Snow Skiing resort for non-skier

Aspen, Beavercreek and Vail. Not knowing your wife... I would say 4-5 days at any resort will eventually get a bit boring if you do zero winter sports.

If you have a rental car she could always venture out and do some "excursion" types things - dog sledding, snow mobile, lunch or horse drawn carriage at a nearby ranch. It's just tougher in winter to find things to occupy your time if you aren't skiing, but doable.

Aspen really sounds up her alley then. They have shuttles to take you into the town and some amazing ($$$$) shopping with quite the social scene.

What are other things shes likes to do, or would she be content just shopping and going to the spa every day?

Hmm ok - I'll stick with Beavercreek/Vail and Aspen as rec's. You can fly into Vail (nearby) or Aspen, or drive. If driving, Aspen is another ~hour or so. Both have a Ritz, but should also have other higher end spas and places that do champagne hours etc.

Also tricky to predict weather and Aspen airport is one of the hardest to land if there is a breeze so I am told. But you can look at all the sweet private plans parked out there as you fly over it.

For your future reference... definitely cross off places like Keystone, Winterpark, Copper etc - super small base area and not much going on for a non-skier.

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What are some good resorts for a family that can also accommodate (shopping, spa, etc) a non-skier?

I’ve done, several times, Breck, Keystone, Telluride and steamboat and the wife was bored with all. She hates to ski and I’m thinking if I want to continue the family ski trip I need to find something more accommodating.

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Honestly and I apologize as there's not a nice way to say this, but it sounds like you should just leave the wife at home. A typical ski vacation is 3-5 days. All of those you mentioned are pretty nice places. For a family trip, I don't see how you can be miserable in any of them for that length of time. A good book or two, enjoying the snow and mountains, a day in the spa, etc. is generally plenty for that short of a trip.

As said, it sounds like maybe she just wants more shopping or a bigger city?

ETA: The reason I say this is because I just took a vacation with my FIL during a time that worked best for my FIL (not us), he paid for much of it, and he wasn't really looking forward to it nor was it anything he would enjoy outside of being with family. We really tried to make the best of it as it was very bad timing and we were very busy. Frankly, the trip was a waste of time and frustrating. We spent very little time together, did a bunch of crap we wouldn't have done, and overall were stressed about being there period as it was a bad time and stressed about doing things on the vacation for the FIL that ended up being wasted because he either didn't show or didn't care. We would have been much better off just planning the trip solely for us, us paying, and then having him come at his leisure and fit in as he pleased.

I'm very much of the mind now that you go on trips for the majority of people to enjoy and the majority plans the majority of the trip. It doesn't have to be perfect for everyone, but if that person that is not the majority can't make the best of it and help everyone else enjoy the trip then they should just stay home. Its all about a vacation and while there's something to be said about just spending time together as a family, it doesn't sound like in this instance it happens anyway. Maybe instead of going for 5 nights you go for 4 nights without the wife. Something like that, so its just about skiing and have a great time skiing and nothing else.

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you should just leave the wife at home.

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I hear you all on this... but the above ain't gonna happen.

It sounds like the man wants to find a way, any way, for his wife to keep agreeing to have a family ski trip (so he can ski). I would be willing to bet the wife would squash an expensive trip skiing if she weren't going on it, as they likely pass it off as their family vacay. Which would then mean the OP couldn't go skiing period.

No woman would complain about 4 days in Aspen (snowmass). She can dress and act the part, and blend with the celebrities that all vacation there.

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you should just leave the wife at home.


I hear you all on this... but the above ain't gonna happen.

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But why? That's their only family vacation? OP has been to multiple normal locations. Its not like they went to West Virginia or New Mexico.

Furthermore, if the wife is shopping while everyone else is hitting the slopes how much of a family vacation is it really?

I go on guys trips without the wife and kids a couple times a year: hunting, camping, fishing, etc. My wife goes on a girls trip here and there to a concert or whatever. I have 3 daughters, I have no issues with them going on a trip somewhere I don't care to go.

If you go somewhere like skiing to a place that doesn't make sense for anyone but the person that doesn't ski...why?

Also, it sounds like OP needs to man up. If the wife doesn't like the outdoors and just wants to have coffee, shop, go to the spa, and have a nice wine and dinner you can do that in every ski resort in the country for 3 days. If she can't enjoy herself for a ski trip while the rest of the family has a blast skiing, seems like she's the one that needs to figure some things out.

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Telluride

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did you even read the OP?

Thanks for all the responses and the OT worthy responses.

We do plenty of things on and off the mountain that the wife enjoys. I’m just trying to find a ski resort with more to offer outside of skiing and the t-shirt shopping (Breck).

I’m 39 and don’t ski non stop for 5 days straight like I use to, but while the kids and I are out skiing, she’s likes to keep busy. We have made a day trip to Vail from Breck and while the little town was nice, I wasn’t too crazy about the skiing.

Telluride has been by far my favorite skiing.

I think aspen will be the next stop and Whistler is on the list but a few years out.

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Thanks for all the responses and the OT worthy responses.

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I'm sorry you don't like the advice, but I was just being honest because I just went on a vacation with someone like this and I won't do it again. You are the one that said your wife likes to go have coffee, shop, spa, wine, repeat.

If you are asking for the best ski town for someone that enjoys that then I really think you should consider having the frank convo that you go skiing to ski. The family can go on another vacation to be a family and be with her.

You start to go places that have worse snow or a lesser mountain or too hard of a mountain for the person that doesn't ski. Then your skiing sucks. Then why go on a ski vacation?

Most people have limited vacation days. I just don't think it makes sense to plan around the person that cares the least to be there.