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Your Romance Will Head Uphill
at These Downhill Ski Resorts

Ski America & Canada Experts Rank the Top 10 Resorts for Lovers

Charles Leocha

Just imagine relaxing in front of a flickering fireplace, eating elegant meals by candlelight, taking a horse-drawn sleigh ride, and sharing beautiful mountain vistas with your significant other. Sound romantic and perfect for Valentine’s Day?

It is and can be found at ski resorts across North America, according to the experts who regularly update Ski America & Canada, the country’s best selling ski guide, and its Web site, www.resortspace.com . Add in the exhilaration of skiing or riding together down snowy trails, and a ski vacation becomes the perfect getaway with your sweetheart, Valentine’s Day or not

Ski America & Canada’s award-winning contributors present resorts that offer the perfect combination of dreamlike atmosphere and picture-perfect views together with beautiful lodging, cozy dining, charming towns and picturesque trails where couples can ski or snowboard together. For romantic resorts in the West, Sun Valley, Aspen, Deer Valley, Banff/Lake Louise, and Santa Fe top the list. In the East, they recommend lovers head to Quebec City, the Balsams Grand Resort, Stowe, Tremblant or Bretton Woods to find the perfect wintertime setting to heat up romance.

A new Web site, www.resortspace.com, provides all the information needed to plan the perfect romantic getaway. Based on Ski America & Canada, this new Web site includes details on the lodging, restaurants, dining and activities at more than 50 of the top destination resorts across North America.

According to Charles Leocha, the editor in chief, “Resortspace.com gives much more than mere statistics such as the number of trails and vertical feet.” He continues, “This site paints a complete picture with images, insights, flavor and prices that bring you the true personality of every resort. And phone numbers are included, too, to make things simpler.”

Most Romantic in the West

Sun Valley, Idaho, has long been one of the most romantic destinations in the country since it was created over a half-century ago. Resortspace.com states, “Sun Valley has a European accent mixed with the Wild West.”

Aspen, Colorado, perhaps the most famous U.S. resort, has a bit of everything for lovers of every income. The old world meets the modern in this town. Modern art decorates traditional buildings, diners can find the latest in cuisine and basic meat and potatoes, and almost all accommodations have an Aspen flair.

Deer Valley, Utah, provides skiers with the best of service possible. The entire resort from its hotels and condos to its multifaceted trails reflects gracefulness and luxury. The editors note that in nearby Park City “the flamboyant atmosphere of the silver rush remains.”

Banff/Lake Louise, set in the midst of the majestic Canadian Rockies, blends great ski areas with a delightful town filled with gourmet restaurants and the palatial Chateau Lake Louise.

Santa Fe, N.M., combines the magic of the Southwest with the joy of skiing. The ski area provides high altitude trails and panoramic vistas across the city and the brown desert below. The city is filled with upscale inns and cutting-edge dining experiences.

Crested Butte in Colorado, Taos in New Mexico, Telluride in Colorado, the Alta in Utah, and Beaver Creek in Colorado complete the rest of the top 10 in the West.

Most Romantic in the East

Quebec City, surrounded by the resorts of Mont-Ste.-Anne, Stoneham and Le Massif, provides a European atmosphere of narrow, cobblestone lanes, lamplit cafes, and French hotels where according to these experts, “Couples stroll arm and arm…Singles search for l’amour.”

The Balsams Grand Resort, far in northern New Hampshire, is a step back in time to ornate elegance. The impeccable service, period rooms, exquisite dining accompanied by piano and strings and with its virtually private ski area makes this a difficult location to surpass when searching for the perfect romantic weekend.

Stowe, Vt., offers the quintessential New England experience with white-steepled churches, quaint general stores and traditional, cozy bed and breakfasts.

Tremblant, about two hours north of Montreal, has crafted a new mountain village with atmosphere in “18th Century French town style, based on the narrow streets, old buildings, cozy restaurants and quaint shops of Old Quebec City.”

Bretton Woods with its Mount Washington Hotel, in New Hampshire, has brought historic romance back to life in the White Mountains. The refurbished grand hotel presents a movie-set dining room, classical and swing music, dancing through the night together with the state's largest ski resort.

Jackson in New Hampshire, Mad River Valley in Vermont, Lake Placid in New York, and Charlevoix and the Eastern Townships in Quebec round out the top 10 in the East.

Ski America & Canada, published by World Leisure ($24.95), is the leading guidebook to destination winter resorts in North America. It is available in bookstores, through amazon.com , www.bn.com  and www.worldleisure.com . With www.resortspace.com  (Forbes Magazine Best of The Web), you'll be linked with the award-winning journalists who create Ski America & Canada and Ski Europe.

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