You might think of The Village at Squaw Valley (1750 Village East Rd., Olympic Valley, 530/584-1000, www.thevillageatsquaw.com) as a ski area, but in truth it’s an upscale small town designed to mimic a European Alpine village (but not quite succeeding). In fact, there’s no need to ever hit a slope to enjoy the all The Village has to offer.

You can spend hours just rambling around the colorfully painted clusters of buildings. Want to shop? Stroll the cute, exclusive boutiques and galleries, which are scattered throughout The Village. Souvenir seekers can go straight to Squaw One Accessories or the Squaw Valley Clothing Company.

More than half a dozen restaurants, snack bars, and coffee shops offer everything from sushi to pizza to high-end wines. You can even stay at The Village if you’ve got enough cash.

The entertainment options are obvious; you can ski in the winter, hike in the summer, and take the cable car (adults $10–22, youth $10–17, child $5–6) up to High Camp (1960 Squaw Valley Rd., Olympic Valley, 800/403-0206, www.squaw.com).

There you can ice skate, browse in the Olympic Museum (1960 Squaw Valley Rd., 800/403-0206, www.squaw.com/olympic-museum, admission free with cable car ride), or just stand outside and enjoy the tremendous views. Live music often makes its way up to the base of the mountain, as do other events that offer fun to adults and kids alike.