10 easy ways to decorate your hotel room for the holidays

December 4, 2020 By

The Pit Stops for Kids crew will be spending the holidays in a Tahoe vacation home this year, so I’m making plans now to make our stay as festive as we’d enjoy at home. If you, too, will be spending your winter holidays away from home, we have 10 easy ways to decorate your hotel room for the holidays…or any condo or vacation home!

decorate-for-holidays

  1. Decorate condo or hotel room windows or porch with a string of battery-operated Christmas lights. Find these at your local dollar store! Tip: you can wrap them around the handle of strollers or even around ski helmets to be festive on-the-go!
  2. Buy a local wreath or garland. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, explore your immediate area by looking up a farmer’s market or holiday bazaar, where you can buy a locally-sourced wreath for your condo or vacation home door.
  3. Check condo and vacation home storage closets for decorations. Most will have a stash of holiday decorations stored in a utility closet or pantry. Ask the home owner or lodging association if it’s ok to put these up (and take them down). I’ve never been told no!
  4. Bring a holiday-themed tablecloth and candles for the table. It’s a small touch, but it goes a long way!
  5. Buy a permit and cut down your own tree upon arrival. Going somewhere rural? Look up where to buy a Christmas tree permit before you leave home, and stop by for it en route to your condo or vacation home. Your first vacation activity can be a hike through the snowy woods for your own tree!
  6. Decorate your cruise ship cabin door. Buy or make your own holiday magnets for cruise ship cabin doors, which are magnetic. The practice can get quite competitive, so bring your A game!
  7. Play holiday tunes. Don’t underestimate the power of music to set a holiday mood. Bring a portable speaker and sync it with your smart phone or an iPod set on a holiday radio station.
  8. Have a small tree delivered. Don’t have time or space for a regular-sized tree? Buy a small, live potted tree to use as a table-top centerpiece. Purchase at a local nursery, and decorate with a select few of your favorite ornaments from home, or order one.
  9. Bring holiday bedding. Kids love curling up in their very own holiday-themed sheets and blankets, and these decorate the room, too. Bring your own bedding from home, or make a gift of new holiday bedding, which is easy to bring to a condo or vacation home.
  10. Decorate yourselves! Buy the family holiday-themed pajamas to wear, or a matching set of Santa hats. When you’re all dressed up for the holidays, the feeling of celebration will live in your vacation home, hotel room, or condo with or without the decorations.

Remember: in addition to decorating your temporary living space, you’ll want to safeguard your actual home while you’re away. During our absences, we ask a friend to check on our house regularly, leave porch and holidays lights lit, lower heat and unplug appliances, and let ask multiple neighbors to watch our home.

Winter vacation home rental process made easy

January 2, 2015 By
Ever rented a vacation home for a family holiday? Worried it might be a complicated process? Not sure how to go about it? Pit Stops for Kids can help! This post was originally published in 2010, when we rented our first winter vacation home in Lake Tahoe through HomeAway. In the years since, we’ve rented homes several times, including two more Tahoe homes (once through Northstar California, and once more through HomeAway). Most recently, we rented a beautiful West Tahoe home for Christmas week, which was big enough to house our whole extended family. In March, we’ll be renting from HomeAway again on the island of Kauai.
vacation home rental

There are other great vacation rental sites (we also use VacationRoost), but because the bulk of our knowledge is in renting from HomeAway, we’ll focus on this company for the purpose of this post. There are many reasons why a vacation rental might be the right choice of accommodation for a winter stay, including space to spread out (and bring all that winter gear), washers and dryers, perhaps a hot tub, and the ability to cook in-house.

HomeAway makes it easy to find the right vacation rental for you and your family. Starting at their homepage, just click on ‘Find a Rental’. Enter where you’d like to go and when, and browse the available rentals. You can sort the selection by price, bedrooms, or even number of reviews. I like that the weekly and daily rental prices are listed right on the main page, so I can quickly get a feel for what homes in my desired location will cost. When you click on ‘details’, you get a map, tons of photos, and a list of amenities.

Once you’ve selected your desired rental, contact the owner. This, too, is easy: the rental owner’s contact information is listed right on the main page of each rental property description. I really like that with most rentals on HomeAway, customers work directly with the owners, the people who know the rental and surrounding area personally. Keep in mind that since all owners are different, the HomeAway process may feel different each time you rent. During our first Tahoe rental experience, after making contact, I got a confirmation from HomeAway immediately, telling me exactly what to expect. In my case, the owner of my first rental (this beautiful home in the Twin Bridges community of South Tahoe), emailed me a rental agreement within hours, along with a friendly greeting filled with such enthusiasm for her property, I wanted to pack up and go right then and there! During my second Tahoe rental experience, the owner preferred to call me and set up the rental agreement via phone. In this case, I worked with HomeAway less (though still had their support).

homeaway-vacation-rental

Pay your deposit (if applicable), sign your rental agreement, and count the days until your vacation, secure in the knowledge that HomeAway has your back. I was glad to see that even after I’d taken care of business with my property owner, the support for HomeAway continued. I was offered rental insurance, additional deals and incentives for future stays, and assurance that any additional help I needed was only a phone call away. Note: in most cases, a deposit will both hold your reservation and be applied to the total cost of your rental. In the case of our second rental experience, our owner preferred to keep the two separate. We paid our deposit, then paid our total cost for the rental, then got the deposit back in the form of a check. Be sure to ask owners which way they like to conduct business so you know what to expect.

Expect a warm welcome. Both times we rented a winter home through HomeAway, we hadn’t even arrived at our vacation rental yet, and I already knew the home fires would be burning brightly (so to speak). Both property owners went above and beyond, sending me a full inventory of items and supplies available to me in the home during my stay, just so I wouldn’t need to wonder whether to pack a snow shovel or a set of sheets. They also sent information on the local scene, grocery stores they recommend personally, and local service numbers should I need them.

homeaway rental

 

Ask questions about the possibility of power outages, local snowplow schedules, and alternative heat sources: This is crucial when renting in winter! During our 2010 winter vacation rental experience, we enjoyed an epic snowstorm. The power went out several times, but our home had a back up generator, which we knew how to use. Our owner had included full instructions. In our second rental home this past Christmas, we had ample parking space away from snow plow routes, but during our first rental experience, we had to move cars on snow plow days. Ask for this information so it doesn’t blindside you! Find out whether you’ll need fire wood, and know where candles and matches are kept in the home just in case.

And if you’re not sure what you’re looking for? If you’re undecided as to the sort of vacation you want, or if you’d like HomeAway to keep an eye out for the perfect rental for you and your family, fill out their Ultimate Travel Picks form to be sent alerts and info on rental availability tailored to you.

Pit Stops for Kids partnered with HomeAway for some, but not all, vacation rental reviews. All opinions are our own.

Read more about vacation home rental in our Home (Away) for the Holidays series. 

Skiing with a Tween at Sierra-at-Tahoe

December 29, 2014 By

This post was originally published as part of our Home (Away) for the Holidays series.

It’s easy to find kid-friendly skiing in Tahoe, but what about those hard to please tweens and teens? I spent an extra day at Sierra-at-Tahoe last week with Nate, during which we noted what worked for his age group (middle school) and ability level (advanced).

Terrain parks are located all over the mountain.

Sierra at Tahoe is not too big, and not too small…it’s just right! Because of its manageable size and centralized layout, it’s easy for older kids and teens to split off with friends or siblings and meet back up with parents. All runs end in a major lift, lodge, or restaurant, a design element that would give me the confidence to let him explore a bit without an adult.

huckleberry-gates

It’s challenging. I love that Sierra intermixes beginning runs with intermediate and advanced; it allows all members of a family to ride the lift and spend the majority of their day together. But the best part of this feature is the way terrain parks, trails, and tree skiing branch off from easy and intermediate runs. I don’t know how it is in your family, but my older kids love these features, and it’s nice that they’re so accessible. Each terrain park at Sierra is clearly marked as containing Small, Medium, or Large elements, and each place we cut off a run to powder ski through trees fed easily into a trail or run below. Nate and I especially loved exploring the Huckleberry Gates section of the mountain, a truly challenging series of back-country chutes that felt like an entirely different experience every time! This area is not open all day, so be sure to check signage or ask lift operators for updates.

Sierra at Tahoe powder skiing

It knows how to feed your tween. Ski resort food is expensive, and tweens and teens can eat their weight of it after hitting the slopes all morning. I loved that Sierra at Tahoe offers affordable options. We ate at the 360 Degree Smokehouse BBQ at the Grandview Lodge, which was great for several reasons. First off, due to its location at the top of the mountain, it was easy to access and uncrowded. Secondly, the food was fantastic, and generously portioned (my two younger kids could have easily shared an entree). Better yet, if you’re feeding the entire family, their Family Meal Deal is truly a deal for $45. Families pick three types of BBQ meat entrees, then get four huge sides and four drinks. (We ate at the tasty Aspen Cafe in the Main Lodge during our first ski day, and paid over $50 to feed the same amount of people.) Best of all, this top of the mountain lodge offers complimentary boot warming while you eat. Just hand the attendants your boots on the way in, grab a pair of cozy slippers to wear in the restaurant, and trade them back in when you’re ready to head back outside. Great, right? Yeah, we could hardly believe it, either!

Grab a pair of slippers…they have your size!

It’s clear to us why we kept hearing the same thing from Sierra guests while riding up the chair lifts and hanging out in the lodges…that Sierra at Tahoe truly is a local favorite: it has just enough of everything–at a decent price–to keep everyone in your group happy, including those notoriously hard to please teens. What’s more, during our time enjoying their slopes, we never came across a Sierra employee who wasn’t cheerful, helpful, and willing to go out of his or her way to make sure we were having a good time. I can see why locals and traveling guests alike feel they’re getting a lot of value for their vacation dollar here. And best of all, when paired with one of the HomeAway vacation properties right at the base of the mountain, you can forget the commute: you’re only five minutes away from Sierra at Tahoe!

As stated previously, Sierra at Tahoe generously hosted us during this portion of our Tahoe Holiday. This compensation came with no expectation of a positive review. Read all our articles in our Home (Away) for the Holidays series!

Home (Away) for the Holidays: Preparing for winter driving

December 10, 2013 By

During the holiday season, the Pit Stops family is often on the road, en route to Lake Tahoe, California or Central Oregon for a family ski vacation. If you’ll be traveling in winter weather as well, revisit our Home (Away) for the Holidays series, with tips on getting a holiday vacation rental, playing in the snow, and preparing for a winter vacation.

Our first challenge? Packing all the trappings of Christmas into our minivan. There’s really no good way to do this, especially if your kids are young enough that a visit from Santa is expected at your destination. We made it work with the  aid of our roof bag and my husband’s natural packing skills.

Which led us to our second challenge: preparing our car for winter driving conditions. Like many parts of the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year, our route from Oregon to Northern California has the potential to turn from dry roads sunny skies to snow, ice, and chain requirements. If you, too, plan to tackle winter roads this holiday season, consider doing the following:

1. Give your car a check-up. Get the oil changed, check the battery, brakes, and windshield wiper fluid levels before you depart. Make sure your spare tire is properly inflated and ready to go. Fill up on gas before tackling any summits or snowy highways where you may be delayed.

2. Find room for the essentials. I know your car’s already filled to the brim, but you absolutely want chains (made for your car’s model), a collapsible snow shovel, a flashlight, and winter gloves handy. I’m embarrassed to say we’ve been caught unprepared before, and there’s little worse than bumbling around in the dark without the right equipment. You’ll also want plenty of bottled water and snacks in the car in case of road closures or delays.

3. Stay updated on road conditions. Check road condition websites before departing (we’ve bookmarked CalTrans and ODOT), and receive updates on the AM dial of your radio. Be prepared for check-points for chain installation and removal.

4. Have a back-up plan. No one wants their travel day to end at a closed or hazardous highway or interstate, but it does happen. Have a few places in mind where you could spend the night if necessary. It’s always better to stop early and wait out a winter storm rather than get too far, just to turn around and head back.

Try to go with the flow, take your time, and take the opportunity to stop and play in the winter weather along the way!

Have a safe holiday, and be sure to follow our Tahoe adventures in our Home (Away) for the Holidays series.

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Home (Away) for the Holidays: HeliTahoe Helicopter Tours

January 10, 2011 By

Calvin gives HeliTahoe two thumbs up!

If you’re looking for a truly unique experience during your winter family vacation in the South Lake Tahoe area, book a helicopter tour with Tahoe’s only helicopter sightseeing operation, HeliTahoe! With tour prices starting at just $70 per person, this breathtaking tour of the lake is no more extravagant than a day of skiing or afternoon of snowmobiling, and it’s a treat no one will forget!

Calvin and I enjoyed a morning flight under clear blue skies in HeliTahoe’s safe, quiet Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter, piloted by HeliTahoe owner Claudio Bellotto. With 29 years of flying under his belt, Bellotto quickly put us at ease with his friendliness and professionalism. After going over a few safety procedures, we proceeded to the helicopter and boarded. Calvin was excited to sit up front!

We were given noise-reducing headsets so that we could listen to Bellotto’s narration of the landscape unfolding beneath us without the noise of the blades and engine. Calvin and I were able to ask questions, point out landmarks, and simply sit back and marvel at the views. It was not only a thrill, but a great way to become oriented to the Tahoe area.

The Robinson R44 Raven II seats three, so if you want to book for a family of four or more, it may require spitting the group into two flights. In the new year, however, Bellotto has plans to add a seven-passenger helicopter to the operation (with the inclusion of helicopter back-country skiing packages!). Current tours include flights over such areas as Emerald Bay, Fallen Leaf Lake, Vikingsholm Castle, the South Shore, Sand Harbor, Zephyr Cove, and more!

Age and weight restrictions do apply, and flights may need to be canceled in the case of bad weather (in which case, they will be rescheduled as guest’s schedule allows).

Note: If you’re looking for a romantic night out instead of a family adventure, consider booking HeliTahoe’s Lake Tahoe Tour and Dinner, which includes a flight over Emerald Bay and dinner at one of Tahoe’s most talked-about restaurants, The Flight Deck. At only $165 per couple, it’s not only an unforgettable ‘date’, but an affordable one!

Get a sneak peak of a HeliTahoe tour with Pit Stops for Kids’ Kid Cam!

Date last visted: December 23, 2010

Distance from the Interstate: Touring Tahoe from the sky is easy for families, as HeliTahoe is based right at the South Lake Tahoe Airport, located right off Hwy 50. A very small airport, parking, meeting up, and boarding your flight is very convenient!

Cost: Tours start at $70 per person and increase to $315 per person, depending on the length of your tour.

Hours of operation: Touring hours are flexible, and depend on weather and flight conditions. Book online, or call 530-544-2211.

Directions: HeliTahoe is located at Suite 106 within the South Tahoe Airport at 1901 Airport Road. From South Tahoe, take Hwy 50 to Airport Road.As I disclose with all compensated reviews, HeliTahoe generously hosted us for this portion of our Tahoe Holiday review series. While we greatly appreciate their hospitality, this compensation came with no expectation of a positive review. Read all our articles in our Home (Away) for the Holidays series!

Home (Away) for the Holidays: Adventure Mountain

January 6, 2011 By

Toby’s all smiles at Adventure Mountain!

If you have thrill-seeking kids when it comes to sledding, you’ll want to stop at Adventure Mountain near Echo Summit on Highway 50 for great family-friendly snow play in South Tahoe. Much more than just your neighborhood sledding hill, Adventure Mountain features multiple downhill runs divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced sections, walking paths up to the top, and, at least when we visited, plenty of powder above the runs to blaze your own trail down from higher up.

The snow at the base of the runs has been groomed into high berms to ease you to a stop (although with enough speed, it’s possible to go all the way up and over!) and there’s plenty of space to just play in the snow (we made a killer fort). There’s a snack shack with hot drinks, candy, and hot dogs for sale (as well as gloves, hats, and helmets if you’ve forgotten them). You can also rent sleds here. Bathrooms are available near the parking lot. We liked that there were plenty of picnic tables for use, and noticed that most people brought their own lunch. Snowshoe and cross-country ski trails start at the end of the sledding area (but you’ll need to bring your own equipment…rentals were not available on-site).

The tracks are steep and fast!

Extra Tip: Most ski resorts also offer a sledding/tubing area, usually for a higher cost than Adventure Mountain. During our Tahoe review week, we were fortunate to try one: Blizzard Mountain at Sierra at Tahoe. Due to the convenient location and moderate terrain, we recommend Blizzard Mountain for very young children, and Adventure Mountain for older kids.

Date last visited: December 23, 2010

Distance from the interstate: Right off Hwy 50.

Admission: $15 per car. Quite the deal for local snow parks!

Hours of operation: Open weekdays from 10 am to 4:30 pm, and weekends from 9 am to 5 pm, weather permitting.

Directions: From South Tahoe, take Hwy 50 west toward Echo Summit approximately 8 miles.

Check out Adventure Mountain on the Pit Stops for Kids’ Kid Cam:

We visited Adventure Mountain at our own expense. Read all our articles in our Home (Away) for the Holidays series!

Home (Away) for the Holidays: Zephyr Cove Resort Snowmobiling

January 3, 2011 By

Toby and Nate posing at the lake ridge. (Don’t worry, Toby wasn’t really driving!)

During our week-long stay in our HomeAway vacation home in South Lake Tahoe, we were only minutes away from skiing, snow play, and other area attractions. On Christmas Eve, we took the opportunity to try a snowmobiling tour with Zephyr Cove Resort, located just past the Nevada border on Tahoe’s South Shore.

Our tour was scheduled for 2 pm (they offer 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm tours daily during most of the winter), and we arrived at the resort approximately 45 minutes ahead of time, as was recommended. (During peak seasons, you do need reservations.) Zephyr Cove Resort sits directly on the lake shore, and features a main lodge and dining room (which is very good), cabins, an RV park, and a campground. At the dock, visitors can also book a lake tour on the M.S. Dixie or Tahoe Queen. In other words, this is a bustling, busy resort! Zephyr Cove can accommodate enough visitors for a fleet of 99 snow machines, which means the check-in process is crowded and, at least on the busy day we visited, time-consuming. The staff was efficient and friendly, however, getting everyone tickets and fitted for helmets (required) in a timely fashion, and I was assured they were busier than the norm due to the holiday.

Starting off at the beginning of the tour!

Once we were all ready for departure, we boarded a resort bus for the 10 minute drive to the snowmobile trails. Again, our driver was friendly and professional. I was a bit concerned about being in such a large group of riders, but once we arrived, we were split into groups of only approximately 10-12 machines, each with two guides (one to lead, one to take up the rear). Our guides showed us how to operate the machines, and quite quickly, we were off!

The tour is two hours in length (ours went a little longer), and includes stunning lake views, beautiful trails through the snow-covered trees, and even a hot cocoa stop. Our guides were on-hand if we had any trouble, and stopped us periodically to point out landmarks and just make sure we were all together. Kids are encouraged (over age 4). Riders must be at least 16 years old to drive, but kids can ride behind adults for the ‘double rider’ price. Toby (age 6) and Nate (age 11) both had a great time.

Our guide giving us a quick lesson on the machines.

Extra Tip: Tours go up to 9000 feet, and even mid-day, it gets cold! On our 2 pm tour, the sun was beginning to go down toward the end, and temperatures dropped. The machines have heaters on the hand grips (which was awesome) but be sure to bundle up! Our kids wore ski goggles under their helmets; on the adult helmets, sunglasses worked better. Warm boots and gloves are a must.

Date last visited: December 24, 2010

Distance from the interstate: Directly off Hwy 50 just past the Nevada border.

Cost: $119 for single riders, $159 for double riders. On most Thursdays, kids ride free!

Reservations and information: 1-800-23TAHOE

Directions: From South Tahoe, drive along Hwy 50 to Zephyr Cove Resort, four miles past the border. The resort is on your left, right on the lake.

As I disclose with all compensated reviews, Zephyr Cove Resort generously hosted us for this portion of our Tahoe Holiday review series. While we greatly appreciate their hospitality, this compensation came with no expectation of a positive review. Read all our articles in our Home (Away) for the Holidays series!

Home (Away) for the Holidays: Five things to do from our front door

December 31, 2010 By

Taking in the view from our backyard

As you know, we loved our HomeAway vacation rental in South Tahoe. Not only is this house idyllic, comfortable, and convenient, but it sits right in the midst of Eldorado National Forest, providing acres of wilderness to explore right from the front door.

It’s not in a neighborhood of multi-million dollar mansions lining Lake Tahoe, for which we couldn’t have been happier. Instead, it’s located just minutes from Echo Summit, fifteen mountain road miles from the city. Most of the neighboring homes consist of summer cabins closed up for the season, the snowy roads free of traffic and completely peaceful. In all directions, we could find pristine snow and beautiful pine woods. We certainly weren’t lacking for entertainment, however!

Five things to do five minutes or less from our vacation home’s front door:

1. Build a snow fort! Kids become quite industrious when faced with 3-4 feet of Sierra powder to play in! This one took over an hour to build, but not once did anyone complain of boredom, cold, hunger, or any of the other usual maladies parents dread. Best of all, it stayed up for days!

Toby sets out from our back door!

2. Go snowshoeing! When you stay in a house abutting the wilderness, there’s no long drive, no hassle, and no extra planning: we literally put on our snowshoes at the bottom of our porch and set off into the backyard. Right down the road, we found a mountain meadow of pristine snow, which the kids immediately filled with snow angels. Visitors can rent snowshoes from a local outfitter, or from nearby Sierra-at-Tahoe (for use on their three miles of groomed snowshoe trails).

3. Ski for the day! We timed it: Sierra at Tahoe ski resort is four minutes away by car (probably one minute as the crow flies!). We have so much to say about this truly family-friendly ski resort that it deserves its own article; with the perfect combination of easy to difficult terrain, the affordable prices, and the added touches for kids, this is the perfect ski resort to have in your ‘backyard’.

4. Sled or tube! Sierra at Tahoe features a great tubing hill for young children (and it’s located on the other side of the resort from the busy ski center), and three miles from our vacation home is Adventure Mountain, a groomed sledding and snow playground right on Hwy 50. We also grabbed our sleds and played just feet from the house on the powdery slopes above the meadow!

5. Warm up by the fireside! Grab some hot cocoa, curl up by the beautiful fireplace, and play a board game together as a family (bring your own or borrow one from the selection already here). Or let everyone relax by watching a movie. With TVs and high speed internet (I was glad to be able to work seamlessly while on vacation), ‘down time’ is easy. If you want a treat, try what we call a ‘Mountain Snow Cone’: grab a cup of fresh snow, add maple syrup and a dash of milk, stir, and enjoy!

A note on dining: One of our favorite things about renting a vacation home from HomeAway is the ability to cook and dine at home instead of eat out. We just find it more restful (and affordable) with three kids who are always tired out by the day’s activities. During our stay, we only visited one restaurant (besides the dining venues at Sierra at Tahoe ski resort), and it was excellent. It’s called Freshies, and it’s a local Hawaiian fusion favorite. Don’t let the tucked away strip mall location deter you! (3330 Lake Tahoe Blvd.) If you do decide to eat out regularly, South Tahoe has just about any cuisine you could ask for (approximately 15-20 minutes from the house).

For summer vacationers, note that the trailhead for the Desolation Wilderness area is steps from our vacation home’s door, as well!

If you’re interested in the experience we had, the home we rented can be found here at HomeAway. As stated previously, HomeAway generously hosted us during this portion of our Tahoe Holiday. This compensation came with no expectation of a positive review. Read all our articles in our Home (Away) for the Holidays series!

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Home (Away) for the Holidays: Sierra at Tahoe’s Blizzard Mountain

December 27, 2010 By

Sierra at Tahoe is a wonderful place for families to ski or ride, but sometimes, you just want to take it easy with a day of snow play. Or maybe you have young children who aren’t up for a day on the slopes quite yet. Either way, if your idea of a fun family winter activity is a day in the snow, Sierra’s Blizzard Mountain might be just the thing!

Located conveniently away from the hustle and bustle of the main ski lodge and parking area, families will find Blizzard Mountain in Sierra’s E Lot. With parking directly in front, there’s no trudging through the ice or snow (and kids getting cold before they even get there). At the ticket booth, you’ll find helmet rentals (if desired) in addition to tubing tickets (good for a two hour window). Snow toys such a brick makers and snowball shapers are available free to use, and several play cabins provide shelter from snowfalls (or enemy snowball fire).

Blizzard Mountain recently moved location at Sierra, which meant that not everything was up and running at the time of our visit, such as the rope tow to spare kids from the uphill climb to the top of the tubing runs (the walk was no big deal) and the fire pit (operating when weather permits). There were picnic tables to use, however, and plenty of the white stuff!

The area is fully staffed, and the tubing runs (of which there are two) are fairly mild, making Blizzard Mountain perfect for families with young kids. Toby and his cousin, visiting for the day, especially loved sledding together in the double tube! (For older kids, we recommend nearby Adventure Mountain two miles further on Hwy 50). Sierra’s snowshoe trail also connects at Blizzard Mountain, providing more for families to do in the snow. (Snowshoes can be rented at the main lodge.)

Note: Blizzard Mountain opens weather permitting. Call Guest Services at 530.659.7453 ext. 0 before arrival to ensure hours of operation.

Date last visited: December 22, 2010

Distance from the interstate: Right off Hwy 50.

Ticket prices: $20 per person for two hours. For non-tubing visitors, snow play access is $10 per person.

Directions: From South Lake Tahoe, take Hwy 50 up Echo Summit to Sierra at Tahoe.

Get a sneak peak of Blizzard Mountain with the Pit Stops for Kids’ Kid Cam:

As I disclose with all compensated reviews, Sierra at Tahoe generously hosted us for this portion of our Tahoe Holiday review series. While we greatly appreciate their hospitality, this compensation came with no expectation of a positive review. Read all our articles in our Home (Away) for the Holidays series!

Home (Away) for the Holidays: Sierra at Tahoe ski resort

December 24, 2010 By

We’re a family who loves to ski. We’ve visited many ski resorts, including a large sampling of what the Lake Tahoe area has to offer. During our Home (Away) for the Holidays vacation week, our rental home is right at the base of Sierra at Tahoe resort, so we checked it out. In a word:

Wow.

family ski resort

We don’t say that lightly, but Sierra at Tahoe has so much going for it, we were floored. It is, without a doubt, the most family-friendly mid-sized ski resort we’ve ever visited. What makes it so great?

It’s in the details. Sierra at Tahoe is like the host or hostess who thinks of everything to make your stay convenient and enjoyable. If you ski with young kids, you know how the experience can either be great…or terrible. And it can turn in an instant. Long treks from the car to the lodge, long lift lines, difficult terrain, expensive tickets…it can all add up to a miserable time. We know; we’ve been there. But Sierra makes the extra effort to ensure families have an easy time of it. How?

Preferred family parking and drop-off lines. For a small fee, you can enjoy parking right up front…not a lot to pay when you’re lugging not only your own ski gear but likely your toddler’s. And if that’s not in the budget, just use their drop-off zone. Let the kids and one adult unload with all the gear, go park, and meet back up!

Groomed trails and powder...the perfect combination!

Affordable ticket prices. Skiing is an expensive sport, and Sierra is cognisant of this fact. Ticket prices here are lower than the Tahoe average, and deals abound. If you plan to ski more than one day, consider buying their 3 Pak, which saves you over $20 a day for adults and $5 a day for kids. And there are no blackout dates. They’ve also bundled lift tickets with ski or board rentals and lessons for those families who need them with their $35 Learn to Ski or Ride packages.

Extra ticket options perfect for families: Sierra at Tahoe is the only resort we’ve visited to offer Parent Predicament tickets and Fast Pass tickets. How do they work? Parent Predicament: if two parents are visiting with a non-skiing child or baby, this ticket allows you to buy just one ticket to share instead of two (to waste). Just ask for it at the ticket booth, and you’ll be able to ‘tag team’ ski all day long! Fast Pass: Part of Sierra’s Vertical Plus program, families can add Fast Pass privileges to any ticket for $20. We used this feature, and let me tell you, on a busy holiday day or weekend, it’s worth its weight in gold. Instead of waiting in the regular lift lines, we accessed the Vertical Plus line (marked with a yellow banner), and didn’t wait more than one minute all day long. We more than made up for the price of the upgrade in increased ski time! Insider Tip: If you pair this upgrade with a 3 Pak, which saves you $20/day, you essentially come out even!

Professional children’s programs and features. When it came time to hire a children’s ski school staff, Sierra went looking for childcare professionals, not babysitters. Their children’s programs are run by experienced early childhood learning instructors, with an emphasis on both skiing and riding fun and education. We loved that there are several ski school areas across the mountain so that children (and adults) can learn with peers in their own age group. And if your kids aren’t taking lessons, there’s still great features on the mountain for them. Look for Sierra’s Adventure Zones, designated on the trail map by a paw print. Our kids had fun trying to spot the mine shaft, bear cave, and more…all located in various spots on the mountain.

A unique terrain. Sierra’s layout is unique in several respects. Firstly, the mountain is designed in a way that allows families to split up and meet back up easily. Lodges and restaurants are located for easy access, and runs feed into a central ‘bowl’, making it easy to ‘meet at the lodge’. The mountain’s groomers even go so far as to consider beginning skiers and riders when shaping the runs, ensuring less hiking, stopping, and frustration. More importantly to us, easy, intermediate, and advanced terrain are seamlessly intermixed, allowing family members with different ability levels to ski together. Toby (age 6) loved that he could ride the chair to the peak of the mountain with his brothers, and still find a fun, easy way down while they tackled moguls and powder.

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A great location. Because Sierra at Tahoe is located in Eldorado National Forest, skiers and riders are surrounded by wilderness…not condos and excess parking lots. The only area in Tahoe with an old-growth forest, the powder and tree skiing is awesome. Advanced skiers and riders will love Huckleberry Gates, a section on the far side of the mountain with back-country style access to trees, powder, cornices, and drop-offs. Experts can be highly challenged but still meet up with beginners in the lift line!

Plenty of on-mountain dining. We ate at The Pub and Aspen Cafe during our visit, both of which were delicious. We loved that nearly every on-site restaurant offers affordable kid meals, and that outside food is permitted. No one wants to spend all their vacation money on lunch!

More than just skiing: If you’re not sure whether downhill skiing is for you and your family (or if you just need a break from skiing on an off-day), Sierra also has a full tubing and snow play park and over three miles of snowshoe trails. Tubes are available on-site, and snowshoes can be rented in the ski and board rental center.

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Date last visited: March 2016

Website: www.sierraattahoe.com

Distance from the Interstate: Two minutes from US Hwy 50. 15 miles from South Lake Tahoe, and 80 miles from I-5 near Sacramento, CA.

Directions: From South Lake Tahoe, just take Hwy 50 over Echo Summit to the Sierra at Tahoe entrance!

Check out the Pit Stops for Kids’ Kid Cam for a sneak peak of Sierra at Tahoe!

As I disclose with all compensated reviews, Sierra at Tahoe generously hosted us for this portion of our Tahoe Holiday review series. While we greatly appreciate their hospitality, this compensation came with no expectation of a positive review. Read all our articles in our Home (Away) for the Holidays series!


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