There's something to be said about the grandeur of the large ski resorts that are so popular in the Lake Tahoe area. However, with these bigger resorts come higher prices for families for lift tickets, equipment rentals, food, and lodging. Since there are five of us in my family, the budget is one of our main considerations when planning a family ski trip. My family loves to ski in Lake Tahoe for some of the best skiing and terrain in the country. We were delighted to find some smaller resorts with all of the family-friendly features of the larger resorts, but perfect for those of us on a tighter budget.
Homewood Mountain Ski Resort
This past ski season, we were invited to visit Homewood Mountain Ski Resort known as "Tahoe's Most Beautiful Resort" for its epic, panoramic views of Lake Tahoe. We loved the hometown feel of the resort, the friendly staff, and most of all, the smaller crowds. Since my kids usually ski, they wanted to try snowboarding and the beginner area was conveniently located next to the main lodge. Homewood offers a wonderful variety of beginner and intermediate terrain for the whole family. The highlight of Homewood was the intimate, hometown feel that we received from the entire staff while we were there.
After an awesome afternoon on the slopes, we headed right across the street for dinner at the West Shore Cafe and Inn, which is part of Homewood Resort. It was relaxing to sit right on the lake and enjoy a casual, sit-down dinner together as a family. We enjoyed fresh fish and a variety of small plates for appetizers, and our kids ordered delicious pastas. Dinner at the West Shore Cafe was definitely a highlight of our ski getaway!
Families that visit Homewood can stay at the West Shore Inn (located right across the street from the ski lifts) or at a variety of nearby, budget-friendly lodges and bed and breakfasts. We stayed at the nearby Tahoma Meadows B&B Cottages about 5 minutes down the street from Homewood. This is the perfect option for families because some of the cottages are equipped with full kitchens and all of the amenities of home for a relaxing evening of dinner and watching a movie or playing card games by the fire. It was great to come "home" after a full day of skiing and convenient to have a quick breakfast in the morning before hitting the slopes. Tahoma Meadows also offers a full breakfast for guests who stay in cottages or suites without a full kitchen. You can also purchase the full breakfast anytime for a wonderful home cooked, hot breakfast.
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe
Our next stop during our ski getaway was to the beautiful peaks of Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. Because this resort's base is located over 8,200 feet, the snow conditions are hard to beat throughout the entire ski season. My kids decided to take private snowboarding lessons through Mt. Rose's ski/snowboard school. The staff quickly got us set up with our equipment and the kids had an awesome 1 1/2 hour snowboarding session. They started off with the basics on the beginner slope and progressed to getting on a lift and coming down a green run. Their teacher was extremely patient and encouraging. She was also able to work with all three of my kids together with their ages ranging from 9 to 13. I was thoroughly impressed with Mt. Rose's ski school staff and their high level of professionalism throughout the day. The crowds were much lower than at the larger resorts and because the overall pricing is lower, our family would be able to add on additional perks like private lessons. We also love Mt. Rose because there are so many budget-friendly hotels to choose from in nearby Reno. We usually choose the Grand Sierra Resort because of the kid-friendly features like the arcade, movie theater, and bowling.
Overall, since my family goes skiing a few times a year, we usually prefer to ski at the smaller, more budget-friendly options. We are finding that just because we choose the smaller resorts doesn't mean that we have to compromise on the quality that we receive on the slopes! Enjoy!
* To facilitate this review, the writer and her family were hosted for two nights at the Tahoma Meadows B&B Cottages and were provided with lift tickets and equipment rentals at Homewood Mountain Ski Resort and complimentary meals. They were also provided with lift tickets, equipment rentals, and private lessons at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. No other compensation was received and all opinions are her own.
