Show ) getaways aii rlfo ©m Affordable fun Experts pick winter family resorts The kids are clamoring and you’re one thing: escape It isn’t easy to find getaways that don’t cost a mint and that everyone can enjoy For help we asked five of the USA’s travel experts to pick the best affordable family lodgings The criteria: Costs should be less than $ 100 a night for a family of four and the hotel or vicinity should feature activities to entertain parents and kids The picks and the people who made them: Winter is closing in orlt0:0 Q!HfO:P'-CinThe Mill House Inn KANCAMAGUS SCENIC BYWAY LINCOLN NH 03251 ng The Mill House Inn’s special weekend package is $99 a night for a famhotel is just ily of four The down the road from Loon Mountain one of New Hampshire’s biggest most popular ski areas with an network extensive The $99 price includes a big room with two double beds shuttle buses to the slopes a game room an indoor pool and connected to the hotel the Millfront Marketplace with movie theater restaua rants and shops The inn claims 52 percent repeat business — pretty good considering it’s just a few years old A variety of inclusive ski packages also are offered — Christi95-roo- m cross-count- four-scre- en tjTBlWESTMii Grand Traverse Resort 6300 US 31 NORTH ACME MICH 49610 A room that sleeps four is $90 a night At Grand Traverse Resort 6 miles from Traverse City families can ski free along 16 kilometers of trails windgroomed ing through North Woods scenery or enjoy the region’s longest lighted nordic ski path Parents can browse through 23 specialty shops in the Tower Gallery and pamper themselves at the spa or dine on gourmet fare while their kids paint and play creative games during supervised cross-count- USA WEEOND umnist for November 23-2- 1990 the Chicago Sun-Tim- es mwtoiRnHwtE$mf Sun Mountain Lodge ry na Tret of five regional guidebooks and contributing travel editor for "New England Living" magazine 10 children’s activities Options range from a Mousercise workkids’ dinner out for $1 to a club for $25 baby-sittiservices also are available starting at $5 an hour — Bob Pahula author of "Recommended Country Inns: The Midwest" (Globe Pequot S 1295 ) and travel col- PO BOX WINTHROP 1000 WASH 98862 1 A room that sleeps four is $95 a night Sun Mountain Lodge opens for its winter season Dec 15 Its fabulous views and slopes 1500 feet above the Methow Valley have made it a good bet for the avid crosscountry skier for years Now it’s fast becoming a favorite destination for families snow-seeki- ng Recently the European-base- d Haub family spent $13 million to turn their modest cantilevered mountaintop inn into a massive log lodge with new grandeur Every room has a fireplace and a valley view and is large enough to sleep five comfortably Rooms are done up in natural colon from the hand-paintbedspreads to the ed headboards bent-willo- w Families who want more space should reserve cabin a more rustic down the hill on Patterson Lake for m $85 a night Just outside are miles of pristine trails Next door are rink heated an outdoor and times a hot tub Three pool week the lodge runs horse-draw- n sleigh rides that stop for dinner in a yurt — a Mongolian tent of skins or cross-count- ry o ill |