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We are planning a very brief ski weekend in NM and I was wondering what you would recommend. We are complete beginners and have 4 children--ages 11, 10, 7 and 5. We are from an area in TX where it never snows so we do not know much about driving up snowy roads.
Our choices are to:
1) Fly into ABQ, stay somewhere Uptown, drive to and from the Sandia Ski Basin every day. Afterwards--what is there to do in ABQ with kids? Are there any historic or cultural things that we could visit or would that be too late?
2) Fly into ABQ, drive to Santa Fe, stay near the Plaza, drive to and from Ski Santa Fe. Afterwards, hang out in the Plaza where there seems to be lots of cool things right there in that compact area. This seems easier to me, but I don't know. We would have to drive back to ABQ to fly out.
The easier thing to do is to just stay in ABQ, but I have been to ABQ a few times before and thought it might be fun to stay in Santa Fe this time.
What do you all think with regard to: price, convenience, kid-friendly activities? Are the roads to the ski resorts icy and snowy and hard to work with if you are not used to it? We would have to rent a minivan, the premium SUV was too expensive.
We're arriving the last weekend of January.
I am posting this in the Santa Fe forum too, please excuse the double post. (It has been removed)
Thank you for any help.
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 12-31-2010 at 11:15 PM..
Reason: Moderator edit
I vote for ABQ. There are many things to do here with kids. Explora Children's Museum; Museum of Natural History and Science; ABQ Zoo, Aquarium, Botanical Gardens;Indian Pueblo Cultural Center; Hispanic Cultural Center; Old Town....just to name a few.
Let me clarify -- you are coming out here mainly as a ski trip and then some sightseeing on the side? If that's the case, I would NOT recommend Sandia Peak. It's really not that great for skiing. It's okay for locals and ONLY when we've had decent snow. It's not the best place for beginners. Once a beginner starts riding the chairlift to the top, things can get a bit complicated. It's easy to start out on a green run and end up on a blue run the way a couple of the runs intersect. Also, the green runs at Sandia are more difficult than they are at Santa Fe.
Typically you'll also run into more icy runs and bare spots at Sandia at the top half of the runs where no fake snow is made. The bottom is decent if you are just taking lessons and riding the beginner lift to the half-way mark, but the top is icy and not fun to ski on for a beginner. Because the runs are narrower, the trees shade them so much that they don't get lots of time in the sun and stay icy.
Can you tell I don't care to ski at Sandia? Santa Fe is much better for a family of beginners, IMO. There's more snow up there, too. You do have to be able to drive on icy roads to get to the Santa Fe ski area, but only if there's been a recent storm. Otherwise the roads should be clear. In Albuquerque, you have the option of parking at the bottom of the mountain and riding the tram up to the top of the ski area. Not good for beginner skiers though because they'd have to ski down the mountain to get to to the base. Also a no-can-do if you are renting skis from the ski area.
About ski rentals -- you can get a better deal on ski rentals if you rent in town. You can pick them up the night before for no extra charge. I've rented from Sports Systems on Montgomery & Louisiana before.
You might want to think about just staying in Santa Fe. You can get good deals on hotels from priceline.com (bid your own price). If you bid on a 4* hotel in the Plaza area, chances are very good that you'll get the La Posada Santa Fe Resort. Based on prior bid history, you should be able to get the hotel under $125 per night. Santa Fe also has a very nice community center with indoor swimming and an ice skating rink which is something else you could do with your kids.
I've been to both Sandia and Santa Fe when the snow was great and when it wasn't, so you never know until you get there. Both are great for beginners and have good ski schools, assuming you want lessons. This year Sandia was the first mountain in the state to be 100% open but typically Santa Fe does get more snow.
Santa Fe does have wider runs (good for beginners) but also more people and bigger chairs (quads) which can be harder for beginners. But you might all just be staying on the bunny slopes where that wouldn't be an issue.
I agree with lobo that you definitely want to rent all your equipment ahead of time. For a family of six that will take some time and will eat into your skiing time if you do it on site, not to mention the long lines that often form in the rental shops at the ski areas. I've taken relatives to a place on St. Francis Drive in Santa Fe, I think it's called Ski-Tech, it's on the right after you cross Cerrillos Rd. going north. But if you have entire ski packages that include the rentals, lift tickets and lessons then go with that.
Since you haven't stayed in Santa Fe before you might want to try it. For kids (and adults!) I would recommend the Museum of International Folk Art, especially the Girard Wing, a huge warehouse full of amazing displays of toys and crafts from around the world, many arranged into entire village scenes.
Whatever you decide, don't forget the gloves, hats, sunglasses, chap-stick, sunscreen, hankies... and have a great time!
If you are complete beginners you will appreciate the conditions and Ski School at Santa Fe and its slopeside amenities (because you will tire out).
If you are coming all the way to NM just to ski, don't cut corners and go to Sandia. That would be like going all the way to Paris and only hanging out at a highway rest stop outside the city.
Just to clarify--we will be flying/arriving on Thursday and will ski only on Friday and Saturday. Flying back to TX on Sunday morning. This will be a last minute we have some extra funds let's try it out sort of trip.
Two of my kids are athletic (competitive gymnasts and dancers) and my husband is also athletic so I think they will do well in terms of stamina and will learn quickly.
I am in decent shape and work out fairly regularly but would not say I am athletic. My 10 year old has mild cerebral palsy but probably would not need any "adaptive" lessons. My 5 year old looks like he has inherited the athletic genes (thank God).
I suspect that I and my 10 year old and maybe my 7 year old will stay on the bunny slopes and not go too much further, but it is a real possibility for my husband and 11 year old will want to do more, even with just the 2 days.
Should I leave my 5 year old in the ski school all day for both days or could a 5 year old really do some actual skiing on the slopes?
My husband has snowboarded before and might want to do that--which is better for that?
And I will probably sound paranoid here, but are the roads to either ski area so snowy/icy that they will be really difficult to navigate? My husband's co-worker died 2 months ago in a car wreck while on vacation in Breckenridge, CO, (she was 27) so I'm super-worried about that aspect. Should we just pay the extra $$$ for the premium SUV or will the rental mini-van be enough?
Thanks again for all the help. I just booked the flight so I am going to try and decide on the location today.
I just drove up the road to Sandia today and it was very clear with no ice despite recent snows. As long as you drive slowly and carefully you should be fine in any vehicle going to either ski area. Thousands of people do it in all kinds of vehicles with no problem.
For kids up to age 11 you should read about the programs at the ski area websites, for example:
Sandia offers a "never-ever" skier package for $64/person including rental, lift ticket, and 4-hour lessons (described in the link above). They separate out children ages 3-5.
Either mountain is fine for snowboarding. Santa Fe has several flat connecting runs which are a pain on a snowboard though.
Thank you everyone for all the help. I checked Priceline as recommended and found a killer deal for a hotel in the Plaza area of Santa Fe ($39/night). I hope the place isn't a dump, but it got good reviews.
So based on that, we decided to go ahead onto Santa Fe. Flight and hotel both booked, will book the mini-van too.
Thanks so much everyone. This has been the most help I've ever gotten on a forum.
Hope you have fun. Remember, injuries can happen more often once you are tired and you aren't paying attention to what your muscles should be doing. So remember when to take a break and just enjoy the lodge/scenery. Wear a ski helmet.
Also, if most of you are complete beginners, a lesson (not just from your husband) would be a good investment for a 2 day trip. Otherwise you will just spend most of the time sliding around trying to stand up, which is much more tiring than skiing.
Finally, do a web search on how to drive on icy roads. Short version: Slow down, brake gently and early, avoid sudden, sharp turns and keep a safe distance between you and other vehicles.
If you can get a van with AWD, that would help a little. You would still want to drive carefully, though. And it will be harder driving down slope than up, since you have to brake (a little) into curves, whereas letting off the gas is generally enough in a heavy van to slow you down when going uphill.
I am for sure planning on taking lessons and definitely not from my husband. He is not a good teacher and has never skied before anyway. I am going to take at least one if not two group lessons. My younger children will probably do the full day ski school for both days. My oldest will do at least a half day of lessons, more if she needs it. That will hopefully give them some foundational skills. We hope to do a ski trip once a year if this works out for us.
Since we saved so much money from the hotel, I may go ahead and rent a good SUV. At least I can call the car companies and see what I can get.
We are really getting excited--I can't wait to go back to NM. I went a few times when I was younger, just on road trips from TX to CA. I love the southwest!
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I've taken relatives to a place on St. Francis Drive in Santa Fe, I think it's called Ski-Tech, it's on the right after you cross Cerrillos Rd. going north. But if you have entire ski packages that include the rentals, lift tickets and lessons then go with that.
