Crystal Mountain Resort, Washington: I may have looked the part of a ski bunny, but my skills more resembled those of a walrus skidding down the slopes, and were just as dangerous.

Follow the Snow for Winter Fun

As everyone who knows the Kennedys knows, we do not under any circumstances participate in snow activities; we stay as far away as possible. However, there was a time, and we know many other RVers who love nothing better than skiing. They use their RVs to follow snowy conditions to the best skiing resorts scattered throughout the country.

Our one ski adventure involved only me, since my husband had enough sense to not participate. He had grown up where there was lots of snow, so he was not a fan even back then. However, having grown up in the South and never having lived anywhere near ski resorts, I was determined to give it a shot.

My ski clothes were a Christmas present in anticipation of all the good times I would enjoy in the great State of Washington. I donned ski pants, turtleneck and parka, and my new boots for the trip to Crystal Mountain Resort by tour bus from Tacoma. A ski instructor met me at the bottom of the ski slope to instruct me in the finer points of staying upright and stopping. Then, with no practice on the “bunny slope” since I guess he thought I appeared bright enough to understand his instructions, he sent me up the ski lift. HA! There I was up that slope with no way down except to ski, so I bravely set out trying to keep in mind all the finer points I had been taught. Everything was fine until a boy fell right in front of me. I screamed at him to move, but he just stared at me with his mouth open as I landed on top of him. In my panic, I had forgotten how to stop and turn.

Let’s just say, that was my last attempt at skiing. My ski instructor informed me that I should make sure I had liability insurance before I tried it again. After giving him a look that could melt lava rock, I stomped off with as much dignity as I could muster on two skis atop slippery snow to lunch with my husband and the two guys who had taken lessons with me. I sold the ski boots, but kept the ski pants and parka, which came in handy to keep me warm in all the cold rain of a Washington winter.

I later tried snowmobiling and loved it. And if there had been snowboarding back then, I probably would have tried that, too.

For those RVers wishing to follow the snow, there are many ski resorts located within short driving distances of large cities, including Vancouver, BC where the Olympics are taking place. Seattle, WA and Portland, OR are within a few hours’ drive from Vancouver, where you can also enjoy all the amenities of a large city, then make an hour or so drive to nearby ski resorts and ski to your heart’s content. There may be camping areas open near ski resorts, but all that I know about are closed in winter because of heavy snow.

If snowmobiling is more your speed, there are dozens of places throughout the United States where you can take your own snow toys, or rent them. We lived near San Francisco for awhile and used to drive up to the Lake Tahoe area for fun in the snow.

Whatever your favorite winter sport, you can follow the snow across the country in search of good clean, but cold fun. The West coast offers many opportunities, from Southern California, north all along the way to Vancouver BC, and then to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and even northern Arizona and New Mexico. You’ll also find many ski resorts and snowy mountain peaks boasting of fun snow activites along the Eastern seaboard where you can enjoy snowboarding, skiing, ice skating, sledding, and snowmobiling.

RVers are a diverse lot, and some travel to their favorite destinations for sun and warmth while others search out cold weather adventures. There is so much to enjoy on the RV road that virtually everyone will be able to fulfill their traveling fantasies by planning their trips to include their favorite activities.