South Tahoe has thousands of miles of skiable terrain, a variety of casinos for partying, sightseeing cruises on Lake Tahoe, and relaxing spa treatments. South Tahoe’s winter landscape has many picture-perfect places for friends to create lasting memories both on film and mind.
Ski
Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort is located 30 minutes from South Tahoe, which has a healthy mixture of beginner, intermediate and advanced trails and 2,000 acres of terrain. Friends can indulge in the mountain’s backcountry skiing or tree skiing for some exhilarating fun. There are backcountry tours available, where skiers and riders can take a guided tour into Huckleberry Canyon to experience the cliff drops, cornice drops, rock chutes, open bowls, gladed runs, and powder pillows out The Gates. There is happy hour at the Sierra Pub. You can also snowshoe or go tubing at Blizzard Mountain.
A day at Heavenly is a must for a group of friends. The Heavenly Village located on Highway 50 has restaurants, bars and shopping, so you can ski in and ski out with ease. For beginner skiers, it would be wise to sign up for private lessons with one of the legendary ski instructors at Heavenly, Steven Weavin. The Heavenly Mountain gondola is an experience in itself: the trip affords some of the best views in South Tahoe of the mountains, lake and the Nevada desert. Pay a visit to the Unbuckle party at Tamarack Lodge, which runs from 3:30-5:30 p.m. daily and features DJs, drink specials and Heavenly Angels dancers.
Eat
For an upscale dining experience, choose the Edgewood Restaurant. The restaurant is located inside the Edgewood Tahoe golf resort and is built like an alpine chateau, with sweeping wooden archways and vaulted ceilings. Some of their specialties to try would be the lobster pasta or prime rib. For more casual dining, have brunch at Jimmy’s at The Landing Resort, which offers sweeping views of Lake Tahoe. The art deco restaurant serves classic breakfast items, but what makes it special are the condiments, which are made in house (ketchup, hollandaise sauce and tartar sauce). Coldwater Brewery is a new restaurant that brews its own beer in-house. The mellow sports bar has many quiet areas for private conversation. “For some of us, it’s about music, for some of us it’s about talking,” says the owner, Debbie Brown. Many of the fixtures were built by Ms. Brown, like the wooden tables that were recovered from a Tahoe fire. Try their kale Caesar salad, mussels and bacon-wrapped dates.
Play
Friends will enjoy posting pictures onto social media from aboard the MS Dixie II or the Tahoe Queen. The sightseeing cruise takes visitors on a 90-minute cruise around Lake Tahoe, showing the stunning scenery of the snowcapped mountains and blue lake. There is a bar onboard, where you can order drinks and lunch while cruising. At the Onsen Spa inside MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa, the “Make it a Double” package allows you to pick any two 50-minute treatments on the menu for $200. My friend and I chose to experience the aromatherapy massage. The nightlife is one of the best parts of a friend’s vacation to South Tahoe. Highway 50 is lined with heavy-hitter casinos, like Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, MontBleu and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe. At MontBleu’s Opal Ultra Lounge, ladies drink free until 2 a.m. on Fridays. The atmosphere is sexy, with body painting by Amber Hall and go-go dancers on platforms. Head over to Harrah’s to experience Peek Nightclub. The 6,700-square-feet venue includes 40 VIP sections, making it feel like you stepped into a nightclub in a big city like New York or Los Angeles.
Stay
The Ridge Tahoe is located 7,600-feet on the Nevada side near South Shore with immediate, next-door access to Heavenly’s Stagecoach Chairlift via the on-site Skier Express. Guests stay in condo-style accommodations with bedrooms, and living and dining rooms. Late-night meals after a night of partying are possible using the suite’s full kitchen and tableware. Some planned adult and teen activities at The Ridge Tahoe include tennis, movie nights, snowshoeing, scavenger hunts and yoga. Alternatively, friends can choose to stay at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, which is near the Heavenly gondola. Transportation to the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel from Reno airport is convenient with the South Tahoe Express airport shuttle ($29.75 per person) dropping you off at the front door. There are complimentary drink coupons and complimentary hot breakfast buffet coupons upon check-in. The Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel has an on-site restaurant, Echo, which serves American and seafood fare like fried calamari, wild salmon fish and chips, and homemade pizza.
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