Winter can be gray, slushy, and miserable. There's no doubt about it:
Winter is when people most often need a vacation. Whether you escape
to the ski slopes, sunny beaches, or both, there are great choices in
the U.S. The difficult part is deciding which of many great places to
visit.
For many people, winter means an opportunity for skiing, snowboarding,
and other outdoor sports. Choose New England's quaint and challenging
ski areas or the West's fabulous powder snow. Throughout the northern
U.S., you'll find true "winter wonderlands" for an exhilarating
vacation.
LAKE TAHOE
If you're a skier, a snowboarder, or even a snow bunny, Lake Tahoe is a
favorite winter destination. With over a dozen ski resorts, famous
casinos and clubs, and world-class shopping, Lake Tahoe is winter at its
best.
Heavenly Mountain Resort is an international favorite. Picture the
world's largest vanilla ice cream sundae topped with luxurious dollops of
creamy marshmallow. That’s what Heavenly looks like. This famous
resort is on Tahoe's tallest mountain, and offers the West's longest
vertical drop of 3500 feet. With an average 360 inches of snow each year,
Heavenly also boasts one of America's largest snowmaking systems. 30
lifts, 91 runs for novices through experts, and a ski season from
mid-November into early May make this a great place to ski and snowboard. It's
no surprise that during the 2004/5 season, Men's Journal magazine rated
it the #1 Ski Resort in the U.S.
Or, choose a classic Tahoe ski resort made famous by the Olympic games.
Tahoe's Squaw Valley opened in 1949 with a lodge, a single chair lift,
and a rope tow. By 1960, Squaw Valley had grown in size and reputation
to become the first western United States ski area to host the Winter
Olympics. Today, 34 lifts service over 100 runs for all skill levels,
and a ski season that can last from mid-November to Memorial Day. In
the 2004/5 ski season, MSN's Ski Guide rated Squaw Valley one of the Top
10 in the Nation. Many skiers would rank it in first place.
Donner Ski Ranch is among the West's oldest ski areas--its first rope
tow was in 1937--and it's one of Tahoe's quietest and least expensive
resorts. It's a true "family ski hill" resort, with six lifts and 45
runs on a 735-foot vertical drop. Donner boasts over 33 feet in snow
during an average year, and uses snowmaking on 65 fluffy acres of trails.
At Donner, you'll enjoy lots of skiing without lots of crowds.
Over ten other ski areas make Tahoe a one-stop dream destination for
any winter vacation. Since it's less than 200 miles from San Francisco,
you can also take a day off from skiing and spend it at the beach
instead. A winter vacation at Tahoe gives you the best of both worlds.
Lake Tahoe is one of America's best Western winter vacation spots, and
well worth visiting year after year.