One of the saving graces of living in New England through the chilling, blustery winter is the abundance of ski resorts found throughout the region.  With snow sports to distract us from the cold temperatures, the winter can fly by in a most enjoyable way.  Jay Peak Resort, in Jay, Vermont is one of Vermont’s tallest summits and boasts an average annual snowfall of 376 inches, the most of any New England ski resort.  At a mere 2 hours from Hanover, New Hampshire it is the perfect place to plan a weekend get away with your loved ones to experience the New England winter in all its glory.  Here are a few suggestions to make it a memorable trip:

Check out the Jay Peak Magazine. Start off your trip planning by checking out the Jay Peak Magazine at www.raisedjay.com. This digital magazine has a lot of information to offer such as the goings-on at the resort, local businesses, including nearby restaurants, off-mountain activities like dog sledding, and even a guidebook on ways to plan your vacation, complete with pricing for nearly everything Jay Peak Resort offers.

Start with the lodging packages offered by the resort. They offer several packages that provide savings on normal ticket prices, including a combination of skiing, lodging, and/or access to the water park.  Price varies depending on which resort accommodations you are interested in (and can be more pricey than staying off-resort), but in addition to slope and water park access, they also include free daycare for kids age 2-7, free Wi-Fi, access to the ice skating rink, and access to the fitness center and XC ski and snowshoe trails.

Consider off-slope accommodations for families and larger groups to save money. If you don’t mind driving a few miles to the mountain each day, consider accommodations available outside the resort to save money.

• Grampa Grunts Lodge in Montgomery Center, VT is about 15 minutes from the mountain and provides reasonably priced accommodations.  Their main lodge is great for younger people ($37.50pp/night).  They also have apartments, which are separate from the lodge, that sleep between 6 and 10 people that are ideal for families or larger groups.  These start at $210/night and have full amenities including a kitchen supplied with pots and pans in case guests prefer to save money and cook meals.
• Cedarwood Resort in Jay, VT is a 5 minute drive from the mountain and also has a number of options available.  Economy rooms start at $115/night on weekends and family lofts that sleep 6 people start at $260/night.  Cedarwood Resort also offers discount lift tickets upon request.

Relax and forget about winter at Jay Peaks new water park. A “must do” while at Jay Peak is a visit to the newly opened Pump House Indoor Water park.  Some of its attractions include an activity river, the Flowrider surf wave pool, a climbing wall, the La Chute Aqualoop waterslide (as well as 3 others), a kids area, a poolside bar, and indoor and outdoor hot tubs, which are a nice treat after a day of skiing!  Pump House is open until 9pm or 10pm on weekends which leaves plenty of time to spend there once the lifts close.

Treat yourself to a nice meal and local entertainment. The resort offers numerous restaurants to meet the needs for all types of meals.  Quick bite?  Mountain Dick’s pizza in Hotel Jay offers pizza, sandwiches, and pasta and stays open late on weekends.  For sit-down service The Foundry Pub and Grille and Alice’s Table offer full menus.  For lighter fare at lower prices, Tower Bar does the trick.  Off-resort, the Jay Village Inn and Cedarwood Resort have full-service restaurants.  The Belfry is minutes from the resort and stays open late.  Feel like brushing shoulders with the locals?  Try the Snowshoe Pub in Montgomery Center which offers live entertainment on weekend nights and has pool tables and video games in an adjacent room to keep the kids busy!