With the snow falling around us, the season of skiing and snowboarding begins. Eager to be out of the classroom, we stare out our classroom windows wishing for freedom from our desks. Winter break is not far away- and it is time to start planning a trip to the slopes. A few winters ago, my family and some family friends went to Holiday Valley Resort for a three day trip and I would highly recommend those who love these two winter sports to do the same! Below is a suggested itinerary for a three day weekend trip:
How to Get There
The best way to get to the resort is to drive. From Pittsburgh, it takes a little over 3 hours to get to the resort by car. If you are out of state and want to fly, the Bradford Regional Airport is only an hour away from your room at the Inn.
The Inn at Holiday Valley– The lodging inn, where my family chose to stay, is the perfect place to stay on the ski slopes. The rooms have a wide range of amenities- from the typical two bed, hotel style rooms to a larger Presidential suite with fireplaces and jacuzzi tubs. One thing I would like to point out before you select your room is that you will hardly spend any time in your room other than to sleep and shower. There are so many activities on the resort to do and therefore it is not a necessity to have the nicest, most expensive room available. My family did the typical hotel style room with two queen beds and a cot for my brother and it worked perfectly for the five of us.
Rates:
Resort Standard 2 Queen Bed Room: $163 a night
Queen Loft Suite: $219 a night
Presidential Suite: $293 a night
Other benefits or amenities that come with staying at the Inn connected to the resort include: Sunrise chairlift right outside rooms, heated indoor/outdoor pool, shuttle service to the base lodges lifts, ski lockers, easy access to other on resort activities.
Skiing/Snowboarding
The skiing and snowboarding on the Holiday Valley slopes is amazing! The resort includes 13 different lifts, and 58 groomed to perfection slopes of different levels. Maps are provided and around the resort to allow you to make a smart, safe decision on what slopes you can do based on your skill level.
When it comes to the purchase of ski lift tickets, you are able to choose the hours you want to ski each day in 4 or 8 hour time increments. Below are the hours of operation and the prices of tickets for the lifts during the specific hours. One suggestion I will make is to do night skiing at least two days. Less people choose to ski during the night because they do it all day, but with so many of the other activities that you can do during the day, night skiing to finish off a day is a great experience. My night skiing experiences are some of my favorite memories from the trip.
Ticket Weekend Rates (Adult):
All Weekend (3:30 PM Friday- 10 PM Sunday): $129
8 Hour Tickets: $78
4 Hour Tickets: $70
Day/Night (8:30 AM-10 PM): $81
Night (3:30 PM-10 PM): $35
Other Activities
Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster: Located near the Tannenbaum Lodge, this roller coaster that moves down the hill through the woods is a thrilling experience for everyone! My family and family friends did this coaster at night, and I definitely suggest it. You are pulled on a track to the top of the hill, and then at the top you are released and you soar down the spiraling track. You can purchase and all day ticket for $20, or a single ride ticket for $7.
Shopping: If your legs are dead, and you can’t bring yourself to put on your ski or snowboard boots for the day, shopping is a great substitute activity for the day. Right in the area of Holiday Valley is The Village of Ellicottville. Not only can you shop in the four specialized ski and snowboard shops, but the old-fashioned styled streets are also filled with small, boutique shops.
Holiday Valley Ski Resort is perfect for families, friends, and individuals to go to for a three day ski/snowboard trip. I’ll be trying to convince my family to visit during holiday break, and if you’re from a winter sport loving family, you should, too! Happy Holidays and see you next week on The Road Most (Knowledgeably) Traveled.
The Road Most (Knowledgeably) Traveled 
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