Vacation 357 - Alternatives to Snow

From Vacation 357, No snow to ski? Go to the pool or hot tub. Nothing on the slopes? Try "Nordic walking" or a herbal body wrap. You can work out with weights or in skating rink.

When the "winter" is taken out of winter sports, skiers and snowboarders seek other options. And many ski resorts have plenty of them.

"The weather definitely affects our business," said Trudy Welch, co-owner of Stowe Mercantile country store, which has penny candy and a tuned piano for patrons to play.

"A lot of people will just sit and play the piano or checkers," she said. "It's a good place for them to relax if the weather's bad."

"The best day that I ever had in my history of skiing was in a torrential rainstorm, because the snow conditions softened up and it was fun," said Mike Colbourn, vice president of marketing and sales.