Category Archives: Travel Tips

Trip of a Lifetime Winner: Deer Valley

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Scott Dwyer was the winner of SKI Magazine’s Trip of a Lifetime Contest to Deer Valley Resort. While flying home following the trip he was able to reflect and so kindly shared his experience with us. Enjoy!

I’m here to say that dreams really do come true and, when those dreams include Deer Valley, there is a very fine line between fantasy and reality. At times, the delineation between the two is only separated by the smile on my face and the joy in my soul.

I suppose I could qualify as the quintessential reader of SKI Magazine and fan of Deer Valley: I typically read the magazine cover-to-cover, and, prior to my first visit to Deer Valley last year, considered reading the trail map to study the terrain and amenities a mandatory night time activity. Further, I was well aware that Deer Valley was awarded the top spot in the reader rankings for the fifth year in a row and knew the exact dates the SKI Magazine Deer Valley Trip of a Lifetime entries were open.  Like many I’m sure, I submitted an entry and forgot about it.

In late December, though, my fantasy turned into reality as my email inbox glowed with the subject line “Trip of a Lifetime Winner: Deer Valley”! It took several glances to confirm it as fact and me not delusional.

It didn’t take long to fall in love with Deer Valley during our first visit, but I suddenly knew that our second visit would be infinitely more special. Sure, my wife and I looked forward to sitting in Cushing’s Cabin while gazing out over the majestic snow-covered peaks again, but imagine our delight when we discovered our award included elegant accommodations, a loaded welcoming gift basket, lift tickets, and all meals highlighted with dinners at the Seafood Buffet and Mariposa! Yes, our second visit would be special!

While all of the resort amenities were nothing short of remarkable, the highlight of our trip was meeting a bunch of really nice people. These are not just ordinary people; these are a cadre of very special people that elevated a very nice trip to a magical experience and helped us turn the resort into “Our Deer Valley.” It is impossible to mention everyone that had an impact on our trip, but some highlights include: breakfast with Communications Manager Emily Summers, meeting other members of the marketing team that had a hand in making our trip happen (thanks Terry, Ed, and Coleen!), our Mariposa waiter Jon Good, a litany of on-the-mountain hosts and guides, and ski equipment storage representatives that handled all of our gear with warmth and a smile.

How do you say thank you for something like that? I suppose a vote towards the sixth straight number one ranking is a good place to start. That is kind of a given, though, and I wanted to do something more. You see, leading up to our first visit, I became so enamored with the 30th anniversary Deer Valley logo that I decided to paint it.

(Scott’s fantastic painting for Deer Valley’s 30 Year Anniversary)

This year, though, required something more unique, so I used the view from Cushing’s Cabin as inspiration and painted a fall scene using the Deer Valley logo and a large number one. I’m proud to say that both are now in the possession of the resort and, I hope, serve as just one reminder of how special this place makes people feel.

(Scott’s latest painting)

So, on the plane ride back to North Carolina with my wife by my side, I started typing…and thinking. My thoughts were dominated by the reality that our stay at Deer Valley was really an Experience of a Lifetime, a remarkable series of events that we will never forget. And, while our vacation did many things, it certainly made me wonder how quickly we could get back, hopefully sooner than later. Until that time, I’ll be filtering through my memories of a special place and thinking of what to paint next year. For that, I’m certainly open to suggestions.

Free ski check—free advice

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For most of us, it’s the little things that make-or-break an experience. Deer Valley’s free ski check is one of those things.

There isn’t a bathroom break or mealtime when I don’t take advantage of the free, secure ski storage located at every lodge on the mountain. And, yes, I am one of those skiers who checks in my gear at the end of the first day of the season—and every day thereafter.

I like it for a few reasons. First, I am one of those people who can never remember where I parked my car—or which rack I used to stash my skis during lunch. Second, there’s no chance of me grabbing another skier’s similar gear by accident—or vice versa. The fact that it’s free makes it a no-brainer.

However, the system isn’t flawless. If you’re the sort of person who can’t remember where you put your keys (ahem), you may be prone to losing the little numbered tag. And I’m not sure which is more frustrating—being the person who arrives at ski check in the morning, having stored their gear overnight, only to have lost the tag, or being in the line of good, tag-wielding folks who have to wait while you fill out the paperwork and fail miserably at properly describing your ski by make, model and color. (This particular predicament is not limited to those with rental gear. My friend Steve forgot the pertinent details of his skis once, and I once described the color of my skis as yellow, when the rest of the world would see them as a light, bright green). So, yes, I’ve been both people in this scenario—and found them to be equally frustrating.

Lucky for you, I’ve learned a few things from these experiences. Here’s my quick list of tips for avoiding the dreaded lost tag:

  1. Use your smartphone to take a photo of your tag. The guys at ski-check suggested it to me—and it works. If you lose the tag, you’ll be able to show the photo to the attendants at ski check, so they can retrieve your skis. You will still have to fill out a form, but it will eradicate the sweat-it-out search-by-sight that will otherwise ensue. You’ll still have to fill out a form, but it will take seconds instead of minutes. I pull out my phone and open the camera app as soon as I hand off my skis and poles.
  2. If you’re checking multiple pairs of skis for your family, photograph them separately with your phone, and put the corresponding skier’s name in the caption
  3. Attach a carabineer to the ticket ring on your jacket or ski pants. I know it’s tempting to take that wristband-sized loop and, yes, wear it on your wrist. Resist the urge. The minute you take of a glove, or remove your jacket for lunch or a bathroom break, that long-forgotten “wristband” will fly off, unnoticed and lay, useless, on the floor. Use the carabineer to hold any tags you acquire over the course of the day—whether you are using the basket check in the basement of Snow Park or Silver Lake lodges, or simply checking your skis in at lunch. You’ll never be at a loss for the tag’s location.
  4.  If you own multiple ski outfits and alternate them regularly, pick a spot in your boot bag that always houses the carabineer at the end of the ski day. This seems like a very basic rule, but it’s one that will save you a lot of headaches.

Got any other great tips for absent-minded folks like me? Leave them in the comments.

All Aboard!

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If you’re getting ready to board the plane with your kids during the holiday season, and the very thought strikes terror in your soul, let me say this: I feel your pain!

We fly away a few times a year, and recently, when someone asked me how I managed the solo flight with both kids (and one plane change), when we returned home a few days after Ski Dad, I said, simply: I have no memory of it whatsoever. Like childbirth, it meant I would inevitably sign up to do it again.

So, earlier this month, the family headed to Florida (complaint department moment: It was NOT WARM. NOT POOL WEATHER.) and I wondered what the trip would be like. As in, casually wondered, instead of actively worrying. I guess part of it stems from the fact that we do this enough to know that we can only control a very small amount of the action—and the kids’ moods. Also, Little Guy is toilet trained, so less stuff, less EXTRA stuff, etc. I will spare you the story of the “present” that rolled out of a loosened diaper in the boarding lounge onceuponatime.

 Anyway, we packed pretty light, but smart. And it went…WELL!

Here, some airport highlights:

SIT PRETTY We use a Sit-n-Stroll, even though our three-year-old is long past the days of passively hanging in a stroller. (Really, was he ever fond of those days?) Still, it’s novel, we ONLY use it on trips (so it’s appearance is a signal that adventure is in the offing) and this time he was to use it only as his sweet ride between concourses, and also his car seat. He learned the term Gate Check and (quite adorably) wondered if there were other items, such as our RV, that we could gate check, too. Even if you are on your last baby, if you don’t own this piece of gear, buy it before you come out for your vacation. Having a car-seat at the ready for rental cars or even airport shuttles and taxis is a fabulous thing.

Also, when the kid wants to walk (ahem, run) alongside you (and believe me, factor in time for this between flights, if you can), it’s a great cart for your carry-ons.

BOTTOMLESS PURSE. You know how the mommy handbag always contains a surprise? (Once, when I was interviewing a Famous Person, I dug into my handbag –WHICH I HAD CLEANED OUT before the interview—to fetch a pen, and came up with an armless Lego guy, half a Clif Z Bar, and (score!) a mechanical pencil replete with Spongebob motif.) Now, go through your house and find the dumb toys. Little mechanical things that come in kids’ meals, rev-up monster trucks that are roughly small enough to palm. Or Hot Wheels. If you don’t have some, get them. When you are hanging about the airport lounge, bust out these toys and allow your kids to zip ‘em around the floor. My kids managed to trip only a few unsuspecting passengers. Sigh.  

Steve Jobs is your best parenting weapon. I don’t care if your kids are on a strict diet of watercolor lessons and picture books at home. The iPod video is the must-have tool for any airplane trip. I downloaded identical video and audio playlists to two far-from-obsolete-but-redundant-to-iPhone-owners iPod Video units in our house. And to my iPhone. Just. In. Case. Plus a hand-held gaming console for each (the kind they make for three year olds, and one that even growunups love). Can I just say, my kids were so well-entertained that I got to use my new iPad inflight? Yes, we did some coloring, some reading to each other, some tic-tac-toe, but the kids were not sick of me by the second hour of flying. (SkiDad sits across the aisle, and manages the food and, ahem, tech support).

 Set aside some scratch for on-board food. Trust me, I pack my own snacks. Nutrient-dense bar thingies for one-and-all, mixed unsalted nuts, dried fruit. ThinBagels with a schmear (they take up less space). But I plan to buy something from the snacks-for-sale cart on the flight. Why? Cause the kids think it’s fun. And we can play “Be A Duck” with the canned chips. It’s cheap entertainment. And my kids are usually too full from the other stuff to finish the chips.

In the airport, eat at the place with the friendliest staff. A special shout-out to the Sports Grill in Concourse B of the Atlanta-Hartsfield Airport: This restaurant is so well-managed, the entire staff seems to come out to greet arriving patrons, lead them to the table, all the while attending to those already seated. The wait staff makes smart menu suggestions and carries crayons. Find a place like this in every airport you use. You won’t regret it.

And if you notice we had time enough on our layover for a sit-down meal, then good for you. I know, I know, you want the trip to be OVER. But our experience has shown us that no one enjoys the ride if we’re racing to catch a connection—or if you miss the connection and then first need to figure out how to get where you’re going before the week is up.