SNOW BUSINESS

With the high-point of this winter’s snow season coming during February vacation, Sunday River in Newry is celebrating with a grand deal. They are offering a night skiing lift ticket for only $5. It includes four hours of skiing from 4-8 p.m., now through Saturday.

Considering the fact that a ski lift ticket at Sunday River during vacation weeks can cost as much as a plane ticket to Florida, $5 is a welcome opportunity for some prime winter fun in the three feet of snow that has come down from the heavens during the past 10 days.

Daylight remains on the trails until about 5:30 p.m. at this time of year, but trail lighting at Sunday River is quite bright. Adding to the good news is the fact that temperatures for the last few days of February vacation range from the mid-30s to a forecasted-high of 42 on Saturday ”“ quite a contrast to the Arctic blasts that have peppered our winter during the past few weeks.

Travel time to Sunday River is just under two hours, and if you need to rent equipment, I would suggest a 2 p.m. arrival, which will hopefully give you enough time to find a parking place ”“ not an easy thing to come by this week. Plan to drop the kids and equipment off at the skier drop-off in front of the lodge, then hunt for a parking space.

Night skiing is only offered at the network of trails that all converge at the base of the South Ridge Lodge ”“ the activity hub of the resort and the most popular base area. All trails are suited for beginners, novices and light-intermediate skiers. It also houses the rental center, the café, the upstairs Foggy Goggle bar and bistro, and the ski shop.

Night skiing is a festive affair, especially when the temperatures are warm and the snow is deep and fresh. Eight trails are serviced by the Chondola ”“ Sunday River’s hybrid lift of a gondola and six-person chair ”“ and the South Ridge Express Chair. It’s an affordable mid-winter vacation treat.

After ski adventures, the cute, little village hamlet of neighboring Bethel include a few gems. The Sudbury Inn, for an overnight stay or a lively, fun dinner of pizza and burgers in their downstairs Suds Pub, is always a fun affair with a festive crowd and open mics for local entertainers.

For a relaxed and more intimate inn experience that features some fabulous family suites, I recommend the Mill Hill Inn. The innkeeper at Mill Hill was once an art and pottery teacher at nearby Guild Academy. All the plates, coffee cups and platters that you will use while at the inn were made by Woody Hughes. Hughes and his wife run the inn, but it is Woody who is the busy bee. He makes the fabulous, hearty breakfast that comes with your room and leads all the action in the kitchen as the head chef in the restaurant called the Studio Bistro and Bar. Thursday through Sunday, the Bistro menu offers an enormous array of fine choice entrees, appetizers and deserts. Hughes also arranges and books the nightly musical entertainment in his cozy lobby and cocktail lounge.

Hughes renovated the historic barn, that dates back to the 17th century, in 2010. The distinctive white edifice has an enormous rack of solar panels on the roof and is an interesting mix of the old and new. Of note at the Mill Hill Inn are two palatial family suites; one sleeps six and the other eight. These grand suites offer a tall loft for the older children, a side room for the younger ones and the main room for the parents, all under a cathedral ceiling.

Be sure to check out Woody’s Art Gallery on the second floor and his exotic collection of fantasy teapots displayed on the library shelves on the main floor. For information, call 824-3241 or go to www.millhillinn.com.