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| Skiing with your kids should be on your family bucket list. |
Every time I look at a screen I see the same message--epic snow in the West. Thanks to El Nino, the skiing has never been better and the snow is still falling. The carful of kids have no choice but to load up the SUV and head for the hills.
If the snow is deep, there's only one place that the carful of kids want to go--Lake Tahoe. I love Lake Tahoe as a family ski destination and the snow is just part of it.
Why I love Lake Tahoe
With fifteen different ski resorts close by, there is something for every skier. With trails and terrain that are the best in the West, Lake Tahoe has been a winter destination for over 100 years and the host of a Winter Olympic Games.
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| Mt Rose Ski Resort is one of the fifteen resorts in the Lake Tahoe area, offering skiing for every level of skier. |
Looking for an intimate ski hill that never feels crowded, Tahoe has it. A high-end, ski-in, ski-out resort your idea of fabulous ski trip, Tahoe has that too. Looking to expand your tricks in a terrain park, Tahoe has you covered.
I love to ski while looking at beautiful scenery. You can't beat the lake for scenery and because of its depth--it never freezes. The kids just want to play in the deep, pristine snow that they never see in Texas.
Winter Activities
The scenery is for Mom, but what about the kids. There is a crazy amount of tubing. Most ski resorts have embraced it and added tubing or sledding areas to their resorts.
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| Granlibakken-Tahoe is one of the resorts that offers sledding along with skiing. |
Is ice skating your winter sport of choice--Northstar, Heavenly and Squaw Valley ski resorts have outdoor rinks with rentals. You can skate for the day without skiing then take a break by their fire pits and roast some marshmallows.
There are snowmobile tours and horse-drawn sleigh rides if you want to enjoy some backcountry scenery.
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| Ice skating at Northstar Ski Resort is a great way to spend the day when not on the slopes. |
Are you an avid hiker, then strap on some snowshoes to explore the national forests that surround the Lake Tahoe basin. There are numerous cross-country ski trails as well.
If apres-ski is more your thing, you will love trying your luck at the gaming tables on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. You can find casinos in Incline Village, Stateline and Crystal Bay.
Getting to Lake Tahoe
The largest airport near Lake Tahoe is Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO). It is serviced by most carriers and is about 40 miles from Lake Tahoe depending on your destination. There is a small regional airport in South Lake Tahoe as well.
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| In every direction is a picture waiting to be captured. |
There are shuttles to and from the resorts and the Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART) bus that rings the lake. If you are staying more than a few days and skiing at more than one resort, I recommend renting an AWD SUV to get around.
Lake Tahoe is conveniently located between Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 50 for the West Coast residents driving in for a weekend trip. Check out local road conditions before heading out with the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Lodging in Lake Tahoe
There is something for every budget from camping to five-star. There are thousands of condos that rim the lake as well.
At Sugar Pine Point State Park there is year-round camping available with a heated bathroom. Lake Tahoe is home to a couple of hostels as well.
At the other end is the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe near Northstar Resort featuring ski-in, ski-out. The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe in Incline Village is on the lake and has a casino.
History of Lake Tahoe
The area around Lake Tahoe was inhabited by the Washoe Tribe, where Lake Tahoe got its name. During the 1840s, the area was discovered by a snow-shoeing mail carrier.
The railroad arrived and the area grew as a summer getaway for wealthy West Coast families, who built mansions at Emerald Bay and along the shore. The winter activities arrived after the nearby town of Truckee introduced them at the turn of the century.
Several senators unsuccessfully tried to get the area declared a national park in the 1910s. Though a large portion of the area is protected as a national forest today.
If you are looking for a winter wonderland for your family for your next ski trip, I urge you to check out Lake Tahoe. It has been a family favorite of mine for years.
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