With winter on everyone’s minds, local ski resorts are luring families with great deals, new facilities and diverse activities this season. The light, fluffy champagne powder, which douses the Rockies in Alberta and eastern BC, attracts international visitors from thousands of miles away each ski season. But it’s Calgary’s back yard, so pack up the SUV or hop on the ski bus and take advantage of the frosty family fun on our doorstep.
\n
We have a lot of favorite destinations that we like to travel to every summer on our family camping trips. Over the last couple of years, we’ve begun to realize that these places are just as much fun to visit in the winter. We swap out hiking boots for skis, pack snowshoes instead of boats and choose a comfortable hotel to avoid camping in the snow.
\n
School’s back in session but that doesn’t mean the summer fun has to stop. September is one of the most beautiful times of the year to plan that final trip to the mountains, to wrap up the camping season with one last trip or even to cross one more hike or bike ride off of your family’s summer checklist. Try some of the following suggestions, and show the kids that their vacation is far from over:
\n
Do you remember family vacations from when you were a child? Was packing done in a frenzy, and at the last minute? Or did you just calmly walk out the door with your family because your parents did all of the planning and packing? Growing up, my brothers and I did little to get ready, other than to straggle into the car during the wee hours of the morning.
\nPage 11 of 31
Calgary’s Child Magazine © 2025 Calgary’s Child
