Where would you recommend and will there still be snow at this time of year?
Q. The US offers some of the best skiing in the world, from Vermont and New York State in the east, to Colorado and Utah in the west, with plenty of snow to go round. While the world-famous resorts of Colorado such as Aspen and Vail might spring to mind, there is a good selection of resorts that are family oriented. Here are a couple of the most popular to get you started, but these are the tip of a big snowy mountain. All the resorts run programmes designed for children, which incorporate activities such as ski and snowboarding lessons, daily progress cards, games and races. Perhaps as importantly, they provide the opportunity for your children to make friends.Family Resort of the Year, according to The Good Skiing and Snowboarding Guide, is Deer Valley in Utah. The resort is a 45-minute drive from Salt Lake City airport, and is a venue for next month’s Winter Olympics.
The resort’s slopes can be enjoyed by all levels of skiers, and are good for beginners. I recommend that you stay at the resort for a minimum of 10 days, due to the distances involved when travelling from the UK.A selection of accommodation is available at Deer Valley. The easiest option is to book a package from a UK-based operator Be warned: it is not a budget destination. Made to Measure Holidays (01243 533333, co.uk), and Ski World (020-8600 1799, ) feature Deer Valley in their brochures.
Ski Safari (020-7740 1221, ) offers 10 nights at the resort for £4,285 for your family over Easter, which includes flights, accommodation and car hire Ski passes and lessons cost extra. The skiing season at Deer Valley ends on 7 April, so you should make it. For information visit .Slightly closer to home and voted number one for family skiing in North America for the fifth time by Ski Magazine, is Smugglers’ Notch in the Green Mountains of Northern Vermont. Morse Mountain, next to the village, is suitable for beginners. The skiing season at Smugglers’ Notch runs through to mid-April, and with temperatures moving up to about 2C by the end of winter, you should get sun and snow. Facilities close to the village include an indoor pool, hot tubs, ice-skating rink and Nordic Centre.
“Mom and Me” or “Dad and Me” ski sessions are available and, in the evenings, your 15-year old can meet other children at the Outer Limits Teen Centre.Accommodation in the village ranges from studios to fully equipped five-bedroom homes. A one-bedroom condominium, which sleeps four would cost $99 (£69) per adult and $85 (£59) per child per night for a minimum of seven-nights. This includes accommodation, lift passes, cross-country trail passes, and a daily group snow sport lesson, plus access to the pool, hot tubs, ice skating and the Outer Limits Teen Centre. For more information, freephone (0800 169 8219) or visit .Travelling independently lets you cash in on the low fares across the Atlantic. Bridge the World (0870 444 1716, ) offers flights to Burlington, Vermont, for the Easter period for £400 per adult and £251 per child under 12; you fly from Heathrow or Manchester with United via Washington.