1. Vail, CO

Photo courtesy Jack Affleck/Vail Resort
More a snow empirethan a resort, Vail'sBack Bowls (3,017acres), frontside(1,627 acres) and BlueSky Basin (645acres,shown) ski like threedistinct ski areas,which means boredomis never an issueand finding theperfect run is just amatter of time.
THE LATEST Renovation of the Blue Moon restaurant; upgrades to the snowmaking andgrooming operations. Vail's "billion-dollar renewal grinds ahead, with the $250 million Arrabellehotel complex—centerpiece of the massive Lionshead redevelopment—scheduled to open in late2007. THE DEAL Snow Daze, Dec. 4—17, is designed to persuade adults to play hooky and kickstartthe ski season with deep discounts offered on lifts and lodging (vailsnowdaze.com).LOCAL SECRET Cell-phone service is spotty high on the hill. Text-messaging is more reliable.