Last October I spent a beautiful couple of days at the Ritz-Carlton resort at Lake Tahoe, California.  It’s a gorgeous place, both indoors and out. The resort is halfway up the mountain with gondola access to Northstar Village below.Above is a picture of what the the resort looks like now—covered in snow in the midst of what is shaping up to be a record-breaking season for the area. With on-site ski rentals, a snowboarding school, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and a jacuzzi that overlooks the slopes, there’s really not much more than you can ask for!

If you can’t make it there for ski season (which extends October through May some years!) then definitely go during the off season, when the mountains become a paradise for hikers and mountain bikers. Or you can do what I did, and swim leisurely laps in the spa pool under the warm sun all afternoon. Lake Tahoe itself is a short drive away—perfect for sailing or kayaking.