North Lake Tahoe, California Things to Do

Powder Day at Squaw Valley; February 13, 2012

It’s a great Tahoe start to the week with fresh snow at Squaw Valley! The storm we’ve been eyeing for the past week finally rolled in last night, and left us with 6 inches of fresh powder. And there was even a break in the weather for bluebird skies – a nice powder morning here. What a way to kick off a jam-packed week! There are plenty of lift ticket specials to take advantage of, so here goes.

Squaw Valley just rolled out the new Tahoe Super 2 lift ticket deal: two unrestricted days of skiing and riding at either resort for just $49 per day.  Tahoe Super 2 has absolutely no date restrictions and is valid for any two days! As a bonus, you will also get two free unrestricted Friday afternoons of skiing or riding!  Be sure to get your tickets now.

And since we hope you haven’t been living under a rock, yes; tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. Did you know on every Valentine’s Day, the Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet? You can be a stellar romantic like Romeo too! Today is your last chance to pre-purchase $14 lift tickets to “share the love” on Valentine’s Day. Yep, that’s right. Ski or ride with your sweetie on Valentine’s Day for half the cost of a child’s lift ticket!  If you’re jetting last minute to Squaw for powder, and need to book your stay, get all the details here!

There’s snow on the horizon as we head into the end of the work week, and President’s Day Weekend is here! Always one of the biggest and best weekends skiing or riding at Squaw, we’ve got just the answer to your lodging needs. Starting Monday, February 20th, our standard room rates start at only $199! Pack up the kiddos for a fun-filled weekend, with Kid-O-Rama kicking off on February 18th and running through the week. Skiing, s’mores, tubing, face-painting, family movie night and crafts – is there a better way to entertain the whole family?

Want to learn more? Become one of our fans on Facebook!  You could win the next vacation package sweepstakes to Squaw Valley on us.

Photo Courtesy of Alena Grace Photography

Everything is truly at your fingertips when you lodge slope-side with us.  And we don’t mean just the skiing.  After a long day on the slopes, afternoon sledding or ice skating with the little ones, soak your aches and pains away at our complimentary Health Club & Spa.  Vacation is hard work with all that outdoor play!

Why not treat yourself to the best vacation activity of all: spa-ing?  That means everything from the mountain view hydrotherapy pools or  the fireside indoor spas, to Swedish Massages or energizing facials.

Did you know the many benefits of massage?

• Helps athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
• Increases joint flexibility.
• Pumps oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
• Reduces spasms and cramping.
• Relaxes and softens injured, tired, and overused muscles.
• Releases endorphins: amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.

Lake Tahoe Massage Therapy

Relax and unwind surrounded by the majestic views of Squaw Valley and Lake Tahoe with a rejuvenating Swedish massage or a deeply relaxing combination Swedish/Sport massage. Our certified massage therapists are available to sooth away stress, leaving you calm, refreshed and totally at ease.

Swedish Massage

Enjoy a relaxing full body Swedish massage improving your circulation, easing muscle aches and releasing tension. This massage (in-room or massage room) removes built-up toxins, reduces stress and creates a euphoric feeling of well-being.

Swedish Massage Rates

• 1 Hour: $100
• 1.5 Hours: $150
• 2 Hours: $200
• Additional $15 Fee for “In-Room” Massages

A 24 Hour Notice/Cancellation Policy Applies. Room charges are available. Rates are subject to change.

Combination Massage

If you are in the need of more detailed bodywork, this essential massage is for you. Enjoy a healing combination of Swedish, deep tissue, and sports-therapy techniques in a full body massage. Therapists work deep into the cartilage and collagen fibers of the ligaments and tendons to release deep-seated tension. This massage is highly effective for chronic or sports injuries and stress.  

Combination Massage Rates

• 1 Hour: $110
• 1.5 Hours: $165
• 2 Hours: $205
• Additional $15 Fee for “In-Room” Massages

A 24-Hour Notice/Cancellation Policy Applies. Room charges are available. Rates are subject to change.

To learn more, or add a spa treatment to your stay, please speak with a Reservation Agent or Front Desk. 

May in Yosemite Valley. Photo credit Alena Grace Photography.

The Lake Tahoe region is a mecca for incredible artists who seek to truly capture its awestruck beauty and magnificent terrain. Alena Saporsky, of Alena Grace Photography, is no different.  While living in Alaska in 2003 Alena could not take her eyes off the fascinating surroundings, and began shooting landscapes as a hobby.  After 7 years of exploration with landscape and wildlife photography, she became “addicted and obsessed.”

Wild Mustang in Reno, NV. Photo Credit Alena Grace Photography.

Bodega Bay Spring. Photo credit Alena Grace Photography.

Alena’s passion for the outdoors is evident in her photography, and demonstrates a keen eye for the purity of her natural surroundings.  She has resided in all kinds of environments, ranging from the urban sprawl of Anaheim, CA to the heat of Palm Desert, CA, from the rugged mountains of Denali, AK to the alpine community of Lake Tahoe, CA.  Alena is inspired by the work of Ansel Adams, Peter Lik, and Georgia O’Keefe, who were all visionaries and tremendously influential in their artistic mediums.  Alena enjoys living in an area where she can easily shoot The Yosemite Valley, Lassen Volcanic National Park, the beaches of Big Sur, and San Francisco just hours away.

Cobalt and Turquoise. Photo credit Alena Grace Photography.

When asked what is her greatest challenge as a photographer, she remarked, “When you see something beautiful and you can’t enjoy it because you didn’t snap the photo, thus, you can’t share it with people. Or while driving you can’t pull over when you see something amazing, having the shot pass and you did not capture it. For example, I saw a full rainbow over Martis Valley the other morning at 7am formed by frozen fog (I think) and by the time I could pull over, it was out of my sight. Sometimes I wish I could take all the images I have seen with my eyes and turn them into photos.”

Alena Grace Photography is picking up speed in the area as a local landscape photography favorite, but Alena offers other services such as portrait sessions, wedding and event photography. The Resort at Squaw Creek recently chose Alena Grace Photography images exclusively for their 2012 calendar. Be sure to pick one up, or request one, when you have a chance!

To see more of Alena’s work and further information about booking, please visit Alena Grace Photography or contact alenagracephotography@gmail.com.

If your years of trick-or-treating are over, but you still hanker to celebrate Halloween in style, then be sure to get your tickets now for the 33rd Annual Cadillac Ball! Hosted every year by The Rotary Club of Truckee, this year’s ball will be held at The Resort at Squaw Creek on October 29, 2011.

This isn’t your typical Monster Mash. In fact, it’s a classy affair featuring a gourmet dinner, a silent and live auction, live music by Five Point O, and an astounding raffle worth $23,000 in cash prizes! Now that’s no trick – what a treat! And don’t forget to dress in your finest “Elegantly Spooky” costume, as indicated by this year’s theme.

For more information visit www.CadillacBall.com or contact Rick McConn, Cadillac Ball Chair (530)582-4663; or Ed Windham, Ticket Sales (530) 412-1550 at The Rotary Club of Truckee.

Fall is actually a wonderful time to get in some refreshing runs, and fight the holiday pounds we all appreciate so much. Those rich, comfort foods entice us as the temperature drops and we search for a tasty way to warm our bodies.

Well, here’s a way to make room for more of those delectable pumpkin pies, sweet potato casseroles and hot chocolates topped with whipped cream. The local region offers many “trots” and races, for all types of runners wanting to fend off the pounds this season. Dig out your gloves and beenies for fall race season!

Girls on the Run 5K Fun Run

• Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 9:30am
• Truckee, CA (Truckee River View Sports Park)
• This family-friendly community event is a great fun run! All proceeds benefit Girls on the Run: a prevention program for young ladies ages 8-13. Through support in the local community, GOTR seeks to build confidence and self-esteem of women of the future.
• www.girlsontherunsierras.org/5k-fun-run

32nd Annual Apple Hill Harvest Run

• Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 8:25am
• Camino, CA (ParaVi Winery)
• Choose from three courses: 8.5 mile, 3.5 or a  .5mile Kids’ Fun Run. Dating back to 1979, the Apple Hill Harvest Run began as a way to prolong “tourist season” in Apple Hill, and now attracts more than 2,000 participants a year. All proceeds benefit local Camino schools, and a percentage goes toward the funding of two educational scholarships. Why not run around beautiful ParaVi Vineyard and benefit the education of local students?
• www.applehillrun.org

35th Annual Donner Lake Turkey Trot

• Sunday, November 13, 2011 at 9:30am
• Truckee, CA (Donner Lake West End Beach)
• This is a pleasurable run for the whole family to get ready for ski season! Adults and young adults can register for the full 7 miles around Donner Lake while the younger ones run the Mashed Potato Mile. You can’t beat the course at Donner Lake; fairly flat in elevation on the North Shore, although there are some shorter hills to tackle on the South Shore of Donner.
• www.truckeefunrun.com

Are you a history buff? Are you looking for a little spook to your October? Are you ready to bundle up in your best attire from the bygone era of 1880-1920 and travel on foot to the most historic and haunted spots in Truckee?

We thought so.

Anyone who has walked the streets of Commercial Row in historic downtown Truckee could attest to the sense of history that haunts those streets. Original buildings still stand in the little railroad town of Truckee. New businesses crop up next to local haunts, like the Old Jail Museum on Jibboom Street. Word has it Jibboom Street was the first street in the Truckee basin. If you’re looking for a fun and fascinating way to spend the evening, then purchase your ticket now for the Truckee Historical Haunted Tour October 20th and 21st. Friday evening is already sold out!

For your $30 admission, you will begin your walking tour at Moody’s Bistro, with a glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, and stroll the streets of Truckee to various historic sites: Tourist Club, Cabona’s, The International Order of Odd Fellows and Masonic Hall, Train Depot and Art Obsessions at Truckee Mercantile.

We hope to see you there!

“If I can do this, I can do anything.”

The motto of Disabled Sports USA Far West says it all. The birth of this organization dates back to 1967 when Jim Winthers brought together a group of Vietnam Veterans to support each other as they learned to cope with their disabilities. Surprisingly enough, these Veterans taught themselves and others how to ski. As a World War II Veteran of the 10th Mountain Division and Director of the Soda Springs Ski School, Winthers launched Disabled Sports USA.

Lake Tahoe is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, and that means all shapes, sizes and abilities. Disabled Sports is dedicated to the rehabilitation of disabled athletes, and believes that sports are a vital part of the process in which disabled individuals gain self-confidence, mobility and greater independence. They promote education, socialization and employment to the disabled.

Come support Disabled Sports at the 22nd Annual Foam Fest on October 15th from 7pm-10:30pm. The event features over 40 microbreweries, the culinary style of Award-Winning Chef Sean Conry of Longboard’s Bar & Grill, and live music by Marble Party. There is an opportunity to purchase tickets for the gourmet dinner and tasting, or simply general admission to the microbrew tasting. Last year’s dinner sold out, so be sure to get your tickets soon!

Visit Disabled Sports USA Far West for event details and ticket information.