Campers hone their culinary skills at Sugarbush's Farm-to-Plate summer camp, one of the many weekly themed summer camps. Photo courtesy Sugarbush Resort.

If you are heading to a mountain resort to enjoy golf or tennis and want the kids to have a great time in the outdoors, summer camps for kids and teens are just the ticket.

The camps focus on educational fun and outdoor activities that challenge as part of facilitating growth. They offer a huge variety to activities that kids love and some even offer camps for families.

Scenes like this one at Mammoth make combo passes enticing. (Sean Engie)

Thanks to ski-resort consolidations and new partnerships, there are so many combo or multi-area season passes now that it can be delightfully difficult to decide which pass to get.

A great way to create a lifetime of wonderful memories is to ski or ride with a legend.

There’s plenty new in the land of snow sports from programs to happenings to fashion. There’s something for everyone, including those who haven’t skied or snowboarded before.

There’s an uncanny ability to sense what visitors and vacationers are seeking. If it’s adventure, they supply it — mountain coasters, pipes, parks, canopy tours, fine dining. If childcare, they provide it. Music, got it. Basics? All covered.

The Snurfer, a precursor to the snowboard, has been revived by Vermont's Brew Moscarello for low-tech, back-to-basics backyard fun.

At a ski resort Demo Day, I asked my chair mate how he liked the skis he was trying. “I guess they’re OK, but I really don't know what to look for,” he said.