Just wondering if anyone can come up with some ideas for a trip we're considering...

Looking at perhaps heading over to New England for New Years. Idea would be to fly into Boston. After that, it's a bit of a free-for-all, but we don't want to drive for more than a couple of hours and if we could find some skiing - either for a day from Boston or as a destination for a few nights - that would be great. Whole trip is likely to be 4-5 nights.

What will be going on in Boston on NYE? If there are fireworks, is there somewhere good to watch from (i.e. a well located hotel)?

It would be myself, my wife and our 1.5yr old son.

Thanks

Tony

Hi Tony-

The New Years celebration in Boston is focused around whats called First Night. http://www.firstnight.org/

The centerpoint of this is the Government Center/Fanueil Hall area. There are exhibits, ice sculptures and the fireworks. As far as viewing perhaps the Marriott Long Wharf or Boston Harbor hotel would be good. I have only gone on mild New Years nights and watched from outside.

The closest ski area to Boston is Wachusetts which is about an hour and a half away. I would not recomend this for good New England skiiing as it is a small mountain.

I would go 2 1/2 to 3 hours out of Boston to NH, perhaps North Conway. Mt Cranmore is great for a family they have tubing that your son might enjoy. The town also has horse farms with sleigh rides. North Conway also has lots of outlets for shopping up there. If you want to get out of Boston for a day or 2 this is a nice drive and great place. My wife and I go every year and can not wait to take our 4 month old son there for the first time.

Actually, Blue Hills ski area is even closer to Boston ~4 miles. However, its mighty 350 foot vertical makes it a just a little too short to be worth a trip from anywhere more than 5 miles away.
For idyllic scenery, it is hard to beat Waterville Valley NH. It is tucked away in an isolated bowl surrounded by National Forest land. Although it is a middling mountain as far a thrills go, if the snow is nice it is quite pleasent and has enough variety to satisfy you for 2-3 days. It is also one of the closest "large" hills to Boston. Rates there have been very reasonable in the last few years. Accomodations on site are nice and have a very New England character (spread out in the woods rather than feeling like a crowded resort)

I'd skip NH and go to either VT or ME. I prefer Sunday River, which is in ME and a bit further away (3.5 hours), but well worth the extra effort -it's a great mountain. Whatever you do, avoid Killington at all costs (crowds are outrageous).

OK, thanks for this but the drive times are getting a bit long (I had an awful drive back from Stowe to Boston on Jan 1st 2002, but we did get an up to C on UA on the way home :p ).

Are there any options to fly into airports closer to these places? Am I best off looking for a flight via JFK up to Burlington perhaps (don't fancy a ride at that time of year in a prop job from BOS).

OK, thanks for this but the drive times are getting a bit long (I had an awful drive back from Stowe to Boston on Jan 1st 2002, but we did get an up to C on UA on the way home :p ).

Are there any options to fly into airports closer to these places? Am I best off looking for a flight via JFK up to Burlington perhaps (don't fancy a ride at that time of year in a prop job from BOS).

Manchester MHT will put you an hour or so closer to actual skiiing. Nashoba (less than an hour) http://www.skinashoba.com/ and Wachusett Mountain http://www.wachusett.com/ (RT 2 west just over an hour from Boston) are closest to BOS, but they are really hills, not mountains.

iirc, there was a thread with some details on this subject but I can't find it.

here is a thread that may help http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=295711&highlight=skiing+boston

Waaa-wa-chusett is not too bad a place if you're looking for somewhere close. Don't go there expecting Killington and you probably won't be disappointed.

Waaa-wa-chusett is not too bad a place if you're looking for somewhere close. Don't go there expecting Killington and you probably won't be disappointed.

Waaaaaa-waaa-waaa chuuusseettt!!! Ahhhh, memories from my childhood.

Do they still have nightskiing?

Waaaaaa-waaa-waaa chuuusseettt!!! Ahhhh, memories from my childhood.

Do they still have nightskiing?

They do and if you go, you will likely run into my son on his snowboard, so be careful. ;)

And I agree with duhey2, if you are not expecting too much, Wachusett is easy to get to and can be fun especially for the less than expert.

Many thanks - this is really helpful. I do like the look of the fancy hotel at Bretton Woods, but one more question - I know it's difficult to predict, but how cold will it likely be at New Years?

I don't remember Stowe being that cold at that time of year, but a guidebook I picked up was cautioning over this.

Cheers

Bretton Woods is an excellent choice, especially as a place for a more laid-back and upscale environment that some of the areas that tend to be marketed more toward a teen/20ish clientele. Just as long as you don't expect Alps- or Rockies-type terrain and trails (and occasionally conditions).

January is the coldest month in New England, and I have been at Waterville Valley and at Stowe when the morning temps were -10F/-23C. More likely, you'll find temps around +5F/-15C in the early morning, warming up to the mid-20s(F) in the early afternoon. The wind can also be a major factor -- there's nothing as bone-chilling as a long lift ride in a howling wind. The only defense is plenty of layers, warm socks, and lots of time in the lodge. On the other hand, you can get one of those idyllic winter days when the temp is right around 30F/0C with no wind and a crystal-clear sky: that can be perfection.

You must absolutely be aware, though, that the week between Christmas and New Year is school vacation, and accommodations at ski areas will become increasingly difficult to find. If you can decide and book by October, that would be a very good idea.

Bretton Woods is an excellent choice, especially as a place for a more laid-back and upscale environment that some of the areas that tend to be marketed more toward a teen/20ish clientele. Just as long as you don't expect Alps- or Rockies-type terrain and trails (and occasionally conditions).

January is the coldest month in New England, and I have been at Waterville Valley and at Stowe when the morning temps were -10F/-23C. More likely, you'll find temps around +5F/-15C in the early morning, warming up to the mid-20s(F) in the early afternoon. The wind can also be a major factor -- there's nothing as bone-chilling as a long lift ride in a howling wind. The only defense is plenty of layers, warm socks, and lots of time in the lodge. On the other hand, you can get one of those idyllic winter days when the temp is right around 30F/0C with no wind and a crystal-clear sky: that can be perfection.

You must absolutely be aware, though, that the week between Christmas and New Year is school vacation, and accommodations at ski areas will become increasingly difficult to find. If you can decide and book by October, that would be a very good idea.

Thanks for all that - I e-mailed the hotel at Bretton Woods last night and they still have plenty of availability but you have to book over the phone - no online service for that time of year.

I assume they have a shuttle to get you from the hotel to the lifts (I couldn't find a great map but from what I could make out the hotel is the other side of the golf course).

Hmmmm - I don't know what to do. I really like skiing in the Canadian Rockies (lower altitude than Colorado). Flight is only about 90 mins longer from LON to Calgary vs Boston, drive is probably a bit quicker up to Banff than Bretton, and the temperatures look comparable.

BA have upgrade availability on both routes at that time of year, probably nothing much in the cost with the weak US$/stronger C$...

re Banff/Calgary vs Bretton Woods/Boston:

Really depends on your priorities. On a scale from 1 to 10, if you're comparing cities, I'd give Boston a 9 (admittedly biased hometown view) and Calgary a 3. Maybe a 2 if you aren't into the cowboy scene. On the other hand, skiing in Banff is surely a 9 or 10 compared to 4 or 5 for Bretton Woods (numbers for BW could even be a bit lower if the conditions are icy, as is not infrequently the case in New England).

Sunshine in Banff, for example, has a far, far greater vertical drop the Bretton Woods, there are acres of snow bowls/fields in which to simply exult, and the overall experience is, to my mind, several notches above the best that New England can offer. Also, the town of Banff is delightful, far more interesting and charming than any town in the Bretton Woods/North Conway area. While I haven't stayed in the BW hotel (is this the old Mt Washington Hotel?), the Banff Springs is on of the most pleasant ski resort hotels I know. My favorite memory is swimming outside (heated indoor/outdoor pool, entrance from the inside) while snow was falling.