Family Day isn’t necessarily just for families. It’s a much-needed stat holiday during the bleak days of winter that turns an ordinary Monday in February into your best chance to relax and recharge. Here are the top five ways to stretch the most amount of fun out of your three-day weekend.

1. Both Whistler and Grouse Mountain are offering 50% off for BC residents. Head up the Sea-to-Sky for some of North America’s best skiing, the Fire and Ice Show, tubing, and luxury accommodations. Stick closer to home but still get the best in winter activities--from boarding and snowshoeing, to sliding and skating--at Grouse Mountain. For the full schedule of special Family Day events happening, visit Whistlerblackcomb.com and Grousemountain.com.

2. Sip your way to decadence at the 6th annual Hot Chocolate Festival, happening through February 15th. 25 participants showcasing 59 crazy flavours are taking part to support the downtown eastside’s Women’s Job Training Program. Get your walking map here, and let the indulgence begin!

3. Have littles? Community centers around the lower mainland are hosting various Family Day activities. With everything from arts and crafts to bouncy castles and more, there’ll be something for every tyke. Check with your neighbourhood centres for a schedule of events.

4. The Bloedel Conservatory is one of the city’s best, little known gems. Tropical forests and flowers, over 200 free-flying birds, and the healing gardens designed to engage your senses for total well-being beckon from the top of Queen Elizabeth Park.

5. Unplug and Unwind. Put aside your smartphones, tablets, and power down those computers for one day of true R & R. Business can wait out one stat holiday, your family is hopefully with you anyway, and friends are just an old-fashioned phone call away. Make screentime a dirty word for the day and reconnect with true facetime.

Wishing you all a very Happy Family Day from the Andrew Hasman team.

(Photo: Mark Burge)

Pristine white powder, world-class dining, shopping, and a host of other activities make these ski hills tower above the rest in amenities and customer service.

1. Mont Tremblant is consistently touted by SKI Magazine as their favorite Eastern Seaboard ski village. Voted #1 by resort vacationers, the colourful and charming pedestrian village stocked with shops, luxurious lodging, and unmatched gastronomy is nestled in the heart of the Laurentians of Quebec, Canada, and offers a unique experience of tranquility and award-winning skiing. A year-round getaway, Tremblant also features sprawling golf courses in summer.

2.No surprise to Vancouverites is Whistler Blackcomb’s reign as the the West’s best ski hill. Reminiscent of the Alps with its majestic peaks and huge bowls, the hill offers options for every level of skier and a village that rivals Tremblant; delicious restaurants, spa resorts, nightlife and shopping. Easy to navigate and seeming unlimited adventures makes for world-class skiing right at our doorstep.

3. California offers more than just a phenomenal coast: the twin mountains of Alpine Meadows and legendary Squaw Valley are known as an “extreme skier’s paradise”. Made famous by the 1960 Winter Olympics, the ski culture here in the heart of Tahoe is only rivaled by its hospitality. Squaw is a favourite of the pros, while the quieter Alpine is perfect for families.

4. Home to the Audi Birds of Prey World Cup, Beaver Creek Colorado offers up exceptional skiing worthy of the pros and tailored to your dream vacation. At once intimate for a unique getaway and yet bustling with shopping and gourmet options, Beaver Creek is made for families and thrill-seekers alike. The mountain’s new White Carpet Club gives guests the VIP treatment as part of its White Glove Services. Got tots? 3pm every day is cookie time: their chefs bake over 495,000 cookies each year!

5. Telluride Colorado lives up to its motto: The Most Beautiful Place You’ll Ever Ski. Condé Nast Traveler readers have ranked it the #1 Ski Resort in North America for the third year in a row. If it’s amazing trails and runs, well-maintained lifts and lines, and luxurious accommodations with breathtaking natural scenery you’re after, this is the place. The town’s National Historic District status lends unmatched character, and the après-ski scene isn’t too shabby either.

Bon voyage! We’d love to hear if you visit any of these amazing destinations, and let us know if you can’t rave enough about others we haven’t included in the list.