South Lake Tahoe in the winter

Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful places in the United States to visit any time of year, and I took a trip with friends to South Lake Tahoe in January.

Our first full day there, I headed up the mountain on the Heavenly Gondola, which gives you breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe on the way up.

Make sure to get out at the observation deck and walk around. The gondola only stops there on the way up, so take the opportunity to soak in all the views of the lake and Sierra Nevadas!

Once at the top, it was time to head to my ski lesson at Heavenly Ski Resort. I hadn’t skied in 30 years, so I took a beginner lesson and the instructors were very helpful and patient.

We went down the bunny slopes plenty of times before taking the ski lift up and going down the green run a few times. It was fun to ski again, and I met up with friends for lunch at Tamarack Lodge at the ski resort.

The next day, a friend and I went out on the lake with Tahoe Cruises on their Emerald Bay day cruise. The cruise left from Ski Run Marina and gave us gorgeous views of the water and surrounding mountains.

Be sure to dress warmly because it can get pretty chilly on the water with the wind. There are both indoor and outdoor seating areas on the boat, though, and they had blankets available.

There is beautiful shoreline all around Lake Tahoe. Two spectacular beaches to check out in South Lake Tahoe are Thomas F. Regan Beach and El Dorado Beach.

Just a half-mile walk apart, both offer great spots to relax and enjoy the sparkling, clear blue waters. Be careful in the winter because there were some icy spots in the area.

This was my second visit to Lake Tahoe and the water just amazes me. Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States after only Crater Lake in Oregon.

My last day in Tahoe, I went on a snowshoeing tour with Tahoe Outdoor Adventures. It was fun to make our way through the snow on the Tahoe Rim Trail at Castle Rock and on the Kingsbury Stinger Trail.

For a bite to eat, Heavenly Village is a great place to go before or after skiing. We went to Base Camp Pizza, Heavens Little Cafe and California Burger Company. Also in town, Idle Hour is a nice wine bar and Slice of Sierra has yummy pizza.

Check out more to do around Lake Tahoe: Kayaking, snowshoeing, East Shore Trail and hiking Monkey Rock.