Rocky Mountains, CO

Arapahoe Basin

Snowbiking, copyright
Silver Creek Resort

No need to lament the arrival of warm weather. A-basin, as it's locally known, is the closest thing to year-round skiing in Colorado -- or anywhere else for that matter. It stays open into July, thanks to a summit elevation of 13,050 feet -- the highest lift-served terrain in North America.

Don't let the high altitude scare you. Sixty percent of the A-Basin is geared for beginners and intermediates. It's also kind on the budget.

Stretch your dollars even further by brown bagging lunch, then heating it up in the lodge's guest microwave. In the off season, you'll save a lot on the price of lift tickets. The Basin has ski lessons for ages 4 to 14 and snowboard lessons for youngsters 9 to 14.