Pinnacle Living....

LET IT SNOW

There are few better places to spend quality time with family and friends than in the Blue Ridge Mountains--and there’s no better time to do it than during the wintertime. Somehow, this peaceful period strengthens bonds and takes experiences and memories to new heights. Given this, it’s easy to see why many people have developed a tradition of heading to many of the region’s top mountain resorts.

Whether they’re heading to North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, or Maryland, families and friends have established many Holiday traditions on and off the slopes. Thanks to a wide variety of rental options (and, of course, purchase possibilities), it’s easy for others to start their own traditions.

The region’s ski resorts offer an incredibly wide variety of fully-furnished luxury homes and condominiums. Common features include: lots of bedrooms (often five or more); modern kitchens; lots of relaxation space; fireplaces; large windows with great views; balconies overlooking the slopes or Mother Nature; and much more. It’s just a matter of doing some research, picking the right place for all concerned, and letting everyone know when you’ll start creating your own Holidays memories, traditions, and more.

LIFE’S A BEECH IN THE WINTERTIME

For Atlanta’s William Kennedy and his family, going to Ski Beech on North Carolina’s Beech Mountain has turned into a decades-long lifestyle (and love affair). For 35 years, ages two weeks to 95 years young of the Kennedy clan have headed to Beech for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and more.

Kennedy says three generations of skiers have called Beech Mountain their home away from home for the Holidays and many other times, thanks to a great house that they own (and often rent), amenities and activities on and off the mountain, and a commitment to getting together there as often as possible. His wife, Nancy, plans all of the get-togethers, organizes the activities, keeps the rental books, and maintains a stunning garden.

“We get in the hot tub outside by the ski slope after every major activity, jump in [a] cold creek from there, [and] lay in snow and make snow angels,” says Kennedy. Kennedy also says many of them get together with as many friends as possible while at Beech Mountain and also attend covered dish dinners at the mountain’s Alpen Haus.

Special moments have also been plentiful for the Kennedys, like when their future son-in-law asked permission to marry their daughter--while overlooking the ski slopes from one of their balconies. After the Kennedys gave their blessing, the growing family then spent hours reliving earlier times at their mountain home. That’s the way mountain memories build upon themselves.

The Kennedys now have nine grandchildren, with four already skiing and the other five not far behind them. All generations have competed on the ski team, creating lots of additional fun stories and legends for all to share.

Kennedy says the mountain’s elevation (the highest ski slopes east of Denver) has made for great snowmaking and lots of natural white stuff as well. This has meant additional mountain memories like ice skating, sledding, winter hiking, and more.

They Kennedys enjoy their time at the house so much that they’ve made it available for rental. (www.112skiway.com)

MILE-HIGH WINTER IN WEST VIRGINIA

Muffy Vestal, of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, provides a perfect example of why mile-high Snowshoe Resort, W.Va. is so popular. The Vestal family has rented slopeside condominiums there since 1993 and have returned almost every year.

The Vestals own an interior design business and typically close their retail shop toward the end of December and the first week of January. “This is our family time to get away from ringing telephones and design consultations,” says Vestal.

The Vestals have five children (and two grandchildren) and Vestal says the great family packages and easy access originally drew them to Snowshoe. “This means that a family vacation of our dreams is affordable,” says Vestal. “A real plus for us as well is that Snowshoe is within a days drive for us. We would not want to fly out west with so many kids and stuff."

Vestal says they pursue a wide variety of activities on their own and as a large group, including: skiing, ski lessons, snowboarding, swimming, massages, shopping, sled and tube rides, snowmobiling, eating at a different restaurant each evening, coffee and hot chocolate breaks, meeting at the Shavers Center and playing games or simply taking breaks together, and played on the playground equipment in Mountain Lodge. “I would like to think that there is not a trail one of us has not skied or anything that we have not participated in,” says Vestal.

The Vestals always like to stay slopeside and have stayed at Highland House in the Village at Snowshoe their past few visits. This year, they’re renting a large and luxurious three-bedroom Highland House condominium complete with every amenity imaginable. “We have even visited the real estate center [Discovery Center] in anticipation of perhaps buying into a future project,” says Vestal.

“Watching each of my five children carefully learn to ski [or] snowboard on Skidder, skiing with them down the more challenging slopes, and then finally realizing that they don't need their father or me to progress further are the memories that only a mother calls special,” continues Vestal. “Some people make memories at the beach with water and sand. We have beautiful snow memories.”

WINTERGREEN WONDERS

Thanks to a decades-old real estate success story, Wintergreen Resort is a very popular place during the winter, with home owners bringing family and friends and lots of smart families renting houses. Stuart and Pat Harvey now live permanently at Wintergreen and stay on the mountain throughout the winter (they plan travel for spring and fall). Stuart Harvey says, “We have lived here for nine years and choose to live here for two reasons: the skiing and the cool weather in summer.”

“We have five children--all married--and 16 grandchildren,” says Harvey. “The children and their spouses all ski [and] all the grandchildren ski or snowboard except the babies and the one- and two-year-olds.” Late in the season, the Harveys try to gather the whole clan.

Along with skiing and snowboarding, the Harveys also enjoy ice skating, golf down in Valley (even in winter), and lots more. Winter traditions now include informal ski racing and snowboarding trick contests, an “Awards Night” where every grandchild gets an award for something, a “Talent Show Night,” and watching videos from previous get-togethers.

One Harvey family tradition is always a challenge--getting everyone together for a picture. “We have one from all the years we've been doing this,” says Harvey. Other “challenges” have been cleaning the kitchen after the older grandchildren made pizza from scratch and turned the kitchen into a flour snowstorm and figuring out a way to hold a pinata aloft for the grandkids (they used ski poles).

MARYLAND MAGIC

Up in western Maryland, many people are surprised at the rugged mountains and winter sports possibilities on Wisp at Deep Creek Mountain Resort.

Tom and Nannette King of Gaithersburg, Maryland, are a perfect example of Maryland Holidays magic in the mountains. Along with another family, they’ve been coming to Wisp between Christmas and New Year’s every other year for about 20 years.

“We like Wisp because it’s an easy drive from our home in the Washington, D.C., area and it has great ski conditions,” says Tom King.

The trips started off with just parents and a few kids, but they have expanded to include four adults, four children, two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, and nine grandchildren (between the two families). “We have owned a townhouse on the ski slope at Wisp for about 15 years,” says King. “For the Holidays, we rent a large house near the slope that can accommodate the two families.” For smaller families looking to follow in the King’s tracks, their slopeside townhouse is available for rent (17 Winding Way, www.deepcreekresort.com).

King says everyone basically skis, “chills out,” and plays lots of cards (Hearts is the traditional game of choice). He also says bringing a huge ham (and consuming it) has become somewhat of a tradition as well.

Wisp is among many mountain resort success stories in the region, with expanded amenities and activities, plus lots of great rental houses.