Best for nonskiers: Taos, NM

With steep slopes atop a 9,207-foot base, Taos Ski Valley’s harrowing frontside beckons experts. For the rest of us, there’s the town of Taos. Check out the 1,000-year-old Taos Pueblo, the John Dunn House Shops, El Monte Sagrado’s spa for pure Zen, and the Taos Art Museum.

Slopes: Old-school Swiss chalet–style lodges line the road into Taos Ski Valley (from $48), just 20 minutes from town. The family-owned resort’s remote location keeps skier visits to a quarter of what Colorado’s Vail gets, yet it still has its own little village serving up everything from homemade tamales to grass-fed filet mignon.

Sleeps: The Bavarian (from $175), a luxe A-frame at the foot of the resort’s Kachina Peak, has four 3-bedroom chalets. Chow down on traditional German food from the slopeside deck. In town, try the close-to-everything Taos Inn (from $75). 

Info: 1½ hours from Santa Fe; more flights at Albuquerque Int’l (2½ hours away); taoschamber.com