Our vacation getaway to the Ridge Tahoe was to be a "fall down in the snow" good time and we had a blast despite Mother Nature's change of plans.
The resort in whole was fabulous as highlighted elsewhere in my journel. The two bedroom suite was very spacious (at least 1600 sq') with all the comforts of home as I would like to describe here. From the 15' long, octagon-shaped entryway you had the master bedroom to the right, living room and kitchen straight ahead, and a door to the second bedroom and one to the second bathroom to the left. There was a full wet bar in the living room and a partial in the master bedroom and both rooms had a gas fireplace. The living room had a wall of windows to enjoy the view and glass doors to the deck. Since the resort is on top of a mountian, the winds can get a little fierce while the Tahoe valley remains quite delightful. As a result of the winds we spent little time on the deck.
The master bath had a large whirlpool tub that we enjoyed several times and the kitchen was at least as large as ours at home. If I had to improve the suite, including larger televisions and at least one real fire place would be all I could think of. The Ridge Tahoe is definitely Gold Crown Material and a resort we will return to someday.
Best Things Nearby:
Well, Lake Tahoe and the beautiful countryside tops the list of course, yet the casinos have a curious appeal after dark.
Best Things About the Resort:
The Ridge Tahoe is a Gold Crown Resort with every amenity needed for a great time and then some. The private gondola, theater, and restaurant were a treat, but the view of Carson Valley was spectacular.
Resort Experience:
In a word, this resort was fabulous. From the first moment we arrived, I knew the week was going to be a luxurious week-long retreat. The staff was there to help at a moment''s notice regardless of the hour and every person acted as part of a well-trained and professional staff.
Unlike most resorts in the area, the Ridge Tahoe resort actually takes up an entire ridge of the mountain. The complex is huge with, by my count, at least nine different facilities and numerous outdoor amenities. When we decided to leave the resort to see the surrounding area, we had a choice of taking the private gondola down the hill to the Heavenly Stagecoach Lodge, exploring a mountain side trail up the hill, or taking the casino shuttle into South Lake Tahoe for shopping or a game of chance.
- Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
- Activities: Excellent
- Amenities: Excellent
- Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
- Family Friendliness: Excellent
- Service: Excellent
I couldn't describe the event any better than the advertisement that attracted us to it so I have posted it below. You can find the original at VirtualTahoe.com. To say the least we had a great time and we picked up a few treasures to take home. The main hall gets packed during the caroling so get there early to position yourself inside and get the full experience.
"November 15, 16 & 17, 2002 -- The Valhalla Holiday Faire: A Dickens Experience - Forty booths of the finest hand crafted wares, held in the beautifully decorated Valhalla Grand Hall. Enjoy hot mulled wine or cider while you shop and be entertained by carolers from the Lake Tahoe schools. Free. For additional information please call (530) 541-4975."
Our getaway week was an adventure from the very first moments. After checking in we found that our room seamed cavernous and a bit disorenting at first. The entry way was octagon shaped and had four evenly spaced doorways with full length mirrors in between. We didn't know which of the eight rooms to check out first! On the way back to the vehicle the fun continued and we found ourselves in need of assistance for the first time. The staff joined in on our laughter when we found ourselves lost in the building and calling for directions from the elevator. We didn't realize that the ground floor we had entered the elevator from was actually the third floor on the other side of the building and we couldn't get back to our vehicle.
After settling in we found numerous on site activites to choose from and we spent one night at the Monday Night Football Party and another enjoying Spider Man in the resort theater. When we were not relaxing in our suite (which took up a quarter of one floor in the 11 story building), we were out exploring the greater Lake Tahoe area.
Since our vacation was in November, we had expected our week would be filled with plenty of snow activities, but Mother Nature dropped the white stuff the week before and after our trip. We ended up in Lake Tahoe between the crowds with the most spectacular weather you could hope for.
While our toboggan and other snow toys remained in the back of the truck we decided the first thing to do was to spend a few hours driving, so we circled the lake to inventory the possibilities. We spent some time shopping for Christmas presents and donating to the local casinos, yet found ourselves somewhat drawn to the outdoor and cultural activities.
One day we visited the annual "Valhalla Holiday Faire: A Dickens Experience" and listened to the delightful sounds of a local childrens group serenading the crowd with classic Christmas carols. Afterward we found a few more special presents for loved ones back home, finished the self-guided tour of historic Valhalla, and continued on to Emerald Bay.
The first day in the Emerald Bay vicinity we walked down to the lake and toured the Viking style complex know as "Viking Holm", which is another of several historical treasures we visited. We also took in the fresh air as we walked the lake shore of Emerald Bay stopping only to partake in our fine backpack cusine. Generaly we had a very relaxing afternoon, which as it turned out, we needed before we made the one mile uphill trek back to the parking lot.
On our second trip to the Emerald bay side of the lake we took a leasurly one mile hike, uphill first this time, and ended up along the shore of Eagle Lake, which was breathtaking (just the view that is) and well worth the trip. The view was something I will never forget.
Please take a look at the pictures of Eagle lake and the other vacation photos that I have posted for your enjoyment.
It's amazing that we live only two or three hours away and we spend so little time in a place as grand as Lake Tahoe. We have definitely decided to come this way more often and we hope you (not too many at once please) find your way to this wonderful part of the world as well.