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It’s not often I use exclamation points in my blog-post titles, but tubing at Keystone absolutely deserves one. This well-run, adrenaline-charged-yet-safe winter activity was a highlight of my family’s weekend stay in Keystone, a ski resort about 90 minutes from Denver in the Colorado mountains. Okay, so maybe just three of our four family members really embraced tubing — cautious ColoradoKid #2 took just one run (with trepidation) down the steep hill that’s at least 900 feet long. He announced it was “fun,” and then chose to warm up in the mountain-top yurt with our buddy Travel Savvy Mom and her son. But my husband, 9-year-old daughter and I took quite a few laps as the sun went down — despite the wet snow and chilly temperatures!

Gearing up for a fun-filled run down the Keystone tubing hill.

For the rest of the 2009/2010 ski season, Keystone tubing costs $29 an hour for as many runs as you can fit in (ColoradoKid #1 said she made eight). The fee includes the ride up the gondola from Keystone’s River Run Village to the top of Dercum Mountain. If you only want to watch the tubing, it still costs $23 for the gondola “foot pass” to reach Adventure Point from the village. For skiers and snowboarders who just want to take a break from the slopes for an hour can absolutely take a few tube runs, but they’ll still pay the $29 (even though they have a lift ticket or pass — no price break for them). The tubing hill discourages pregnant women from tubing (understandable); there’s no age limit — you just have to be at least 42 inches tall.

Before you head out to the tubing hill for your designated hour (reservations are highly recommended), you get a brief safety talk inside the yurt. Then you head outside to choose your tube and decide which of six runs you’ll head down — some are for single riders, on others you can “link up” with friends — up to four tubes at a time. A friendly staffer tells you exactly how to sit and hang on, and he’ll ask if you want to be flung quickly or slowly, spinning or no-spin, down the hill.  (Though they don’t always listen to the right person when you say “slow” and your husband says “fast.”)

It’s a roller-coaster-like ride down a wide chute — each lane has half walls so there’s no chance you’ll veer off into someone else’s space. The run is a straight shot and over a big , bump toward the end, and the total ride down lasts no more than 20 seconds. You ride back up the hill with your tube on a covered conveyor belt. The people- and tube-mover is also staffed at the bottom and the top — perfectly safe.

Here’s a peek at the fun we had at Keystone’s tubing hill at Adventure Point — an adventure this Vacation Gal heartily recommends! Those disco tunes you hear in the background are not my music overlay; fun, upbeat music and a disco ball at the top of the mountain are the norm. Enjoy this two-minute clip!

Who wouldn’t love to have an all-expenses paid family vacation? After all, between flights, car rental, accommodations, food and souvenirs, vacation expenses sure can add up. But thanks to the Internet and social-media networks like Facebook and Twitter, it now seems as if there are a million and one ways to win a free vacation these days.

I remember entering travel contests as a kid by filling out sweepstakes forms and mailing them in an (old-fashioned) envelope. (I must have made my mom sign entries for those contests requiring entrants be 18 or older.) Today, you can enter travel contests with the click of a keyboard mouse. Of course, some require work, like making videos, writing essays or uploading photos, but others you can win just by becoming a Facebook fan or sending an email.

And “real people” really do win these travel contests! TwinCitiesGal entered a book-promotion contest to win a hefty credit to Arizona’s Canyon Ranch (yes, she used the credit and pampered herself during a lovely fall weekend), and her stepson won the family a trip to the Nestle ice cream factory in Bakersfield, California years ago. Family-travel blogger Jody Halstead of Family Rambling, who lists vacation giveaways on her blog every Friday, actually won one of the vacation contests she promoted!

The lovely ladies at We Just Got Back often sponsor vacation giveaways. Right now they are promoting a three-night stay at a Tampa Bay resort; all you have to do to win the vacation is register at the site to enter daily through March 16. Sign up for the We Just Got Back newsletter and you’ll get notified of all future sweepstakes.

Here are just a handful of other free travel contests that are happening right now (press releases about these giveaways landed in my email in-box just in the last week — yes, I get a lot of releases):

Playing on the shore in Carlsbad, California -- part of San Diego North.

Three-night stay in La Jolla from San Diego North: The Vacation Gals all love the San Diego area, and the region to the north — from La Jolla to Oceanside and inland toward the desert — has a lot to offer, too. I have wonderful memories of recent family trips to Carlsbad, where we visited LEGOLAND and played on the beach (in unseasonably cool March!). To win, write a short essay detailing your “San Diego North Story” by June 30.

Family reunion at YMCA of the Rockies: I stayed at Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park with my immediate family a couple of years ago, and I think it would make an awesome vacation for an extended-family reunion. Multi-bedroom, large cabins make it so easy to gather, and there’s tons of fun stuff to do: swim, fish, hike, bike in the summer or cross-country ski, tube or snowshoe in the winter. Choose from the Winter Park or Estes Park location for your reunion of up to 30 friends or family members. Enter by March 31.

$10,000 dream vacation from HomeAway.com: Did you see that really funny commercial with Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo during the SuperBowl? Make your own “I survived a hotel from hell” video, or upload photos or an essay and you could win a vacation-rental trip worth $10,000. Enter by March 2.

Airfare, accommodations, dinner and Carrot Top tickets at the Las Vegas Luxor: This contest actually does involve your going to the post office! Create some crazy prop that comedian Carrot Top can use in his (R-rated) show, send it in, and if yours is the funniest, you’ll be heading to Las Vegas for free. Enter by May 1.

First-class Eurail pass valued at $749: Aimed at the young, backpacking community, this contest from Off Track Planet requires the winner to Tweet during his or her European adventure as the host of the OTP “Europe by Eurail” promotion. Enter by March 22.

Know of other vacation contests happening now? Feel free to link to them in the comments below.

Whenever we travel as a family, my husband and I seek out local brewpubs. We gravitate toward microbrewery restaurants not only because we love to try local beers (and usually need one by dinnertime, after a day of sightseeing or adventuring with the kids), but we know all four of us will find something we like to eat at a pub — even if a kids’ menu isn’t available (and I can’t think of one American brewpub we’ve been to recently that doesn’t have offerings specifically for children). The Stateline Brewery in South Lake Tahoe hosted me and my fellow SATW Western Chapter members for lunch last month, and although our group was solely comprised of adults, I wouldn’t hesitate to bring my kids to Stateline Brewery.

It's always 5 p.m. at the Stateline Brewery. The clever logo is a play on the California-Nevada border shape.

The restaurant is in a lower-level (read: basement) location in Heavenly Village, just steps from the Heavenly gondola and the family-friendly Embassy Suites in South Lake Tahoe. The acoustics don’t allow for intimate conversations, but because the restaurant is generally a noisy spot (TV sports and a cavernous space also contribute to the clatter), boisterous kids fit right in. The steel brewing vats are situated right at the entrance to the restaurant, and not hidden in a back room, which I think is pretty cool; they add to the industrial feel of the underground location.

The lunchtime pub menu is varied; in addition to soups, salads and sandwiches (such as my tasty portobello, red peppers, zucchini & melted mozzarella on rosemary foccacia), items include ribs and fish tacos for entrees, plus hearty pastas and pizzas. After mowing through a plate of beer-battered fries, which were deliciously seasoned and perfectly crisp, I was too full for The Outrageous Mountain Dessert: designed for sharing, it’s a big ol’ brownie sundae with chocolate and caramel sauce. The children’s menu is pretty standard for a family restaurant: spaghetti & meatballs, chicken tenders & fries, chicken & pasta, cheese quesadilla or a one-topping pizza for $6.95.

The Stateline Brewery offers plenty of seating in its large, underground space.

I sampled two beers on the light end of the spectrum (a Pilsner and a wheat) and give them both thumb’s up. Stateline also brews a pale ale and a “Double Time Strong Ale”; selections vary, depending on what’s been freshly brewed. Still more choices include other area microbrews and your common Coors. There’s a wine list, too, but it just feels wrong to be drinking out of a wine glass instead of a pint glass at a brewpub.

Stateline Brewery is open for lunch, dinner & happy hour — but remember it’s always 5 o’clock here. Check out the brewery’s logo: the shape the California-Nevada border makes as it cuts through Lake Tahoe is just like the arms of a clock that reads 5:00! (Clever, clever.)

For more family-friendly dining options in South Lake Tahoe, check out the restaurant listings at the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority website.

Huge congrats go out to Brandon Ralston whose comment number 45 was generated by Random.org. He’s the big winner of the DROID ERIS by HTC. I’ve been using this phone for the past couple weeks now, Brandon, and I bet you’re going to have a lot of fun with it.

All you have to do is email me your mailing address and I’ll get your new smartphone on its way!

My family and I are just home from a fabulous long weekend at Keystone resort and ski area. This Vail Resorts property — about a 90-minute drive into the Colorado mountains from Denver — is chock full of all sorts of great activities for families, on and off the slopes. Keystone is a resort that welcomes outdoor enthusiasts of all ages, but this winter, children have a festival to call their very own: Keystone Kidtopia.

It's the "World's Largest Snow Fort" at Keystone Kidtopia.

In between our jam-packed (but oh-so-fun) itinerary at the resort — which included tubing, ice skating, skiing, a sleigh ride and fondue dinner — we did get a chance to check out some of the special Kidtopia events and activities.

We were thrilled that the giant snow fort on top of the ski area’s Dercum Mountain (11,640 feet!) was completed before its anticipated February 18 opening. My kids (ages 7 and 9) climbed up steps, scooted through tunnels, perched on a tower and flew down an icy slide on this really cool snow structure with 12-foot walls. Lit up at night, it’s a magical sight!

The Kidtopia headquarters tent in the Buffalo Courtyard in River Run Village (steps from the River Run gondola and our Expedition Station condominium accommodations) was another huge hit with my children. Staffed with friendly helpers, the tent was filled with craft activities; the kids made nifty necklaces (aka tubes filled with different colored sand), designed their own cardboard puzzles and strung bracelets out of beads that brighten in the sunlight.

Naturally, the kids had to pick up as much free stuff as they could at Kidtopia headquarters: festival-themed coloring books, stickers, pins, Mardi Gras beads and bandanas. For a tired mom who needed to occupy her children while her husband finished up a snowboard lesson, this Kidtopia tent was a godsend the other day.

Trying to perch on the Kidtopia ice throne on Dercum Mountain without sliding off.

We missed hot cocoa by the fire, glow-bug skate night, glow-stick kids’ ski parade, balloon animals, “meet the avalanche dog,” ice carving demo and pictures with Ripperoo, Keystone’s canine mascot. But you don’t have to: Keystone Kidtopia returns this weekend, February 18 to 21, for its signature event, which also includes live entertainment from Radio Disney, a parade through River Run Village and much, much more.

The fun continues during spring break, with Kidtopia programming March 15 to 21 and April 1 to 6. On any of these dates, and throughout the entire ski season, children 12 and younger ski for free with the purchase of an adult three-day lift ticket and four nights’ lodging, starting from $229/night. Check out the deals here.

Thanks Vail Resorts for hosting my family for an incredibly fun-filled weekend.

One highlight of my family’s vacation in California over Christmas last year was our day trip to Joshua Tree National Park. I honestly didn’t know much about the national park (less than an hour’s drive from Palm Springs), except that the desert locale is a popular place for hard-core rock climbers to scale the otherworldly rock piles that were formed more than 100 million years ago. On our visit, we figured at the least we’d drive through the national park, admire the funky shaped trees (so named because their limbs mimic Biblical Joshua raising his hands in prayer), and get some semblance of exercise along a kid-friendly hiking trail.

But when the incredibly amiable and knowledgeable rangers at the West Entrance Station recommended a three-mile trail hike and assured us our 7- and 9-year-old kids could handle it, we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to journey deeper into the park. Indeed, we found the “moderately strenuous” 49 Palms Oasis hiking trail perfect for our entire family — including spry, 66-year-old Grammie. Inclines weren’t too steep; there were plenty of cacti to look at along the way; and the reward half-way through the out-and-back trail: several stands of picturesque fan palms amid pools of water and stacked rocks.

Yes, the return trip back to the parking lot featured a little more whining than we heard on the way in (namely from my 7-year-old), but frankly, we were pleased he made it without too much complaining on the three-mile round-trip hike that took us an 70 minutes on the way in and 60 minutes on the way out. We tried to break up the journey by letting the kids (and their fearless dad) climb to the top of huge boulders. My daughter took the time to fill out her Junior Ranger booklet, answering questions about the flora and fauna she saw along the way. (She’s collected six Junior Ranger badges at national parks we’ve visited in recent years; I highly recommend this educational activity — fun for kids and adults.)

The 49 Palms Oasis is a great, kid-friendly hike for semi-athletic families who are accustomed to exploring the outdoors. It’s not a flat-path nature walk, so if you’re not used to hiking and you want to sample this particular trail, I suggest you do some incline walking at home before you make your way to the pretty palm oasis in this national park.

We barely scratched the surface of 800,000-acre Joshua Tree National Park on our short visit to the area. We look forward to returning to sample more family-friendly hiking trails or perhaps overnighting at one of its popular campgrounds. Here are just a few snapshots from our happy day at Joshua Tree:

My studious daughter working on her Junior Ranger booklet.

My goofy son mugging for the camera.

The kids (and Dad) liked scrambling up rock piles.

Cool cactus.

Fan palms at the oasis.

I learned about a fun family winter activity during my short stay in Lake Tahoe last week for the SATW Western Chapter meeting: Borges Sleigh Rides, which has been owned and operated by the Borges family for 42 years. Sam Borges, the patriarch of the family, started giving sleigh rides to visitors in 1968, aboard a sleigh he built himself and is still in use. Today his son Dwight runs the family business with wife Dianna, and the two of them are among the most friendly, upbeat, welcoming people I’ve ever met.

I spoke with Dwight over the course of a couple hours during my five-day stay in Tahoe, and I don’t think he ever stopped smiling the entire time. He’s someone who loves what he does, and is a wonderful ambassador for the entire South Lake Tahoe area! Last year, Dianna compiled her father-in-law Sam Borges’ memoirs in a slim book called Sleigh Rides in Lake Tahoe. It is a loving tribute to a man who passed away just three weeks ago and who personified the advice, “Find what makes you happy and try to make a living at it.”

In the winter, Borges Sleigh Rides operates out of a small warming hut in a large meadow just across from the Montbleu Resort Casino & Spa on Highway 50 that runs through town (Stateline, Nevada). The standard 30-minute sleigh ride ($20 for adults, $10 for kids 11 and under) takes guests around the meadow, through the woods, and up to a picturesque spot for snapping photos and viewing beautiful blue Lake Tahoe. The route also passes along part of the old Pony Express trail. Along the way, drivers tell stories and point out local landmarks.

Beautifully crafted sleighs, equipped with warm blankets, range in size from a cozy two-seater to festive twenty-passenger sleigh for large groups, like the elementary school kids who field-tripped to the Borges Sleigh Ride operation while I was in town. Just for kicks, Dwight and his staff built a huge, 14-foot snowman for the occasion of having dozens of school kids on the property. (Told you he was a fun-loving guy.) Sunset Dinner Sleigh Rides and pony rides are also available.

I highly recommend you check out Borges Sleigh Rides on your next winter trip to South Lake Tahoe; for kids (of all ages) it’s a hoot to sing “Jingle Bells” to the beat of the real jingle bells that sway from the majestic Blond Belguim horses. No kids? There is that romantic two-seater sleigh with plenty of blankets to snuggle under with your significant other.

If your travels take you to Lake Tahoe in the summer, the Borges family offers scenic carriage rides for all ages in the warm-weather months. Whenever you go, just make sure you tell Dwight and Dianna I send greetings from Colorado!

For more ideas for family activities to do in Lake Tahoe, from snowmobiling to fishing to paddlewheeler excursions, check out the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority website.

I’m a late adopter of phones-that-can-do-more-than-just-make-phone-calls, but now I can’t imagine life without my Blackberry Tour. That said, I’m thoroughly intrigued by the new Android operating system from Google, and all the associated devices on the market that use this relatively new technology.

In fact, I’ve got in my hands a DROID ERIS by HTC, currently available to Verizon Wireless customers. It’s sleek, light and slim — and I can’t wait to test it over the next couple weeks for a thorough review on PraticalTravelGear.com.

Features I think I’ll like include its easy syncing with Facebook, Flickr and Twitter (via HTC Peep) and its ability to arrange “interactions” by person, so you can access a friend’s texts, emails and phone messages from a single contact card. For travelers, the phone automatically updates time and weather when you arrive in a new destination, immediately upon plane landing. Once my kids get wind of my sample phone, I know they’ll want to browse the Android Market for game apps to download.

Want a DROID ERIS of your very own? We’re giving one away to one very lucky The Vacation Gals reader! You can enter this random giveaway one of two ways:

• Leave a comment below, telling us which feature you most like about the DROID ERIS. (Learn more about the phone here.)

or

• Leave a comment below, telling us you’re a Fan of The Vacation Gals over on Facebook. (And make sure you Fan us; we’ll check!)

If you leave two comments, I’ll delete one — it’s just easier administratively for you to leave one comment, as it’s one entry per person.

We’ll collect comments through 6 p.m. (EST), Tuesday, February 16, select a winner via random-number generator Random.org, and announce the winner on Winning Wednesday, February 17. U.S. mailing addresses only; one comment entry per person. Immediate relatives of The Vacation Gals are not eligible.

Good luck!

Colorado friends: Don’t be surprised if you see a brightly colored, 45-foot tour bus covered with images of tropical Hawaii making its way in and out of the state February 4 to 7. It’s just The Vacation Gals’ buddies from from Marriott Resorts Hawaii on their Spirit of Aloha Tour, spreading the good word about the Hawaiian Islands on a month-long road show throughout the West, Midwest and Southeast U.S.

Marriott Hawaii's Spirit of Aloha Bus in Phoenix before it began its 5,530-mile road trip.

The tour started in Phoenix January 19, with a traditional blessing at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, and has journeyed east to Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Along the way, representatives from Hawaii — including traditional dancers from Oahu’s Polynesia Cultural Center — are visiting children’s hospitals to bring the spirit of aloha (and a luau show) to sick children, their families and hospital staff. The Vacation Gals applaud Marriott International and their longtime support of the Children’s Miracle Network; what better way to lift the spirits of tiny hospital patients and their hardworking caregivers with some feel-good Hawaiian music, bright colors and hula skirts?

In Denver this week, the Spirit of Aloha Tour makes a visit to The Children’s Hospital  (close to my heart, since Denver-area friends and family have been treated there — it’s a wonderful facility). The Polynesian Cultural Center dancers will also perform on two local morning shows this Friday: “Daybreak on the Deuce” at about 7:45 am and then “Good Day Colorado” at about 8:15 am.

From Denver, the bus heads west to Salt Lake City and ends in Los Angeles February 11. Keep an eye out for it!

I live in the Colorado mountains, about 30 minutes from the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (ASE) and an hour from the Vail-Eagle County Airport (EGE), but I’ll book a flight from Eagle over Aspen any day. Here’s why I believe EGE is the best airport in Western Colorado.

Vail-Eagle County Airport embraces Colorado's cowboy culture with oversized artwork in the big baggage-claim area.

Free Parking: Name one jet-served airport in the country that lets you park for FREE, no matter if you’re leaving your car for up to 7, 15 or 30 days.  The EGE 7-day lot is a stone’s throw from the terminal; it is incredibly convenient, and I’ve never found it full (thought it might be packed over the winter holidays). Aspen charges $5/day for parking, and it’s a trek from ASE’s C Lot to the terminal.

Free Wi-Fi: It’s a strong and reliable signal, and oh-so appreciated by this ColoradoGal who always travels with her laptop.

Spacious Gate Area: Once you go through Aspen’s security screening, you’re packed in a tiny gate area. It’s fine if you’ve got an early morning flight or it’s off season; but if it’s noon on a Sunday during the winter, it might be tough to find a seat. Contrast that to the wide-open, bright waiting areas at EGE. There’s always plenty of seating in Gate 1, where my United flights to Denver usually depart from.

Big Baggage Claim Area: In Denver (DEN), my other “local” airport, the baggage carousels are packed so close to one another and up against the oversized-luggage (ski & golf bag) corrals, that they are nearly always crowded with passengers eager to retrieve their luggage. At Vail-Eagle County Airport, there’s loads of room to breathe.

Friendly Staff: Maybe it’s just that they live in the laid-back Colorado mountains, but I’ve always found the ticketing staff at United super friendly at EGE.

Comfy spots to sit and wait in leather chairs at the Vail-Eagle County Airport.

Cool Chill Area: If you arrive early for your flight,or if you’re waiting to pick someone up, you an relax in oversized leather chairs in the seating area near the baggage claim.

It was smooth sailing for me as  passed through EGE twice last week during my travels to and from Lake Tahoe. As I book family air travel this summer, chances are I’ll end up with flights in and out of EGE again, as fares are typically cheaper than Aspen (though not as cheap as driving the 3.5 hours to fly directly of DEN) and I am apt to find seats available for booking frequent-flyer miles (if I get my act together and book soon).

Here’s to a great airport, EGE! Thanks for never letting me down.