Get your NC Ski on this weekend at Beech Mountain!

Smarties, pack up your ski gear, it’s SNOWING in the mountains right now! Schools in the NC mountain counties have been closed for a good part of the week. Guess what that means for us? AWESOME ski weather! Lucky for us, Beech Mountain is a hop, skip and a jump from the QC. And this weekend is the perfect weather for a spontaneous family ski outing! We recently discovered skiing as a family activity and are forever hooked.

Last month, we planned our family’s first ever ski weekend at Beech Mountain, thanks to our Smarty friends at Beech Mountain. I was definitely nervous given the fact that I have four kids who have never skied and I am from Florida. I can count on one hand the number of times I have skied, so I come to the table with ZERO skills. Not to mention, the thought of 7-year-old identical twin boys on a ski lift terrified me, one brotherly push could be the end of it! But I decided to set those mom fears aside, pack up our truckster and head off to Beech Mountain Resort.

First word of advice – ski school is the best. thing. ever. invented. By the end of the first day, all four of my kids (ages 7-11) were going down intermediate slopes. They were way better than I was! They liked skiing so much that they skied from 9:30a-3:30p in ski school and then they joined us for the rest of the day. The kids were excited to learn to stop the “cool way” as they liked to call it – this means not snow plowing, like their lamo mama! The slopes close daily from 4:30-6 for grooming and then open back up from 6-10. We went back for a night outing and closed down the slopes at 10. I was certain a 10 hour day would give them their fill for the weekend. Nope – all four begged to go back first thing in the morning. Let me tell you, Smarties, it has been a very long time since all four of my kids unanimously agreed on S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G. We are a changed family and are mapping out the rest of this ski season and our next!

Of course everyone needs to eat and we were not interested in cooking breakfast or dinner before and after a long day, so we tested out some of the local restaurants. There are awesome kid-friendly restaurants in town. Highlights for us included Famous Fast Eddies Vienna hot dogs. We even met Eddie himself. He was super friendly and had a few dozen years experience mastering the real deal Vienna hot dog. His Viennas were no imitaion Viennas. My parents are from Chicago, so they were super jealous. We also ate at Brick Oven Pizzeria which was a huge hit for the entire family as it has an arcade in the back so it’s perfect entertainment for the kiddos while waiting for delish food.

For quick food and trip essentials, Fred’s General Mercantile is the go-to place for last minute groceries, snacks and they have a great selection of ski gear and rentals. Their motto is “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it!” My favorite part was the breakfast sandwich downstairs in Fred’s Backside Deli. The bacon, egg and cheese biscuit is seriously the most delicious breakfast I’ve ever had and worth every calorie. Fresh home made biscuit, thick chewy bacon, a fluffy perfectly cooked egg topped with Cheddar cheese. We ate breakfast there twice and I am still craving it today! I’d consider driving up there just for that breakfast sammie!

Smarty Tips for Budget-Friendly Skiing in March at Beech Mountain

Just in from our friends at Beech, beginning March 4th and continuing for the remainder of the ski season, the resort will provide one youth (12 & under) lift ticket at no charge with the purchase of every adult lift ticket. Also beginning March 4th, weekday pricing will be in effect seven days a week for the remainder of the season.

Beech Mountain enters the month with near-record amounts of snow for early March. Meanwhile, the ski area is expected to receive several inches of natural snow the
first five days of the month. That means THIS WEEKEND!!

Although Mother Nature has the final say in the matter, officials at Beech Mountain Resort have set a goal to stay open well into the second half of March. As long as the weather cooperates and there are people on the slopes, they will stay open.

For complete information on skiing and snowboarding at Beech Mountain Resort, visit: www.beechmountainresort.com, Beech Mountain Tourism, or call (800) 438-2093.

Get Ski Gear for the ENTIRE fam at Ski Country Sports for 40% off!

Starting today, Ski Country Sports in Park Road Shopping Center has all ski clothing at 40% off. I scored a super cute pair of Roxy pants for such a Smarty steal! Hurry, their selection will get picked over and fast, especially with an awesome ski weekend ahead. Ski Country Sports will continue to reduce their prices all throughout March, see photo below for dates and pricing.

Happy skiing, Smarty Charlotte! We hope to see you there, we’re planning one more ski trip for sure!