New York Ski trip: Ellicottville

Night skiing at Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville New York — Night skiing at Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville, New York

Y’all, forgive me, I had no idea how cute upstate New York really was! We rented a car and drove to Niagara Falls before heading to the ski resort and the trip through was incredibly scenic with beautiful farmlands and large picturesque barns.

This was our first East Coast ski trip and I wasn’t sure what to expect. When you learn to ski in Colorado, it takes some convincing to see why anyone else would even have ski slopes. But, as we drove in through Ellicottville’s adorable little downtown area, we all started smiling. This was the cutest area built around Holiday Valley ski resort which started in 1957.

We were still early in the season, especially for NY skiing, so the real snow was minimal, but the slopes were groomed and ready for our night ski lessons when we arrived. We did battle a little with the weather as it kept warming up to the high-30’s and melting our snow! But, there were several beginner slopes and areas to grow our skills—both as the kiddos got more confident with their skiing and I got more comfortable with them skiing away from me. Maybe “comfortable” isn’t the right word, since I lost my voice screaming at the little daredevils to SLOW DOWN.

Holiday Valley had more Après-ski than most mountains in New York have to offer, so even with the warmer temps (ha!), we were able to ride the mountain coaster, lounge in our choice of several lodges, swim, catch snow flurries in the outdoor hot tub, and eat and drink in several restaurants. We also explored the tiny town of Ellicottville and its collection of breweries, bakeries, and pubs.