California dream skiing on a budget

 by Anne Raymond
Special to America's Seniors/TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com

 

California meant sunshine, surfing and movie stars until we skied at

Lake Tahoe. My husband Nelson and I tour the country each winter, hunting for good places to ski. We found sunshine at Tahoe; we also found lots of snow, breathtaking scenery and top-notch ski resorts. The surf and stars were farther west on the Pacific coast. But once at Lake Tahoe, lying at 6229 feet in the Sierra Nevada mountains along the California-Nevada border, we never gave them a thought. The scenery and good skiing at Tahoe have drawn us back there several times to enjoy the slopes of the many ski areas around the lake.

The majority of winter visitors to the lake region choose lodging on the glamorous South Shore and do their skiing at Heavenly, Sierra-At-Tahoe and Kirkwood.  We decided however to go off the beaten path, over to the quiet side and explore lodging possibilities on the North Shore.  This area appeals to tourists in search of
clean, convenient places to stay at reasonable rates. But staying there means no sacrifice of great scenery. Sweeping views of the lake and mountains can be had from the North Shore during the day, with a dazzling sunset finale. Nature-lovers dot the long shoreline, walking, jogging, meditating, sketching, all of them enjoying in various ways the unspoiled environment.

Along the north shore, Kings Beach is a small lakeside town that offers good accommodations to skiers. The town received its name from Joe King, who acquired
the property in 1925 as the winnings of an all-night poker game. Mostly a summer vacation spot until the 1950s, the opening of several ski areas generated a need for winter lodging. Innkeepers and motel-owners obliged.

The 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley put Lake Tahoe on the international ski map. Today Kings Beach welcomes tourists all year round. Yet it has lost none of its simple charm.

We arrived in Kings Beach in late February 2003. At first glance, Ferrari’s Crown Motel had nothing special to recommend it. But the clerk at the registration desk told us that there were more attractive lakefront units that could not be seen from the road. Crossing the outer courtyard into the newer section confirmed the clerk’s description and we decided to give Ferrari’s a try.

Our accommodations proved to be beyond all our expectations. We spent six more days there, in a cozy lakefront unit with a kitchenette, a gas fireplace, and the most comfortable mattress we met with during our three months on the road. Since we were right on the shore, traffic noise was muted and we could appreciate the peaceful lake.

Ferrari’s Crown Motel is one of a vanishing breed of family-owned  properties. As in other popular vacation areas, big-name resorts have  begun buying out Mom and Pop establishments, especially in South Lake Tahoe.

But while the giant conglomerates continue to erect massive  condominiums across the lake, guests return to the Crown Motel. They come back year after year, to their same rooms.

The motel is now run by the children of the original owner, who opened it almost fifty years ago. Dave Ferrari, the manager, sees to it that guests in his forty-five units are well cared for. The keywords here are clean, tidy rooms with regular renovations and very comfortable beds.

Kings Beach is in the heart of Lake Tahoe’s recreation area. Golf, tennis, horseback riding and hiking are a few of the popular summer activities. In winter Tahoe offers the best variety of alpine and nordic skiing in the world. There are fifteen ski areas around the lake, four of which offer free shuttle service from the north shore: Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Northstar and Diamond Peak.

Mark Twain wrote that “three months at Lake Tahoe would restore an Egyptian mummy to his pristine vigor and give him an appetite like an alligator.” Twain thought even this praise was inadequate. He added, “The air is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious, the same as the angels breathe.” 

Tahoe has snowy mountains, sunshine 300 days a year and a mild climate. Our après-ski walks on Ferrari’s private beach, breathing the air of angels, was exactly what our sixty-something bodies needed to regenerate for another day of skiing.
Trust me: this is as good as it gets!!

The Crown Motel is located at 8200 North Lake Boulevard. All rooms have a fridge and microwave. Rooms can be viewed on www.tahoecrown.com . Winter midweek rack rates at the Crown Motel are $50 for standard units and $80 for deluxe lakefront units. Senior discounts are available. The mailing
address is P.O. Box 845, Kings Beach, CA 96143, USA. Telephone: 800-645-2260. 

The easiest way to visit Lake Tahoe is by car. The nearest major airport is Reno NV, forty miles away. A shuttle for the south shore is available at the airport. To visit the north shore, a car can be rented in Reno.