The City in Peru That You Can't Drive To...Iquitos

It's the fifth largest city in the South American country of Peru.  There are over 300,000 people living there.  What's the catch?  You can't reach it by overland road or railroad.  There are only two ways into and out of this amazing large city with everything you would look for in a South American adventure.  You either fly or you come by the mother of them all--the Amazon River.

The streets here are busy with tuk tuks and cars and trucks.  You can get around by wheeled transportation all over the place and can even take a tuk tuk taxi to and from the airport.  It doesn't give the impression that it is somewhat cut off from the world at all.  But yet it sits at the confluence of the Amazon and the Nanay Rivers in the middle of the largest rainforest in the world.  Why?

Many decades ago, this area was the premiere location for getting your rubber.  The Europeans wanted rubber for tires and many other things, and this was the place to get it.  As normal, the Europeans enslaved a lot of the locals and made them harvest the sticky white sap from the rubber tree so that they could make a fortune in the tire business and in boots and many other things that were made from rubber.  The place was a big rich area where people came to seek their fortunes whether it be as a business owner, a rubber baron, or for the locals just to have a job.  But, as with all boom towns, eventually the Europeans found a way to transplant the business to a more accessible location and the prosperity came to a halt.  There is still some rubber business in the area, but not much.  What this place has turned to is largely ecotourism.

There are many historical things to see in this amazing town along the shores of the river.  There are all of the colonial buildings, including the iron building that was designed by Gustav Eiffel at the height of the rubber empire.  There are many museums and historic hotels around town to look at that give you a glimpse into the colonial times of good old Europe.

Visiting the native villages is another thing that is very popular with tourists.  You can visit them on most tours, but it should be arranged.  Don't just show up and expect these folks to perform like monkeys.  Make arrangements ahead of time and pay well and they will be happy to show you their ancient lifestyles.  There are a few different ones around, so contact your tour operator to find out more.

One of the ways that you can get to Iquitos is to fly in from Lima, the country's capital.  You will not find yourself on a jumbo jet and you will not find modern facilities at the airport in Iquitos.  What you will find are larger prop planes and older jets that are still in amazing shape landing at the airport where you will walk down steps and across the tarmac to the terminal building.  It's like a step back in time and quite charming.

Probably the most popular way to experience Iquitos is by cruise.  It's 2,000 miles to the Atlantic Ocean from Iquitos and quite a way to Nauta where many tours begin and end along the river.  In most cases, you will fly in to the airport from Lima and take a cruise that begins and ends in Iquitos.  Remember, this place is fairly well isolated, but at the same time connected.  It's a strange and wonderful configuration that you will find in only a few locations around the world.

While the water transportation and the cruises are wonderful, it's the local stuff that always appeals to me.  Belen is the floating village that is always open for business along the river in Iquitos.  They sell a lot of things from food to local spirits to souvenirs and more.  You will need to find transportation to the village, but you can hire a boat or even rent a canoe if you like.  There are restaurants and shops in Belen and it's a fabulous adventure.  Make sure that you travel wisely however, this is not the kind of place that you want to send your children to by themselves or something like that.  And, make sure that you visit at the right time of year, because the village can go from floating on the river to sitting in the mud during the drier season.

But, as usual; I had something in particular in mind when I looked into this trip.  Number 1, take a boat along the Amazon.  It's amazing with all the rainforest, the wildlife, the pink dolphins and such.  Enjoy this amazing wonder.  Did you know that if you put the next largest 8 rivers in the world together that there would be more water in the Amazon?  It's truly amazing.  It's like an ocean flowing in one direction with two banks full of forest and animal life.  Stay at a resort and enjoy luxury in this city.  Remember, this is an adventure.  You have to take a boat or fly.  This is the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road.

That being said, after the national reserve, the butterfly sanctuary, the dolphins, the museums, the hotels, the architecture, the resorts, the boats, the shopping, the hustle and bustle of the city; you will want to relax and enjoy dinner and a drink.  And I have just the spot for you.  This is one of those Adventure for Anyones that you should do just to say you did it.  You should go out to dinner at Al Frio y Al Fuego.  It's a floating restaurant and bar that sits right on the Amazon. What's the big deal?  I don't know.  It's one of those places that has great food, live entertainment and a pool.  That's right.  A pool sitting right on the river.  You can go, eat, drink and swim over the Amazon.  It's a bit unusual in my mind that somewhere 2,000 miles up the river is an isolated city of 300,000 people where you can go out to eat on a floating restaurant with a pool, but there it is.  Amazing, and something that anyone can do.  Think about it.  You know you want to do it just so you can tell your friends that you did it and watched pink dolphins while you were at it.  Anyway, that's my Adventure for Anyone in Iquitos.

So, if you need an adventure and want to do something that none of your friends have done; consider coming to Iquitos, Peru.  You will have an adventure like few others and at the same time get to see some of the wonders of the world and stay in luxury if you choose.  You can take a cruise, try exotic cuisine, see rare animals, and do some great shopping.  Come, see the amazing city of Iquitos, have dinner and go swimming over the Amazon, and experience something that few others get to brag about.  Come and visit Al Frio y Al Fuego, take a swim and enjoy!

http://www.alfrioyalfuego.com/
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http://www.tourradar.com/d/iquitos
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https://www.adventuresmithexplorations.com/amatista-amazon-cruise
http://www.pilotguides.com/destinations/south-america/peru/
http://www.booking.com/city/pe/iquitos.en.html?aid=816131;label=iquitos-lUngpc0a3U548NJIUZ_bIwS139701322483:pl:ta:p1:p2:ac:ap1t1:nes:fi:tiaud-285284110006:kwd-48849605675:lp9003419:li:dec:dm;ws=&gclid=CKCf-IumxdICFYlMDQodDLgIWQ
http://www.slowspirit.com/en/2015/10/our-slow-boat-guide-from-yurimaguas-to-iquitos/
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https://www.hotels.com/de10520415/hotels-near-pacaya-samiria-national-reserve-iquitos-peru/?rffrid=sem.hcom.US.google.003.00.04.s.kwrd=ZzZz.39700017895017128.0.84404326119.700000001527422.d.c.CMHnoOOmxdICFRpLDQod5t0G-w.&semid=19853631399.248965839.1t1._inurl%3Awww.hotels.com.9003419..aud-125833228163:dsa-87391128309&gclid=CMHnoOOmxdICFRpLDQod5t0G-w
http://www.amazonexperience.net/tours-search/?gclid=CIuT4OymxdICFYWKswod864NNQ
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http://perujungle.com/?gclid=CI-0qpynxdICFcSLswodhhYF9g
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https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred

It's Not the Hagia Sophia...It's Next Door

It's one of the most famous sights in the world.   The Hagia Sophia has been looming over Istanbul for hundreds of years.  It's been a sight in both Istanbul and Constantinople.  It marks one of the most vibrant, crowded, colorful, historic, modern, and infamous cities on Earth.  There are over 14,000,000 people in Istanbul.  The city straddles two continents.  The Bosporus Strait is a main waterway for industry, military and of course, tourism.  This is an amazing city with amazing things to see and do.  It's also very crowded.

There's not a bad view of the Hagia Sophia, known for it's enormous blue dome.  It's one of the biggest domes in the world.  It's one of the biggest places of worship in the world.  It's also not a church anymore.  It's a museum for us tourists.  That's okay.  I prefer it that way, because I hate walking into a church to see what beauty is inside and interrupting worshipers every single time.  Thank you Istanbul for making this amazing place into a museum.

Istanbul has so many historical sites that there is no way that I intend to talk about the city as a whole.  The giant city spans two continents and has one amazing bridge to do it.  It has all kinds of historic and religious places to visit. You can go to services and see a Whirling Dervish.  You can find thousands of restaurants and hundreds of hotels.  You can see all kinds of shows and hear all kinds of music.  I could go on and on. There are entire books on the subject.

So, I mention the Hagia Sophia, but not as the subject of this blog.  I mention it because about 500 feet away from it is something truly unique and something worth a visit if you find yourself in one of the largest cities in the world.  It's my Adventure for Anyone.

The Bosporus Strait is connected to the Mediterranean Sea.  It's salt water.  So, with a city of 14,000,000 give or take; you tend to have a fresh water problem.  In ancient times, they created a system of underground cisterns to catch water for the population.  There were hundreds of them.  Being the time of the Romans, they were also quite ornate.  They fell into disuse many centuries ago, but one of them is back.  You may have read about it or seen it in the movie.

The Basilica Cistern is one of the leftover behemoth cisterns from that era.  It sits 500 feet from the Hagia Sophia and in the 1980's it was refurbished and put into use as a tourist attraction.  Most recently, it was the location where the evil Zobrist set off his population controlling virus in Dan Brown's Inferno.  I read the book and watched the Tom Hanks movie.  I wanted to know what really went on in this place.

 For one thing, you can eat there.  There is a Cistern Cafe for tourists to stop and eat at while visiting the cistern.  They serve authentic Turkish fare although it is a little expensive.  In the off season you can walk right in and be seated immediately however.

The head of Medusa was explicitly mentioned in the book and movie of Inferno.  It is there.  There are varying stories about why it is there, but it is there.  Was it art?  Was it a message?  Who really knows?

There are 336 Byzantine columns in the cistern.  When the place was renovated, they put in walkways so that we can walk around and see all of the giant underground reservoir.  Now, mind you, there are hundreds of these under Istanbul.  This is the one that you can visit and have a meal there.  This is the one that has events throughout the year whether it be music or something more unconventional.  It's an amazing place to visit.  It's one of those places that your friends won't believe you about unless you take pictures.

So, Istanbul is one of the largest cities in the world.  There are thousands of things to see and places to go in the city.  There are thousands of restaurants, hundreds of hotels and millions of people.  I only mentioned one tiny part of this amazing city, but I think that it's a part worth seeing.  So, go see the Hagia Sophia and learn about it's history and beauty.  The best part is that you can't miss that place.  After, go a few hundred feet and down the steps into the amazing Byzantine Cistern that has added something special to the lists of attractions in Istanbul.  Enjoy!


http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/basilica-cisterns-istanbul
http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/incredible-subterranean-basilica-cistern-001686
https://privateistanbultours.com/basilica-cistern/
https://www.viator.com/Istanbul-attractions/Basilica-Cistern/d585-a909
http://yerebatan.com/homepage/basilica-cistern/about-us.aspx
http://ibb.gov.tr/SITES/KS/EN-US/1-PLACES-TO-GO/MUSEUM/Pages/basilica-cistern.aspx
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/turkey/istanbul/attractions/basilica-cistern/a/poi-sig/402088/360887
http://www.letsgoistanbul.com/basilica.htm
https://www.getyourguide.com/basilica-cistern-l3947/
http://www.gobe.com/destinations/europe/turkey/istanbul-tours/c/istanbul-tours?gclid=CKS_saysuNICFclKDQodWkgIYw&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.expedia.com/things-to-do/hagia-sophia-blue-mosque-grand-bazaar-topkapi-palace-full-day-tour.a167602.activity-details?regionId=178267&kword=+istanbul_+tour!m.ZzZz.4990000156459.0.169423090048.%2Bistanbul%20%2Btour.+istanbul_+tour&semcid=US.MULTILOB.GOOGLE.SEARCH.TSHOP&gclid=CLjpkKmsuNICFQlWDQod45INvw
http://www.circleistanbul.com/
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http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-hagia-sophia
http://www.livescience.com/27574-hagia-sophia.html
http://www.hagiasophia.com/
http://www.istanbultoursonline.com/istanbul/underground_cistern.htm
https://www.veltra.com/en/europe/turkey/istanbul/a/117232
http://www.istanbulhotels.com/
http://www.booking.com/city/tr/istanbul.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/turkey/istanbul/history
https://traveltoeat.com/basilica-cistern-istanbul-turkey/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3062096/
http://danbrown.com/inferno/
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http://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred

What On Earth is Roslyn Washington?

 Roslyn, Washington is an old mining town of around 1,000 people in the Cascade Mountains of Washington.  It's about 80 miles east of Seattle down I-90.  It's quiet, full of friendly people and has a lot of outdoor activities for the family.  It's home to one of the largest resorts in Washington.  It's home to the oldest tavern in the state.  It's got some shops, a movie theater, a general store, some restaurants, a museum, and a well known cafe.  Doesn't sound that unusual, does it?  Why would I bother to write about this town?

Let's start here.  It's called The Brick.  This is the oldest tavern in Washington.  It's left over from the boom days of mining.  It has a spittoon trough at the bar.  It isn't fancy.  It isn't a place for fancy cuisine.  It's in the middle of town, and it's the kind of place where the locals go to hang out.

The Brick is rustic inside with tables, the bar, pool, games and a moose head over the bar.  Once again, not something spectacular.  Roslyn is a quiet little Cascade Range town.  But both the Brick and the town are famous.

Here's the catch.  Roslyn, back in the 1990's was known as Cicely, Alaska and was the setting for the hit TV show, Northern Exposure.  This is my all time favorite television show.  It's the only show that I own on DVD.  It's the only show that I would sit and rewatch the entire series while I'm laid up from surgery.  I love this show, and the locals in Roslyn are pretty fond of it too.  For five years, the locals here played bit parts and extras in the TV show and made friends with the main characters.  Some of the actors still visit today.  A lot of them came to Moosefest in 2015 to see the fans of the show.  And this is a great place for anyone who was ever a fan of Northern Exposure.

In the television show, Roslyn was supposed to be Cicely, Alaska.  Cicely was based on Talkeetna, which I will be writing about soon.  In the show, they did an episode about the founding of Cicely.  Cicely was the founder of the town, but she was a sickly young woman.  She came to town with her friend, Roslyn.  That was the explanation for Roslyn's Cafe; the mural on the wall of what is actually the Roslyn Cafe.  The 's was added for the show and was removed after the series ended.  But these folks have not forgotten the show or the cult following that it still has today from people like me.

The Brick has always been the Brick and the Roslyn Cafe has always been just that.  There is a museum in Roslyn, however.  The museum is a historical one that covers the founding of the town which was actually based on coal mining.  It also became a big hub for the railroads at it's height.  Now, the museum focuses largely on the town's history from mining to the present.  There is a special section for those of us who loved the television show.  It has all kinds of memorabilia from the show.  So, if you visit because you are a fan; don't miss the museum.

There are many sites in Roslyn that remain pretty much the same since the TV show.  But, unlike the TV show, there are places to stay.  The only place to stay in town in the show was the bed and breakfast that was owned by Eric and Ron.  There are several places to stay in and around Roslyn.  There are bed and breakfasts, numerous camp grounds and two resorts.

Suncadia is one of the largest resorts in Washington state.  It sits in an amazing mountain setting with miles of hiking trails, a huge lodge with all the amenities and a spa.  And, as if built for Dr. Fleischman; a 36 hole golf course.  I could even play golf with that view.  It's all in Roslyn, and waiting with a lot of family fun year round.  You can hike and ATV the summer.  You can ski and snow machine the winter.  You can golf whenever you like.  It's a great luxury spot and just 80 miles from Seattle.  They even have shuttle services from the airport.

So, if you want to see a movie the theater is still up and going and showing first run movies one at a time.  This is not a cineplex.  Maggie's Pantry and General Store is where you would go for your groceries, antiques and coffee.  It's not that different from Ruth Ann's store.  The downtown still looks like it did in the show pretty much.  One of my favorites though is the Northwestern Mining Co. building.  Yes, this was Dr. Fleischman's office.  Now, it is Cicely's Gift Shop.  This place sells all kinds of Northern Exposure collectibles.  The best part is that the building has been kept the same.  It even still says Dr. Joe L Fleischman on the window.

So, come and check out a piece of television history.  Come to one of the numerous festivals that this town has including Moosefest--for the fans of the show.  Come stay at a great resort.  Come and get away from all the hustle and bustle.  Come and check out the coal mining history.  Come for nature, or a beer at the Brick or lunch at the Roslyn Cafe.  If you've never seen the show, find it and check it out.  It was my favorite TV show ever.  And for people like me, this is my holy land.  Enjoy!

http://washingtontourist.com/
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https://www.expedia.com/?semcid=US.B.GEMINI.SEARCH.GENERIC&kword=expedia.com!e.ZzZz.5060000000470.0.32566139563.expedia.com.expedia.com#search
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Here We Go Skiers...The Best Place...Switzerland!

Okay skiers.  I've done this for you.  I have put up links that I found to help you ski almost anywhere in Switzerland.  Here's why  I love Switzerland.  Hands down it's one of the most beautiful countries in the world and every chance I get I go there.  From Lake Geneva to the Matterhorn, to the lakes to the eastern border with Liechtenstein.  It's gorgeous.  So, while I don't care whether Alpine Skiing was born in Murren or in St. Moritz; I guarantee that it was created in Switzerland.  And as I always say, why not go to the source?  Is skiing better there?  I don't know.  I don't ski, but they have 154 different ski resorts there in that tiny country.  That tells me that the skiing is probably pretty good.

There are several areas famous for their skiing.  I already mentioned St. Moritz in the south of the country along the Italian border.  There is also Gstaad north of Lake Geneva and all the resorts around there.  There is another area around Bern in the center of the country.  There is all of the Bernese Oberland deep in the Alps around Interlaken.  There is also a huge area of famous ski resorts in the east along the border with Liechtenstein.  Face it, whether you're along the Rhone, Lake Geneva or in the Lauterbrunnen Valley; there's some great skiing in Switzerland.

The only thing that I can say for sure is that when you ski in Switzerland, you have to travel there; and for that I have some advice.  First, take the train.  Especially in the winter driving can be an issue and you will probably have some large gear to take on a car too.  You can run around on the trains with a Swiss Pass or a Eurorail Pass and take your skis with you.  There may be a baggage charge in some areas, but it's still pretty convenient.  They have one of the best train systems in the world.  Use it.  Then you just have to get a shuttle in most cases to the resort where you are staying or the hotel.  Train passes can also be used to help with the cost of cog railways and gondolas to reach the more remote areas, so it's worth the investment.

Other things that you should know about traveling in Switzerland.  They still use Swiss Francs.  You can spend Euros and they will be happy to accept them, but your change will be in Swiss Francs.  Also, there are ATM's all over the country where you can get money with most times a small fee from your bank back at home.  Most places take all kinds of credit cards and debit cards. Hopefully you made sure that your credit cards had no fees for international use.  Switzerland is extremely convenient for travel and that's only one of the many reasons why I am so fond of traveling there.

Where's my favorite spot?  Lauterbrunnen Valley beyond a shadow of a doubt.  Interlaken is close by for all your needs.  Lauterbrunnen is where you will get your classic Swiss experience with the small towns and the towns on the cliffs and so on.  Murren is one of the places that claims to have created Alpine Skiing and they have some great skiing up there and all over the Schilthorn.  The Schilthorn has the distinction of also having Piz Gloria, the rotating restaurant that was used in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service on it's peak.  From the gondolas to the cog railways to the James Bond World Museum to the top of Europe on Jungfrau; Lauterbrunnen Valley is my favorite spot on Earth.

There are some other reasons why I enjoy the Bernese Oberland and Lauterbrunnen so much.  The atmosphere is just great, as well as the scenery.  There are little cliff towns everywhere above on the cliffs.  It's exotic, but unlike some areas of Switzerland; most people speak English.  If you visit some of the areas in the west you will find out really quickly that although these are the areas that have English versions of their websites, they don't like to speak anything but French.  That can make it hard to get around.  You can run into similar problems throughout the country seeing as Switzerland is a country made up of several cantons and there are five different languages spoken throughout this tiny country.  Lauterbrunnen Valley has relied on tourism for a very long time and British folks were their original clientele.  English is spoken widely there and just gives you one last thing to worry about.

So, if you want to ski; I mean really want to ski, then go to Switzerland.  I've done the best I can to link you to some good information on traveling through Switzerland to ski.  I hope you find something that suits you.  Look at price too though.  Switzerland is expensive and some areas more than others.  Enjoy!

We're going alphabetically on this one.  That is by resort name.  So check the On The Snow website at the bottom and find what you like from there.  There's a lot.

A

http://www.adelboden.ch/en/w/home
http://www.bergfex.com/avers/
http://www.atzmaennig.ch/index.cfm/en/winter/
http://lenzerheide.com/en/winter
http://www.arolla.com/english/winter/index4-eng.htm
https://www.anzere.ch/tourism-ski-spa/snowboard-29.html
https://www.snow-online.com/ski-resort/amden.html
http://snow.myswitzerland.com/snow_reports
https://www.aletscharena.ch/en/
http://airolo.ch/en/home.html
http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/lucky-aeschi/


B

https://www.valais.ch/en/activities/ski-winter-activities/ski-snowboard/burchen-torbel
http://www.onthesnow.com/schweizer-mittelland/bumbach-schangnau/ski-resort.html
http://www.stations-de-ski.ch/en/stations-de-ski-fribourgeoises/teleskis-bulle-la-chia/
http://www.bergfex.com/bugnenets-savagnieres/
https://www.valais.ch/en/destinations/verbier/bruson/overview
http://en.skiliftbrunni.ch/
http://www.wanderland.ch/en/services/places/ort-0156.html
http://www.interlaken.ch/en/activities-excursions-adventure-festivals/winter-sports-adventure-activities-interlaken.html
http://www.braunwald.ch/en/
http://www.bergfex.com/jaunpass/
https://www.snow-online.com/ski-resort/bivio.html
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/berguen-albula.html
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/bellwald.html
http://www.belalp.ch/en/
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/klewenalp-beckenried.html
http://www.beatenberg.ch/en/Service/Webcam

C

http://www.swisswintersports.co.uk/cari.php
http://champery.com/Skiing.shtml
http://www.champex.info/skiing
http://en.portesdusoleil.com/val-dilliez-les-crosets-champoussin.html
http://charmey.ch/en/domaine-skiable-ski-alpin/
http://www.chateau-doex.ch/en/
http://www.churtourismus.ch/en/activities/winter/skiing-snowboarding.html
https://www.corvatsch.ch/en/
http://www.ski.com/crans-montana

D

http://www.bergfex.com/dallenwil/
http://www.davos.ch/en/winter/activities/ski-snowboard/
http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Degersheim
http://www.diavolezza.ch/en/
http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/grimmialp/
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/diemtigtal.html
http://www.diemtigtal.ch/index.php?page=2308
http://en.disentis-sedrun.ch/ski-resorts/ski-area-disentis-3000.html

E

http://www.appenzell.ch/en/home.html
http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/tanzboden-ebnat-kappel/
https://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Switzerland/Einsiedeln.html
http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Eischoll
https://www.snowplaza.co.uk/switzerland/elm/
http://www.engadin.stmoritz.ch/winter/en/
http://www.engelberg.ch/en/
http://snow.myswitzerland.com/snow_reports/BerneseOberland/Eriz-80
https://www.valais.ch/en/activities/ski-winter-activities/ski-snowboard/evolene

F

https://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Switzerland/Fideris.html
http://www.flumserberg.ch/Winter/Ski-and-Snowboard-School
http://www.adelboden.ch/en/home

G

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/giswil-moerlialp.html
http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/graechen/
https://www.ft.com/content/2ff07858-4c79-11e3-923d-00144feabdc0
https://www.ski.com/wengen
http://snow.myswitzerland.com/snow_reports/Graubuenden/GrueschDanusa-122
http://www.glacier3000.ch/en/
http://www.gstaad.ch/en/active/winter/skiing-snowboarding.html
http://www.bergfex.com/gstaad-saanen-rougemont/
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/gstaad-saanenland.html
http://www.onthesnow.com/bernese-oberland/gstaad-st-stephan/ski-resort.html
http://www.onthesnow.com/schweizer-mittelland/gurnigelbad-ruti-bei-riggisberg/ski-resort.html

H

http://www.interlaken.ch/en/habkern-ski-resort.html
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/appenzellerland.html
http://www.onthesnow.com/eastern-switzerland/hemberg-bachli/skireport.html
http://www.swisswintersports.co.uk/hoch-ybrig.php

J

http://www.bergfex.com/jakobsbad-kronberg/sport/
http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/jaun/

K

http://www.igluski.com/ski-resorts/switzerland/kandersteg
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/kiental-1.html
http://www.bergfex.com/toggenburg/detailinfos/

L

https://www.laax.com/en
http://www.alpesfribourg.ch/en/la-berra
http://www.lafouly.ch/en/
http://stmoritzswitzerland.travel/en/la-punt-chamues-ch/
https://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Switzerland/La_Robella.html
http://www.skilatzoumaz.co.uk/la-tzoumaz-skiing.html
http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/le-brassus/
https://lenk-simmental.ch/en/
https://www.j2ski.com/ski_hotels/Switzerland/Les_Avants/
https://www.snowplaza.co.uk/switzerland/les-portes-du-soleil/val-d-illiez-champoussin-les-crosets/
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/lesdiablerets.html
http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/les-marecottes-salvan/
http://esslespaccots.ch/en/
https://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Switzerland/Les_Pleiades.html
http://www.biel-seeland.ch/en/leisure-activities/downhill-skiing/les-pres-dorvin.1228.html
http://www.ultimate-ski.com/ski-resorts/switzerland/valais/leukerbad.aspx
http://www.igluski.com/ski-resorts/switzerland/leysin
https://www.loetschental.ch/en/meta/home

M

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/ski-jump-marbach.html
http://www.meiringen-hasliberg.ch/en/Winter
http://www.melchsee-frutt.ch/en/
http://www.moleson.ch/en/
http://www.morgins.ch/ski/swiss/morgins-switzerland.html
http://schilthorn.ch/en/Angebot/Schilthorn/Winter/Ski_area

N


http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/nax.html
http://www.nendaz.ch/tourism/ski-1080.html

O

http://www.obergoms.ch/cross-countryskiing/index.php
http://www.swisswintersports.co.uk/obersaxen.php
http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ottenleue-sangernboden/
http://www.ovronnaz.ch/en/

P

https://www.graubuenden.ch/en/explore-regions/heidiland/ski-resort-pizol

R

http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/bildhaus-gommiswald-am-ricken/
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/guggisberg.html
https://www.rigi.ch/en
http://www.goldenpass.ch/en/goldenpass/offer/view?id=12
http://snow.myswitzerland.com/snow_reports/BerneseOberland/RossbergOberwiliS-224
http://www.rosswald-bahnen.ch/index.php
http://www.rothenthurm.ch/
http://snow.myswitzerland.com/snow_reports/Bern/RuescheggEywald-236

S

http://www.skiresortseurope.com/en/switzerland/graubunden/st_peter_pagig
http://swisssnowtriptips.com/stoos-skiing-snowboarding-review/
http://www.ultimate-ski.com/ski-resorts/switzerland/graubunden/st-moritz.aspx
http://www.valdanniviers.ch/tourism/saint-luc.html
http://www.sainte-croix-les-rasses-tourisme.ch/en/Hiver/Ski_snowboard
http://www.st-cergue-tourisme.ch/en/cableways-espacedole
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/st-antoenien.html
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/spluegen.html
https://www.snowplaza.co.uk/switzerland/sorenberg/
http://www.andermatt.ch/en/winter/skiarena-andermatt-sedrun
http://www.igluski.com/ski-resorts/switzerland/scuol
http://www.mythenregion.ch/winter/
http://snow.myswitzerland.com/snow_reports/EasternSwitzerlandLiechtenstein/SchwellbrunnAppenzell-37
http://www.schwarzsee.ch/en/
http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/bern/
http://www.thunersee.ch/en/activities-excursions-events-lake-thun/grand-tour-of-switzerland/gtos-adventure-sport/rope-park-interlaken/ski-area-sigriswil-schwanden.html
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/appenzellerland.html
http://www.igluski.com/ski-resorts/switzerland/savognin
http://www.sattel-hochstuckli.ch/en/winter/index.php
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/sarn-heinzenberg.html
http://www.bergfex.com/samnaun/
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/samedan.html
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/saas-grund.html
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/saas-almagell.html
http://www.saas-fee.ch/en/
https://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/Switzerland/Saanenmoser_snow.html

T

http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/tschiertschen/
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/tschappina-heinzenberg.html
http://en.portesdusoleil.com/torgon.html
http://www.thyon.ch/?lang=en

U

http://www.toggenburg.org/en/
https://www.valais.ch/en/activities/ski-winter-activities/ski-snowboard/unterbach-brandalp

V

http://snow.myswitzerland.com/snow_reports/LakeGenevaRegion/VillarsGryon-147
http://www.vicheres.ch/en/
http://veysonnaz.ch/page.php?langue=3&id=66&m=6&titre=Remont%E9es%20m%E9caniques
http://www.valdanniviers.ch/tourism/vercorin.html
http://www.skiverbier.com/
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/vals-vals-valley.html
https://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Switzerland/Val_Mustair.html

W

http://www.swisswintersports.co.uk/wildhaus.php

Z

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/zweisimmen.html
http://www.engadin.stmoritz.ch/winter/en/activities/sports/skiing-snowboarding/zuoz-skiing/
http://ski-zermatt.com/winter.html

Other Sites

http://www.onthesnow.com/switzerland/ski-resorts.html
https://www.raileurope.com/europe-travel-guide/switzerland/index.html
http://www.skiswitzerland.com/
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
https://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred

Ski New England!

It's February and it's time to ski.  It's that simple.  A lot of people spend a lot of money to ski in the Rockies, the Sierra Nevadas, the Alps and so on.  What a lot of people tend to forget is that New England is full of skiing and the people out here can't get enough of it.  Welcome to New England.  We don't mind winter at all and we have a lot of great places for you to ski.  I didn't really pay much attention to the whole ski thing before, because it's not a particular interest of mine, but my son went to work at Mohawk Mountain Ski Resort in Cornwall, CT this year, and I've gotten a real taste of what that culture is like. Needless to say, this is currently my favorite resort in Connecticut, but it's mroe than just my opinion.  It's the largest mountain we have here for skiing and it's a very popular spot for New Yorkers out for the weekend.  It's a great place to spend some time with around 20 runs and 3 restaurants.  It's a day resort with no hotel, but it's a great place to get away.

Now, that being said; I have some favorites of my own, not because I ski, but because I have friends who ski and because I've still been to most of the resorts even though I don't ski.  So, many people favor Killington in Vermont and Sugarloaf in Maine.  They are both huge and they are both part of incorporated areas that revolve around the ski resorts.  Both have festivals and activities throughout the year as well.  They are a great place to get away to even if you don't ski.  Killington also has a fabulous view in the fall for the foliage and a gondola ride that is unmatched for that time of year.

 Mount Snow is one of ny favorite spots.  It's in southern Vermont just outside of Wilmington.  Wilmington is one of my favorite small towns no matter what time of year it is.  If you ride a motorcycle, southern Vermont is the place to be in the summer or fall.  If you stop in to ski at Mount Snow, make sure you get a lunch at Dot's Diner and pick up a little something to read from Bartelby's Books.

Cannon and several other resorts reside in one of my favorite areas on Earth.  It's in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  There are so many things to do in this area that I couldn't name them all, and once again; it doesn't matter what time of year you go there.  Cannon also boasts the best gondola ride in the northeast, so don't miss it.

Just down the road from Cannon is Loon Mountain.  The two together round out my favorite resorts around Lincoln, New Hampshire.  This area is great all year round.  The foliage in the fall is spectacular.  In the summer there are ice caves on the top of this mountain.  There is Clark's Trading Post for the kids.  There are scenic train rides and local car racing. There is even a little car museum in the back of a local souvenir shop in Woodstock.  The hiking is amazing with Franconia Notch and Lost River.  The Appalachian Trail makes an appearance in the area.  There is also Mount Washington with it's cog railway and famous moutain road.  Don't count on Mount Washington in the winter though.  That mountain is famous for having some of the worst weather on Earth.

On the other side of Mount Washington you will find the resort of Attitash.  This place is huge and has great conditions all through the winter and into spring. The elevation is high there and the skiing is amazing I hear.  Now, that being said, they have a great summer resort as well with alpine slides, mountain coasters and water slides.  I should probably mention here that Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts also has these things in the summer minus the water slides plus and adventure park, zip lines and Segway tours.

But let's not forget Maine.  It's always winter up there unless it's summer. They really only have two seasons.  In between they just have moose.  Big Squaw Mountain is one of my favorite spots.  They don't do much in summer, but the simple fact is that this place is in my favorite places in the country.  It's in Greenville, Maine which is the coolest town in the United States.  The people are special and friendly, the place is laid back, and you cannot be in a bad mood when you're there.  They have more moose than people around there. The best part about Greenville is that not only can you ski there in the winter, but they have festivals.  They have a chocolate festival and a memorial snowmachine ride up to the crash site of the B-52 airplane that crashed on Elephant Mountain in the 1960's.  They also have one thing that you won't get just up the road from any other ski resort.  In the winter, they race cars on Moosehead Lake by Kelly's Landing.  You can't miss that.

So, enjoy winter.  Come to New England.  We love winter.  We know how to have fun.  And trust me, people here love to ski. Enjoy!

Connecticut

http://www.mohawkmtn.com/
http://mountsouthington.com/
http://powderridgepark.com/
http://skisundown.com/
http://www.woodburyskiarea.com/

Massachusetts
 
http://berkshireeast.com/
http://skiblandford.org/
https://www.bluehillsboston.com/
http://www.bousquets.com/
http://skibradford.com/
http://jiminypeak.com/
https://www.skinashoba.com/
http://www.otisridge.com/
http://skibutternut.com/
https://www.skiward.com/
http://www.wachusett.com/

Vermont

http://skivermont.com/suicide-six-ski-area
http://www.sugarbush.com/
https://www.stratton.com/
https://www.stowe.com/
http://www.smuggs.com/
https://www.bromley.com/
http://www.boltonvalley.com/
http://skiburke.com/
http://jaypeakresort.com/
https://www.okemo.com/
https://www.magicmtn.com/
http://www.madriverglen.com/
http://www.killington.com/site/index.html
http://www.mountsnow.com/
http://www.picomountain.com/site/index.html

New Hampshire

https://www.kingpine.com/
http://www.gunstock.com/
http://www.mountsunapee.com/
http://www.granitegorge.com/
http://www.cranmore.com/
http://www.blackmt.com/
http://www.attitash.com/
http://brettonwoods.com/
http://www.cannonmt.com/index.html
http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Eskiway/
https://www.patspeak.com/
http://raggedmountainresort.com/
http://www.loonmtn.com/
http://www.crotchedmountain.org/
https://www.facebook.com/skiTENNEY
http://www.waterville.com/
https://www.whaleback.com/
http://www.skiwildcat.com/

Maine

http://www.sundayriver.com/
http://www.shawneepeak.com/
http://skihermonmountain.com/
http://www.lostvalleyski.com/
http://www.camdensnowbowl.com/
http://skibigsquaw.com/
http://www.mtabram.com/
http://skimtjefferson.com/
http://www.saddlebackmaine.com/
http://www.sugarloaf.com/

Other Information

http://www.onthesnow.com/maine/ski-resorts.html
http://www.visitconnecticut.com/state
http://www.ctvisit.com/
http://www.massvacation.com/skilocal/
http://www.skicentral.com/massachusetts.html
http://www.visit-massachusetts.com/state
http://www.vermont.org/
https://vermontvacation.com/
http://www.vermont.com/
http://www.visitwhitemountains.com/
http://www.visitnh.gov/
http://www.mainetourism.com/
https://visitmaine.com/
https://www.vacationrentals.com/?k_clickid=CKjU_KWEk9ICFYKgNwodn2ED6g&ds_kids=p15538314535&ds_kid=43700015538314535&ksprof_id=700000001518927&ksaffcode=itsds3&ksdevice=c&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand%7CPure%7Cnull%7C_Exact&utm_term=vacationrentals+com&utm_content=URL&ktarget=kwd-15574848914&kloct=&klocf=&gclid=CKjU_KWEk9ICFYKgNwodn2ED6g&gclsrc=ds
http://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=811688&label=yahoog-C4PNb5e1qdML9cfE71v3jg&utm_campaign=Booking_Name&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=yahoo-gemini&utm_term=booking.com
https://www.homeaway.com/?k_clickid=1c2762f7-e1f1-45cf-8fcd-378fffb0ef05&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand%7cPure_Exact&utm_term=homeaway.&utm_content=Pure%2520Brand&ksid=1c2762f7-e1f1-45cf-8fcd-378fffb0ef05&ksprof_id=217&ksaffcode=3596518&ksdevice=c&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand%7cPure%7cnull%7c_Exact&utm_term=homeaway.&utm_content=Pure%2520Brand
https://www.airbnb.com/?af=43888734&c=brdsearch_d_engus_na_na_p2_txt&dclid=CIaB-5eEk9ICFcYGNwodOCQHqA
http://www.visitnewengland.com/all
http://www.discovernewengland.org/
https://www.kayak.com/horizon/sem/brand/general?lang=en&skipapp=true&utm_campaign=geminisearch&utm_content=31986798408&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=yahoo&utm_term=299479851239
http://www.trivago.com/
https://www.hotels.com/?pos=HCOM_US&locale=en_US&PSRC=G21&rffrid=sem.hcom.US.yahgem.003.00.01..kwrd%3DZzZz.sVothcgKC.0.29362261049.10200p829340
https://www.cheapoair.com/flights/booknow/cheap-airfares?fpaffiliate=MSN&fpsub=113643705_v2&utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brandcamp&utm_term=CheapOair&utm_content=v2
https://www.orbitz.com/?semcid=orbitz-us.b.yahoo.search.generic&kword=e.|orbitz|.401.227891.89.10486.29855907701&epi=1c2762f7-e1f1-45cf-8fcd-378fffb0ef05
https://www.travelocity.com/?utm_term=travelocity&utm_campaign=bra_bra_main-Old&utm_medium=cpc&semcid=travelocity-us.b.yahoo.search.generic&kword=e.%7Ctravelocity%7C.1c2762f7-e1f1-45cf-8fcd-378fffb0ef05.27887298960p6&utm_source=adcenter&
https://www.expedia.com/?semcid=US.B.GEMINI.SEARCH.GENERIC&kword=expedia.com!e.ZzZz.5060000000470.0.32566139563.expedia.com.expedia.com
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
https://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred