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[title]This sure ain’t the mountains, but there are still plenty of ski options in the Midwest. At northwest suburban Villa Olivia (1401 W Lake St, Bartlett, 630-289-1000) a one-day lift ticket is $39; $28 for kids ages 7–11, and $16 if they’re under 7, plus equipment rental. Daily ski lessons for ages eight and up start at $14; snowboarding lessons for ages ten and up, $20. Scaredy cats can opt for tubing, $20/two hours. Ski-bunnies can hit the slopes from Dec 23, 2011 thru Mar 4, 2012.
At Cascade Mountain (W10441 Cascade Mountain Rd, Portage, WI; 800-992-2754), 175 miles northwest of Chicago, kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult ($45–$49). The three-hour Cascade Kids program teaches skiing or snowboarding to ages 4–10 for $55. The nearby Ramada (1073 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy South, Wisconsin Dells, WI, 800-845-2251) offers a Ski Weekend Getaway Package that includes two nights, two three-day lift tickets, and a $25 gift card to a local restaurant for $389 plus tax. The 2012 season will come to a close Mar 18, 2012.
Devil’s Head Resort (S6330 Bluff Rd, Merrimac, WI; 800-472-6670), keeps babies and toddlers in mind with child care for $40 a day. Ski lessons for kids ages 4 to 10 start at $40. On Saturday nights there’s $15 Kids Night Out—games, crafts, pizza and movies, while parents ski or have dinner. A Chicagoland Express Package—weekend lodging and lift tickets for two each day, plus most meals— starts at $220–$293 per person. Each child is $94–$104 extra. The resort hopes Old Man Weather will permit the season to last until mid-Mar, 2012.