Hotel: Wintergreen Resort

The Spread:
Wintergreen, an upscale resort sprawling over nearly 11,000 acres, delivers Blue Ridge Mountain scenery plus all the comforts of home. A ski resort in winter, the property attracts families in summer with boating, golf, tennis, swimming, horseback riding, mountain biking, and comprehensive children's programs. Two hours from Richmond, Virginia, and three hours from Washington, D.C., the resort rents and manages about 350 of nearly 1,500 privately-owned condominiums located slopeside or in the valley near Lake Monocan and the resort's 27-hole Stoney Creek Golf Course. Another course, the Devil's Knob, sits ridgetop at 3,850 feet. Given the right weather, you can ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon. After a day of play, kids splash in the Wintergarden's indoor and outdoor pools and parents can soothe sore muscles with massages at the Wintergarden Spa.

Why Families Love It:
There's lots to do

The Spread:
Wintergreen, an upscale resort sprawling over nearly 11,000 acres, delivers Blue Ridge Mountain scenery plus all the comforts of home. A ski resort in winter, the property attracts families in summer with boating, golf, tennis, swimming, horseback riding, mountain biking, and comprehensive children's programs. Two hours from Richmond, Virginia, and three hours from Washington, D.C., the resort rents and manages about 350 of nearly 1,500 privately-owned condominiums located slopeside or in the valley near Lake Monocan and the resort's 27-hole Stoney Creek Golf Course. Another course, the Devil's Knob, sits ridgetop at 3,850 feet. Given the right weather, you can ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon. After a day of play, kids splash in the Wintergarden's indoor and outdoor pools and parents can soothe sore muscles with massages at the Wintergarden Spa.

Why Families Love It:
There's lots to do together here, from hikes along trails dotted with wildflowers to swimming, tennis, golf, and other fun family challenges. At the Out of Bounds Adventure Center, climb a 25-foot tower, bounce high on a bungee-trampoline, tag each other in paintball, catch air on the skate park's half pipes, and mountain bike over jumps and log rides at the freestyle park. For traditional sports, kids seven to 14 learn serve and volley skills at hour-long Junior Tennis clinics and practice swings and putts at three-hour Junior Golf Camp sessions (both $75).

At Kids in Action, available weekends March to June and daily mid-June through Labor Day, tots aged two-and-a-half to five play games, go on butterfly hunts, and finger paint. Older kids from six to 12 can play tennis, hike, swim, and go on field trips to Luray Caverns and tubing down the James River (half-days cost $34; full days $48). At Kids Night Out, on summer Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., ages six to 12 enjoy playing games and doing crafts while Mom and Dad get some time to dine alone.

In winter, families come for the skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. At Kids in Action, non-skiers aged two-and-a-half to 12 play games, do crafts, and bake cookies. Tots three and older can add snow play, and Mogul Monkeys (ages four to 12) hit the slopes with full and half-day programs (rates include equipment and lift tickets).

Special Activities & Events:
The hills come alive with music during summer with concerts by the Wintergreen Festival Orchestra.