While I love a great beach vacation, skiing has always ranked at the top of my TO DO’s in the winter. At a young age, I was lucky enough to make several ski trips with our church youth group and that is when I discovered that I loved to ski. While I hate being cold, there is something so calming about the mountains. Paoli peaks and Perfect North, both in Indiana, are hot spots for an easy drive. If you live in Kentucky, these are fun getaways for the family especially for beginners. In middle and high school, my family ventured out west to ski several times and this is where I truly fell in love.
I had only been to Snowshoe, WV skiing one time until my husband Jared and I decided to venture out and spend this past New Years there. It was a great 3 days, arriving on a Thursday evening and leaving Monday morning. While the weather wasn’t the best, we enjoyed 2 days of skiing, dinner at a remote cabin, razor riding and great food. I thought I would share a few highlights with you and encourage you to venture out to Snowshoe soon! TOP TIP: Book in advance and make sure that lift tickets are available for the days that you want to ski as they do sell out. We didn’t get to snow-tube or ride the snowmobiles as they were booked and we were told they book weeks in advance so if this is a MUST…plan ahead!
Where we stayed: A great friend and “Snowshoe regular” told us about the newest hotel “Corduroy Inn”. It was very nice, clean, and modern. Our room had a living room, fireplace, and a small kitchen with a separate bedroom. TIP: Next trip we will take more snacks/food to stock the kitchen. If you didn’t want to dine out, you would not have to! The groceries on the mountain are limited so bring your MUST HAVES.
Old Spruce Brewing
We were tired after traveling so decided to take the shuttle (you can get wherever you want to go on the mountain with their shuttle service), down to Old Spruce Brewing Co. We read reviews and they are known for their tacos. They did not disappoint! I went with the buffalo taco and Jared with the tuna. This was a fun, very casual, atmosphere. It was right beside Snow Creek Mountain Sports which is a great stop to get anything that you left behind in regards to skiing. (next 5 pictures)
Razor Ride Adventure
While we love to ski, it is nice to take a break to do other things! We would have chosen snowmobiling but it was sold out so we tried the razor ride adventure. This was just OK….if you live in the country and go riding, you may find it very average. This was fun but not something we would most likely do again. We did learn that the summer rides are much longer and more desirable to do than the winter rides.
Adventure Dining:
This was a fun experience but probably not something we would do again. It was a little pricey, weather wasn’t the best (which we couldn’t control), and food just OK. This included a razor ride (you are the driver-this was NOT clearly stated) to a remote cabin “Off the Grid”. The cabin only seats about 10-12 people so it was a unique experience. The appetizer and dessert were our favorite parts and we made new friends!
The Pizza Slice
If you are tired and looking for something to call ahead and take back to your room, we loved the Pizza Slice. This is located right next to The Corduroy Inn and when we were there, they were offering call ahead/ pick up only. After a long day, it was nice to pick up on your way in and not have to get back out!
Appalachia Kitchen:
This was our favorite dinner and it was conveniently located at the top of the Corduroy Inn. It is my understanding that it moved location to the top of the Inn so that they could seat more people when COVID restrictions hit. If you are wanting to go out for one nice meal, make reservations here and make them in advance so that you can secure. We did learn that they get several cancellations daily so if you can’t grab one early, call the day of and you may luck out! I thought this would call for a bit dressier attire but you saw everything from dressy to skiwear. I would HIGHLY suggest this restaurant.
We loved this for a lunch stop. It sits at the bottom of the mountain and overlooks the lake. It is a great resting spot for food and a warm drink! You can sit inside and warm up or choose the porch for dining. Menu is very basic but great for something to give you energy to keep going!
The Boathouse
We didn’t have the best weather while we were there but we made the most of it. It was very windy and as we traveled into Snowshoe, it poured the rain. Thank goodness they had a nice base of snow built up. Several runs were closed while we were there but we still enjoyed two full days of skiing. If you start early and end late evening, you are ready for a break!
Skiing Snowshoe:
I always forget how much of a total body workout skiing can be! I have found that as I have gotten older, I am not much of a risk taker. We played it safe and didn’t tackle anything too tough.
Snowshoe offers great slopes for beginners, plenty of blues and greens and if you are seeking adventure, you can tackle the blacks (color coded based upon difficulty).
Here is a short list of MUST HAVE ITEMS when going skiing
- Waterproof snow boots
- Good base layer for top and bottom
- Waterproof/windproof jacket. I like the ones you can layer so that if you get hot you can remove a layer.
- Good ski socks
- Goggles- You will want even on a sunny day especially if you wind, rain, sleet, or snow
- Toboggan for head or something for your ears
- Neck wrap that you can easily pull up to your goggles. Again, really needed to protect from the elements. During Covid, most resorts will make you wear a mask anyway while in line for lifts, and in all facilities. Snowshoe was especially particular about this which we were thankful!
- Good waterproof gloves
- Helmet! I am a big believer in a helmet no matter how good you can ski! You can rent this along with your poles and skis.
We are excited to go back and take the entire family! We LOVED where we stayed this time but would consider staying in the village for easy, walkable access to shopping, Starbucks, and plenty of restaurants. PLUS…if you have teenagers, they will enjoy being where all the action is! Our trip ended with the most beautiful sunset.
Can’t wait to hear about your experience if you take a trip soon!
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