Lake Tahoe in the Snow: Scenes from Thanksgiving

Happy December! Christmas and the end of the year—the decade!—is fast approaching, and it feels like we’re running to keep pace. I know I’m not alone when I say that having Thanksgiving fall so close to the end of the month threw me for a loop!

It almost feels too indulgent to pause just to edit photos from the week past, but we had some really beautiful, snowy days in the Sierras and I’d love to share some favorite memories.

As I mentioned, the first of the snowstorms wreaked havoc on our family’s travel plans, so it was just the four of us this year.

I had some work to get done the first day, but there was still plenty of time for pancakes, games (like Memory), walks around our neighborhood, and watching the snow fall.

Hudson and Skyler worked hard building snow forts and then Aron and I usually let them have an afternoon show or movie to recuperate… (selfishly so that we get to hang out for a bit in the spa).

The snow just kept on falling. We could hardly believe it.

On Thanksgiving (and the day after) we drove into Olympic Valley, where we had dinner at the Squaw Valley lodge. They were already set up for Christmas—with their giant gingerbread house and a tree in the lobby that dwarfed even Aron.

It’s a beautiful place, with views over an ice-skating rink and beyond to the ski slopes. A fire was roaring and there are board games to borrow. We looked around a bit and then sat down for dinner.

We came back the next day to go ice skating, but they were setting up for their holiday kick-off events, so we spent some time in the village instead—the kids went sledding where a snow plow had cleared the parking lot and I peeked into the shops before we all had curry fries and warming drinks in the Irish pub. I never get over walking into the village, faced with the magnificent view of Granite Chief peak.

We left midday on Saturday, just before the next storm rolled in and the roads got thick with traffic. Afterall, the next day was December 1st and we had our own holiday kick-off to get to.

The calm before the Christmas storm.

P.S. While we didn’t do much on this trip, I’ve got lots of posts with suggestions for Lake Tahoe. Here’s a local’s guide to Lake Tahoe in the winter, one about ski resorts we’re familiar with, and more. Also, two Thanksgivings ago, when we were up there before the snow.

And finally, here’s a post about our A-frame, #twopinestahoe, which we rent on Airbnb.

 

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