Things to do in Tahoe w/kids

[Brianhillmaui]

Aloha,

Maui family here planning a ski trip. Our kids grew up on the island and are dying to see/play in snow. Recently purchased (well, I just paid closing costs...thanks TUG) a Hyatt timeshare. Points are available in Tahoe. The question is, besides skiing and snowball fights.....what else is there to do? The last time I was in Tahoe was probably 2003(ish) and I seem to remember Incline Village being a bit sleepy.

Your thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[sjsharkie]

Aloha,

Maui family here planning a ski trip. Our kids grew up on the island and are dying to see/play in snow. Recently purchased (well, I just paid closing costs...thanks TUG) a Hyatt timeshare. Points are available in Tahoe. The question is, besides skiing and snowball fights.....what else is there to do? The last time I was in Tahoe was probably 2003(ish) and I seem to remember Incline Village being a bit sleepy.

Your thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.

Aloha - from a born and raised on Oahu but now long time Bay Area resident...

Depending when you go, I'd say Incline is no longer sleepy. It might be a little slower on non-holiday/break weeks, but since you have kids, I assume you are tied to school schedule so you will find it busy. Not as busy as south shore, but still busy. I love Hyatt High Sierra (heading up next week for a few days) and am sure you will love it there as well.

What to do other than skiing (I assume you are coming during winter and spring):
UC Davis Tahoe Science Center -- cool for kids but check hours; they are usually closed for Christmas/NY weeks
Sand Harbor State Park -- might be cold in the winter, but the views are spectacular; kayaking maybe if you are going during march/april
Mountain Biking - Tahoe Rim and Flume Trails (depending on your ability - Flume Trail can be steep in some areas) if you are going in shoulder -- it is open May-ish through November-ish
Incline Bowl -- I don't know if Maui Bowling Alley is still there but something to do on rainy days if you like to bowl
Lots of Restaurants
Hyatt Casino -- for the adults at night; nicest casino in North Tahoe though it is small. Tahoe Biltmore and Crystal Bay Casinos are about 15 mins away, though you will not be impressed - stick to the Hyatt unless you are a hardcore video poker player looking for better payouts.
+ all the other amenities at Hyatt which you can access as a guest of Hyatt High Sierra
Northstar village is cool to visit -- probably 30-45 minutes away depending on road conditions
Truckee downtown also cool to visit with lots of shops and restaurants -- probably 30-45 minutes away
Carson City -- mint is there + nearest costco -- probably 35-50 minutes away
And stateline (South Shore) is about 45-60 minutes away for more stuff. Reno is more like 60-75 minutes for even better nightlife and activities.

Also for Diamond Peak skiing, I'd suggest you figure out how much skiing you are going to do and weigh a pass versus individual lift tickets. Check Liftopia for discounted tickets as well. If you have young kids, 6 (or those who look like they are 6) and under are free. Lessons are great too and come with rental equipment.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

-ryan

 

[Brianhillmaui]

Aloha Ryan,

thanks do much for the suggestions. Bowling and the science center are great ideas. Hopefully we can stop in Truckee for lunch on our way up since check in time isn’t until 4pm. We took advantage of Alaska air buy one get one offer yesterday. R/t air to Sacramento for $1100 for all 6 of us!!

thanks again for the suggestions

 

[jlp879]

There is a very nice outdoor skating rink (with reasonable skate rentals) in the center of Northstar Village. It has tons of ambiance and is surrounded by comfortable outdoor seating, firepits and a bar for the non-skaters. Bring your own s'mores kits, skate under the stars and have a magical evening there.

Northstar resort also has snow tubing if you are not skiing all the time. It is also home to few casual restaurants in the Village Center.

In Tahoe City, there are a few small museums that may be of interest. Gatekeeper's Museum, Watson Cabin Museum and Maritime Museum.

Carson City has the Nevada State Railroad Museum which is quite good.

 

[sjsharkie]

Aloha Ryan,

thanks do much for the suggestions. Bowling and the science center are great ideas. Hopefully we can stop in Truckee for lunch on our way up since check in time isn’t until 4pm. We took advantage of Alaska air buy one get one offer yesterday. R/t air to Sacramento for $1100 for all 6 of us!!

thanks again for the suggestions

$1100 for 6 of you -- that is a steal!

If you do stop in Truckee, do check out Mountain Valley Meats. I love their potsticker sausages -- pork sausages that taste like a potsticker. They have other flavors and meats as well. You can grill them on the Hyatt BBQ equipment.

Also, since you will be driving from SMF, please check road conditions and prepare accordingly. Most of the rental cars are RWD and don't allow chains (though you could buy them and put them on anyway though there is risk there as well)... depending on when you go (i.e. Jan vs Mar), the chance of 80 requiring chains decreases as the weather gets warmer. You can also specifically reserve AWD which is more expensive but will generally allow you through (it says all cars must carry chains when controls are on, but they wave AWD vehicles through) R1 and R2 conditions.

Safe travels!

-ryan