1. Go for a sleigh ride. Jingle bells, jingle bells. . . Borges Sleigh Rides have been operating in the south shore for a couple of decades. They offer daily sleigh rides from 10 am – sunset, weather permitting. As the south shore has been blessed with about 7 feet of snow, the weather is positively permitting! Borges Sleigh Rides are located next to Montbleu on Lake Tahoe Boulevard at Stateline. They offer wedding packages, dinner sleigh rides, and fabulous views from the top of the mountain. Contact information is 775.588.2953 or www.sleighride.com.
2. Visit the Haldan Gallery at the Lake Tahoe Community College and get some culture. After several years of fundraising through the college foundation, plus help from the state, the 2500 square foot gallery opened along with the new library. The library is opened Tuesday through Saturday with rotating exhibits. The gallery also has a hands-on discovery center so you can get involved in the visuals. Contact info is 530.541.4660, ext.711 or www.ltcconline.net/art/contact.htm
3. Dogsledding! Yahoo!! Ok, you get the idea. It is a ton of fun and all you do is sit there! What could be better? The dogs are fast, strong and bred to run, they have as much fun as you do. There are several options for dogsledding in the south shore. The first is Running Creek Sled Dogs out at Kirkwood Mountain Resort on Highway 88. Contact info is 775.266.4720 or www.Runningcreek.info. Another is the Husky Express just a few miles down the road in Hope Valley at 775.782.3047 or www.Highsierra.com. If you want to visit the north shore, there is Lake Tahoe Wilderness Adventures Dog Sled Tours, based out of Sugar Bowl and the Resort at Squaw Creek. They offer a journey of a lifetime. Contact info is 530.550.8130 or www.tahoedogsledtours.com.
4. Go ice skating! South Lake Tahoe is fortunate in having two ice skating rinks. The first one is in the downtown area, close to the movie theaters and behind the Marriott. The recreation center has an indoor Olympic size rink. If you don’t know how to skate, take a lesson. Contact info is 530.542.6262 or www.recreationintahoe.com.
5. Shop. Ok, you can do this in a lot of places but we have outlet stores plus a unique combination of shops leading from the outlet stores at the ‘Y’ to the downtown area. I’m sure you’ll find something. If you just want to look but don’t need to buy, make sure you get a tollhouse cookie to keep your energy up. Or stop at one of the restaurants and people watch. That’s more entertaining and cheaper than shopping any day!
6. Go for a snowmobile ride! Or drive one yourself! Sierra Mountain Sports will rent you one, along with a trailer, maps, safety instructions, and helmets. They have maps for trails all over the Tahoe Basin, including Truckee. Contact info is 1.800.696.7797 or www.tahoesnowmobiles.com. If you want a guide, try Lake Tahoe Adventures at 530.577.2940 or www.LakeTahoeAdventures.com. If you are closer to the Nevada side and want fabulous Lake Tahoe views, try the Zephyr Cove Snowmobile Center. You’ll get a great tour and if you plan it right, you can go to the historic Zephyr Cove Lodge for one of their legendary hamburgers with a chocolate shake. Contact info is 775.589.4908 or www.zephyrcove.com.
7. While there are not vineyards in Tahoe, there is a winery. Go wine tasting at Picchetti Winery Tahoe Tasting room. The winery itself is located on an historic ranch a short drive from Silicon Valley. The tasting room in Tahoe is a short walk from the lake, across the street from campground, and is open 11 am – 4 pm daily. Contact info is 530.541.1500 or www.picchetti.com.
Another option is Apres Wine Company, located in the Ski Run Center, 3668 Lake Tahoe Boulevard. For a truly unique wine tasking experience, 50 wines can be sampled daily. The wine bar also features tapas style meals and over 300 fine wines. They can be reached at 530.544.9463.
8. Sledding! Something the entire family can take part in. South Lake Tahoe has several snow parks and sledding areas. There’s a snow park at the top of Echo Summit with a groomed area called Adventure Mountain. The cost is $15 a car, but with 12 groomed runs, an actual cleared parking lot, a concession stand offering gloves, saucers and snacks, the price is worth it. A snow park is also located on Emerald Bay Road (Highway 89), just past Camp Richardson. Sledding is also offered at Spooner Summit, free with an actual parking lot maintained by Nevada Dept. of Transportation. Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort www.sierraattahoe.com, Heavenly www.skiheavenly.com , and Kirkwood Mountain Resort www.kirkwood.com, all offer sledding hills. Prices vary with each resort.
9. Snowshoe! If you can walk, you can snowshoe! One of the best things about snowshoeing is that it is easy and makes many places accessible. Want an easy stroll? Rent some showshoes and take a walk along the lake where it’s flat. There are many places along the lake available to the public, Camp Richardson, Pope Beach, the Baldwin Estate, El Dorado Beach. Camp Richardson, www.camprichardson.com, rents snowshoes and offers groomed trails. Then after that little walk, you can stroll over the the Beacon and have one of their famous ‘Rum Runners’.
10. Get some down time. Grab a book, a glass of wine, sit by the fire, and listen to the quiet. Watch the snow fall. Stare at the fire. Think deep thoughts. Have quiet conversations about life and love. Get a massage. Relax. After all, you’re in Tahoe.