Hi there,
I am researching our trip for the end of the year.
We are wanting to experience a "White Christmas" and are wondering about some suggestions of where to stay. I will not ski but would prefer to enjoy the view and Christmas spirit indoors. ( This may sound a little strange!)
My husband will probably go skiing but a great view comfortable room, shops and good restaurants are the
main priorities.
After a few days in the sno, we will venture to other areas.
We are from Australia, so the snow will be a novelty.
We have had many trips to the US and Canada but never in Winter.
Thanks in advance
Donna

You may want to consider the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. The area has activities for both skiers and non-skiers and there will definitely be snow.

http://www.trappfamily.com/

The Trapp Family Lodge is nice. However, we did spend one Christmas in Stowe and had very, very little snow. I would suggest elsewhere for Christmas if you want to be sure of having snow.

Sun Mountain Lodge in WA or up in Canada around Banff or Lake Louise would fit the bill.

Sorry, I just noticed the part about shops and restaurants...Sun Mountain really wouldn't work for that.

In Colorado, many ski resorts would fit your bill; Aspen and Vail are the first that come to mind. Vail is a very large resort and the ski area is enormous and great conditions - plenty of high end lodging and shops. Aspen is the most upscale area, and the town is beautiful, shopping and restaurants top notch, although the adjacent ski mountain, Ajax, has very few beginner runs (nearby Snowmass has more). There are other places, like Breckenridge and Keystone that are nice, but maybe not as high end. Although some years are a little drier than others, there's never been a non-white Christmas that I'm aware of!

Thanks for your suggestions.
Donna

While I live in New England and love it and it looks like a Currier and Ives Christmas card if there's snow, often there isn't at Christmas even in the mountains. If snow is your goal, you'd be better off in the western mts - CO, UT, or the Sierras in NV/CA.

I would definitely head out west to either Utah or Colorado. While New England can be pretty, and I've skied in alot of the mountains there, our West is a whole different experience. New England gets a colder, wetter show (you learn to ski on ice), and out West is more, dryer and their ski mountains are definitely designed to handle both of your desires - and the shopping - OH MY GOODNESS, very, very cool stuff. I would also add Snowmass (CO) to the list - it's really near Aspen (so it's a Two-fer), but a bit more laidback... Gorgeous at Christmas...

I am writing this from the village at Snowmass. We are staying in Aspen, and took the ski shuttle over here this morning(it's about 20 minutes drive from Aspen). Like you, I'm not skiing (although I thought I might this morning, but it didn't work out). I have also been to Park City.

Of the 3, I would do them in this order: Park City, Aspen, Snowmass. In fact, personally, I wouldn't stay at Snowmass based on your preferences. It's a great ski area, but it's just a ski area (and the associated "ski village", meaning multiple ski rental places, multiple places to buy ski clothes, and multiple places to eat lunch), it's not a real town. Aspen and Park City are real towns. Aspen is much much bigger than Park City, but is still a small-town feel. Whereas the commercial part of Park City is one main street about 8 blocks long (conveniently called Main Street), Aspen is multiple streets in both directions - the commercial part of Aspen is probably 4 blocks long by 6 blocks wide. Park City has 3 ski areas, all of which are served by a shuttle. There are many many places to stay in Park City, but except for the Stein Erikson Lodge at Deer Valley (one of the ski areas), I don't know if there's a really upscale hotel. We rented a nice house within walking distance of both the Park City ski mountain (which also has a "ski village" about a 10 minute walk from town) and the town.

Aspen is much more "pricey" all around - the shops are pricier, the meals are pricier (very good, but very pricey). There are all manner of accommodations, from simple motels to very high end hotels (Little Nell, Jerome, St. Regis, etc.) and everything in between. At night, both Aspen and Park City "light up" the trees/streets, so it looks like Christmas even when it isn't! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected] (that's the email address I give out publicly!)

Dear Debi and Irish,
thanks for your great advice.
I will check out your suggestions.
Dmlove, I appreciate your informative reply. I will get back to you in more detail in a few days.
Thanks again everyone
Donna