Lake Tahoe Things to Do in Winter

You love Lake Tahoe, and you feel as if you’ve seen all the sights it has to offer. But as the old saying goes, you ain’t seen nothing yet ... not until you’ve seen it from the air, piloting your own aircraft over the Carson Range and into the Tahoe Basin. With Hang Gliding Tahoe, you fly a powered hang glider with an instructor along for the ride (the flight can even count for training toward a pilot’s license!) and enjoy the sight of the lake from an entirely new perspective. Morning flights offer spectacular year-round viewing conditions, and you can schedule sessions ranging from one hour clear on up to three hours. Make it an extra-special event and fly as a couple or with a friend, each in your own aircraft, and don’t forget to sign up for the photo or video service for a souvenir of the flight that you will treasure forever.

In the 1960s and '70s, South Shore had the Sahara Tahoe, and Elvis Presley was a regular performer there. In the '80s, it became the High Sierra, and in the '90s it was known as the Horizon. Fast-forward to the present and we now have the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, the newest of the Stateline resorts. The showroom is now known as Vinyl, an intimate venue for live entertainment. Dining includes a classic steak room, an oyster bar right alongside the casino floor and a hip new restaurant called Fire Break, an indoor-outdoor venue with a nod to Heavenly’s out-of-bounds area. There is a fitness room and seasonal outdoor pool, and of course the atmosphere is pure rock ‘n’ roll, with memorabilia along the walls as far as the eye can see. The destination resort is now dog-friendly (less than 60 pounds), with pet-friendly rooms and a welcome bag of treats and toys for dog guests. Dogs are not permitted in the restaurants or casino.

With its easy location in the center of town, Kings Beach State Recreation Area makes enjoying the sandy shoreline of Lake Tahoe simple. The park itself is free and offers day use of a few miles of sandy beach, public bathrooms, a children's play area and barbecue grills. There are boat, Jet Ski and paddleboard rentals available as well. Parking costs $10 for both cars and trucks. Dogs are not allowed in the summer. In the winter the bathrooms and other facilities close down, but the beach opens to walkers and dogs, as long as they are on a leash. The park hours are from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Lakeside Casino offers everything you could want in a gaming establishment, from poker, blackjack and roulette to slots, craps and a sports book. Look for the 3-to-2 odds on all blackjacks and the 10-times odds on all numbers at the craps table. In line with the philosophy of being the friendliest spot in town, they offer University of Lakeside, a weekly class that teaches the fundamentals of the games. Lakeside has a brighter, lighter atmosphere than some of the other Nevada casinos. The atmosphere continues the wood-cabin decor of the property with warm browns and earth tones throughout. On the main casino floor is the Coffee Bar, serving locally roasted Alpen Sierra coffees as well as alcoholic beverages, smoothies, salads, bagels and more.

Mountain Golf Course in Incline Village is set in a rolling hillside – with an elevation change of about a hundred feet – that reminds you why this town is named Incline. The Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed course winds its way through a forest of old-growth pines and cedars with a couple of creeks running through. Usually open May through October, the 18-hole, par 58 course of about 3500 yards has 14 par 3 holes and four par 4 holes. The family-friendly Mountain Golf Course is affordable and non-intimidating to the novice, hosting fun events throughout the summer such as Nine & Wine Thursdays, Thrill & Grill shotgun tournaments and Sunday Family Fun Days with shorter yardages and free golf for kids younger than 18. They’ve got a large chipping and putting practice green and a golf shop stocked with gear, apparel, souvenirs and club rentals. When you’re ready for refreshments you can grab something from the beverage cart when it passes by or check in at the Clubhouse after winning a round. Their snack bar has indoor and outdoor seating and serves lunch, beer, wine and cocktails and has a humidor stocked with cigars. In the winter, when the Mountain Golf Course is covered in snow, the sloping greens make for the perfect sledding runs.