My family took our first ski trip to Red River, New Mexico in early December and we loved it! We drove through the night from Austin and it took 12 hours. I highly recommend traveling at night if you have young kiddos.

WHERE TO STAY:
Copper King Lodge - Red River is relatively small so most places you stay are not far from the lifts (most walkable). Copper King Lodge is located directly under the Copper lift which takes you to green, blue, and black slopes. The first night we had a small room with two queen beds, but immediately realized we needed to upgrade to a larger room. The rest of our stay we had a two bedroom, 1 bathroom, kitchen, dining area and separate living room with a fire place! This is definitely the way to go if you are traveling with a large group. Our room had a sliding door that led to a quaint porch and opened up to the beautiful mountains and a scenic creek. Everyday we would spend time outside feeding the ducks and deer that would literally walk right up to us. It's a great area for family photos and snowball fights ; ). They also have a sauna to warm up after a long day on the slopes!


WHAT TO DO:
Skiing & Snowboarding - I've skied in Breckenridge, Colorado and various places across Europe including the Alps. I can say the slopes at Red River were great. I'm not one that likes to tackle blacks but blues and greens are my jam. There were many trails perfect for all levels of skiers. The mountain opens around 8:30am and closes at 4pm.

We booked our rentals, lift tickets and ski lessons for Turner all through the Red River Ski Area which is at the base of the main mountain (you can't miss it).  A family ski trip is expensive, but the lift tickets are much more affordable in Red River than most places. Our twins went to the Lil' Bucaroo Daycare from 8am-4:30pm every day...this was a LIFESAVER and worth every penny!


Kid's Park:
In the center of town was a park for kids which Turner loved. Most days he would only ski for an hour or two so it was nice to have another option for him to get his energy out. We spent lots of time playing in the snow and feeding deer on the walk back to the lodge.


Snow Tubing - Every night Red River Ski Area hosts mountain snow tubing sessions. Tickets go fast so reserve a few days in advance for the night and time you want.  Tubes are $20 per hour and you can fit two to three people in each tube if you pile on.  When I ask Turner what his favorite part of our trip was he always says the snow tubing.

Snowmobiling - Since Turner got tired of skiing pretty easily, Alex wanted to take him on a different adventure. Que a snowmobile excursion through Bobcat Pass Wilderness Adventures! A one hour guided tour cost $70 for 2 people on the same machine. Alex and Turner had an absolute blast and enjoyed the father son time together.


SHOPPING:
Take a break from the snow and stroll down Red River's main street. The town is not very big so you can easily walk from end to end popping in and out of cute shops. Don't worry if you forget any winter gear, the numerous ski shops have you covered. I picked up a few souvenirs to remember our trip. If you want something sweet, check out the Candy Crate which is an adorable candy shop specializing in homemade fudge and novelty candy.


WHERE TO EAT:
Old Tymers Cafe - For a hearty breakfast head to Old Tymer's Cafe. After driving for 12 hours all night, this is just what we needed when we pulled in to town. The french toast was delicious, and one pancake could feed 3 people. It was HUGE!


There are also a few restaurants on the bottom and top of slopes, so you don't have to take off your ski boots to enjoy a meal or grab a drink to warm up. Find more restaurant recommendations here.


Red River is a great place to take a family vacation as it's affordable, quaint, and almost everything is in walking distance. Don't forget the amazing scenery. We made a fun video of our trip...check it out below!