Posted December 2015
Ask a Local?
By now most ski and
snowboard travelers have found asking locals is a source of good
information. But over the years the identity of the locals and
who and even what you can ask them has changed. Back in the day
if you wanted to find a good pizza joint all you had to do was
ask a liftie or ski instructor… and they'd tell you right where
to go. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, maybe not so much now
a days.
Today if you ask a resort employee
like a liftie or instructor you may just get a response you
didn't expect. First, may resort employees are short-timers only
there for a season and may not know much about the local
community. That's why they wear the
town they are from on there jackets, name tags, etc. Second, in
today's corporate landscape the employee are often trained only
to recommend properties owned by the resort. In some instances
employees are reprimanded or disciplined for recommending
outside vendors.
You found a local town
employee like a cop, bus driver, parking lot attendant, etc and
think you found a solid source of local info. right? well, not
necessarily… some towns restrict their employees from making
recommendations because of conflicts of interests among owners
and local government. In an effort to not show favoritism to any
particular person or company they make no recommendations in
some cases.
Never fear there are still plenty
of friendly locals in every resort town who are always happy to
help you find a good ski shop, place to eat and more. Pop into a
local shop and ask about restaurants…go to a small local
restaurant and ask about a ski shop… you'll find the answers to
every question you may have is out there… and maybe you'll get
some helpful local tips, tricks, and inside info you'd never
think to ask about too.
It's always a good idea to
find out what you can online and in person to get the most out
of every experience. Just make sure you know who you are
asking…and that they don't have an agenda to not give you the
best information.