Well Tahoe, you were a treat!  We may have come back short one pair of skis (more on that later) and may not have tried your restaurants or bars, but your mountains, snow and gorgeous views did not disappoint. The fresh air and a weekend away were exactly what both of us needed after the past six weeks of going non-stop.

We spent four nights relaxing with Dane and Kristine in her family’s Truckee home.  Each night we found ourselves curled up on the couches, watching a movie (Jobs and Black Mask), sharing a huge bowl of popcorn and sipping wine. Their fireplace was constantly on while we were home, and our bellies were beyond happy with the many meals cooked together.

Kristine and I chose almond butter, banana, cinnamon, honey and Ezekiel bread as our morning breakfast while Dane and Bo whipped up eggs, bacon and toast. Our slope meals were not the heavy, three-hour long lunches we experienced while skiing in France and Switzerland, but they were better than expected. In fact, Kristine and I were both able to get our daily dose of greens slope side with huge, made to order kale salads. Bo was in his glory, putting the well-appointed kitchen to good use, especially the huge gas stove. Our group planned dinners based on what we were craving: roasted chicken, ribs and hamburgers were requested from the crowd while one-night dinner ended up being our two-hour post ski happy hour food fest which included homemade guacamole, a cheese and meat plate, apple and almond butter and wine. We enjoyed this so much that we ended up the one dinner reservation we made due to full bellies.

The weather the first day prohibited three of us from skiing since only the black runs were open in the afternoon at Squaw Creek. But, while Bo skied, the rest of us spent two hours exploring the shops, restaurants and fireplaces in Squaw Creek’s village. Luckily due to improved conditions our entire group was able to ski on both Friday and Saturday. I challenged myself by skiing blue and double blue runs all day, even trying my hand at some moguls and a bowl. Kristine witnessed my trepidation, or as she called it “assessing the situation” first hand, but unlike years past, this only occurred on two runs and lasted just a few moments.  The skiing in Tahoe was exactly what we hoped for – a beautiful mountain which has a great mix of runs for all abilities. We were able to ski for hours each day without growing bored or even doing the same run more than a few times. I especially appreciated the fact that even though it was ski week in California, when many kids have winter holiday from school, the slopes and resort were still wide enough not to feel packed.

The resort itself exceeded our expectations twice during our visit.  On Thursday, they gladly refunded me for the one day of skiing I couldn’t enjoy since the mountain was open! Then, on Saturday, when my skis, unfortunately, were stolen or “borrowed” by another skier during lunch, they let me use a pair of demo ski on the house. While I was beyond frustrated to lose my K2 skis, which I’ve loved dearly the past two years, they helped ensure that it didn’t ruin our day.

Overall, I would highly recommend heading to Tahoe if you are looking for a beautiful, relaxed mountain getaway. During the winter months, the area is alive with ski and snowboarders while the Summer beckons hikers, bikers and water lovers to the lake and mountains.

Thank you again, Kristine and Dane, for hosting us this weekend!