A First Ski Trip to Remember
Some trips come together at the last minute but end up meaning the most. For Lydia and Tony Landry, “Honey and Papa” to their grandkids, a recent trip to Sugar Mountain, North Carolina became a special time centered around family, firsts, and making memories together.
We asked Lydia to share more about their experience.
Where did you travel?
We went to Sugar Mountain in North Carolina.
What inspired you to go there?
It was actually a last-minute decision. My younger daughter and her family had planned the trip, and then they asked us to join them. Last year, we went with our older daughter and her family to Colorado, so this year it was my daughter Mieka, her husband Jake, and their two kids.
They had never skied before, and it was also special because it was the same mountain my husband learned to ski on when he went to Appalachian State. Our grandkids are 6 and 4, so it was really about seeing if they would like skiing.
What did you do while you were there?
We drove there, so we stopped in Chattanooga along the way and visited Ruby Falls. That was a fun stop before getting to the mountains.
The grandkids went to ski school for a couple of days, and by the third day, we were all skiing together.
When we were not skiing, we spent time at the condo playing board games, working on puzzles, and cooking together. We have skied with our girls since they were young and also with our older grandkids, but this trip felt especially meaningful because it was the first time for our younger grandkids.
What did you enjoy most and why?
My favorite part was watching our grandkids learn to ski and then being able to ski with them. Seeing how excited they were and how quickly they picked it up made it really special.
I also loved the time we spent together in the evenings. Just being at the condo, cooking, playing games, and spending time as a family was just as enjoyable as being on the slopes.
What would you recommend to neighbors considering a trip?
It’s a great place to go with younger kids who are just being introduced to snow and skiing. The mountain is very manageable, and ski school really helps them get comfortable quickly.
For Lydia and Tony, this trip was about more than just skiing. It was about sharing a meaningful first experience with their grandkids and creating memories that their family will carry with them for years to come.