One Night at the Lake Tahoe Resort

Last month, we had the wonderful opportunity of staying in South Lake Tahoe for a work event of Mike's. We stayed at the Lake Tahoe Resort nearly Heavenly Village, and it was such a nice place for us to stay! The room was perfect for families, but even as a couple Mike and I have always appreciated having kitchenettes in rooms to create a little home away from home. The noise level was non-existent, the immenities (cable, wifi, kitchenette, living room space) were perfect for our stay. They offer a contentiental buffet every morning that is included with your stay.

And the best part is that there is a small sledding area directly next to the hotel self-parking lot! If you follow me on Instagram, I have a fun Reel showcasing the space since we were lucky enough to have a great view of it and all the surrounding tree area.

Since we weren't in the area for very long, we didn't really get to take full advantage of the South Lake Tahoe area, but we did get to check out a few restaurants along the way.

California Burger Co.

For lunch, we met up with friends and ate outside at the California Burger Co. We were so caught up in the moment and enjoying the kids' first time in a snowy environment that a passing photo was all I remembered to take! However, if you're in the area I highly recommend this location. Get the wings. Doesn't matter what heat level you get, just get the wings! They're so crispy and perfect to dip into the sauces. Definitely worth the buy. I got the Bob's Burger and the patty had a great smokey char to it that made me miss backyard BBQs and family get togethers. I hear the Californian is also a great selection. The kids chowed down on their chicken tenders and warmed up with their hot cocoa.

Flatstick Pub

Before heading back home, we found a pub and indoor mini golf restaurant across the street from Heavenly Village that we knew Miles would love. So, we popped in and got a round of pizza and spent the next hour running around the green watching Miles absolutely lose it with excitement. They also have a location in Sacramento we'd like to check out. Definitely a good place to consider if you've got tiny kids or you and a bunch of friends want something to do while you drink. They've also got a bunch of Gram moments around the building, so definitely take advantage of those selfie spots!

Know Before You Go

We decide to make this a trip where we wing it since we knew we weren't going to have a lot of time to do much in between set meetings and meals. We did manage to learn quite a bit and wanted to pass that knowledge off to you so you're a little more prepared than we were!

The window between fresh snow and solid ice is not as big as you'd think

We're flat land folk. The Central Valley doesn't get much more than wet or hot. We spent over $100 on snow gear, only to feel very uneasy about taking our 3 year old into the snow packed areas to try sledding. Mike and I grew up visiting North Lake Tahoe a lot, so we had a slightly skewed idea of how Heavenly would be for us. For those who are serious skiers and snowboarders, it seemed like Prime Time to visit and hit the trails. However, we did see quite a few families play for under and hour and head off to their next destination. Lots of people nearly tripping. If you plan to go and really want to participate in sledding and throwing snow, go as soon as possible after snow fall. Waiting too long will mean your snowballs will be more like balls of ice. Someone in our group did end up slipping and hitting their head, and a lot of the team members with toddlers said it really wasn't worth it.

50 is VERY Windy

I, someone who gets extremely car sick, was very misled by Google Maps as to just how windy 50 was. For those out of state, that's Highway 50 which runs from Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe. We are used to taking 80. They are not the same. They are very much built different. Prepare your bodies for that ride.

You Can't Rent Sleds

Not sure if it's a recent change or if it's always been like this, but you can't rent the little sleds for kids to ride on. They cost $30 no matter where you go, so try to grab one secondhand on your local Buy Nothing or Marketplace groups, or check your local thrift stores. I was so mad because a major local thrift store near me has tons all year round and I blanked on grabbing one.

What are some of your favorite things to do in South Lake Tahoe? Mike and I decided that we really want to try bringing Miles back next January (or even maybe this Summer) to Heavenly Village for a few days and really get to experience the area a bit more. Check out some shops, maybe actually do some sledding this time! Let me know in the comments below! Definitely can't recommend Lake Tahoe Resort enough. If you visit after May, they have a huge mini golf area that is supposedly super fun to golf at and we're so sad we didn't get to experience it this time. The cost and location of the hotel is great and we can't wait to go back!