Beautiful Snowy Day

by: TahoeKidsGuide.com
As of February 16, 2009, Squaw Valley reports receiving 273 inches of snow at 8200 feet elevation this ski season. So far, 76 of these 273 inches accumulated in the month of February 2009.
Weather reports project Lake Tahoe will receive snow on 6 out of the next 10 days.

Lake Tahoe Coupons-Fireside Pizza at Squaw

Winterizing Your Car for Snow Driving

by: TahoeKidsGuide.com
As Lake Tahoe gets more and more fresh powder, you and your family might be thinking of a trip to Lake Tahoe. Here are some suggestions for winterizing your car:

1. Perform routine servicing on your car before your trip.
   Flush the cooling system and replace the coolant.


2. Replace the windshield wiper blades (wipers that work well are more important, in the snow, than some realize.)


3. Put windshield washer fluid, not water, in the windshield washer reservoir (plain water will freeze, so don't use that).


4. Have the battery serviced (clean the battery terminal ends and add water) and load-tested to check its ability to hold a charge. If the battery is old, replace it.


5. Use a tire gauge to check the tire pressure. Air contracts in cold weather; your tires will loose pressure in freezing temperatures.
   Make sure there is air in the spare tire and that all the proper tire-changing equipment is in the trunk.


6. Make sure the tires are in good condition.


7. You are likely to need snow tires and all wheel drive or snow chains. If you'll be using chains, it's a good idea to buy them before you leave home. They're likely to cost less than what you would buy on the road, and you'll have a chance to familiarize yourself with how to put them on.


8. Check the lights, heater and defroster. Each are vital to safe driving in the snow.


9. Keep the gas tank as full as possible to prevent moisture from freezing in the gas lines. In addition, there's really nothing more frustrating than looking for a gas station in a snow storm, with a low tank of gas.


10. Get your brakes checked.


11. Put together an emergency winter kit for the trunk of your car: flares, blanket, extra boots, energy bars, waterproof gloves, water-proof pants, ice scraper, small snow shovel, flashlight and kitty litter (for traction when stuck in the snow).


12. Keep your cell phone charged.


13. Make sure your AAA card is in your wallet. (My dad would be disappointed if I hadn't included this one! Thanks Dad.)

That reminds me...here are a few more helpful hints:

• Live Video of Lake Tahoe Roads
• Dressing for the Snow
• Some of Our Favorite Stops Along I-80 Between the Bay Area and Tahoe

The First Road from Sacramento to Truckee

by: TahoeKidsGuide.com

As families contemplate making the drive through Sacramento to Lake Tahoe, over the February Vacation week, I wondered when families first started making that journey to Lake Tahoe.

According to Lyndall Baker Landauer in her little book, This is Lake Tahoe, a Short History of the Lake Tahoe Basin , "A tour route [to Lake Tahoe] opened in 1915 with much advertising and fanfare. It enabled the use of a wonderful new invention: the automobile with its gas engine. The hardy traveler in his Reo, Olds, or Oakland, could leave Sacramento, drive up the highway to Truckee, along the canyon to Tahoe City, and south beside the shore of the lake. The road wound past Emerald Bay and Tallac, into Lake Valley, up the Meyers Grade to Echo Summit, and down Highway 50 back to Sacramento."

To see live video of Lake Tahoe roads, visit TahoeKidsGuide.com Road Conditions page.

Lake Tahoe Road Conditions-Live Video

Lake Tahoe Road Conditions-Live Videos

Tahoe Discounts (February 2009)

by: TahoeKidsGuide.com
New snow fell on February 5th and 6th, and February Ski Week Vacation is approaching for many California and Nevada schools. With family budgets in mind, here are our family's favorite Tahoe Discounts (as of today-February 6, 2009):

Ski Tahoe North Interchangeable Lift Ticket: At only $62 per day, with no blackout dates and 2-for-1 purchasing power at Diamond Peak, this is likely to be the best deal around during the February Ski Break. Ski at any or all of the following resorts: Alpine Meadows, Diamond Peak (2 for 1 value), Homewood Resort, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Squaw Valley USA and Sugar Bowl. Call 1-877-949-3296 and press 1 for more information.

Diamond Peak Ski Resort has an entire page of discounts. Buying tickets at participating Costco stores is a great savings: $72.99 for two tickets. (Compared to $99, if you wait until you get here.) If it's your birthday...you ski free! Remember the Interchangeable Parents' Pass. With this ticket, mom and dad can share one ticket ($49), by trading off during the day. If you're taking an airplane to get here, Diamond Peak is offering 50% off a ski or snowboard rental when you show your airline boarding pass. Take out the hassle of flying with your ski equipment! Military discounts: Active, Retirees ski free midweek and non-holidays. Active, Retirees and Dependents can purchase a $39 ticket on weekends and holidays. Show a season pass from another resort, and ski for $35.

Homewood Mountain Resort offers a list of deals too. By skiing on selected days, you can ski 29 days for $29; even if you're only skiing a few of these days, this is a bargain. You must buy this ticket on-line. Show a season pass from another resort and ski for $25. Active military personnel ski free any day, including holidays. Get $5 off when you show you skied the day before, or when you ride the Tahoe Area Rapid Transit (T.A.R.T.).

Northstar-at-Tahoe offers quite a few discounts. Many of them, however, are not offered during the Februay Ski Break (Feb 14-20). The new Quad Pack Tickets are valid during this time period. Purchase your lift tickets at participating REI stores for a discount. If you start out early in the morning, and decide to quit early, turn in your single-day lift ticket by 12:30 p.m. to the ticket and pass office at the Village Center and receive a partial credit coupon for your next all-day visit. With the "Parent's Predicament Ticket", mom and dad can share one ticket ($83-two days required with a one day grace period.) by trading off during the day.

Squaw Valley: Kids ages 12 and younger ski and snowboard for only $10 every day all season. Kids don't need a lift ticket if they're enrolled in an all-day ski school program. Squaw also offers multi day packages.

Alpine Meadows: The Alpine Club offers the bulk of the savings at Alpine.

Heavely Mountain Resort: Visit a participating Save Mart or Lucky store, and walk out with an Adult Heavenly direct-to-lift ticket for just $70 - a savings of up to $16*. Teen and Youth Lift Tickets are also available .

Attention Tahoe Businesses: Contact Us with your discount offers; we'll add them to our Tahoe Discounts page, at no charge to you!

All Fired Up and Other Indoor Play Places at Tahoe

by: TahoeKidsGuide.com

As Valentines Day approaches, the kids and I went in search of a place to make a special gift for Dad. Gifts that are hand-made by children are treasures.

My mom kept a clay cast of my hand made in kindergarten. Some time in the 70's it dropped and broke into, exactly, nine pieces. Mom lovingly glued each piece back together and replaced the handprint in the china cabinet. Before mom passed away a few years ago, she made sure I had the clay handprint carefully displayed in our family china cabinet. There it proudly sits today, now a reminder of the magic of a mother's love.

With this in mind, the kids and I headed off to "All Fired Up" Tahoe City's paint-your-own-pottery studio. I was excited to learn that, in addition to pottery painting, All Fired Up offers clay classes each Wednesday from 4p to 8p. We agreed to return for a second visit to play with clay.

Since this first visit was on a Saturday, we set about to paint our pottery. There were all kinds of white bisque pieces for us to choose from. After much deliberation, the kids each decided to paint a plate. (It was a tough decision between the plate and the "cool" transformer-looking figure.)

After choosing our ready to paint bisque pieces, we decided what to paint, picked out our paint colors and brushes and sat down to paint.

Seated at a table next to us was a family with two young girls. The four year old girl and her parents were happily painting while her 10 month old sister was cooing and playing next to them in one of the highchairs supplied by All Fired Up.

We had fun creating, talking, sharing and learning. Our youngest finished his project before the rest of us, so he played with the toys All Fired Up has available until the rest of us were ready to go.

We all enjoyed our visit to All Fired Up, and look forward to returning some Wednesday to work with clay.

Our plates were placed in the kiln after we left, and will be available to pick up the next day. Out-of-town visitors will be glad to know that All Fired Up can ship your creations home, if you'd like.

For information about more Indoor Play Places at Lake Tahoe visit TahoeKidsGuide.com.

Our Visit to Homewood Mountain Resort

Yesterday, our family went exploring again. This time we scouted-out Homewood Mountain Resort. Homewood is a great mountain to learn and improve on with the majority of the terrain designated as beginner or intermediate. Equipment rentals are available and there are a number of lesson options for children and adults. Possibly one of the best features, especially for families, is that it is not difficult to get to the mountain.

In fact, you don't even need to drive yourself there. Homewood will pick you up! Brooke drives the Homewood "Dial-a-Ride" shuttle van. Simply call her, and she will pick you up where you're staying and take you back when you're ready to go home.

The shuttle vans appear new, clean and safe, including studded snow tires. Call Brooke, between 8a and 5p, for a ride: (530) 525.2922, she's looking forward to hearing from you.

We drove our own car, and had no trouble parking. It was lunchtime when we arrived, and families were enjoying grilled burgers, hot dogs and more on the North Patio. You'll find the grill open Saturdays and Sundays, during the Winter, from 11 a to 4p. The North Base also offers adult ski lessons, equipment rental, lift access, and lift ticket sales.

Our next stop was about a 1/2 mile down the road, at the Homewood's South Base Lodge. Before Homewood added this area to their resort, it was a separate ski resort called, Tahoe Ski Bowl. Homewood runs shuttle buses between the North Base and South Base lodges, and there is parking and lift access at both base lodges.

At South Base Lodge you can find Homewood's brand new Children’s Center. The "Snow Rangers" program teaches skiing to kids from 4 to 6 years old. There is a special area reserved just for the Snow Ranger lessons.

Homewood's "Mountain Rangers" program offers instruction, to kids from 7 to 12 years old, in skiing and boarding. Reservations, for both programs, can be made by calling: (530)525-1265 from 8:30am to 4pm. Kids' ski lessons at Homewood are also among the more affordable at the Lake, ranging from $70 for an afternoon lesson to $105 for a full day lesson.

Parents that don't want to ski, can watch Snow Ranger lessons or relax on the South Base Lodge patio, where you can enjoy oak fired half chickens and top sirloin steak with all the fixins.

Next year, Homewood is slated to begin construction on their 5-star boutique hotel with up to 75 rooms, approximately 40 two-bedroom, two-bath, individually-owned condo hotel suites, approximately 30 individually-owned penthouse units (top floor) and a lodge with a full service restaurant, spa and fitness facility.

In addition to underground parking, Homewood also plans 25,000 square feet of retail space designed to include: a grocery store, hardware store and an ice cream parlor.

At the current South Base Lodge, Homewood envisions a residential area complimentary to the existing neighborhood. This area is planned to included 99 multi-family condominium residences, up to three stories, replacing the current lodge and ski school site. Eleven single family lots are also contemplated,on the north end of Tahoe Ski Bowl, overlooking Lake Tahoe and the North Base Lodge.

Tahoe in Winter - Top 5 Places to Visit Before You're 5

As parents, we know it's not always easy to find fun activities for your kids, especially when they are between the ages of birth and 5 years old. Here are the places at Lake Tahoe in the Winter that our kids and their friends liked best during these years:

Kidzone Museum: "Big Kids" aren't allowed in the special padded play area just for infants. Toddlers will love everything else in this delightful museum though. The feature exhibit this Winter is "Into Africa." Draw, paint or play with play with play dough with your toddler!

Children's Museum of Northern Nevada: Tired of saying "Don't Touch"? Let your toddlers toddle, push, pull, explore and giggle with the many exhibits at this children's museum.

Tahoe Childrens Foundation: Learn and play with other parents of children birth to 42 months old. Open gym hours are every Saturday morning.

Tahoe Tot Spot: Tumble, crawl, bounce and explore! Toddlers will feel free and inspired in this gym just for them.

Libraries: Each library around the lake has a designated storytime for kids and their parents to listen to wonderful tales. Families can also choose a book and cuddle up together in the reading area to read together.

Lake Tahoe Family Fun All Around the Lake

Lake Tahoe is a very family-friendly destination. The natural wonder of Lake Tahoe is great for exploring outside. Where your family chooses to stay at Lake Tahoe depends upon what your family likes to do and in what setting.

Generally speaking, South Lake Tahoe is more "developed" with large chain hotels and brand name stores. Most of the activities are centered around Heavenly Mountain Resort.

Further to the south, however, families will find Camp Richardson, an "old Tahoe" family resort, open all year. Nearby, is Taylor Creek, and of course the incredibly beautiful Emerald Bay.

Activities families can enjoy in the Winter at South Lake Tahoe include: ski or snow board lessons, a sleigh ride, sledding and tubing, snowmobile tour, ice skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, bowling, and so much more. Summer, Spring and Fall each offer distinct and wonderful family activities at South Lake Tahoe.
Heading north along the east shore of the lake is the Zephyr Cove Resort. Year-round families can enjoy a cruise on the lake aboard the M.S. Dixie. In the Winter, the snowmobile tours offered at resort are truly amazing. In the summer, the beach at Zephyr Cove is stunning. Lodging is available in small individual cabins, or at the campground and RV park across the street.
The North Shore of Lake Tahoe is much quieter than South Lake Tahoe. Incline Village features the Hyatt Regency Spa and Resort. Just up the road from the Hyatt is Diamond Peak Ski Resort. It is much smaller than Heavenly, but ideally suited for beginning skiers and families. Diamond Peak has a great Childrens Ski Center, and even offers an opportunity for the entire family to take lessons together.

Parents with children 0 to 3.5 years old can find fun activities at the Tahoe Childrens Foundation. Families can also go out for an evening of bowling, visit the Incline Skate Park in the Summer and Fall. In the Winter, head up Mount Rose Highway to the Tahoe Meadows to enjoy sledding, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. The hiking is great from Tahoe Meadows in the Summer and Fall.

Heading around the lake from Incline Village on the North Shore towards Tahoe City, don't miss a couple of locals' favorites. North Tahoe Regional Park offers the best machined groomed sledding hill for your money. Tahoe Cross Country is also a good deal for the money and one of the best groomed cross-country venues at the lake.
Tahoe City, along the west shore, offers plenty of activities, but not on the scale of South Lake Tahoe. Tahoe City is more along the lines of a mountain village with charming storefronts and local restaurants. Tahoe City, and really the entire lake, feature beautiful beaches. Among the favorite activities for families offered in Tahoe City, in the summer, is rafting down the Truckee River. (remember the sunscreen!)

Heading over the Truckee River in Tahoe City is traditionally done on "Fanny Bridge." The bridge earned this nick-name because visitors can be seen leaning over the bridge railing gazing at the beautiful water and fish in the river.

Continuing around the lake, families will soon arrive at the Homewood/Tahoma area of the lake. Homewood Mountain Resort is among the family-friendly venues in this area. Just next to Homewood Mountain Resort is the Tahoe Maritime Museum, a beautiful collection of wooden boats and other exhibits which highlight the lakes maritime history. This museum offers special activities for children (see an example in the picture to the right.)
Continuing still further south around the lake brings your family back to Emerald Bay. A magical adventure throunh nature, if not back into Lake Tahoe's history, is the one mile (each way) hike down to Vikingshom. Here's a fun fact to share with friends: Did you know the island in the middle of Emerald Bay is called Fanette Island?

Enjoy Your Visit to Lake Tahoe!