Blue Mountain, the province’s true four-season destination resort, is so named for the blue clay that comprises its foundation. Makes good sense, really, because given the wide, snow- and dirt-covered smiles you’ll see on its patrons, “blue” clearly doesn’t imply “sad.”

If we’re talking colour though, the vistas of Lake Huron’s cobalt waters force a pause when the lifts deposit you at the top with your equipment—camera, downhill bike, skis, board, or otherwise.

It’s a short pause, then down to business, dealer’s choice: from the steeps of adrenalin-inducing Little Devil off the Weider Express to mellow turns on cruisy Juicer in the Orchard’s southern stretch, and every turn, kicker, and glade in-between.

If you don’t have time to pack a lunch, no worries; the lively pedestrian village serves as a launching point at the mountain’s base and hosts a number of diverse cuisines with breakfast, lunch, snack, more snacks, and dinner options, as well as various watering holes for your après pint-swilling pleasure. Keep your toque on to wrap your mitts around a classic Canadian Caesar amidst the live music at Jozo’s to even your keel (more than one to uneven it). Mere minutes from the town of Collingwood and a two-hour’s drive from Toronto’s downtown, part of Blue’s appeal to nine-to-fivers and adventurous families is its close proximity, as well as the balance struck between its legacy as a world-class ski and snowboard site and the gamut of other activities on offer. Family-friendly at its finest.