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If snow in the nearby Blue Mountains calls to you, the low-key Bluewood Ski Area is about an hour east.

One New Year’s Eve weekend, we got to stay in this Victorian establishment northeast of Walla Walla while trying out the nearby Bluewood ski area.

She enrolled at Whitman College in Walla Walla but only lasted a year — Bluewood Ski Area east of campus in Columbia County didn’t scratch her skiing itch.

About 52 miles east of the wine town of Walla Walla, Bluewood’s 24 runs provide primarily intermediate-to-difficult terrain, two chairs and two lifts in a laid-back atmosphere.

For breaks, enjoy Bluewood Grill, the pub, and the yurt at the 5,670-foot summit.