By Heather Broeker
South Lake Tahoe is a small mountain town with more snow than the Colorado
resorts. It also has as many casinos as nearby Reno. This begs the question: What can't you do in Tahoe in the winter?
Snow Business
South Lake has three class-A ski resorts, two within a short, free bus-ride of downtown, offering terrain parks and slopes of every difficulty. The snow also affords snowshoers and backcountry skiers easy access to the vast, Desolation Wilderness. Don't be fooled by the name. The forested area is full of wildlife and accessible from the end of almost any street in town.
Apres Ski
The casino strip lines the south shore of the lake and begins only a few blocks from the gondola at Heavenly. Gaming options abound, as do clubs like MontBleu resort's LA-style Blu. If you're sore after a day on the slopes head straight to their Aveda spa or skip the slopes entirely and opt for a full-day pass.
Get Married
Just like any good casino town, South Lake Tahoe offers hitching options that range from the long-planned to the last-minute. Chapel of the Bells is a roadside outfit that offers online marriage application and no wait between issuing your certificate and initiating the ceremony. Not ready to tie the knot? Then go for a romantic meal at Evans. Its American gourmet menu garnered the highest Zagat rating around the lake.
About the Author:
Originally from North Carolina, Heather Broeker studied journalism and advertising at the University of North Carolina. After graduation she moved to Los Angeles, where she worked for Fox Searchlight, Fox Reality and later as a writer and marketing director. Broeker now lives in Los Angeles and runs Head Over Heels, a writing and public relations company.
