Travel Tuesday:  Travel Guide to Family-Friendly South Lake Tahoe

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!  All this rainy Spring weather must mean there’s still a few weeks left to play in the snow.

Living in Northern California, it’s always nice to know we can drive to a ton of fun destinations and Tahoe is definitely one of them.

Here’s my guide when traveling with kids & dogs to South Lake Tahoe to ensure you’ll have a good time!

Where to Stay:

We went on 2 recent trips to South Tahoe and both times, we stayed at places that were in good locations and close to all the resorts.

Beach Retreat Hotel

Both kid-friendly & dog-friendly, this hotel was right on the lake which made it very easy for us to play in the snow and also walk the dogs.  They also have a restaurant inside the lobby that isn’t too bad either.

The hotel had a private pier behind it where they had a restaurant as well.
Our room came with a nice and cozy fireplace. 

The view of the lake/beach right behind the hotel.

…or Rent a Cabin

With my entire family, we stayed at a super cute cabin (think Tiny Homes on HGTV).  We loved it and how cozy it felt!  Location was also very good and affordable as well.  Information to rent this cabin is available in the photo below.

Though small, we still felt comfortable and besides, aren’t tiny homes all the rage now?!
   

    
    
    
 

Things to Do:

Go Sledding the Lake

Nothing is more fun than going sledding with kids.  There was a store right next door to the Beach Retreat Hotel that sold many different items & we chose a 3-man toboggin so we could all go down together.

We were able to go sledding at the lake/beach right behind.

Good Ol’ Fashion Play

When you’ve got all the right gear & no one is complaining, roll around, make a snow angel or build a snowman.

We let Dahlia have fun and apparently, the dogs did too!  Bella had a little too much fun if you ask me!

Being on the lake was a lot of fun and there was a lot of snow to play in as well!

  

 

Go to Adventure Mountain

This place is awesome for sledding, tubing, playing in the snow, and they even have trails for snowshoeing.  Best of all, the cost is per car at $28  and we didn’t have to pay extra because we bought our own sleds and saucers beforehand.   

Note:  you can being pets here but they can only roam in the parking lot, not near the sled runs

http://adventuremountaintahoe.com

  

    

We found Olaf at Adventure Mountain!    

    
 

Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort for it All

If you’re looking for a bit more than just playing in the snow, head to Sierra-at-Tahoe where they have good runs for skiers, snowboarders, lessons for kids and also a tubing/sledding area called Blizzard Mountain, which was a little pricey, but most bigger resorts are.

We came here and were able to get some boarding in as well as sledding with Dahlia!

We were also able to buy discounted tickets through our work.  Definitely check with your work to see if there are any discounts on lift tickets, Costco may be a good option as well.  

    
    
 Heavenly Village for Ice Skating or Movies

In addition to the Heavenly Resort for snow fun, Heavenly Village has a few other things to offer families as well such as ice skating and going to the movies as well.

Ice Skating is open daily from 10am – 8pm & there are skates for rent and check the Heavenly Village Cinema for movie times.

Places to Eat/Drink:

Base Camp Pizza

It is always packed here and there is a very good reason why.   Pizza is very tasty especially after a long day of playing in the snow, but if waiting is not what you want to do (because it might a while) order to go!

  
  

The FreeBird
This is the spot for an amazing start to your day.  This small shop has got amazing drinks and some snacks.  Our favorites are the in-house made chai tea and the Super Mario Bowl packed with so much goodness.  I’m drooling just thinking about it!

  

    

  

Naked Fish Sushi

We came here on a busy night so expect to wait.  Sushi is good and so is the service.

The Red Hut Cafe

Though we didn’t come here on our more recent trips, The Red Hut Cafe is the kind of place that has it all and is really good!  You can’t go wrong here.

All the rain has really helped South Lake Tahoe so go out there and enjoy it!