Mammoth Mountain: Bus + lodging on MLK weekend for $279

The drive from Southern California to Mammoth Mountain ski resort can be tough on busy holiday weekends. Pacific Sports Tours is offering a bus trip on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend for skiers and boarders (and families too) that might take the angst out of getting there. The trip includes hotel and bus transportation -- but not lift tickets -- starting at $279 a person.

Date: The trip is Jan. 13-16; final payment due Dec. 1.

Price: $279 a person, based on four to a room (two queen-size beds) at Sierra Nevada Lodge; also, $299 per person for triple and $369 a person for a double. The price includes round-trip transportation by bus, daily shuttle to Mammoth, meals on the bus, welcome party and continental breakfast daily.

Lift tickets aren’t included in this deal but can be purchased at a discount: three-day lift tickets for adults cost $229 and $169 for children 13-18.

Tested: When I called, I found seats still available on this trip. The room cost at its cheapest plus transportation comes out to less than $100 a night per person. Note too: Mammoth lift tickets generally cost $297 for adults for three or more days on holiday weekends, so the discounted tickets represent a good savings too. The bus will pick up participants in Orange County, the Westside and the Valley.

Contact: Pacific Sports Tours, (310) 798-1234, email dm@pacificsportstours.com