including lift tickets and accommodations, with a “best price guarantee”. Skiing and snowboarding packages can be customized by visiting www.ultimateski.ca or calling (800) 465-3034.source: www.firsttracksonline.com

PRNewswire/ -- With snow-season just around the corner, Americans are starting to plan their winter vacations. This year, be prepared to enjoy the snowy outdoors more than ever before with FindTheBest's winter sports comparisons. FindTheBest's Sports and Recreation category helps users compare and contrast thousands of listings to help them find exactly what they need in just a few clicks. FindTheBest's comparisons—which compile results from manufacturer websites, public databases and other expert sources—include listings that are both relevant to the search topic and user friendly as well.

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FindTheBest also answers important questions users may have in regards to purchases. For example, when considering buying skis or a snowboard, users may want to know what the cheapest snowboard or the best skis of the season are and how they compare to the rest of the market.

For experienced snow-goers who already have all the necessary equipment—from snowboard boots to snowmobiles—FindTheBest can help you find the perfect location for your winter cat skiing or heli-skiing trip. Not quite sure what cat skiing is? FindTheBest's cat skiing glossary of terms takes the guesswork out of the otherwise dreary trip planning process.

Before planning the family's winter vacation, let FindTheBest help you narrow down and compare all of your options.

source: www.prnewswire.com