Big Sky Resort, MT :
A Skier's Mountain
The Biggest Skiing in America. Base Camp Yellowstone.
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miles deep. Below is molten lava, which heats these thermal pools in excess of 250 degrees Fahrenheit. If you plan to bring your dogs, they should be leashed at all times.
The mission of this trek is to reach "Old Faithful" before she goes off. We arrived with 20 minutes to spare. The historic Yellowstone service buildings were covered deep in snow and the place seems almost deserted with no lines and an empty parking lot.
The Old Faithful Visitors' Center and Museum is the perfect place to keep warm, learn about Yellowstone, geysers, and view Old Faithful in all her glory. The more adventuresome can watch the eruption outside while listening to a park ranger's informative lecture about the history and science of Yellowstone. She went off right on time and it was quite amazing to see the steaming rising over 140' into the air.
Adults: $145.00
Children: $135.00
Contact: 888-493-2260
WHERE TO REST YOUR WEARY HEAD...
THE SUMMIT HOTEL
The Summit Hotel is Big Sky's flagship property. The eight-story hotel sits directly at the base of the mountain and offers ski-in, ski- out access. We checked in just before the Christmas rush and the lobby was decked out with a 25-foot tree and sculpted chandelier complete with reindeer busts.
The cool thing about this hotel is that it offers a variety of accommodation options. We stayed in a one-bedroom corner condo unit with a queen bed and sleeper sofa. The unit had a full kitchen, fireplace, and two bathrooms. It overlooked the mountain with a great view of Lone Peak and the two high-speed quad lifts. The property has complimentary wireless Internet access throughout. At times it was difficult to connect in the room, but the signal on the 2nd floor lobby was reliable and the people watching was a fun diversion!
The lobby on the 2nd floor is where the conference rooms, fitness center, indoor-outdoor pool and spa are located. Two floors below is the heated underground parking garage. Sweet! The other 212 units are comprised of traditional hotel rooms, two- and three-bedroom condos, and luxury penthouses.
Rates: $214 - $470 hotel room with a king bed
$297- $791 for a one-bedroom condo
Contact: 800-548-4486
GOURMET GRUB...
PEAKS RESTAURANT
This casual fine dining restaurant with a Euro-western flare is located in the beautiful Summit Hotel. We dined here several times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and enjoyed each meal as well as prompt service.
The breakfast buffet includes made-to-order omelets, which were delicious served up with a side of fresh fruit and brewed coffee each morning.
Lunch is a casual affair. You can sit at the bar or a table overlooking the two high-speed quads and outdoor pool. One afternoon we sampled the Smoked Chicken California Wrap ($10.75) and it was everything you'd expect. We also tried the Angus Beef Burger ($11.50) and it was prepared perfectly to order, Montana style.
For dinner, we enjoyed the Organic Chicken Breast entrée, ($23.95) which was juicy and moist. We also ordered the 18 oz. Grilled Cowboy Rib Eye Steak ($36.95) medium rare and Chef Scott Peterson brought it to the table himself.
Reservations recommended
Contact: 800-548-4487
ANDIAMO ITALIAN GRILLE
Ciao Bella! I crave Italian food in all forms in the winter, and Andiamo Italian Grille really was a delightful surprise. With a hip, almost NYC kind of cool vibe, this place can take you far away from the slopes of Big Sky. As we settled in for a drink at the welcoming bar, I was very excited to experience an Italian comfort food fest. Our table was quickly available, and I was happily immersed in the large menu with a wide range of traditional and contemporary choices.
Always looking for something green, I settled on the Shaved Fennel Salad ($11) with arugula, toasted pine nuts, ricotta salata dressed with blood orange vinaigrette as a starter. The crisp contrast of the sharp tangy flavor of the fennel and arugula was a lovely balance to the smooth softness of the pine nuts and ricotta; this was a fantastic balance of texture. The vinaigrette was a touch too sweet for my taste, but the added element of citrus was a bright, welcomed layer. No doubt about it, Montana is serious meat country, but I was on the hunt for fish. No worries here, from various pasta choices with fish, or straight out grilled or seared, there were plenty of fish selections to enjoy. I settled on the Prosciutto wrapped Salmon ($29)....and just to be different, I asked for no prosciutto. Although I am sure ....