Whistler Blackcomb is the next best thing to Europe, says the Outside Magazine Ski Hot List, because of the "big vertical. Like Yao Ming big." This is the largest ski resort in North America, and like the Alps, the "5,280-foot-vertical descent drops directly from top to bottom." And now there's a new gondola in place connecting the two peaks (Whistler and Blackcomb), to boot. Escape to the 83-suite Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre Hotel and you'll be able to revitalize at the boutique spa, relax poolside at the year-round outdoor heated salt water lap pool or enjoy one of the hotel's two outdoor hot tubs, all with spectacular views of the idyllic mountains. Enjoy a Fall Family Getaway until November 30, 2008 and you'll get 50 percent off the second room.