Sapphire Valley is nestled in one of the most scenic corners of the Blue Ridge mountains, and is the closest resort to Atlanta offering big city residents their quickest chance for winter mountain getaway.
We left Atlanta on a Friday afternoon and arrived in Sapphire at around 8pm that evening. There are a couple different routes you can take, and ours took us through Rabun County, through Highlands, NC and Cashiers. I wish we'd been able to leave earlier to enjoy the scenic drive. Highlands is an amazing place, and if you have time to stop there and walk the streets, shop, etc., you definitely should! (I am hoping we can get back there this summer.)
We were guests of the Wyndham Resort at Fairfield Sapphire Valley (a vacation ownership resort), located right in the heart of the activities. We had an extremely large two-bedroom unit featuring the always necessary washer & dryer, kitchen, two full baths and most importantly, a view of the mountains! I could walk out my front door and head about 10 yards to the left, right on to the bunny slope. It just doesn't get easier than that. And when it's early in the morning, and you're lugging equipment, with kids - there's a lot to be said for that kind of proximity the slopes.
Yes, I took the photo below. You might be wondering...where's the snow? Well, while they've had real snow this January, it's been relatively light. But as long as it's cold enough and the conditions are right, the resort blows snow all night and there's plenty of fresh powder on the mountain itself for your ski experience (not ice!). It's definitely unique - walking from a dry road onto a snowy mountain. But again, it sure made things easy!
The resort also offers awesome amenities including a huge indoor swimming pool with two hot tubs and two sauna steam rooms, an exercise room, game room, mini golf, and two large outdoor pools as well for the summer. Since this is a time share resort, if you'd like to stay there, you can - but you may have to call the resort and ask how to book, or search sites like VRBO.com.
With that said, from log cabins to luxury homes, Jackson County offers a number of great vacation rental options. CLICK HERE to visit the Jackson County website for suggestions on places to stay!
SKI SAPPHIRE VALLEY
Ski Sapphire Valley is more than a ski area - it consists of a 1600 foot main run with a vertical drop of 200 feet, complete with a state-of-the-art quad-lift, a learning center slope and a multiple lane tube park called Frozen Falls. The newest attraction is The Vordach Zip Line, which runs through the trees and alongside the tube park and ski lift too!
So here's the disclaimer - there is only one lift (which leads to the main run) and then a "magic carpet" which takes beginning skiers/boarders to the top of the bunny hill. This is a ski area for true beginners. I've lived in Vail, CO and we've taken the kids to Beech Mountain too - skiing at Sapphire Valley is a very different experience! If your goal is a family ski trip and you are experienced skiers, then look to Sapphire Valley for other adventures (like in the summer!). But if you have beginners and young kids in your group, this is the PERFECT place to learn.
Although my boys have both been skiing/boarding before, they're hardly advanced, with only about four days total under their belts.. urr, bibs. Drew still has a lot to learn about snowboarding, and Jack's only seven, and he really got comfortable on skis for the first time on this trip. Sapphire does have a ski school, so they were able to "dust off the cobwebs" with a one-hour lesson. Kids as young as four were doing the same. And adults were taking lessons too. Remember your helmets folks ....please!
Although my boys have both been skiing/boarding before, they are hardly advanced, with only about 4 days total under their belts. Drew still has a lot to learn about snowboarding, and Jack's only seven, and he really got comfortable on skis for the first time on this trip.
CLICK HERE to visit their website and read all about what SKI SAPPHIRE VALLEY has to offer! My kids had their fill of skiing/boarding, tubing and ziplining in just two days - night skiing too! We definitely took advantage of our time there. The prices are extremely reasonable as well. Another bonus for first timers.
They skied all day...
And into the night (slopes were open until 9pm)
Snow tubing was a blast - and right next to the bunny hill too!
And above that... The new Vordach ziplines! (Photos weren't allowed during the zip lining tour and I wasn't able to participate in that one, but you can see more pics
CLICK HERE to visit their website and read all about what SKI SAPPHIRE VALLEY has to offer! My kids had their fill of skiing/boarding, tubing and ziplining in just two days - night skiing too! We definitely took advantage of our time there. The prices are extremely reasonable as well. Another bonus for first timers.
They skied all day...
And into the night (slopes were open until 9pm)
Snow tubing was a blast - and right next to the bunny hill too!
And above that... The new Vordach ziplines! (Photos weren't allowed during the zip lining tour and I wasn't able to participate in that one, but you can see more pics
HERE on the official website.)
Zonk!!!
After our first day ended, we headed to the Carolina Smokehouse just down the road in Cashiers for some real Carolina pit BBQ. The sauce was particularly delicious. And the place was packed (but reservations aren't taken). We discovered that during the winter, most restaurants close as early as 8 or 9pm, so if you aren't prepared to cook, make sure you leave in time to get dinner!
Then it was home and to bed, so that we could do it all over again the next day. Needless to day, sleep wasn't a problem for anyone..
Zonk!!!
If you get a chance to ski at Sapphire this season (open through February, weather dependent - see the website for the schedule), my best advice is to go early (opens at 9am), take a break from 1-3 or so, and then head back out if your bodies are up for it! Even though there's only one main slope, you can ride up the quad lift, ski down and go right back up. The boys didn't mind a bit! And except for a short time mid- afternoon, it wasn't too crowded at all. In the morning, we practically had the place to ourselves.
Are you looking for something to do President's Day Weekend (Valentine's Day)? I would love to see this event at Sapphire! Outhouse races! Near the end of the season, visitors can participate in a one-of-a-kind Outhouse Race, where outhouses on skis will be raced down the hills at the resort. All proceeds from the event benefit local charities. This year, the event is taking place February 14, 2015. Visit www.skisapphirevalley.com for all the poop (couldn't resist!).
Anyway, on Monday it was time to leave. We took a different route home, so that we could see one of the area's numerous amazing waterfalls - Whitewater Falls, the highest falls east of the Rocky Mountains! The Whitewater Falls Recreation Area is part of the Nantahala National Forest, so there's a $2 parking fee most days. You can hike and picnic there too. It's an easy half mile round trip to the base of the falls and back. Just look at that Carolina blue sky! (If you want to give your kids a scare, it's on the border of Jackson and Transylvania counties, so just tell them to watch out for vampires...)
View from the top...just a short hike
Jack hikes down and strikes a pose
Anyway, on Monday it was time to leave. We took a different route home, so that we could see one of the area's numerous amazing waterfalls - Whitewater Falls, the highest falls east of the Rocky Mountains! The Whitewater Falls Recreation Area is part of the Nantahala National Forest, so there's a $2 parking fee most days. You can hike and picnic there too. It's an easy half mile round trip to the base of the falls and back. Just look at that Carolina blue sky! (If you want to give your kids a scare, it's on the border of Jackson and Transylvania counties, so just tell them to watch out for vampires...)
View from the top...just a short hike
Jack hikes down and strikes a pose
From the bottom - a glorious view. Rainbows even...
My husband drove, and the rest of us slept all the way home. As I'd mentioned in last week's edition, the only negative from our trip was that Drew took a pretty good fall late Sunday and hit his head/ got a concussion. Accidents can happen anywhere. Luckily, he's doing much better now and is ready to get back into sports, and is not at all afraid of going snowboarding again.
I hope we can get back to the Jackson County area this summer. I grew up visiting North Carolina year-round. It's an amazing place for families. So see my next article about things to do in Jackson County - perhaps you can visit over Spring Break if you can't squeeze in a trip this winter!
* We received complimentary accommodations and activities in return for this review/write up. Opinions, however, are entirely my own.
