Simple But Nice

We had an absolutely wonderful time on this ski trip. I can't say enough good things about the owner David. I had never been to Lake Tahoe so I emailed David to get a better feel for the area. He was very responsive and sent me a wealth of information on restaurants, activities, ski resorts, rental places, etc. and his recommendations were spot on. The condo is located in a small town on the north side of the lake and is an easy 1 hr drive from Reno. We had no issues finding the place and check in was very simple (keys in a lock box). The condo is a bit dated and simple, but very clean and cozy. There is a bedroom and 1/2 bath downstairs and a bedroom and full bath upstairs. There were only 3 of us on the trip, but I could see showering in the morning getting a bit crowded depending on the number of guests. The living room has a sofa, a gas fireplace and a TV with access to Netflix and Amazon Video. There is also Wi-Fi with excellent speed. There is a small full kitchen that has everything you would need (pots, pans, cooking utensils, etc) if you decide to cook at home, including a dishwasher. They also have a washer/drier which was great. Everything you might need for your stay is close by. There is a small Safeway grocery store if you decide that you want to cook at the condo. They also carry a reasonable selection of wine and spirits. If you decide to go out to eat, there are plenty of options (from pizza/hamburgers to fine dining) within a 10-20 min drive. We rented our ski/snowboard equipment in town which made it very easy when we hit the slopes. This was a family ski trip for us and there were several resorts to choose from. We decided to go to Northstar as it was close (15 min drive), looked family friendly, had options for my wife who doesn't ski, and for my son who wanted to learn to snowboard, their ski/snowboarding school had a good reputation. To say it was fantastic, is to sell it short. The Village area has multiple shops and restaurants or you can sit near a firepit by the outdoor ice skating rink and just people watch. My son did two days of group snowboarding lessons and day 3 he was keeping up with me on the slopes. There was plenty of snow, lift lines were short (we never waited more than 5 min) and the runs were not particularly crowded. I don't know, but the timing of our trip (Jan 5-12) may have played a role in the lower number of people at the resort. Just a word of warning, if you or a family member is new to skiing/snowboarding, this can be a challenging place. While the school is great and will teach you the basics, there are very few green runs available and several of the blues would be blacks in Colorado resorts. Still, I can't say enough good things about our experience at Northstar. All in all, it was an amazing family vacation and I would highly recommend David's place if you are OK with a no frills, highly functional, cozy spot at Lake Tahoe.”