No Need for Fake Snow in South Lake Tahoe

Our vacation was in the prime ski season in February 2006. As a native of the South, snow is an event, and seeing 1 or 2 feet of snow in 1 day is a memory. South Lake Tahoe provides vistas of indescribable beauty after a fresh snowfall, and high in the mountains near Stateline, Nevada, snow events are generally daily during the months of February and March. At the Ridge Tahoe we experienced snow flurries to near blizzard conditions during our week stay. Winter activities were our focus. We had two first-timers in our group of six, and both were skiing at the end of their first day out. Teen girls switched to snowboarding during the last day and wished they had taken lessons all week long—more difficult than skiing, but “awesome fun.” Snowmobiling was a must for our college guys, but they wanted daring, fast rides which the guided tour with Zephyr Cove Rentals along a snow-plowed route did not provide these daredevils. However, it was plenty fast for the parents and the two teen girls who drove themselves (must be 15). A 2-hour ride along the Tahoe Rim Trail near Spooner Summit. They should offer fast, medium, and slow trips. Other outfits did offer off the trail trips. On “our own” snow sledding and saucer riding provided ultimate entertainment and laughter. There are any number of hills nearby with “at your own risk” sledding. The girls were out every day at Tahoe Ridge plotting their own course. It was only at the end of the week that I read the Ridge “discouraged” this practice due to liability issues. We also found a place just below the nearby Fox and Hound Pub that offered a cool hill for sledding. As these are natural settings, expect obstacles such as rocks and trees if you go off on your on. Ski resorts offer “cultured” tubing hills at a price per hour.

Quick Tips:

I researched for weeks for special coupons and even bought the Entertainment Book, however, we did not even use one coupon during our whole stay. When we went snowmobiling, we forgot the - and -off coupons we collected at the airport. The discount lift tickets available at the resort were not useful when you bought a package ski school deal. Perhaps for experienced skiers, a few bucks off a day could add up. When we attempted to dine at Ceasar's Broiler Room (Entertainment Book), they would not honor the 2 for 1. The girls also tried to use Subway, but they had shut down in Ceasar's and were moving to Bills. We found Ceasar's a bust—it was rather a dead place with very few gamblers, only one cocktail waitress waiting high stakes tables, lots of people polishing machines, but no service. Ski school at Sierra at Tahoe was more than reasonable at /person (intermediate) for 3 days, plus ski/snowboard equipment. Heavenly was -plus daily per person, with equipment. Kirkwood was reasonable too—just too far. With six people, we had to find economical ways to extend our vacation dollars.

Best Way To Get Around:

We found an SUV 4-wheel drive with snow tires a must! We were basically at the top of Kingsbury Grade and traveled atleast 45 minutes to Sierra at Tahoe Ski Resort. I was timid about driving up and down snowy mountainous roads, but cautious driving and not thinking about those huge cliffs on the way to Sierra at Tahoe got us there... Transport is available within the Ridge Tahoe between buildings via shuttle, also available to Harrah's casino for via Go Blue Shuttle Service. Once in the town, Go Blue offers shuttle service to most central drop-off locations. The shuttle bus to town from Ridge Tahoe runs on the hour until midnight, and last bus back to the Ridge leaves Harrahs at 12:30am. There are Taxi's available for transport in town and up the mountain too. The college guys took a taxi from Harvey's to Lakeside (about 1 mile) one night with a charge of going and to get back. Go figure.

We stayed in a one bedroom plus a lock-off unit which provided us with two bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, and a living area with a fold out sleeper. The two units together offered spacious accommodations for the six of us which included two adults, two college guys, and two teenage girls in our family group. The main bath offered vanity with a separating door for the toilet, and a large shower which offered two shower heads. The lock off unit offered a vanity area with a sink, and a separated area with an additional sink, garden tub/shower combo, and toilet.

The Ridge Tahoe is located at the top of Kingsbury Glade, and is a restricted access community adjacent to Heavenly Ski Resort. A multitude of condos are just below this resort, and are all within the group of condos where the shuttle buses offer service. Because of the steep grade, I would not say that the condos outside, or even within Ridge Tahoe, are an "easy" walk. The altitude, along with the icy road, qualified the 100 yard walk to the club house as an athletic event for this 40 person group, all accustomed to more plentiful oxygen and humidity. The under "25" group handled it better.

Our condo in the Terrace offered spectacular views as you looked downward over the condo village surrounding Quaking Aspen Road. The kitchen accommodated full meal preparation with a refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, and all the needed utensils. The lockoff unit had a mini refrigerator, microwave, sink, hot tea tap, and coffee pot.
One benefit we came to truly appreciate is covered parking. There was no shoveling two feet off of your vehicle, or even finding you can't back up over the snow mound left by the snow plows. Easy in/easy out when driving your own vehicle. You must have 4-wheel drive/snow tires/snow chains to travel with any safety to this resort during peak snow season. Shuttles to town are available, and reliable, but are on the schedule which ends at midnight.

Resort amenities are somewhat time limited as everything seems to close by 9pm, including the deli (mediocre at best), the mini store (at least double the price), and the bar (9pm please!).

We decided to eat here as it offered a variety for our group of six, which have very different tastes. We arrived around 11am and were seated immediately. By noon, at least 50 people were waiting in line. The price per person was $22. The main focus of the buffet seemed to be breakfast and dessert. An average salad bar was available, as well as prime rib. One area offered dishes such as steamed mussels, egg rolls, "krab" legs, etc. By noon, several types of sushi were offered, which many of us enjoyed. This was a typical morning buffet with a few extras. While we enjoyed ourselves, it was definitely not "premium" fare.

Stopped in at the Pub around 2pm after snowmobiling. Most of us ordered burgers, pulled pork, and chicken sandwiches. All of us enjoyed what we had, and it was plentiful. The average sandwich price was around $8, which included beer battered fries. The total bill, with soft drinks, for six people was around $60-plus tip. We had excellent and friendly service. Also open late, offering pizza that started around $16. It has a pub atmosphere, but is family friendly during the day. The rental shop next-door has a knowledgeable guy to outfit you, or saucers/sleds for purchase. Also have an "on your own" hill, which was relatively safe to use the saucers/sleds.

Hard Rock cafe offers pretty consistent service nationwide. Our group ordered legendary burgers, hot wings, and chicken quesadillas. Hard Rock often has open mike for visiting vocalist, but none were there the night we visited. They do generally have a band on the weekend. We all enjoyed great service, great food, and were happily supplied with puppy boxes to go. Great food, cold beer, and spicy Bloody Marys!

High profile eatery partially owned by Sammy Hagar, who is a regular player here. Live Music begins around 9pm and later crowds can get wild on certain nights with the belly shots. Pretty mild during earlier dinner hours. Most of us ordered quesadillas, which were really good and plentiful. A couple ordered nachos as entrees. These were simply huge and no way to be eaten by just one person. Most didn't care for the "hot sauce," as it tasted like more chili powder than chili pepper. Overall it was a good meal, but I have had better at our local Superior Grill.