Three exciting winter deals from the Four Seasons

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts wants to host you for ski season and is offering some great deals this season. So, instead of just hitting your old standby or scrambling at the last minute, go upscale this time. The Four Seasons is delivering bargains from Jackson Hole to Whistler, BC. Chances are, there’s a great one waiting for you.

Skiing in Jackson Hole – This resort is hosting the first annual How-to-Heli Camp. You’ll be able to get to the virgin trails of the Teton mountains, delivering for skiers a real expedition through fresh snow … with no lines! The camp comes with two days of on-mountain instruction, lift tickets, a day of heli-skiing and four nights in the Four Seasons. The camp runs from February 3 – 7, 2009 and starts at USD 2,975.00 per person based on double occupancy.

Ice climbing in Whistler – Demonstrate your physical prowess with waterfall ice climbing (don’t worry, you’ll have a guide) … all it takes is a heft dose of courage and the $466 (USD) for a personal climb. Skiing’s a blast, but this will kick your adrenaline into overdrive.

Bungee jump into Cheakamus Canyon – drop into the canyon and trigger an unparalleled thrill. Plunge 160 feet toward the Cheakamus River; it probably won’t occur to you that it’s glacier-fed, but that will be interesting later. Book it through the Whistler concierge, at $115 a pop.

The 10 most-affordable ski spots in North America

by Katie Hammel on

Skiing, like polo and yachting, is a rich man’s(or woman’s) sport. The equipment is expensive, and in order to participate, you need to go to a specific place. In the case of skiing, this means paying ski lift fees and traveling to a pricey ski resort. The costs can add up and make it prohibitively expensive for less affluent ski enthusiasts.

But there are some less expensive ski resorts. Ski.com has put together a list of the top ten affordable ski spots in North America.

Keystone, near Denver, makes the list because of the many extras it offers, such as night skiing included with a lift ticket on the day of arrival, plus access to nearby resorts like Vail and Breckenridge. Steamboat in Colorado is on the list thanks to affordable ski-in/ski-out lodging and convenient shuttle services. And Winter Park, also in Colorado, is praised as catering to a “moderate demographic, no luxury properties.”

Whistler-Blackcomb, near Vancouver, is normally a very pricey destination. But in an attempt to lure visitors before the Olympics, it is offering some fantastic deals right now. Airfare to Vancouver can be expensive, depending on where you fly from, but you can save money by flying into Seattle and taking a train to Vancouver.

Jackson Hole (Wyoming), Banff(Alberta, Canada), and Lake Tahoe round out the western top ten with plentiful deals, discounts, and special offers that help keep prices low. On the east coast, Stowe(Vermont) and Lake Placid in New York offer excellent mid-week prices.

Photo of the day (9-10-09)

by Kent Wien on

Jackson Hole airport is situated at 6,400 feet with numerous 13,000 foot mountains in the area. Today’s photo of the day, by JtisMe73, depicts the challenges pilots face on the arrival into the airport perfectly.

And while we’re getting a little aviation geeky, note the virga – the streaks of precipitation – behind the airplane in the distance. How could I not choose this picture?

Are you a Flickr user who’d like to share a travel related picture or two for our consideration? Submit it to Gadling’s Flickr group right now! We just might use it for our Photo of the Day!

Jackson Hole’s Hotel Terra just got bigger

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Today, the Hotel Terra Jackson Hole just got a hell of a lot bigger. A new addition is now open for business, increasing the property’s size by a whopping 68,000 square feet. Look for 60 new guestrooms and 4,200 square feet of meeting space. An infinity plunge pool now sits atop a rooftop terrace, and the Chill Spa now has a cutting-edge fitness facility.

The guestrooms are a mix of basic, Urban Studios, and suites of one, two and three bedrooms. The terrace surrounding the plunge pool consists of 1,700 square feet of space with outstanding views of the ski resort and mountains, and the new ballroom has floor-to-ceiling windows that open to a patio overlooking Teton Village.

Photos aren’t available yet, but you can click here to get a sense of what it will look like.

Champagne and rub-down in Jackson Hole

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Before you skip this as “just another travel deal” – as I almost did – consider the combination of mountain air, spa treatments and the taste of champagne. The “Ultimate Chill” package from Hotel Terra Jackson Hole includes all this within a LEED-certified eco-boutique, so you don’t need to feel guilty while enjoying this touch of pleasure.

Get your weary arms, legs and back rubbed back to normal (or better) at the Chill spa, and treat your skin to an organic sugarcane and green tea scrub and a cucumber mint body masque. If you can find a better way to spend an hour and a half, I envy your creativity. Wash down the experience with a split of Veuve Cliquot, and step outside to enjoy the clear Wyoming air.

The catch? You have to go between May 22, 2009 and the last day of September. Pull the trigger, and you’re looking at two nights for $688, sleeping in an all natural Terra Bed.

You can enjoy Jackson Hole if you’re not a hiker or a climber. If you’re traveling with an “outdoor type,” you’ll have a way to spend some time on what you enjoy. Sip that Veuve while your better half is trudging along the trails.

[Photo by Cameron R Neilson]