Three Spectacular Places to Cross-Country Ski

If you love a quiet, wintry landscape -- and a great workout -- there's not a lot that can beat a cross-country skiing vacation. Also known as Nordic skiing, this sport can get you out in nature during the wintertime in places where only those wearing snowshoes can follow --but at a speed that lets you cover a lot of ground.

You can plan an entire vacation around cross-country skiing, or combine it with a downhill/alpine skiing vacation. The latter is a common strategy, says Leslie Shor, vacation specialist at Ski.com -- which arranges many downhill ski vacations that include a day or two of cross-country skiing.

"Many people who add it on to an alpine ski vacation are looking to get into places with really beautiful scenery, where it's quiet and there's no one there -- it's a very pristine experience," she says.

Whether cross-country is the main event to your winter vacation or a side excursion, the key is to select a destination that gives you a lot of options. Strong cross-country skiers, who also have good winter outdoors skills and are willing to do their homework about avalanche conditions, have more options available to them, since they can blaze their own trails through any snow-covered area. ...