Winter Adventures for Any Couple

A ski and snowboard trip can seem romantic if you’re part of a pair:  snowflakes, hot cocoa (spiked), and steamy après sessions fireside. But sometimes what happens on the slopes might not always match up. Maybe you’re an ace skier or boarder and she’s an absolute newb. Or perhaps she just doesn’t want to ride the snow at all.

Don’t worry—you can have your skiing and your hot tub romps with her, too. Today’s mountain resorts serve up plenty of activities off the hill, so you can take a couples’ vacation and keep everyone happy in the process.

Here are three resorts to try:

Northstar at Tahoe, California

The resort may be celebrating its 40th anniversary, but it’s also sporting $30 million in recently completed updates, including their new Zephyr Lodge, which offers gourmet food and soaring mountain views. The ski area is still quaint, though, and has its own ‘village,’ complete with shops, restaurants and an ice skating rink. Downtown Truckee is a 15-minute drive away. Stay at the on-mountain Constellation Residences at Northstar: Two-to-four-bedroom luxury condos start at $499 and you’ll have full access to the adjacent Ritz Carlton, including the spa and fitness center (constellationatnorthstar.com). An on-site gondola takes you to the village, where you can toast gourmet marshmallows for s’mores in fire pits, every afternoon. Tour the stars through an on-mountain observatory-grade telescope with Nevada Science Coalition President Tony Berendsen (book through the Constellation concierge or visit tahoestartours.com); or pick up new skills at the Burton Academy (where you can experience a mini-pipe on a special learn-to-ride board) or Northstar’s ski and snowboard school.

Deer Valley Resort, Utah

This mountain is for skiers only—some argue it helps to maintain better snow conditions—and offers a myriad of terrain options. Some lifts service the bumps and flats, even trees, so if your levels don’t mix, she can rip through moguls while you coast a cruiser literally yards away. She’s not into skiing? Nearby Gorgoza Park offers lift-served tubing ($8 and up; gorgoza.com), and Remède Spa at the on-the-slopes St. Regis (stregisdeervalley.com) offers a full-range of treatments in rooms with storybook views. Stay at the Chateaux Deer Valley (the-chateaux.com): Condos start at $449 and are a quick shuttle ride to the base of the mountain. There’s also a free shuttle into the town of Park City, for shopping, barhopping, and dining.

Mont Tremblant, Quebec

The charming Euro-style pedestrian village at this Canadian resort maintains that mystical balance between small-enough and hopping. The must-do activity: Dog-sledding. Tremblant is home to 150 sled dogs and six of them can cart you through scenic forests and snow-covered meadows. Each sled holds one driver and one passenger so you can ride à deux. ($142; tremblantactivities.com) Up for adventure? Climb ice. Tremblant has a mountain sport school right at the base of the slopes, so you can learn to ice climb in an afternoon. Bring your ski boots and they’ll provide the rest ($79; tremblantactivities.com). Stay at the Fairmont Tremblant, right at the base of the mountain ($199 CAD and up; Fairmont.com).

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Winter Adventures for Any Couple