Other activities

At Diamond Peak, check out the Incline Village Recreation Center, which has aerobics, basketball court, weight room, European sauna and an indoor pool among its amenities. Visitors can use the facilities for $10 per day or $25 per week. Discounts are available for children, teens, seniors and families. Another spot for family fun is Bowl Incline with more than bowling. You'll find pool tables, other pinball gizmos, video poker built into the bar and a golf simulator where you can play seven world-class courses. Greens fees are $24 per hour and it takes about an hour to play 18 holes. The Incline Village Cinema is an excellent movie theater.

There are also plenty of casinos on the north shore and in Reno. The Tahoe Biltmore is a favorite of locals for slots and poker. The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe is also an excellent casino and has prehaps the best shows. The best shopping is in the Boatworks Mall.

Squaw Valley's High Camp at the top of the cable car has ice skating, snowtubing, dining and more. Polaris Park, located mid-mountain at Northstar, has lighted snow play areas for tubing, snowbiking and other activities. It is open weekends and holidays, 3 to 9 p.m.

Sleigh rides are available at Northstar-at-Tahoe, (530) 562-2480, and in the Squaw Valley meadow, (530) 583-6300. The region also has snowmobiling, scenic flights, hot-air balloon rides, horseback riding, sleigh rides, bowling, movies and health clubs. Snowfest is North Tahoe's winter carnival, usually in late February/early March. Call (800) 824-6348 or (530) 583-3494 for a complete list of things to do.