I’ve already written about the top five things that make Keystone Resort in Colorado a fantastic place to ski with your kids – everything from the amazing ski instructors to the family-friendly dining options to the great accommodations to activities like snow tubing and a giant snow fort. But now I have a sixth thing to add to that list, and it’s huge: During the 2012-13 ski season children under twelve ski or snowboard for free at Keystone Resort.
There’s nothing complicated about this program. It’s available throughout the ski season on weekends and holidays with no blackout dates. The only requirement is that children stay at the resort – in either one of the hotels or one of the many onsite condominiums – for at least two days. Since the deal isn’t tied to adult lift-ticket purchases, families of all shapes and sizes can participate. Book a stay with your kids through Keystone’s reservation system and they ski free. Period.
I truly can’t imagine a more family-friendly ski program than this one. And there’s more good news to accompany it: In addition to the free skiing, Keystone is expanding its Kidtopia program, which offers free activities for kids. We participated in a really fun après-ski Saint Patrick’s Day Kidtopia parade on our stay there last spring.
These parades will now be a weekly event. And from roving street performers in River Run Village to dance parties at the resort’s two ice-skating rinks to planned special events like a festival just for families, Kidtopia will offer lots of fun choices for children throughout the 2012-13 season.
What could be better than free lift tickets for your children? It certainly puts me in a party mood. Which is why in celebration of this announcement from Keystone Resort, I’m throwing a Back to Ski Week fiesta today on The Mother of all Trips. I’ve invited family travel bloggers from around the world to share their favorite skiing posts. And if you just can’t get enough information about skiing with kids you can also follow the #backtoski hashtag on Twitter, check out my Facebook page, or follow the Back to Ski board on Pinterest.
Although Keystone Resort and their parent company Vail Resorts hosted my family on our visit there last spring, paying for our meals, accommodations, lessons, lift tickets, and equipment, they did not ask me to express a specific opinion about their resort or compensate me for this post. You can always count on me to share when I’ve gotten something for free along with my honest opinions.