Mondays are for Dreaming: Snow Play
Here in California we have gotten rain, rain and more rain. This has translated in the mountains to snow, snow and more snow. My family has never been much into skiing, but that is no reason not to expose the kids to the fun of winter snow. This Monday I am dreaming of a mountain getaway. In my dreams this would be a cottage near a hill that includes a sled in the garage (like we own a sled), a hot tub on the patio and a cupboard full of Baileys and hot chocolate. In my attempts to actually plan for such a future trip, I have come across some nearly-as-nice alternatives:
Get a cabin: One would think finding and reserving a cabin at the height of ski season in north or south Lake Tahoe would be incredibly difficult and expensive. This does not have to be the case. Checking out craigslist under “vacation rentals” yielded some excellent deals. One gentleman, Jim, let me know that he found a studio condo at the base of Donner one Friday night for $100/night, negotiated to have the cleaning fee waived, and had it booked within one hour. He mentions that on Thursday or Friday night, its a buyers market for great cabin deals.
Go skiing: Boreal (one of the closest ski resorts to the Sacramento area) has a really nice program if you stay for a while. Its called 1-2-3 Ride Free where the first lesson is $75, the next two lessons are $25 each, then on the fourth lesson you get a season pass. This is offered for kids/adults ages 8 and older and includes equipment rental. Mount Rose, which is actually about 15 minutes northeast of Lake Tahoe, offers an nice family deal called Runs N’ Roses in which you can get 2 adult and 2 kid (12 and under) tickets for $130 any day of the week. Kids 5 and under ski free. Many skiers have their favorite hill, but if you are not so familiar with the plethora of ski resorts surrounding Lake Tahoe, here is a site that seems to rank them according to what you might want out of a ski run.
Find a snowpark: Personally my kids (5yrs and 3yrs) are a bit young for me to want to try skiing with them. I have heard of a few snow parks with tubes and fun that are worth checking out. A couple of people have suggested I check out Planet Kids. It is in Soda Springs, which is a little over 2 1/2 hours from Sacramento. For $20 -25 your kid can tube down hills all day. There are areas designated for kids 42″ and higher, and a place appropriate for the little ones as well. The latter, designed for kids 8 and under, has a climbing carpet to help them get up the hills, a tube carousel, a climbing volcano, and a sleigh ride to get to the location. A bit closer to the Sacramento area is the Dell Osso Family Farm. It is less than an hour and offers 90-minute tubing sessions, a zip line, reindeer, lights, and looks to be a whole lot of fun. At this point in the year they are only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and close after the end of February. Also, here is a list for snowparks through the CA Parks and Recreation Dept.
We admittedly only see the snow once or twice a year. As of now, that is just about right for us. But I do look forward to getting to the mountains more often and really enjoying the frosty air. Besides, a good few hours in the snow makes the Baileys/hot chocolate taste even better.
Thanks to Mara for hosting the Mondays are for Dreaming. Be sure to check out her site for more travel dreams.
Ah yes. I remember the days that I could go to the snow, instead of the snow being thrust upon me…for 5 months. I miss having the choice. And it’s so much more fun when you do.
Definitely go to Lake Tahoe and enjoy it!
Even though I live in the South, I’m dreaming of a ski trip as well. We can drive about 5 hours to a small ski resort in NC.
I like this dream and have just made this resolution myself after we had such a fabulous family ski trip two weeks ago. I do recommend finding a place with alternative activities when you have little kids – my younger one wasn’t up to skiing all day.
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