Lake Tahoe

Best Things Nearby:
Heavenly Gondola (walking distance).

Best Things About the Resort:
Friendly enviroment.
Free Activities (X-country, snowshoeing).

Resort Experience:
The studio units are decently sized. You enter into a sitting area with a hide-away bed/couch. The bedroom area has a queen-size bed and a table with two chairs. The two areas are separated by a handrail (the bedroom area is two steps higher then the sitting area.) The two areas can made slightly more private by closing the curtain that separates them. The kitchen area included only a bar fridge, toaster, microwave, and bar sink. Blenders, electric skillets and hot plates are available from the front desk for no fee.

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Fair
• Unit Satisfaction: Good
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Boreal is a great resort if you are skiing/snowboarding on a budget. Their new i-ride card makes lift tickets 'buy 2, get 1 free'. The big minus for this resort is that it is the closest to the bay area and thus gets overcrowded on the weekends. Its possible to avoid the crowds even on crowded days by going on the backside of the mountain. Beginners can avoid the crowds by using the chair lift that is the furthest to the left.

Heavenly has well-groomed trails and nice powder runs. It tends to get a bit crowded because of its great location. I strongly recommend Heavenly to anyone visiting the Tahoe area.