TUOLUMNE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, USA -- Tuolumne County, less than 3 hours from the San Francisco Bay area, is an affordable, family friendly place to go skiing. In addition to Badger Pass ski area in Yosemite National Park, Dodge Ridge ski area in nearby Pine Crest offers great downhill and cross-country skiing that the entire family will enjoy.

Dodge Ridge offers skiers a frugal alternative to the bay area's other favorite ski getaway, Lake Tahoe. You'll find 815 acres of gorgeous terrain and 60 beautifully groomed runs (20% beginner, 40% intermediate and 40% advanced), 11 lifts, a ski school which includes extensive children's programs, as well as fabulous backwoods cross-country skiing on groomed trails.

You'll travel over 2 miles on Stampmill, Dodge Ridge's longest run. Average snowfall here is 300 - 500 inches and the season runs from December to April.

Practicalities:

Adult all-day lift tickets are just $44.00 with half-day tickets for $35.00 (as of this wiriting, winter 2004). However, you can save even more by taking a tip from the locals who say that area grocery stores almost always give away discount coupons that will save you an additional $10.00. Check the local markets when you get to the area, pick up some snacks and save on skiing at the same time.

You can check Dodge Ridge snow and weather conditions by calling 209-965-4444, or online. Lift hours are 9am - 4pm weekdays and 8:30 AM -4PM weekends and holidays. Half Day starts at 12:30 PM. For more information visit www.DodgeRidge.com.

You can learn more about visiting all the attractions in Tuolumne County by calling the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-446-1333 or 209-533-4420 or visit their website: www.tcvb.com.

Cheri Sicard, in addition to being the editor of FabulousTravel.com and its sister site, Fabulous Foods.com is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Every Day and The Low Carb Restaurant Guide, and the co-author of US Citizenship for Dummies. To learn more about Cheri, click here.