Snow

In-laws want to gather the family next Christmas in a cool winter spot that's not a ski resort. People could ski but trying to avoid making it a ski trip. "Charming town" was thrown as a requirement. Thought about Bend, Santa Fe and Telluride. Any other recs in the US?

I can vouch for Bend (& Sun River) & Telluride (or Ouray) as idyllic options. 

Summit County in Colorado — Silverthorne/Dillon/Frisco — has plenty of skiing & non-skiing. Steamboat is known for its killer powder and being a bit quieter (and very charming) than other ski towns.

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It’s hard to describe what it’s like driving into that town. Just beautiful, quaint, hip, not quite as flashy as Telluride. Excellent climbing but farther from skiing.

you should fly into Montrose if you decide on Ouray

there's a bridge in town, walkable from everywhere, that you can up close watch people do lead on single pitch ice.

I wish I still had the digital pic, here is the view my wife took of me just off the bridge