I'm a newbie to snow skiing so Winterplace is a gr...

I'm a newbie to snow skiing so Winterplace is a great place to come out for quite a few different run styles for my level. There are also harder runs for more experienced skiers so it does seem like there is something for everyone. Not all of the slopes were open this visit, though, but there were enough to keep us entertained from 11am to 5pm for sure. Oh but now that I think of it, I didn't notice technical runs or trick runs for the snowboarders...did I miss them or are they not available?
There is plenty of parking with lot attendants to guide you and you don't have to walk too far to get to the ski center.
We were a bit confused trying to figure out where to go to get lift tickets, though. We followed people in and stood in what looked like a long, slow line...turns out we were in the rental line. Luckily we had already rented my gear from the Ski Barn (recommend! Quick service there! And very close and you can also buy other gear!) so we stepped out of this line and went toward the "lift ticket only" line which was in a slightly different area. The line was pretty short and quick and they have a military discount. Lift ticket stickers in hand..we notIced a small metal hanger on a nearby table that you're supposed to use with the stickers to hang them from your jacket.
And onward from there we found a locker room area with mostly small lockers that would no way have fit my stuff. And I think you have to use coins to rent them, so where do you get coins from? Maybe I just missed it ...there was a lot of newness going on for me. I think there were also some larger lockers to rent and a section of large cubbies to use.
Now geared up and ready to go! We had left our skis and poles outside where my friends husband dropped them off for us in the pickup turnaround. Clonking around in our snow boots we had to walk up a flight of stairs with all of our stuff.
We had the resort map with us hidden in one of our pockets so just winged it the first time and hoped that we would pick the right lift to start off with.At the lifts you can read on the signs what kind of runs you will be taken to. We asked while boarding the lift which run to take and were told something that would have been good had we understood exactly where they were describing. Instead we found a run with a steeper start..so there you go, I got my first fall out of the way in the first minute!
After that we tried another lift and had a better experience and eventually found the map and figured out how to read it. Without a map, it seemed a bit difficult to me to know if I was doing the right thing for my skill level. But again, I'm a newbie so maybe things are more obvious to others if you've done it more often.
We lucked out with it being cold enough to snow the day before and they had made some snow through the week. What a cool thing and we are so very lucky they can do that for us skiers in this part of the world.
Finally decided to take a break for lunch and have to say that experience was just so-so. If you didn't wipe out on the slippery cafeteria flooring, that was a plus. My salad was fine but my friend wasn't totally thrilled with the hot dog and how long it took to make.
Be careful in the bathrooms, too, with that same flooring. It's a fun slippery ride but luckily they are small so you can quickly catch yourself on something to save from falling.
There was a room with a bar area, so that could be fun for the adults if you're hanging out for a longer period of time. And there is another food option somewhere ... maybe it was a restaurant? Not sure as I didn't find it this trip. Maybe next time!
Also to note is that the staff was all very nice and helpful so that was a great experience.
And they have what looks like a great ski school but you have to pay extra for it so I didn't.
I guess my post could sound like I didn't enjoy myself and that is not the case. I loved the skiing part, that was really fun! My overall visit was enjoyable and just fine. I just wanted to let you know the little pieces that were a bit surprising.