A Destination for all Seasons

Best Things Nearby:
Squaw Valley Village is nice, but not all stores are open off season. Lake Tahoe should not be missed. You can drive around the entire lake in a couple of hours. The casinos, restuarants, and the town of Truckee are worth a visit. There is a horse stable nearby but it is seasonal. If you're a skier, the slopes are very close.

Best Things About the Resort:
The staff and activities. They really go out of their way to make you feel welcome. You can rent bikes for free, go on guided hikes, attend lectures, wine and cheese get together. The pools are kept heated and the grounds are well maintained. We were fortunate to see the fall colors on the trees.

Resort Experience:

The resort is small. I believe all the rooms are one-bedrooms, and I would not recommend putting four people in one room. You enter into the bedroom and walk through the bathroom to enter the living room. The kitchen area is small, and the kitchen table folds down to give you more room. There is not a lot of storage space in the kitchen, but it worked well for us, as we didn't cook. The icebox is small without a freezer, so do not buy any ice cream.

]The history of the resort is interesting. The Inn was used as dormitories for the Winter Olympics during the 1960s. The current bathroom in the units used to be an open hallway and the bedroom and living room were two separate dorms. The bathrooms were down the hall. This explains the reason you enter into the bedroom. I must say, they did a great job of renovating, and I believe the property has been updated many times.

The property is pretty isolated. There is a hiking trail that starts on the property and you can walk to the nearby village. However, for grocery shopping it's best to drive 5 miles to Tahoe city. You'll find everything you need in Tahoe city. The resort offers water aerobics and lap swimming most mornings. There were activities every day and they change by the season.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Excellent

The Tahoe Gal is a river paddleboat type of vessel. It holds about 150 people and one can choose different trips depending on the time of year. We were on a 3 1/2 hour Emerald Bay lunch cruise. They also offer sunset dinner cruises, happy hour cruises, and scenic shoreline cruises. I believe they run all summer and stop in October depending on the weather. I've been to Tahoe many times, but never viewed the lake from being on the river. It's fun and worth it. The resort provides discount tickets (just $2 off cruise, and $2 off lunch).

Lake Tahoe is great; besides the beauty, the casinos are open 24 hours a day. If you like gaming, this is a great destination for all. We found many dining bargains at the casinos, and of course, free drinks for players.

There are two gaming areas on the Nevada side of the Lake. South Shore is fancier with more casinos. The brand names, like Harrah's, are there, but we had the most fun at Wild Bill’s. Beers are $1 (too bad I do not drink beer), hamburger lunches were about $3, and hot dogs with beer about $1.50. What I liked most was finding a $2 blackjack table. This casino advertises having a $2 table at all times. It's the only one in town. They do have one or two $3 tables depending on the traffic. Most other casinos start at $5 min, which is a little rich for me. The dealers are nice. The worst part is the smoke. It seems that most people who gamble also smoke. Being from smoke-free California, I'm not used to all the smoke.

If you like casinos, look at the local throwaway papers for the two-for-one meal specials. We had great prime rib dinners at the North Shore casinos for $14 total for two. The North Shore is less crowded and has three or four casinos. We visited two of them. Have fun and good luck!!