- \n
- Staying off hill is not an option for us anymore<\/strong>. We look for lodging on the ski hill so that each member of the family can choose how long he or she wants to ski for. At least one of us usually runs out of energy early afternoon or needs to take an extended lunch break to rest and chill.<\/li>\n
- Having a kitchen in our suite or condo is imperative to affordable ski weekends. <\/strong>I\u2019m done with coffee-maker-oatmeal and want to have\n
![\"Mountain](\"https:\/\/skikimberley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Mountain-spirit-resort-pool-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>Outdoor Pool Fun<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cnice breakfasts.\u201d (Think bacon and pancakes to fuel the family for the day.) Staying at one of the ski in\/out condos on the Kimberley Alpine Resort property allows us to make our own breakfasts, lunches, and dinners (even if it\u2019s as simple as a couple of frozen pizzas when we arrive Friday night.)<\/li>\n
- One room hotel suites just don\u2019t cut it with kids. <\/strong>Anybody else ever spend the evening sitting on the bathroom floor of their hotel room with a book and a glass of wine just so that the kids can fall asleep in the main room with no lights on? Or have you ever had to sit in the hallway outside your hotel room while the kids fell asleep? I\u2019ve done both and I\u2019m done with those days. Now we always look for a one or two bedroom condo. The kids go to sleep in the bedrooms while us adults can stay up and talk, play a game of cards, and share a few beers. I call this \u201csuccessful apr\u00e8s-ski parenting.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Every successful ski day ends at the resort swimming pool. <\/strong>We shared a condo with friends at Kimberley this month and the kids spent as much time in the swimming pool as they did on the ski hill. They were in the pool within an hour of arriving Friday night, were back in the pool Saturday afternoon after skiing, and spent at least 2 hours in the pool again Sunday afternoon before driving home.\n
![\"Nordic](\"https:\/\/skikimberley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Nordic-Skiing-in-Kimberley-225x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Cross Country Skiing<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n
- A ski resort has to offer more than just skiing. <\/strong>When we used to visit ski resorts in our younger days, we came for the skiing and that was it. Get up, ski hard until the hill closes, drink, eat, and socialize with friends, go to bed, repeat. Things have changed now and we actually look for a variety of entertainment\/leisure options when we go away for a weekend. On our recent trip to Kimberley, my girlfriend and I brought cross country skis and enjoyed some night skiing at the Kimberley Nordic Club Friday night while the kids were at the swimming pool with the dads. Other activities we could have tried would have included fat biking, ice skating and snowshoeing \u2013 all right at the same resort. While we usually only go away for a two-day weekend, we\u2019d appreciate all of these activities if we were to spend a longer amount of time in Kimberley. My body isn\u2019t what it used to be and I\u2019d never be able to spend multiple days downhill skiing without rest breaks to enjoy some other outdoor activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A winter resort for every member of the family <\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"Skating](\"https:\/\/skikimberley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Skating-rink-and-Trickle-Creek-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a>Skating rink at Trickle Creek Lodge<\/p><\/div>\n
On our recent visit to Kimberley, our group included three kids ages eight and under, three adults who could have closed the ski hill each day, and then me, a mom who enjoys skiing until early afternoon each day before retreating to the hot tub or slopeside pub.<\/p>\n
Fortunately for our group, Kimberley was the perfect location for mixed interests and we\u2019re now thinking we might plan a future trip with extended family. My mother would love the resort\u2019s snowshoe tour and I\u2019d like to return for the fat biking tour.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Below are some of the many activities a family can enjoy in Kimberley:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Downhill resort skiing from a ski in\/out condo at the base of the ski resort (with night skiing available on the main run \u2013 a great option if you spent the afternoon in the swimming pool with the kids and want to get back out on the slopes later)<\/li>\n
- Cross country skiing at the Kimberley Nordic Club, a short 2 minute drive away from the Kimberley Alpine Resort base area. We enjoyed night skiing on a 3 km lit loop but next time I return to Kimberley I want to check the trails out in the daylight.<\/li>\n
- Resort snowshoe tours including the Kootenay Haus Chocolate Fondue Tour which is perfect for the whole family.<\/li>\n
- Resort fat bike tours including the Trickle Creek S\u2019mores Fat Bike Tour (and yes, it includes a fire and s\u2019mores along the easy ride through the golf course below the ski resort)<\/li>\n
- Ice skating on the resort rink, conveniently located outside the Trickle Creek Lodge and beside the Stemwinder Bar and Grill. Between skating, the swimming pool that we enjoyed at the Mountain Spirit Resort where we stayed, and the live entertainment at the Stemwinder, we had plenty to do in the apr\u00e8s-ski hours on hill.<\/li>\n
- Dinner, shopping, and rock climbing in the Kimberley Platzl. The Bavarian-themed plaza downtown is home to several amazing restaurants
![\"Platzl](\"https:\/\/skikimberley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Platzl-and-the-Pedal-and-Tap-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>including our favourite, the Pedal and Tap. (Seriously, try the mucked up fries and then tell me it\u2019s not your favourite restaurant too!) There\u2019s also a super-cool indoor climbing gym, The Spirit Rock Climbing Centre, in the Platzl that we keep meaning to visit. It\u2019s on the list for the next time we visit when we have more than 2 days to play and explore!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAnd just in case you still think you could ever be bored on your winter trip to Kimberley, the Hello BC website has even more fun suggestions for ways to discover Kimberley year round<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n
The Tourism Kimberley website is also a great resource for accommodations, activities, and things to do in Kimberley<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n
To read more about my family\u2019s adventures in Kimberley and our stay at the Mountain Spirit Resort, check out my recent story on my own blog: The Ultimate Family Ski Weekend at Kimberley Alpine Resort.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
- Having a kitchen in our suite or condo is imperative to affordable ski weekends. <\/strong>I\u2019m done with coffee-maker-oatmeal and want to have\n
![\"Mountain](\"https:\/\/skikimberley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Mountain-spirit-resort-pool.jpg\")
<\/a>