More Trails and Lifts Open at Peek 'n Peak

17 TRAILS, 6 LIFTS and 180 TERRAIN PARK NOW OPEN!

Findley Lake received another foot of snow overnight and Mother Nature isn't done with us yet! Click here for the current Snow Report.

180 PARK NOW OPEN!

The 360 and 540 Terrain Parks will open soon. Come to Peek 'n Peak now for great savings on lift tickets. Our early season lift ticket rates save you over 30%! Early Season Lift Ticket Rates $37 - Adult all day lift ticket $27 - Junior all day lift ticket

TUBING OPENS DECEMBER 12TH!

Hours: Monday - Thursday 4:00pm to 10:00pm Weekend and holidays 8:30am-10:00pm Buy one get one free tubing tickets Monday-Thursday (non-holiday) Rates 1 hour $10 2 hours $14 3 hours $18

PEAK FIVE ON SALE UNTIL 12/15/08

Peak Five Pass: buy 4 lift tickets, get one free -- it's a great deal!

TRAIL OF LIGHTS

Hours of Operation: Wednesday-Sunday 6-9pm

Cost: $5.00 for a lift ride; call 716-355-4141 x7155 for reservations

FIRST ANNUAL CHILDREN'S HOLIDAY DRIVE When: now through December 15th

Help needy children in the local area by donating unwrapped new toys and clothing. Drop off boxes are located at the Inn at the Peak lobby, Snowsports Desk at the Main Ski Lodge and at Pizzaiolos Restaurant. Monetary donations can be made at the hotel front desk via check in care of one of the benefiting charities.

... let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!

Turkey & all the Fixings

This was the 2nd year the Ahlquist family gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving at niece Emily's house in Warren, PA. Because the 2nd best thing about a holiday meal is the leftovers dinner at Emily's house meant we'd have to go without. To remedy the situation I pre-ordered a 20 pound turkey from Malady's Meat Market in Meadville, PA. Owners Bill & Cathy Malady own a condo at Peek & Peak and have been customers for several years. When Bill told me that he buys fresh, organic turkeys from the same farm that supplies the White House I reserved our first all natural, no hormones, no additives "celebrity" bird. So the Monday before Thanksgiving Bruce & I took a rainy drive to Meadville - about 1 hour south of Findley Lake - to pick up our turkey. Bill smokes lots of meats & cheeses so we took home some wonderful smoked pepper jack & smoked swiss cheeses as well.Bruce whipped up all the fixings, we invited a few friends, and we enjoyed our own family Thanksgiving dinner the night before the actual holiday. I talked Bruce into trying a couple of new recipes, cranberry horseradish chutney & roasted brussel sprouts with pecans, both of which were excellent & worth adding to future holiday menus. Hillary & I spent the day at home where even I was swept up in the food prep festivities -- I decided to make tapioca pudding from scratch. You know, soak the pearls overnight, then stir forever on the stove. After the tapioca was refrigerated I decided to assemble a tuscan-style crudite platter so while I roasted asparagus & worked on the assemblage Hillary helped me set the table, move laundry & (to her dismay) assist whereever needed. It was a nice, (albeit cooking-hectic because the kitchen is not my natural habitat) day at home together if you discount all the times Hllary exlaimed I was getting on her last nerve! The turkey itself was huge, meaty & delicious. The meat was sweet and delicate; it reminded Bruce of his grandmother's turkeys back in the days before hormones, saline solution & other various chemicals were added to the food chain. Needless to say the turkey was not inexpensive but Monday's adventure to Malady's and the resulting delicious meal were a bargain at any price. We were happy to support a fellow small business and look forward to continuing the tradition. Bill, better put us down for another 20 pounder come Thanksgiving 2009!

Giving Thanks!

“the thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest” – William Blake DREAMING ABOUT COOL HOLIDAY GIFTS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES? FORGET ABOUT THE TRAFFIC, THE CROWDS & THE HASSLES AT THE MALL Head over to Findley Lake, NY where the Blue Heron Inn & Nostalgia @ the Blue Heron Inn have teamed up to offer deals you can’t afford to pass up! The Blue Heron restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch & dinner on Fri, Nov. 28, and Sat, Nov 29 as well as breakfast & lunch on Sun, Nov 30. All weekend long the restaurant will reward diners with 25% discount coupons good on all purchases at Nostalgia. And lots of our cool gifts are already on sale.And at the end of this e-mail you’ll find a customer appreciation coupon valued at $10.00 – no gimmicks, no minimum purchase required. SOMETHING FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY A brand new line of nostalgic resort signs are in stock. Vintage, fade resistant metal signs sport the Findley Lake, NY name – they’re the perfect gift for the skier, boarder, boater and fishermen in your life! Customs signs are available to celebrate a family, cottage or cabin name. Lolita’s fun & funky hand-painted martini glasses, wine glasses, pilsners & coffee mugs are flying off the shelves! A few holiday designs are still in stock & mini Christmas ornament glasses have been a popular “secret Santa” gift. Quotable, Borealis Press & Shannon Martin cards, magnets, mugs & candles are thoughtful gifts – pick one up for yourself! There’s still time to order a “wicked cool” personalized platter, bowl or picture frame celebrating a special family, couple or significant other. Don’t forget about the “wicked cool” mom, dad & grandparent mugs. Our Bali clothing collection will dress you up in some serious holiday style. Again this year’s fabrics were sensational; check out the boucle sweaters, shawls & scarves. A few beautiful pashminas remain. Or look beyond the holidays & get a jump on what you’ll need for the much-anticipated mid-winter vacation season. Best of all, clothing purchases less than $110.00 per item are TAX-FREE! We’ve got a great selection of prayer flags, hand-painted Russian stacking dolls, smudge bundles, mini candles, Swarovski crystals, artisan-crafted jewelry, hand-blown & stained glass sun-catchers, friendship balls & witches balls in stock. THE "COOLEST STORE IN TOWN" IS ALSO THE STOCKING STUFFER OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY The holiday tradition continues -- peppermint pigs, pig puddles & yummy almond bark are in – stock up for the holidays. The candy counter is loaded with nostalgic candy treats: flying saucer wafers, wax lips, candy necklaces, taffy, candy sticks, sanded candy, bubble gum, imported chocolates, truffles, premium black licorice … Melissa & Doug™ heirloom-quality puzzles, puppets, magnetic & art activities are perfect for children of all ages! Check out Hip from Holland ’s festive hand-crafted cotton banner flags & creative totem kits that are half model and half puzzle kits for imaginative girls & boys We’ve got grown-up puzzles, magnets, cool Bananagrams, card games, tarot cards and then some ... And lest we forget – better load up on the sassy BLUE Q gums, magnets & car fresheners! ** GREAT GIFT IDEA – CREATE YOUR OWN FINDLEY LAKE GIFT BOX! ** Pick out the perfect nostalgic candy, novelties & games & we’ll pack them up in special carriers to make them present perfect! GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT Sat, Dec 6th – 5:00 – 9:00 pm – (check your inbox for an evite later this week!) Your favorite Findley Lake shops are hosting a fun-filled “Girl’s Night Out” on Sat, December 6, 2008, from 5:00 - 9:00 pm. The Blue Heron Inn, Beth’s Candle Cottage, Findley Lake Fashions, Our Own Candle Company & Wonderments invite shoppers to this first-time holiday event. The evening will feature tarot readings, holiday fashion consultations, build-a-gift basket displays, mystery discounts, in-store specials, free gift wrapping and hourly prizes. The lucky winner of the night’s grand prize will receive a free overnight stay at the Blue Heron Inn. Ladies, bring your holiday shopping lists or create your own list to pass along to your nearest & dearest. The restaurant at the Blue Heron Inn will be open for dinner and drinks and will feature seasonal cocktail specials as part of the evening’s festivities. Or kick it up a notch & turn the evening into an overnight visit. The Blue Heron Inn’s antique-appointed accommodations will be discounted for the evening’s participants. SKI SLOPES HAVE OPENED! Findley Lake received FIFTY ONE INCHES of natural snow last week and Peek ‘n Peak took advantage of the season by opening early, on Sun, 11/23. The Peak’s been making man-made snow for days and snowmaking will continue to operate around the clock as temperatures permit. And if that isn’t great enough, the forecast call for snow every day this week; more trails and lifts to open soon … We're thankful for you – our valued customers, guests & friends. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you & your families for years to come. We hope you’ve had the best Thanksgiving -- wherever the holiday finds you! Cheers! Tobi and Bruce

Looks like a WHITE Thanksgiving!

We were the lucky recipients of approximately 15" of snow day before yesterday and today it is snowing in earnest once again. Lucky you ask? Heck, yes - with Peek 'n Peak Ski Resort & Spa around the corner snow is winter's saving grace! The slopes are slated to open in one week & already we hear the snow machines hard at work, supplementing nature's own wintry bounty. Next week is Thanksgiving and according to the weather reports it's going to be a white one.

It's beginning to look a lot like Thanksgiving in Findley Lake, NY

My last post was almost 10 months ago. Forget about it - on with the present. The lake is down to its winter level & the leaves are pretty much history. We had our first Findley Lake, NY snowfall day before yesterday - 8 inches of heavy, wet white stuff. It wasn't meant to be here for long - it's melting away as I write. Biggest news of the year? Bigger than Obama wins the presidency? (YEA by the way!) I bought my husband, Bruce, a laptop computer last month. Yes, Bruce Ahlquist - your eyes aren't playing games. So what does the man who never needed or wanted a computer do first? Catch this -- he created his own www.facebook.com account. He's up to 24 friends & counting. Go figure. He's doing a lot of recipe searches & learning how to e-mail. Best of all, he resurrected an old leather briefcase & totes his laptop whereever he goes. First it was his very own cell phone & now a laptop - he's certainly sailing on the info highway! Yesterday he demonstrated the art of googling to another non-believer who is awaiting his first computer. Safe to say he's a convert for life. It's the time of year for lots of turkey shows on the Food Network. Certainly my favorite comfort food, accompanied by Bruce's awesome stuffing. Thanksgiving will be at niece Emily's house in Warren, PA but we're planning our own dinner earlier in the week while daughter Hillary is home from college. This way we'll have all the leftovers we've come to know & love. And speaking of Hillary, she's closing in on the end of her 1st semester Freshman year at at Duquesne University in Pgh, PA. The parents have taken to the empty nest with the utmost of ease, to the suprise of many. Although I have to admit it's easy to keep in touch with our cell phones & computers. Home is now a drama-free zone without a teenager in the house, even a mature, well-behaved teenager! And we've thoroughly enjoyed our day trips to Pittsburgh, which was our old stomping ground some 25 years ago. OMG - 25 years ago! I think I need a nap -- later.....