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Find a snow-covered mountain, slap on some skis, hitch a ride to the top and ski to the bottom. That’s a successful, ski weekend, right? Wrong. Skiing is only part of a good ski getaway – the other part is the nightlife. Here are some awesome destinations for daytime skiing and night time partying.
Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, California
With the third most skier visits in the country, it’s not hard to see why Mammoth is a major player in the arena of ski destinations. Aside from amazing slopes and skiing opportunities, there’s the Mammoth Brewing Company and its brand new tasting room with 13 craft beers on tap; Mammoth Tavern with tasty dinner options in classy digs; and Mammoth Rock ‘N’ Bowl with 12 lanes, three golf simulators, two restaurants and tons of games, among other awesome things to do and see.
Aspen, Colorado
Aspen and Snowmass feature exceptional ski terrain spread over four mountains and a resort town with over 100 brew pubs, night clubs, billiard halls, breweries and restaurants, and, of course, Winterskol (a toast to winter), Aspen’s famous winter fest with fireworks, parades, live music and more. Catch it this January.
Ellicottville, New York
Nestled in the mountains of the charmingly backwoods-named Ellicotsville, Holiday Valley is home to 58 slopes with 13 lifts that are situated for easy travel from base to peak no matter where you begin. Its three base lodges feature three eateries, five bars and a brew pub with 24 craft beers on tap. In town foodies and party-goers have access to a nightclub, steak house, brewpub, sports bar and other watering holes to fill up on good grub and fine spirits after a hard day on the slopes.
Killington, Vermont
Killington’s Bear Mountain, Skye Peak, Pico, and The Canyon are popular with the hipper demographics for its skiing and snowboarding opps. The town hosts sweet events like the Rails 2 Riches Jam, a college week and the Winter Dew Tour. They’ve also got bars where skiers and locals mingle under the influence of good beer and in the presence of live music. Plus, they’ve got a pizza place where homemade beer is kept cold by a conveyor belt system that transports it outside in the brisk northern air. Sweet.
Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah
Two words: Giant Halfpipe. Park City Mountain Resort is famous for the presence of an Olympic-grade halfpipe for dead serious snowboarders and skiers, but it’s also home to a sprawling 3,300 acres with 114 runs and over 3,000 feet of vertical drop. At night head into town to bar hop across almost 20 brew pubs, saloons, bistros and sports bars.
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid has played center stage for tons of world competitions, including the Olympic Winter Games, making it one of the best places in the country for skiing. At night, skiers party at the nearby Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, plus other assorted bars and restaurants, and the Bowlwinkles Entertainment Center with laser tag, arcade and cosmic bowling.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Situated on the footsteps of the Snow King Mountain and Bridger-Teton National Forest, Jackson Hole is a hub for skiers and partiers to mix, mingle and imbibe freely. Night skiing, live music venues, popular bars, craft beer, hearty eats, gentleman’s clubs, rustic taverns and more make it a must-experience place for the snow and suds crowd.
Skiing image by Shutterstock