It's beginning to look a lot like ski season. Thanks to a handful of early storms and legions of snowmaking guns, the ski scene is already picking up around the nation.

Follow the surf-board-toting crowd, and wherever you land, you'll find a great vibe. Not to mention plenty of sun, sand, and good eats. Surfer Kimball Taylor takes you on a guided tour.

There are two big destination ski resorts in Montana. Big Sky, near Bozeman, is expensive and polished. Big Mountain, near Whitefish, is not.

From pumpkin paddling to the Wall of Death, quirky sporting events that get you a ringside seat into local culture.

A 30-something skier takes on the challenge of mastering a new sport.

Mother Nature is smiling on Utah's tourism industry. Chilly temperatures and a few early snowstorms are allowing ski resorts to open earlier than usual.

You can hit the slopes for less as resorts offer promotions to lure visitors.

Programs run the gamut from exotic to familiar to harrowing and exhilarating.

Steven Flanagan thought about going without a golf vacation this winter. When you work in New York, and it seems like the financial world as we know it is crashing all around you, getaway visions come with some guilt.

We go twister chasing across America's Tornado Alley, plus Canada and Australia, highlighting the best storm-chaser tour operators along the way.