Kid Friendly Ski Resorts California

Why: Because nothing says summer fun like this no-cars-allowed island with horse-drawn carriages, bike paths, and fudge shops. The 243-room resort overlooking Lake Huron has a heated pool, a movie theater, a kids' club, an observation tower, historic museum, four restaurants, and a spa. The Memorial Day Family Escape Package starts at $549 for four people, with two nights' hotel, breakfast daily, dinners, bicycle rentals, tickets for two activities, and everyone's round-trip ferry tickets.

Squaw Valley USA, Calif. was named favorite overall on a regional level for the Far West, along with Schweitzer, Idaho for the Pacific Northwest; Snowmass, Colo. for the Rockies; Ski Brule, Mich. for the Midwest; Sunday River, Maine for the Northeast; and Wintergreen, Va. for the Mid Atlantic.

Discover a timeless world of luxury at The Double Eagle Resort and Spa. The Fern Creek Lodge provides comfortable accommodations with one, two and four bedroom cabins. Gull Lake Lodge located a few miles from June Mountain is also a real classy place set in a residential neighborhood. The Haven, in June Lake Village is another nature lover's paradise with picturesque views of Carson Peak and June Lake.

Of course, learning to ski is the point and you hope your kids acquire skills while they are there, but this is secondary to an organized and safety-oriented program.