10 ski lodges, 10 activities besides skiing in New England

Not everyone can ski. Thankfully, that isn’t the only thing to do at the lodge this winter. From top restaurants to casinos to on-site amusement parks, ski resorts around New England are offering much more than snow-covered slopes.

Wine and Dine

Warm up with a relaxing meal. Solstice at Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont¬—recipient of the AAA Diamond Distinction—offers sophisticated fine dining with fresh, local ingredients. The menu features rustic yet refined fare including a wide selection of artisan cheeses, New England Fish Chowder, seasonal panache, mountain trout, and truffled pot roast of beef. Stowe also offers a variety of options throughout the resort. Ride the gondola lift ($25 per person) to the top of Mount Mansfield and enjoy floor-to-ceiling views, an open kitchen, and hearty lunches at the Cliff House. Or try the Great Room Grill at the base of Spruce Peak, the Fireside Tavern for weekend cocktails, and the Hourglass bar and lounge for casual food and drinks.

Stowe Mountain Resort

Solstice, Cliff House, Great Room Grill, Fireside Tavern, Hourglass Bar

7416 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT

1-888-253-4849 or 802-253-3000

Information Center hours are 8a.m. to 5p.m. daily

View website for additional information and updates. Reservations strongly recommended.

Live entertainment

Lodges are the perfect place for active nightlife. Sugarloaf’s Widowmaker Lounge houses a variety of live entertainment, musicians and acts from the underground to well-known, on most Fridays and Saturdays. They offer professional studio-quality sound and plasma and projection screen TVs. Enjoy the laidback atmosphere, classic pub fare, and over 16 beers on tap throughout the show. The Shipyard Brew Haus in the Sugarloaf Inn also offers a casual pub scene, a great place for fun by the fire, watching the game on the widescreen television, or playing a round of pool.

Sugarloaf Mountain Resort

Widowmaker Lounge, Shipyard Brew Haus

5092 Access Road, Carrabassett Valley, ME

(207) 237-2222

View website for additional information and updates

Treat yourself

Everyone deserves a spa day. For deep tissue massages, hot stone therapy, facials, Dead Sea mineral mud, and everything in between. Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont offers the perfect place for a little pampering. A popular add-on is the Vermont Maple and Brown Sugar ($65), a New England themed exfoliation treatment with the warm scent of sugar and syrup. Call ahead to make a reservation.

Okemo Mountain Resort

77 Okemo Ridge Road, Ludlow, VT

802-228-1419 or 802-228-1600

Shop

Pick up some gear or a souvenir. Lodges often have a variety of shops right on the premises. Attitash Mountain Resort provides guests with a full-service ski shop, perfect for grabbing extra or replacing broken gear. It also features a full-service overnight tune shop. The base lodge also has a variety of gifts and accessories, from logo wear to personalized signs to local goods.

Attitash Mountain Resort

Route 302 Bartlett, NH

603-374-2600

Try a new sport

Winter doesn’t mean the sports have to involve snow. Bretton Woods at the Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire has the Slopeside Climbing Wall (pictured), a 30-foot climbing wall on the Slopeside level of the Base Lodge. The wall includes a variety of routes to the top with modular hand holds and artificial rock. Bretton Woods also features a 300-square foot bouldering cave for beginners and those looking for less of a thrill. They provide the gear and trained staff instruction. Climbing shoes are also available to rent ($3), though not required. The sport is a growing fitness trend and can be done regardless of weather. The cost is $10 for a 10-minute session on either wall.

Bretton Woods Ski Resort

Route 302, Bretton Woods, N.H.

603-278-1000; 603-278-3335 (for Adventure Center)

Family time

If the whole family is looking to stay indoors, don’t sit around. Smuggler’s Notch Resort in Vermont has The “FunZone’’ Family Entertainment and Recreation Center. With an arcade, Smuggs Bouncy House, table games, a double-lane slide, 45-foot obstacle course, and a pirate ship, children and adults alike can have a blast. They also host special teen-only activities and programs afterhours and an exclusive Sunday night open house, complete with a DJ. Use of the “FunZone’’ is included in some packages. Regular price is $20 and adult entry is free if accompanying a child.

Smugglers’ Notch Resort

4323 Vermont Route 108 South, Smugglers’ Notch, VT

802-332-6841

“FunZone’’ open daily 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. December 6, 2013 – April 6, 2014

Get your game on

Why not try your luck at a casino? Sunday River is just 50 minutes north of the Oxford Casino, Maine’s destination casino. From table games to slot machines, the casino offers a unique gaming and entertainment experience. A perfect place to get away from the ski lodge, they also have an on-site restaurant—¬the Oxford Grill¬—and full bar offering classic American lunches and dinners from pulled pork to fried scallops. Oxford Casino’s partner program, the Oxford Rewards Loyalty Club, also provides guests with great deals on lodging near a number of ski resorts as well as local restaurants and businesses.

Sunday River Ski Resort

15 S Ridge Road, Newry, ME

207-824-3000

Oxford Casino

777 Casino Way, Oxford, ME

207-539-6700

Take a class

With an abundance of free time, learn something new. From art classes to theater lessons, resorts can offer instruction on a variety of interests and hobbies. Smuggler’s Notch Resort in Vermont offer specially designed and hands-on workshops for a variety of arts and crafts projects. Bringing in local artists as instructors, materials are provided for classes in everything from homemade body butter to painting to sculpture. Register in advance to reserve a spot. Prices range from $20 to $60 per person per session.

Smugglers’ Notch Resort

4323 Vermont Route 108 South, Smugglers’ Notch, VT

802-332-6841

Hit the gym

For a slightly warmer workout, head to the gym and enjoy personalized sessions and group fitness classes. Sugarbush Resort in Vermont houses the Sugarbush Health & Racquet Club. Open year-round, they offer a full-service gym complete with personal training, physical therapy, group fitness classes, and yoga instruction. They also have both an indoor and outdoor pool, hot tubs, saunas, and a co-ed steam room. For the warmer months, Sugarbush offers expert tennis instruction along with squash and racquetball rooms year-round. Pico Mountain in Vermont also offers a top-notch fitness center (pictured) with a heated pool, dance, aerobics, and yoga classes, and equipment for cardio and weight training.

Sugarbush Resort 1840 Sugarbush Access Road., Warren, VT

802-583-6700

Pico Mountain 4763 Killington Road , Killington, VT

802-422-6200

Thrill seek

What started as a popular trend in Europe has come to New England: the Mountain Coaster. Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock has one that’s 3,600 feet of twists and turns through the woods. Speeds are passenger-controlled and can hit up to 23-miles-per-hour. Single rides are $7 and two rides are $14. Attitash Mountain Resort in New Hampshire is home to the Nor’Easter Mountain Coaster, a passenger-controlled ride that curves and dips for 4,300 feet. With a 316-foot drop, it also features a 1,420-foot ascent and a 2,880-foot descent with speeds of up to 25-miles-per-hour. Single rides are $12 with discounts for those with lift tickets or season passes.

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort

37 Corey Road, Hancock

413-738-5500, 800-882-8859 (for reservations)

Attitash Mountain Resort

Route 302 Bartlett, NH

603-374-2600