Combining the Canadian charm of a rustic logging town with the old world flavour of the French Alps, Mont Tremblant is consistently ranked by Ski Magazine readers as the East Coast's number-one resort.
There's just been one problem: getting there has required an hour-long slog from Montreal through the boondocks of Quebec.
But all that changed this winter when Continental started offering direct flights to Mont Tremblant from Newark, making it possible for morning commuters from New York to stroll its faux-European base village by mid-afternoon.
Things will get even nicer, when a new village (with 21,000 square foot casino) and gondola open up some time later this year.
Friday
4pm
SLEIGH BELLS RING
For an action-packed lay of the land, hop on a sleigh ride with the resort's Activity Center (Place St Bernard; 819-681-4848), which offers hour-long rides for CA$32 (about the same in US dollars).
Two beefy Percheron horses - steam wafting from their bodies - pull a rickety yet comfortable sleigh through Quebec's tundra, while the tour guide, Richard Lemieux, animatedly regales passengers with stories about the "trembling" mountain and even sings some Quebecois folk songs.
The trip is like an Alpine safari; the trail is teeming with wildlife, like whitetail deer and red foxes. Bundle up - the mercury often dips below zero.
To keep from freezing, blankets are provided, and halfway through the ride everyone gulps down some hot cocoa.
5pm
SMOKED MEAT AND BEER
Skip the resort's pricey boutiques and head to historic St-Jovite, a 10 minute drive from the mountain.
Plaisirs de Provence (814 Rue de St-Jovite; 819-425-2000) is a Quebecois version of a pottery barn, with upscale dishware, cutlery and chocolate.
For handmade golf shoes and high-end ladies footwear, drop by Nycole St-Louis Collections (822 Rue de St-Jovite; 819-425-3583), nestled in the back of a quaint outdoor mall.
On your way out of town, be sure to pick up some smoked meat at La Cave a Bieres (856 Rue de St-Jovite; 819-681-7447) and fill up the fridge with local brews.
7pm
POUTINE TIME
With the closing of the family-style La Table Enchante, authentic Quebecois cooking - pig's feet stew, game meat pies and the like - has become an endangered species in this area.
But foodies will appreciate the Quebec-style fusion cooking.
sEb (444 Rue St-Georges; 819-429-6991), a high-end restaurant with a laid-back vibe, gives comfort food a modern twist.
Traditional dishes like rabbit stew (CA$29) or bison strip loin steak (CA$34) are jazzed up with local foie gras or poutine, cheese curd with fries and gravy.
Sebastien Houle, the restaurant's young proprietor, cut his culinary teeth as a chef on the yacht of Paul Allen, a co-founder of Microsoft.
9pm
CANADIAN BANDSTAND
Find Tremblant's young partyers at P'tit Caribou (125 Chemin Kandahar; 819-681-4500), a dive bar in the base village with beer-soaked wooden floors and bar-top dancers.
At 2pm, a "beat the clock" happy hour means a Labatt Blue costs just CA$2, escalating to $2.50 at 2.30pm and so on every half-hour until 4.30pm.
Saturday
7.30am
FRENCH BREAKFAST
Kick off your day with something sweet.
Creperie Catherine (113 Chemin Kandahar; 819-681-4888), carved out of a former chalet, is famous among local skiers for its old-fashioned crepes and the hundreds of chef-themed dolls, teapots, cookie jars and other tchotchkes that line its walls.
Order the house specialty (CA$7) - a crepe with hot and velvety sucre a la creme.
Be sure to arrive early, as the wait for one of the eatery's 40 seats can sometimes be up to an hour.
8.30am
GO NORTH, YOUNG SKIER
Here's a tip: Tremblant (819-681-2000) is a mountain folded in four parts, with a south, north and soleil (sunny) side and a segment called the Edge.
Start the morning on the north side, when there is usually more sun and less wind.
Long cruisers like Beauchemin let you find your balance before conquering the fast bumps on Saute-Moutons.
After lunch, follow the sun over to the south side. Nansen offers marvellous views largely untainted by condos, while speed demons should hit the steeps of Kandahar.
To ski off-piste, take the Telecabine Express gondola to the top and ski down to the Edge lift, or trek over to the Soleil side.
Of Tremblant's 94 trails, 15 are glades. If the conditions get icy - this is the East Coast, after all - drop by the cosy Grand Manitou summit restaurant.
Or just hightail it back to your condo's hot tub.
3.30pm
APRES SKI SWEETS
Polish off a long day of skiing with a beavertail. Basically it consists of a wholewheat pastry deep-fried, smothered with your choice of maple syrup or Nutella and shaped like, yup, a beaver's tail (CA$4.50 to $5.50).
Drop by the takeout window at Queues de Castor (116 Canne D'Or; 819-681-4678). Still need more sweets?
Cabane a Sucre de la Montagne (Tour des Voyageurs; 819-681-4995), a pint-size hut near the gondola, serves maple taffy on freshly shovelled snow (CA$2).
5pm
NORDIC THAW
Landed a few face plants? Pamper those sore muscles at Le Scandinave (4280 Montee Ryan; 819-425-5524), a Nordic-themed spa in a barnlike fortress on the outskirts of town.
The spa's rustic-chic motif and thermal waterfalls will lull bathers into a state of relaxation.
Warm up in a Finnish sauna or Norwegian steam bath before taking a cold plunge in the Diable River out back.
Sadly, the 17,000 square foot spa doesn't offer maple syrup scrubs like some of its competitors.
But a Swedish massage (CA$112 for an hour) will rejuvenate even the sorest of muscles - take it from two of the owners, who are retired NHL hockey players.
7.30pm
SLOPESIDE FONDUE
"Have you tried the fondue at La Savoie?" You'll hear that question a lot in Mont Tremblant.
In the middle of the base village, La Savoie (115 Chemin Kandahar; 819-681-4573) has a homey decor befitting a chateau in the Savoy region in the French Alps.
The same goes for the fondue (around CA$40).
Tabletop pierrades and raclettes let patrons cook up their own shrimp, chicken, fish or filet mignon in communal fashion, before dunking the morsels into melted cheeses, red wine or garlic sauces.
Chances are you won't have room for the chocolate fondue.
9.30pm
HOCKEY-FREE ZONE
Most bars in town, it seems, are just repositories of wall-mounted moose heads and bad cover bands.
A welcome exception is La Diable (117 Chemin Kandahar; 819 681-4546), a low-key microbrasserie that serves up an eclectic array of devil-themed brews like the Extreme Onction - a Belgian Trappist-style ale with 8.5 per cent alcohol (CA$6 for 14 ounces).
La Diable might also be the only mountainside bar without hockey playing on the flatscreen.
Sunday
8.15am
CALL OF THE WILD
Ever wanted to commandeer a caravan of canines through the Canadian wilderness?
Pay a visit to Nordic Adventure Dog Sledding (Place St Bernard; 819-681-4848).
After a 40 minute bus ride you arrive at what looks like the setting of a Jack London novel - a secluded camp in the woods surrounded by nothing but Siberian huskies.
Above the din of barking dogs, Yves Kerouac, the gregarious guide, explains how to steer, stop and go ("Hop-hop!" or "Mush!").
Eight harness-linked dogs sprint at breakneck speed. The two-hour ride (CA$135) winds its way through some challenging terrain, interrupted only by a cabin break for hot chocolate and a prep course in fire-starting.
1pm
SUGAR RUSH
Spend enough time in Tremblant and the subject of sucre (sugar) inevitably comes up.
The only thing locals love more than maple syrup is explaining how the stuff is made.
For a hands-on tutorial (CA$5), head to the Millette Sugar Shack (1357 Rue St-Faustin; 877-688-2101), an old wooden cottage about 20 minutes from Tremblant.
A guide in plaid overalls walks visitors (CA$5) through the time-honoured tradition of how sap is tapped from maple trees.
You can eat a meal there and top it off by soaking some "scrunchies" - ear-shaped slices of fried pork - in maple syrup. It's a different kind of rush.
THE BASICS
Continental Airlines now offers direct flights from Newark International - roughly 90 minutes - to Mont Tremblant.
Round-trip fares start at around US$300 in March. While most hotels offer airport shuttles from Mont Tremblant International Airport, a rental car is recommended as public buses and taxis are sparse. Drive slowly or you may hit a deer.
Mont Tremblant has no shortage of B&Bs a short drive from the base village.
Try the Crystal Inn (100 Chemin Joseph Thibault; 819-681-7775), a colourful, cosy place outfitted with crazy murals, a small spa and a personable owner.
Doubles start at CA$119 (roughly the same in US dollars).
For those looking for top-of-the-line luxury, the elegant Hotel Quintessence (3004 Chemin de la Chapelle; 819-425-3400) has 30 suites overlooking Tremblant Lake and includes a 24-hour concierge who tends each suite's wood-burning fireplace.
Rooms start at CA$299.
For other lodging options, check with Mont Tremblant's tourism office (819-425-2434).
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