Reno Hotel Deals and Casino Offers

Reno is the largest city in the state of Nevada after the three big cities in the Las Vegas area – Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson. It is about 30 miles North of Carson City, the Capital via scenic route 395. Reno proclaims itself as the Biggest Little City in the World – despite its size, the city focuses on providing outstanding service to visitors so as to keep them coming. The city of Sparks is nearby and the combined area including other nearby suburbs is called Truckee Meadows – named after Truckee River that crosses the valley through Reno. The entire Truckee Meadows area has a population of over 400,000. The city is just 15 miles east of the California border. It is around 5,000 feet above sea level on one of the Eastern slopes of the Sierra Mountains. Reno receives just about 7.5 inches of average annual rain fall and has a Steppe Climate. Daytime temperatures can be in the 90s (100s possible) and fall below 40s in the night during summer. Winter months (December & January) feature mild snowfall & icy hazardous road conditions occur occasionally. The area is distinctively windy throughout the year.

The state of Nevada legalized casino gambling and passed liberal divorce laws in the 1930s in a bid to keep the economy humming as the mining boom that started in the 1860s started to wane. Liberal tax laws was introduced beginning in the 1950s, again as a ploy to attract businesses which otherwise would settle in California or other states with more resources. More recently, huge entertainment oriented events has been a focus aimed at driving more business to the state. The combination of these factors has created a diverse economy that lead to the home construction boom-bust-cycle in the 21st century – the median home price has plunged from the $400,000 range in the 2006 bubble-peak to around $225,000 as of August 2010.

Reno was regarded the divorce capital of the world until the mid-twentieth century when other states & countries overhauled their divorce laws. The key legislation that allowed for easier divorces is the reduction of residency requirement from three months to just six weeks in 1931. Another key reason people choose Nevada is an easy procedure for marriage annulment which declares marriage as not valid – this allows bypassing of the 50/50 split in community property states including both California & Nevada. Introduction of more lenient divorce laws in other states along with competition from countries such as Dominican Republic (single day residency requirement, but not a US jurisdiction) and Guam (5-day residency requirement and it is in US jurisdiction) has eroded Reno’s business over the years. Even so, Reno remains a major center for people seeking divorces.

Reno is called Sin City, although it is well behind Las Vegas and Atlantic City in terms of providing adult oriented entertainment. Further, its gaming revenues have declined rapidly in recent times as competition from Indian Casinos in California has diverted business. Nevertheless, gambling remains big business in the Reno area with the resort-room count at over 13,000.

Reno Hotel Deals & Casino Offers from a variety of properties in the Reno/Sparks area as of early 2010 follow:

Property	Thumbnail	Best Rate Including Taxes and Resort Fees (if any)	Room Type	Description	Casino Offers & Entertainment options
Atlantis (Monarch Casino Resort)		$90	Motorlodge Queen Bed - NS	Opened in 1972 with around 1000 rooms in the Tropical theme.	Largest gaming floor in Reno city. Premium Concierge Tower with exclusive features for guests. Waterfalls, Torches, and Light Show.
Boomtown (Pinnacle Entertainment)		$90	North Tower Classic Queen Bed - NS	Opened in 1964 with around 318 rooms in the Wild West theme in Verdi, NV.	Family Fun Center with games for the whole family and a teen center with dancing and music. Occasionally hosts Eating competitions.
Circus Circus (MGM Resorts)		$49	Skytower – Standard Room 2 Queen - NS	Opened in 1978 with around 1600 rooms in the Circus theme.	Free Circus shows throughout the day. Carnival Games.
Club Cal Neva		$39	Standard NS	Opened in 1962 with over 300 rooms.	Most historic casino still open in Reno. Its sports betting book is one of the largest including satellite participants. La Tomatina en Reno (take on tomato fights in Spain) in its second successful year (August 28 & 29 2010).
Eldorado (Eldorado Resorts LLC, Carano Family)		$56	Standard – 2 Queen - NS	Luxury hotel opened in 1973 with over 800 rooms.	Broadway productions and other stage shows at the 800-seat theater. A variety of food related events through out the year.
Grand Sierra Resort (JPM Morgan Chase’s CreditMarkets Real Estate Firm)		$111	Standard – 2 Queen - NS	Located 3-miles East of downtown, the luxury themed hotel has over 2000 rooms. Opened in 1978. Largest hotel in the entire Northern Nevada area.	Laser Tag arena. 50-lane bowling alley. Shopping Center.
Harrah’s (Harrah’s Entertainment)		$85	East Tower Classic – 2 double beds	Luxury resort opened in 1937 (first Harrah’s hotel) with 950 rooms	Events & Shows at Sammy’s Showroom.
John Ascuaga’s Nugget (John Ascuaga and Family)		$127	West Tower – Deluxe – 2 Queen Beds	Sparks, NV resort opened in 1955 with 1600 rooms.	Celebrity Showroom with regular shows. Nugget Rib Cook Off festival held every September.
Peppermill (Peppermill Resorts)		$66	Montego Bay Room – 2 Queen Beds - NS	Opened in 1971 with around 1600 rooms in the Tuscany theme	Casino Cabaret – the lounge hosts free, live entertainment every night.
Sands Regency (Herbst Gaming)		$38	Standard – 2 Queen Beds - NS	Opened in 1970 with over 830 rooms
Siena (Barney Ng)		$80	Deluxe – 2 Queen Beds - NS	The newest boutique hotel casino in Downtown Reno opened in 2001 with over 200 rooms in the Siena, Italy theme located alongshore Truckee river	Spa at Siena. The hotel is undergoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings as of July 2010, but remains open.
Silver Legacy (MGM Resorts)		$102	Standard Queen - NS	Opened in 1995 with over 1700 rooms in the 19th century Victorian theme	Laser and Light Shows. Considered the crown jewel among Reno’s downtown casino resorts – Silver Legacy is a big sponsor of Reno area events and also hosts events such as “Climb the Legacy” for charity. They also sponsor a fireworks show on the rooftops on New Year’s Eve.

Reno holds several major events through-out the year. Hotel occupancy rates approach 100% during these events. Reno Hotel Deals and Casino Offers are hard to come by during these periods. The major events are:

Event	Thumbnail	Attendees	Dates	Description
The Great Reno Balloon Race		150,000	September (10-12, 2010)	In its 29th year, the balloon race is the nation’s largest free hot-air balloon festival. It is held at the Rancho San Rafael Park at 1595 N. Sierra Street. The event is free.
Hot August Nights		800,000	August (1-8, 2010)	In its 24th year, Hot August Nights is a very popular car show held in seven different venues over the course of a week with associated music and other entertainment events. Some events are free while others are not.
Best in the West Rib Cook-off		500,000	September (1-6, 2010)	In its 22nd year, scheduled to coincide with labor day holiday, the event is held at the Victorian Square, Sparks, NV between 14th street and Pyramid Way. Free entertainment on five different stages. Main event is the competition held at the Main Concert Stage (Wednesday 9/1/2010 at 6PM). Admission is free.
Reno Air Races		100,000	September (15-19, 2010)	In its 47th year, the event is held at the Reno Stead Airfield. Six classes of aircraft – two of them reaches speeds over 500mph. General admission for Adults at $10 to $19 on a sliding scale tied to the dates. Parking extra.
Street Vibrations		40,000	September (22-26, 2010)	In its 16th year, Metal, Music, and Motorcycles form the theme of this event. Free Admission. Many downtown Reno locations, Harley Davidson dealership, and in historic Virginia City.

The proximity of the Ski resorts in the Sierra Mountains along with the presence of several major water bodies allows visitors to enjoy both Summer & Winter recreational activities in the area. Many visitors bound for the major ski resorts around Lake Tahoe fly into Reno and choose to stay there for a few nights – when mountain passes from Northern California are closed, excellent deals can be found in the Reno area hotels as their California clientele disappears. Some visitors also choose to be in the Reno area for their entire stay, sticking to the smaller Mt. Rose Ski area just 30 miles shouth of Reno in the Carson area. The recreation options during the rest of the year is concentrated around the major water bodies around Reno – The Truckee River, Pyramid Lake, Washoe Lake, and Lake Tahoe. Each of these provide opportunities to swim, fish, water-ski, and parasail. Truckee River is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains into Pyramid Lake after covering 120 miles of terrain - it is popular among Kayakers, Fly Fishers, and River Rafters. Washoe Lake on the other hand attracts wind-surfers as well as Kiteboarders as the area has very high wind speeds. Lake Tahoe is a major landmark and tourist attraction in the California border – about two-thirds of the shoreline is in California – King’s Beach area around North Lake Tahoe and the South Lake Tahoe areas border Nevada and are dotted with casinos – the former is around an hours drive from Reno while the latter is 90 minutes away.

A sample of the Hotel Deals and Casino Offers as of early 2010 from a variety of properties in these border towns follow:

Property	Thumbnail	Best Rate Including Taxes	Room Type	Description	Entertainment options
Cal Neva Lodge & Casino (Canyon Capital Realty Advisors)		$78	Standard – 2 double beds	Opened in 1926 at North Shore – Crystal Bay, Nevada	Legendary resort with huge celebrity presence over the years – Frank Sinatra had part ownership in the early 60s. Casino Temporarily Closed as of 3/2010 till end of year. Restaurants, lounges, showroom and wedding facilities open.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort (Hyatt Hotels)		$208	Mountain View – 2 double beds	Four Diamond Luxury Resort & Casino opened in 1972 at North Shore – Incline Village, NV with over 400 rooms	Lakeside Ballroom, 20,000 square foot Stillwater Spa and Saloon, 500 feet of private lakefront beach and pier with cruises, rentals. Seasonal Floating Bar. Year-Round Lagoon Style Pool.
Harrah’s Lake Tahoe (Harrah’s Entertainment)		$185	Executive Room – 2 queen beds	Opened in 1955 with over 500 rooms at the South Lake Tahoe Stateline, NV	First Hotel to earn five-star diamond rating in casino history. Prime Entertainment at the 750-seat Shouth Shore Room.
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Casino and Resort (Harrah’s Entertainment)		$141	Deluxe Room – 2 queen beds	Opened in 1944 with over 700 rooms at the South Lake Tahoe Stateline, NV	Wedding Chapel, Convention Center, and full-service health club.
Horizon Casino Resort (Tropicana Entertainment)		$60	Alpine Deluxe – two double beds	Opened in 1965 with over 400 rooms athe South Lake Tahoe Stateline, NV	Elvis Presley performed here from 1971-76 and the suite he stayed is available to book.
MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa (Tropicana Entertainment)		$70	Spa Room – two queen beds	Opened in 1978 with over 400 rooms at the South Lake Tahoe Stateline, NV in the Nature theme	AAA 4 Diamond Restaurant Ciera Steak + Chophouse.

Related Posts:

1. Atlantic City Hotel Deals and Casino Offers.
2. Vegas Hotel Deals and Casino Offers.
3. Reno Hotel Deals and Casino Offers.

Last Updated: 03/2012.

Lake Tahoe Ski Areas (Granlibakken, Tahoe Donner, Boreal, Homewood, Kirkwood, Heavenly, Squaw) – A Comparative Review (Deals, Packages, Vacations):

The ski areas selected for this comparative review are those we have frequented with the exception of Boreal. Despite being the closest resort, we never managed to ski there, during our residence in the Bay Area. Below is a summarized spreadsheet detailing the features and pricing:

	Granlibakken	Tahoe Donner	Boreal	Homewood	Kirkwood	Heavenly	Squaw Valley
Hours	Ski/Snowboard Hill – Fri-Sun and holidays only. Snow Play Area – All Season.	9:00 AM to 4:00 PM	9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Night Operations starts 11/28 thru 3/27/2010.	9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.	9:00 AM to 4:00 PM	9:00 AM to 4:00 PM	9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Base Elevation	6310 ft	6750 ft	7200 ft	6240 ft	7800 ft	10067 ft	9050 ft
Summit Elevation	6610 ft	7350 ft	7700 ft	7880 ft	9800 ft	6540 ft	6200 ft
Vertical Drop	300 ft	600 ft	500 ft	1640 ft	2000 ft	3527 ft	2850 ft
Skiable Area	10 acres	120 acres	380 acres	1260 acres	2800 acres	4800 acres	4000 acres
Lifts	1 rope pull 1 T-bar.	1 Quad, 1 Double, 2 Conveyor lifts for bunny hills.	1 Quad, 3 Triples, and 4 Magic Carpets.	1 Quad, 2 Triples, 1 Double, and 4 Surface Lifts.	2 Quads, 7 Triples, 1 Double, and 2 Conveyor lifts.	1 Aerial Tram, 1 Gondola, 2 six-person chairs, 7 quads, 5 triples, 4 doubles, 8 conveyor lifts, and 2 magic carpets.	34 lifts of different kinds including a high-camp cable car and a funitel.
Runs	Two runs. 50% Green, 50% Blue.	14 runs – 40% Green, 60% Blue.	42 runs – 30% Green, 55% Blue, and 15% Black.	60 runs – 15% Green, 50% Blue, 35% Black.	65 runs – 15% Green, 50% Blue, 20% Black, and 15% Double Blacks.	96 runs – 20% Green, 45% Blue, 35% Black.	170 runs – 25% Green, 45% Blue, 30% Black
Pricing	Click for Details.	Click for Details.	Click for Details	Click for Details.	Click for Details	Click for details.	Click for Details

Granlibakken is the smallest of the ski resorts – the entire ski area can be summarized as a solitary run down a petite hill. The crowd comprises by and large of families with young kids with emphasis on absolute beginners. The helping mentality of the parents is laudable and well appreciated at the rope pull and the bunny hill. This makes for a relaxed air all around. A T-bar lift is the available lift option. Though easy to familiarize with, in our opinion is unsuitable for kids under 5 or under 40 pounds. Once the kids master the basics, it is indeed the time to step up to resorts with better lift options.

Tahoe Donner is a lesser-known resort on the smallish side with just 120 acres of skiable acreage and a total of 12 runs. The positives with this resort are its family orientation, proximity, and good deals on certain dates. However, there are some downsides as mentioned in our review.

Boreal is the closest of these ski resorts from the east Bay Area and Sacramento. The feedback we have on the resort is that though family oriented it tends to get crowded.

Homewood with breathtaking views has a very sizeable mountain and skiable acreage. The location of Squaw Valley in close proximity may explain why Homewood is not listed high among premium resorts in Tahoe. A downside worth mention is the bottleneck in getting to the summit via Ellis chair – the lift takes forever to get there and the line is invariably large. One alternative is to negotiate Tailings (blue run) from Madden Triple Chair drop-off area and then use the high-speed Old Homewood Express chair to reach the summit.

Kirkwood involves a little more drive compared to the other resorts mentioned in this review. The majestic Kirkwood was in our radar since our first year (2003) with kids, but we are yet to assess how accommodating it is for families with young kids – they sometimes have good deals for kids and that can make it a tempting option worth checking out…

Heavenly is the biggest and by far the most crowded. Ticket pricing that tends to be towering along with the additional traffic time made it not too appealing to us. The silver lining for frequent skiers is that the season pass is a good deal – specifically, the restricted pass has just eight blackout days – undoubtedly fine value.

Squaw Valley is the most famous of the ski resorts in Northern California having hosted the 1960 winter Olympics. Wonderful resort but again pricing is steep. Deals for kids are sometimes on offer and that can make it much more affordable for families. Further, the all-day ticket price applies for night-skiing as well and that can make it a deal for some that have the energy to ski for 12 hours.

Related Posts:
1. Introducing Kids to Snow Sports (Sledding/Skiing) in the Lake Tahoe Area.
2. Tahoe Donner Skiing – Family Experience/Review.
3. Frugal Living – Skiing Story.
4. Lake Tahoe Ski Areas (Granlibakken, Tahoe Donner, Boreal, Homewood, Kirkwood, Heavenly, Squaw) – A Comparative Review.


Last Updated: 03/2012.

Frugal Living – Skiing Story

Downhill skiing is a winter sport our family enjoys. We got started on skiing in the latter half of the 90’s but took a break for about five years until our youngest turned two. In 2003, we introduced the kids to snow starting with sleds and saucers. We went to Lake Tahoe five to six days a year during the period through 2010.

The obstacle to skiing is the lofty costs associated with almost everything connected to this sport starting with getting to the mountains. From the Bay Area, it is still over three hours to the nearest mountain.

Below is a rough estimation of the costs involved for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids) to ski in the Bay Area:

Service	Cost per day
Equipment rentals	$120 ($30)
Lift Tickets	$200 ($70 adults and $30 for kids)
Food	$160 ($10 average per meal)
Lodging	$200
Transportation	$25
Total	$700

An expense total of $700 per day for a family is pricey from any angle! Adding to this is the one time expense for the rudimentary items such as ski-gloves, goggles, bib, thermals, helmets, etc. and operating cost spiral out of control very quickly.

When weighing skiing as a wintertime family entertainment option, we were well aware of these costs and started looking into ways to ease it. A sports store provides a sticker shock at well over $1000 a set explaining why a good percentage of skiers tend to rent them at the resort ($30 average per person per set). An alternative is to rent them at a retail store for $15-$20 per person per set. For a family of four, $60 to $80 per day on equipment rental is still expensive. We purchased complete sets (skis, boots, and poles) through a combination of sources such as Craigslist and eBay – most of the items were used and that kept the price in check. All said and done, the four of us ended up with full sets for just over $600 – obviously, a far cry compared to over $4000 for brand spanking ones. Additionally we purchased new ski-gloves, goggles, bib, and thermals for kids (the parents chose to use theirs from seven years back) – from after-season sales for a significant discount. Altogether, the entire purchase including the ski-carrier for the car came in at just under $900 – not an insignificant amount by any measure. Below is a summary of our expenses to purchase ski equipment:

Equipment	Type	Condition	Price	Source & Description
Head Skis (with Bindings), Nordica Boots, and Kerma Poles	Kids	Used - Good	$100	Craigslist.
Atomic Skis (with Bindings), Tecnica Boots - no Poles	Kids	Used - Good	$90	Craigslist.
Tomic T5 Poles	Kids	New	$15	Amazon.com
Rossignol Skis (with Bindings)	Women’s	Used - Good	$120	eBay.
Nordica Ski Boots	Women’s	Used - Good	$50	Craigslist.
Salomon Poles	Women’s	New	$20	Amazon.com
Rossignol Skis (with Bindings)	Men’s	Used – Good	$110	Craigslist.
Rossignol Soft Ski Boots	Men’s	New	$125	eBay.
Scott Poles	Men’s	New	$20	Amazon.com
Roof Rack – Base Carrier – Honda CRV – OEM	NA	New	$150	eBay.
Ski Attachment for Car Carrier Honda CRV - OEM	NA	New	$90	eBay.

Availing of lift ticket coupons and deals add up to a significant amount in savings. During the 2005 to 2010 seasons, our lift ticket expense per person averaged about $15, made possible by pursuing deals whenever possible and skiing at areas with a family friendly policy – kid’s lift ticket prices are free or substantially lower than adult prices.

Food, lodging, and transportation are the other potential money guzzling areas. To minimize in this arena, we did day-trips and brown bagged our own food – if willing to leave before 6 AM it is practical to reach most of the resorts in the North Lake Tahoe area before lifts open (tough initially with the kids, but amazingly possible once they buy into the idea of a fun day ahead). Being early birds have several fringe benefits: lesser traffic, shorter ticket and lift lines for an hour or so, and fresh snow. By around 2 PM our energy level dips and we depart. This strategy has a few benefits: avoids having to ski when the snow has gotten harder and you reach home in good time.

A summary of our average costs of skiing using this strategy follow:

Service	Cost per day
Equipment Rentals	None
Lift Tickets	$60 ($15 average per person)
Food	$10 (coffee, snacks, etc.)
Lodging	None
Transportation	$50
Total	$120

Naturally, the total expense of $120 per diem for the whole family ($30 per person) is much more palatable. Below is a summary of our strategies that enhanced our skiing experience while minimizing expenses:

• Avoid renting equipment at the resort. Instead, opt to either rent them from a near-by retail location or invest in a set (preferably used purchased at a large discount). The biggest bang for your buck is the time saved by not having to wait in line, with kids in tow, for the equipment – the wait-times can vary but is inevitably long as each set has to be individually adjusted to fit you. There are caveats: 1) for first-time skiers it is best to rent initially and figure out the various sizing details you will need. That will definitely enable you to make an informed purchase decision, and 2) the biggest discounts are usually available on outdated equipment. For example shaped skis were a big improvement and smaller improvements on this has been coming out every year. So, older skis that are not shaped are completely outdated and so do not buy them even for a throwaway price as you will end up being the only one in the slope using those.
• Avoid reaching the resort well after the lines open – the first two hours after the lifts open are the busiest and enough can’t be said of the early bird advantage. This has the benefit of being able to enjoy skiing in fresh snow in addition to avoiding the lines both at the ticket booth and the lifts.
• Scope out the deals available – vanilla ticket pricing at the counter is usually much higher compared to the price after discounts with coupons or other deals. Nosing around for what is available and making use of them are indeed worthwhile.
• Minimize food and lodging expenses by opting for day-trips if such an option is possible.
• Avoid storms and if snow is expected during the day. Although people tend to rave about powder snow, with kids overnight snow is just as good and for most of us that is what you really want…
• Locate ski resorts that are geared towards families.

In summary, it is possible with a little effort for families to ski on a budget. Before our relocation to the South of India in the Summer of 2010, we managed to get rid of almost all our ski equipment for a slight discount from our purchase price through Craigslist, thus completing the round-trip of recycling ski equipment…

Related Posts:

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2. Frugal Living – Skiing Story.
3. Frugal Choice On Gifts - Giving Stock Certificates.
4. Frugal vs Cheap – A definition to go by.
5. Frugal Living - Top ten frugal living tips for families.
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Last Updated: 07/2016.

Tahoe Donner Skiing – Review

Tahoe Donner offers one of the better deals for families with children 6 years or younger:



Background:


Tahoe Donner has one quad chair, one double chair, and two conveyor lifts for the bunny hills. The whole mountain is centrally served by the single quad-chair lift. There is one green run served by the double chair lift. The lift operating hours are from 9-4 with ticket windows open from 8-3. Parking is off-site and a free shuttle service drops you at the ticket window. Pricing is as follows:

	Full-Day	Half-Day (starts at 12:15PM)	Unrestricted Season Pass		Morning-only Credit	Ski-Equipment
Adults 18-59	$47	$39	$329		Yes	$44 and up
Junior 13-17	$42	$34	$224		Yes	$44 and up
Child (7-12) or Senior (60-69)	$22	$16	$169		Yes	$34 and up
Child 6 and under or Senior over 70	Free	Free	Free		NA	$34
Parent Interchangeable	$47	NA	NA		NA	NA

The beginner lessons are excellent for those who want to get started. Lesson options are as follows:

Program	Schedule	Cost	Ski Equipment Included?	Lift Ticket Included?
Snowflakes (3-6 years only)	Session1: 9:30-12:00, Session2: 13:00-15:30	$84 per session	YES	YES
First-time ski and snowboard lesson package	Full-day (10:00-15:50)	Adults (13-59): $94, 7-12: $124 (includes lunch)	YES	YES
Private Lessons	1-hour, Half-day, or Full-day	1-hour: $98, $20 each additional person, Half-day: $236 for up to 4 people, Full-day: $405 for up to 4 people	NO	NO

They also have a couple of season-long programs for kids who really want to take it to the next level.

The Best:

The facility is geared more towards kids making it very palatable to families with children. The lines at the quad chair were non existent especially in the morning hours. The deals get better if one can do mid-week trips. Every Tuesday (certain exclusions apply) is Parent's Day special and is a great deal (free lift ticket).

The Better:

The location is easily accessible from Bay Area. It is about 5-10 miles further than the closest resorts but the trade off is it is less crowded. It was good to see the bunny slopes being catered by conveyor belts an upgrade from T-bar lifts and rope pulls.

The Average:

The off-site parking is a disappointment as it invariably wastes about an hour, a minimum of 30 minutes one-way. Needless to say, you have to lug everything you need as accessing the car for short breaks is not an option as in other resorts. The green mile run has less slope in many areas making it hard and time-consuming for younger kids without poles.

Summary:

The mountain is on the smallish side with 120 acres of net ski-able area and14 total runs. Our kids had a blast and were very proud to proclaim they could do the single-blacks “without falling down even once”.

Related Posts:

1. Introducing Kids to Snow Sports (Sledding/Skiing) in the Lake Tahoe Area.
2. Tahoe Donner Skiing – Family Experience/Review.
3. Frugal Living – Skiing Story.
4. Lake Tahoe Ski Areas (Granlibakken, Tahoe Donner, Boreal, Homewood, Kirkwood, Heavenly, Squaw) – A Comparative Review.


Last Updated: 01/2015.

Introducing Kids to Snow Sports (Sledding/Skiing) in the Lake Tahoe Area

The right gear is essential to enjoying winter sports. Snow accessories are easier to come by for kids above three in Bay Area stores but stores closer to Tahoe stock for all age groups. The Internet is a good resource too.

Sledding

There is a universal appeal in going down the bunny slopes on small saucers and sledding is a good stepping-stone for kids five and under. The two options are

• Sno-Park
• Groomed Private Sledding hills

Sno-Park’s availability is on a first come first served basis. You are responsible for your gear and rental options are non-existent, since there is not much convenience offered unless otherwise mentioned at these places. Sno-Parks are crowded on the weekends and the biggest negative is that the slopes are not groomed. An annual pass is all one needs to access most of the Sno-Parks in the country. On groomed sledding hills employees are available to monitor the activity in the place. Boundaries are generally roped off. Most of the slopes require that sleds be rented from the facility. The rental fee is separate from the entrance fee but is generally nominal. Most sledding hills do not offer the convenience of a lift. A hint is to hit the slopes early since that translates to freshly groomed snow when the sun is not intense. After around 11:00 AM the hills turn icy making the ride bumpy.

Skiing

Granlibakken helped our kids make the transition from sledding to skiing. The bunny hill sported a rope pull that is very easy for kids to get used to. The T-bar lift was a hurdle, especially for the kids. Help from parents is valuable to keep the confidence level up and to get the core skills embedded in them. Another option is to take ski lessons from instructors. Advanced reservations are recommended for the lessons. A number of the slopes around Tahoe offer ski lessons for kids tailored to varying skill levels and age groups.

From Granlibakken we moved onto Homewood where the kids tried the green and the blue runs. Compared to the T-bar lift, the lift chair was welcome rain. The green runs are fairly easy, but the blue runs can be harder for younger kids. We could however see very small kids enjoying the black runs with ease.

Deals

A few years ago, Costco had a prepaid ticket purchase program that offered two adult lift tickets for Homewood at $54 (regular pricing is currently $44 online), which included free passes for two kids as well. That deal was excellent and we used it a number of times. Occasionally, similar deals become available and the sizable discounts make them very worthwhile.

"Kids ski free" deals are hard to come by for children above six. For children five and under, there are some such deals.

Related Posts:

1. Introducing Kids to Snow Sports (Sledding/Skiing) in the Lake Tahoe Area.
2. Tahoe Donner Skiing – Family Experience/Review.
3. Frugal Living – Skiing Story.
4. Lake Tahoe Ski Areas (Granlibakken, Tahoe Donner, Boreal, Homewood, Kirkwood, Heavenly, Squaw) – A Comparative Review.


Last Updated: 01/2015.