We’re Dreaming of White Mountains and Roaring Fireplaces in South Lake Tahoe

Growing up, Tahoe meant summer vacation … paddleboating in the lake, collecting pine cones and spending quiet nights roasting s’mores on a fire pit while the folks headed to South Lake Tahoe to see Crystal Gayle at Harrah’s. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I fully experienced Tahoe in that other prime season: winter.

Skiers and snowboarders pack the slopes from November to April with Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood drawing the biggest crowds. In February before COVID-19 hit, I was lucky enough to visit one of the newer resorts on the lake: Edgewood Tahoe. Known for its golf course built in 1968, Edgewood long envisioned a lodge for players to enjoy after hitting the green. Some 25 years later, the $100 million addition awaits both golfers and snow enthusiasts alike. Located just over the Nevada border, Heavenly and South Lake Tahoe are minutes away.

Inspired by the great lodges of the West, the main lobby melds rustic romance with modern styling. A vaulted ceiling heightens an impressive view of the lake, with expansive windows filling the space with natural light. Rooms and suites mirror the casual elegance and feature a terrace, gas fireplace and comfy Frette robes for chilly nights.

Guests can start their mornings with light breakfast items from the complimentary après sleep cart, offered daily in the great room from 7:30 to 9 a.m. For something a bit more substantial, The Bistro provides all-day, seasonal fare under the guidance of Chef Lonny Hout. “We’re sourcing our ingredients locally, utilizing state-of-the-art kitchen technologies and attracting young, wonderfully inventive talent,” he says. Highlights include a slow-braised Berkshire pork belly, generous cheese and charcuterie boards, and the venison tenderloin. The famed Edgewood Restaurant is a short walk away and serves a full dinner menu of fine cuisine paired with impressive sunset views.

Snowga, a fully immersive, outdoor yoga experience, will be available this winter so guests can find their Zen amongst the Sierras. Overlooking Lake Tahoe’s glassy blue waters, instructors guide guests from pose to pose as they take in the crisp mountain air and relax their minds on a peaceful, snowy beachfront.

As the resort resides in Nevada, the Edgewood Spa remains open for business with health and safety measures in place. The spa specializes in holistic massages, utilizing locally sourced stones to deepen the relationship between body and earth—leaving you feeling enlightened and wonderfully alive.

If you’re looking for some grounding after a tumultuous 2020, check out the Earth Connection Ritual. Inspired by the energy of smoky quartz, this treatment holds a powerful earth energy with healing properties that protect, ground and connect you to the earth.

First you’ll experience dry-brush exfoliation as you inhale the essential oil aromas of sandalwood, frankincense, ginger root, clove, cardamom and sweet orange. Following a detoxifying foot scrub and hydrating foot treatment, melt into a full-body basalt stone massage. Culminate this ritual with a stimulating peppermint and wild lime scalp treatment that will leave you feeling rooted from head to toe.