Want a good place to go play with the kids this summer?

Try a ski resort.

Many of North America's ski resorts have turned themselves into major summertime playgrounds. When the snow melts they offer hiking, fishing, biking, golf, river-rafting and, of course, ski lifts that whisk sightseers and walkers - and mountain bikers - to alpine meadows and mountain-high views.

For families, ski resorts in summer are easygoing destinations. They're compact, with restaurants, shops and lifts usually within walking distance. They offer art festivals, outdoor concerts, and sometimes street entertainers such as musicians and jugglers.

Parents and kids can be as active as they want or laze around by the pool. And it's easy to get a room with a kitchenette or a condo that gives a family plenty of elbow room.

At the bigger ski resorts - such as Colorado's Vail, California's Squaw Valley and British Columbia's Whistler/Blackcomb - there are dozens of accommodations to choose among, from luxury to budget. Better yet, room rates often are discounted 25 percent or more in summer.

In the Pacific Northwest, ski areas such as Washington's Crystal and Idaho's Silver Mountain offer scenic lift rides, hiking, mountain-biking and more. But the big-time Northwest ski area, in summer as well as winter, is Whistler (and adjacent Blackcomb) which offers the biggest choice of accommodations and activities.

Here's some information on visiting the Whistler area, an 80-mile drive north of Vancouver, B.C. (Allow about two hours driving time from Vancouver on the scenic Highway 99 which winds along Howe Sound and through mountains and forests.)

Whistler Village

Taking a lesson from European ski villages, developers banned cars from Whistler Village, the area's visitor center.

The two-block long pedestrian walkway at the heart of the village is lined with shops, restaurants, hotels and condos. It bustles with strollers; when the sun shines the outdoor restaurant tables are packed.

The Whistler Mountain gondola starts right at the village; the base of the Blackcomb chair lift and the luxurious Chateau Whistler resort are a five-minute walk away. Accommodations are clustered around the village and the Blackcomb base; residential areas are scattered through the valley.

Up the mountains

In summer, the ski lifts give easy access to views and hiking trails for all the family, from infants to grandparents.

The ascent of Blackcomb Mountain is more dramatic and higher than Whistler; chair lifts take visitors up about a vertical mile (from the 2,214-foot base to Horstman Hut at 7,494 feet). It takes a sequence of three chairs to get to the summit (plus a five-minute shuttle bus ride between the second and third chairs).

The Blackcomb summit is wilder and more rugged than Whistler; it's windswept, above the tree line and dotted with patches of snow long into the summer.

The views are sweeping, a panorama of dozens of glaciers, jagged peaks and Black Tusk, a jet-black volcanic plug in the nearby Garibaldi Provincial Park. Horstman Hut, which contains a small snack bar and restrooms, perches on a ridge not much wider than the building.

On Whistler, visitors are whisked 3,800 feet up the mountain in an enclosed gondola (which can carry up to 10 people).

It's a faster ride (about 20 minutes up to the 6,030-foot-elevation Whistler Roundhouse versus 45 minutes to the top of Blackcomb) and a better choice for those with toddlers or young children who may be too squirmy or frightened to ride Blackcomb's unenclosed chair lifts. The terrain is greener and more open on Whistler; the walking and hiking easier and more extensive.

This year, Whistler Mountain plans to open for summer sightseeing on June 4 to June 23 for weekends, then daily from June 24 through Sept. 25. There will be weekend-only service again through Oct. 9.

Blackcomb will open its lifts on June 18 for summer sightseeing and skiing on Horstman Glacier and continue until Sept. 5 (glacier skiing usually ends in early August).

Whistler and Blackcomb lift prices haven't yet been announced for this summer; last summer they were $15 Cdn. (about $10.80) for an adult, with children under 15 free and reductions for those age 16 to 18and seniors.

A cautionary note: unless you feel like splurging at the mountain-top cafes, bring your own snacks or picnic. I paid about $4 for a glass of orange juice and a slice of forgettable carrot cake.

Hiking

For hiking, Whistler Mountain offers more trails than Blackcomb - from gentle half-hour nature trails suitable for toddlers to all-day treks on the Musical Bumps/Singing Pass trail.

Harmony Lake is a popular destination, with a trail encircling the teardrop alpine lake; allow about an hour round-trip from the Whistler Roundhouse (the top of the lift).

But Blackcomb beats Whistler on glaciers: both views of them and the proximity of Horstman Glacier, just a few yards from the summit of Blackcomb's top chairlift.

Horstman Glacier is open for skiing much of the summer (685 feet of lift-serviced vertical, with ski and snowboard clinics in the morning then public skiing from noon to 3 p.m.).

Non-skiing visitors can walk onto the glacier to peer down into a crevasse. If conditions permit, visitors also can clamber down a 20-foot ladder into a glacial ice cave about 10 feet square. For children, judging from their squeals, it's especially eerie down amid the dripping, blue ice.

Staff at both mountains offer guided nature walks. Whether you choose to explore Whistler, Blackcomb or both mountains, wear sturdy shoes and carry rain gear and extra clothes since the mountain weather changes rapidly. Also take insect repellent if you're doing any walking; the mosquitoes can be fierce by the alpine lakes.

Bicycling

Starting from Whistler Village, the 7-mile Valley Trail lures walkers, joggers and bicyclists. The mostly flat, paved trail circles around the resort's residential areas (check out the $500,000 log homes) and the Whistler Golf Club's 18-hole course.

Biking the trail is one of the nicest and easiest ways to explore the area, with plenty of places to pause for a picnic. Dozens of miles of gravel or dirt trails for biking and walking branch off from the Valley Trail.

One of the best destinations on bikes for families is Lost Lake, about a 10-minute ride north from Whistler Village.

Get clear directions to Lost Lake from your hotel or one of the Whistler Village outdoors shops; finding the start of the trail is a bit tricky. Part of the way is on a paved trail, then onto a wide, well-graded gravel path (it's part of a cross-country ski route in winter) that circles the lake. Even youngsters can easily pedal the gravel trail; just make sure they keep to the right since there's lots of bike traffic.

Lost Lake is about a half-mile across and ringed by firs; in summer it gets warm enough for swimming. Once a tucked-away lake for ski bums who liked nude swimming in summer, it's now a popular family place. There's a sandy beach, restrooms and children's play area.

Several outdoors stores in Whistler Village rent bikes; bike trailers also are available for carrying small children. Bikes cost around $5 an hour; bring your own helmets to save a few bucks.

Mountain biking is very popular in the area, with miles of trails and back-country roads. However, Blackcomb is no longer allowing mountain biking within the ski area (both for environmental reasons and to allow for more guided horse tours).

Whistler Mountain is still open to mountain-biking, with the lift equipped to carry bikes. However, bikers must go with a guided group and the almost 4,000-foot vertical descent is too tough for young children.

The "Whistler Off-Road Cycling Guide" gives plenty of details on biking. It's available in Whistler Village stores (for around $6).

For more outdoor action, there's river rafting, horseback riding, in-line skating, canoeing, and even picnicking by helicopter.

Contact the Whistler reservations/information office for more information: phone (800) WHISTLER or (604) 932-4222.

Food

For those whose children are old enough and patient enough to sit happily through a long evening meal, there are plenty of good restaurants in Whistler including Japanese (the Sushi Village restaurant) and Italian (two Umberto's, off-shoots of a popular Vancouver restaurant).

For those whose children bounce off the walls in restaurants, babysitters can be booked through most big hotels. (For more formal children's activities, the Chateau Whistler resort offers a daily tennis camp for children aged 5-12.)

For those who prefer to do some of their own cooking in a condo or suite, there's a well-stocked small supermarket in Whistler Village. But expect to pay about 25 percent more than in U.S. supermarkets; it pays to bring your own staples.

On warm summer evenings, an easy dining option is to corral an outdoor restaurant table in Whistler Village; kids can roam the pedestrian street until the food arrives.

For treats and desert, there are several shops in Whistler Village that offer take-out ice cream cones.

Hotels

There's plenty of lodgings to choose among - condos, luxury hotels, B&Bs or budget hostels.

For families, staying in Whistler Village or close to it is probably the best bet. Just park the car and forget about it, since restaurants and lifts are within an easy stroll. Teenagers can be turned loose to explore on their own; younger children will like the activity, plus the outdoor clown shows, juggling and other summertime entertainment in the pedestrian area of the village.

In a visit last summer, my family and I stayed at Nancy Greene Lodge, in a comfortable one-bedroom unit with a kitchen. Our suite looked right over the village's main pedestrian street. It was a bit noisy from late-night revelry in the restaurants and bars, but the people-watching and mountain views from the balcony compensated.

More information

-- For information and reservations, contact Whistler Central Reservations at (800) WHISTLER or (604) 932-4222. Travel agents can make bookings; also, watch the ads in the weekly Travel Guide section of the Sunday Times Travel section. The guidebook "Northwest Best Places" (Sasquatch, $18.95) has a useful rundown on some Whistler accommodations and restaurants.

-- A good general guide to the Whistler area, from hiking and biking to historic towns, is "The Whistler Outdoors Guide" (Douglas & McIntyre, $16.95).

-- For longer day hikes and backpacking around Whistler, "103 Hikes in Southwestern British Columbia" contains excellent descriptions and maps. (Mountaineers, $12.95.) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Kristin Jackson's "Kidding Around" is published on the first Sunday of each month.