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Your best bet, if you really like snow-skiing, is Snowshoe in West Virginia. 6-8 hours drive, I think. Your other option is Winterplace in Ghent/Flat Top, WV, which can be driven in just under 4 hours.
Generally speaking, NC ski mountains aren't all that hot. I currently live in WV (moving back to the Triangle in 3 weeks!!!) and have skied Winterplace (great place if you don't mind man-made snow) and will ski Timberline in a few weeks. Snowshow gets a ton of compliments, though, so head there if you can afford the drive.
It really all depends on what your looking for in a ski resort. Here is the pros and cons of all 4 resorts around Boone, NC.
App ski mountain
Pros-Best snow quality, Best terrain parks, Good lift systems and small lift lines, Good children programs, easiest to get to if the roads start getting bad.
Cons-Small mountain so short runs, No steep terrain
Summary- If your beginners looking for a family resort or someone looking to do jumps and rails this would be the resort for you.
Beech Mountian
Pros-High speed quad and many smaller lifts keep lines down, Wide and longer runs keep the slopes from getting to crowed, Fairly good steep terrain, Good views especially from OZ run on the backside, Cheapest especially if you go during the weekday specials.
Cons-Terrain park is a joke, Snow quality can be hit or miss, Hardest to get to if the roads are getting bad.
Summary- Highest resort around so great if there has been some natural snow, If your looking to make long runs then this is the place to go.
Hawksnest
Pros-Locals resort with very few people, Good steep terrain, Good terrain park, laid back style and a good bar, stay open until midnight friday and saturday
Cons- Small mountain so runs are short, Out dated lifts
Summary- if your looking for a small mountain with steep terrain and good snowboard park this would be a good choice.
Sugar
Pros- Some steep runs fairly long, One of the bigger mountains
Cons- Lifts are slow, crowds can get bad on the weekend, no skiers in the terrain park allowed, Management and employees are rude and all about the money, Highest priced
Summary- I don't recommend anyone go to this mountain because of the way they treat people but some still seem to love it.
If you want to check out whats going on at resorts and more info go to skisoutheast.com
With that age children I would recommend app ski mtn they have alot of lessons for younger kids and the layout makes it so you can see the whole mountain at once and all runs put you back in the same area so its easy to keep track of people. They also have a "magic carpet"(moving sidewalk) on the bunny slope which makes it easy for kids learning to get to the top. Total drive is about 3.5 to 4 hours from Cary depending on how fast you drive.
I've avoided NC mountains myself, so I can't speak for them, but Winterplace honestly isn't that much further (if at all) than the NC options.
They have a great "lesson" setup and the rates are very reasonable. Lots of "kiddie" slopes for the learners, and a great variety of "Medium" difficulty slopes. The only real thing lacking from Winterplace is the real hard slopes, but it doesn't appear that you want those anyway.
As for logding, the closest "big town" is Beckley, WV, where there's tons of food / hotels for usually low prices. Also, you can check out some rates/info/pics here: http://www.winterplace.com/
Lastly, here in WV we've had TONS of snow over the past 2 weeks -- it's been really weird to have as much as we've had, actually, so the skiing is absolutely awesome right now. From now until mid-March you'd be good to go here, as temperatures are mild during the day but there's lots of good snow on the ground.
I went to school at Appalachian State University and I really liked the ski resorts. Dan4jeepin honestly summed up everything about it with an open mind. The best thing about all these places is the location of them all. You can take your kids (no matter how old or young) to the other places like the Blue Ridge Parkway and The Town of Blowing Rock to see if you want a break from the slopes. It's honestly a great family place with TONS of options of places to stay in Boone or Blowing Rock (which are very close to all the slopes). You can stay at a number of hotels or rent a cabin with an awesome view and affordable rates. The resorts are also open fairly late in the season if the weather permits. Winterplace and Snowshoe are bigger resorts, but the NC Mtns have a lot of culture and family atmosphere. Best of luck finding a place and happy memories to you and your family!
Thank you everyone for so kind explanations and advices! Definitely I have got the great picture from now! Once again - thank you guys!
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