Winter Wonderland at The Beach Retreat and Lodge, Lake Tahoe

It’s been a cold and wet winter, but between storms in the Sierras, my husband and I found a perfect weekend to head up to Lake Tahoe for a getaway.  I won’t lie, highway 50 past Placerville had me nervous.  Although the sun was shining bright, the snow pack on the side of the highway was high, higher than the top of our 4-wheel drive at times.  That sensation gave me some anxiety, but thankfully my husband is an excellent driver and I had nothing to worry about.  On the plus side, all the snow was breathtaking and it made for the best scenery I’ve ever experienced in my 40 plus years visiting the area.  We spent three days and two nights at The Beach Retreat and Lodge and I think that after you see the following photos you’ll want to book a winter wonderland weekend for yourself!

The Beach Retreat and Lodge, Lake Tahoe

Upon check in, to the right of the lobby you’ll find The Tavern, an onsite restaurant that combines mountain lodge elegance with casual, laid back style. Open for breakfast and dinner during the week and all day on the weekends, the Tavern offers a lively bar, twelve flat-screen TVs, and family-style tables.  Evenings you’ll find starter, soup, salad and drink specials during happy hour.  We enjoyed two breakfasts each morning over the weekend and there was absolutely no wait and a large booth awaited us each time. Our style is usually sharing an entree because they are enough for two, so we did and traditional eggs and vanilla pancakes are delicious as is the house specialty chorizo skillet.

The amount of rooms at The Beach Retreat and Lodge are plentiflul and some even have lake views and are beachfront.  Our King room was so lovely on the third floor, it even included a fireplace and boy was it enjoyable with the weather in the 20’s outside!  After my necessary photo session, I hopped onto that cloud of a bed and absorbed all the heat on my toes!The mirrored wall made the room look twice as big as it was and gave it so much more light during the day.  The decor was simple and beachy, and the simplest dock cleat hooks on the wall did not go unnoticed! Table and chairs for a work station is available, a balcony with chairs if you can brave the winter air (lovely in the warmer months), and all the amenities like Starbucks coffee and a powerful shower head were appreciated.Now, remember how I told you about the scenery, it is short of spectacular around Lake Tahoe but even better surrounding the hotel property.  Here’s what we see before we open the door to the balcony…The icicles are simply stunning, I really don’t think I’ve seen anything like that ever!  Once you open the door and look around, a winter wonderland stares you back in the face! Midday you can find families and even dogs frolicking in that snow.  Take a look out the third floor in the opposite direction and you will find the slopes of Heavenly Ski Resort!Just downstairs and a few minutes walk to the beach or pier area and you see these phenomenal views that will take your breath away! We were in complete awe that the sky performed that way.  The glassy waters reflected the clouds and the mountains in a way we couldn’t even fathom.  Despite the freezing temperatures, I did not wish for anything but this view at that moment. I’m still dreaming of those snowy scenes to this day.  The Boathouse restaurant at the end of the pier is closed during the winter season but offers panoramic views of the lake and would be a lovely spot to enjoy a sunset dinner in the summer! Having to tear ourselves away from the shore, we walked back to a few more spots of note at The Beach Retreat and Lodge.  Our itinerary had us out both evenings, but I’m heading to the firepit the next chance I get when we return.With that snow bank surrounding the chairs, I took a quick seat and felt nothing but warmth from the fire.  This is a great spot day or night to enjoy a glass of wine and eachother’s company.Nothing says cozy winter romance than a steamy hot tub surrounded by snow!  This was ultimate relaxation and is worth the freezing walk from your room to the hot tub in your bathing suit.  This was a popular spot, luckily we could see it from our front door so we planned and visited accordingly when it wasn’t too full.  Coming back to a fireplace room afterwards was so appreciated!

Perfect Tahoe getaway if romance is on the mind!

The hotel is already reasonably priced, but visit the website and you’ll find packages that combine area skiing and lift tickets, return customer and military discounts as well!  I’ve already marked a few spring and summer weekends in the calendar that will have us back in the area and The Beach Retreat and Lodge is at the top of our list. Visit http://www.tahoebeachretreat.com/ to plan your winter getaway to Lake Tahoe before the snow melts!

Our stay was complimentary, our meals and excursions were on our own.  As always, opinions are 100% our own.