This is it: The best spring skiing season in Lake Tahoe since 2011! Last year at this time, the ski resorts were shutting down. Today, Squaw and Alpine are looking at 111 inches of new snow that has fallen in the past 10 days.
Here’s a little preview of the bluebird fun that awaits your family on the North Shore this spring. We start in a sun-filled 60º session at Alpine Meadows and wrap up two days later, where we woke to 20″ of fresh powder and hit Diamond Peak. Time to slide…
Good to Know
The North Shore Rocks : There’s no doubt Lake Tahoe can speak for itself when it comes to a great family getaway. We’ve been visiting the North Shore of Lake Tahoe for family vacations for over 20 years now and it has always treated us nicely. King’s Beach has inexpensive lodging right on the lake and Incline Village offers beautiful homes for rent on VRBO.
Get “Out” in It : Tahoe is all about “out.” Outside you can find easy beauty all around you. Our kids had plenty of fun sledding, snowshoeing, fort building, snowball fighting, hiking and just plain old staring at the nature all around for days on end. (Read this piece for more great ideas of non-skiing winter activities in Tahoe.) The spring skies go on forever.
Don’t Fail to Plan : If you plan your escape from the Bay Area correctly, you can make the drive in 3 hours. If you don’t, I’ve heard of 12-hour trips where Donner Party-style dinners are considered. Spring weekends are much less traffic-y but don’t even think about driving there right when you get off work on Friday or driving home right when the lifts close on Sunday.
Sleepy Easy : In twenty years of visiting, not a whole lot has changed (except for those ridiculous traffic circles – ask the locals). We like the Log Cabin for breakfast, Steamer’s for an easy dinner, Jason’s for nicer dining and The Soule Domaine for simply the best. We always hit La Fondue next to the Hyatt in Incline too. (Say “hi” to Wullfy if you go.)
More Fun to Come : Rumor has it that the Cal/Neva Resort and Casino – formerly owned by Frank Sinatra and the rendezvous spot for JFK and Marylin – is going to open again. Someday soon. The nice thing is that because it’s on the border (hence Cal/Neva) you can be gambling in one area and wave to your kids in California on the other side of the room.
by Patrick Yore, March 2016
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Keywords: family vacation, family travel, travel with kids, winter weekend, winter getaway, tahoe with kids, tahoe family vacation, spring skiing in tahoe, spring break
