Diamond Resorts Tahoe Seasons Resort

It has been a minute since I have been to Tahoe. The Lake Tahoe area is great to visit any time of the year, but winter is the most popular for the skiing. At the Tahoe Seasons Resort, they call attention to the seasons in the area and offer great accommodations for every season.

Video By snowboardtraveler 

Day One Travel & Arrival at Diamond Resorts Tahoe Seasons Resort

My day began as most trips to the West Coast do for me, with a few flights to get me from Virginia to the Nevada, California border area. Luckily, the flights were not bad, and we did not have to fly through any bad weather. I had a bit of a layover on the way so it meant landing in the area after check in time, not before.

My rental car was ready and so was I ready to get to the resort. I had looked online and the location of this resort was right next to the trams and lifts for Heavenly Ski Resort, which is great because that was where I was going to be spending my time. My niece, who is a ski instructor, finally convinced me to learn to ski. So here I am, over 50 years old, going to learn to ski. It should be comical as long as I do not do something like break a limb.

In recent years, I played golf on one of these vacations and now I play a few times a year. I doubt at my age that it will be the same for skiing, but you never know.

I have already purchased tickets to ski before my trip. This is a good idea for anyone because you save over same day ticket purchase prices, and you do not have to worry about not being able to get access during the busiest weeks.

The Tahoe area offers access to many ski resorts and mountains. I have chosen Heavenly not only because of my family connection to the staff but the convenient access from my resort. The only way to be closer to the action is to stay at heavenly. With Tzort, I have saved a small fortune on my booking price for this resort, which will allow me to spoil my niece and her friends with some meals out and other things during the trip. So that will make me feel special, to say thank you for teaching the old uncle a few things in the snow.

For those whom have never skied old or young, the instruction is available here and makes all the difference between success on the slopes and more than a few bumps or bruises. So make sure to book your classes or classes for your kids. As I learned on my trip, there is a solid dependable way to learn to ski. You just need to be willing to laugh as you go.

The resort here offers 1 or 2 bedroom villas and several size options to meet your needs. I have chosen the 2 bedroom in case my niece or any of her friends want to stay over or I just want the room to entertain some during my trip. The villa is 1,000 square feet verses the 500 sq ft of the 1 bedroom villa. The resort also offers a heated pool, sauna, steam room, and many seating areas which will help me entertain as well. For the fitness minded who somehow to do not spend all of their energy on the mountain, they even have a nice gym on site.

Villa Amenities

Then the resort itself offers all of these options.

Resort Amenities

Day Two Learning to Ski

OK, here I go. I am bundled up for the cold and mentally prepared to make a bit of a fool of myself. These days I am not fit. In my life I have been fit and I was very active when I was younger. Now I am a cross between an old and injured NFL player and Santa. I have not been either one but I am 6’4” and when you are that height and you let yourself go, you tend to appear more like a lineman for the NFL than you do just the guy up the street who let himself go.

Just like skiing, I never played organized football. I struggled in my youth academically due to learning disabilities, which to the football coaches sadness kept me off the field. I instead spent my time in martial arts. For almost a quarter of a century, martial arts were a big part of my life. I am hoping that foundation of balance and fitness will rise in me to help me through today. One does not want to make a fool of himself in front of his niece.

My day of learning to ski started with 1-1 lessons, so I hopefully would not make a fool of myself in front of others. Then I joined a regular class to see and experience my niece at one of the things she loves doing. That was worth falling down a few times and feeling silly most of the day.

There are many ski resorts in the area it just happens that Heavenly is the closest location to the resort, which was one of the reasons I booked this particular resort on this trip.

Day Three Recovery

Instead of recovering from jet lag, my body was telling me that I had been working out trying to learn to ski at over 7,000 feet, and later on an easy ski path even coming down from 10,000 feet at one point. That Gondola line alone made your entire body feel like it was being squeezed.

I knew this was coming, so I did not drink any beer or soft drinks the night before. Nothing carbonated entered my mouth. I also watched what I ate. I basically prepped for my time above 10,000 feet by treating it like I was going in for surgery. It may have helped, but I still felt gas being instantly manufactured inside myself from 8,000 ft. plus. Someone should make charcoal filters for the back of snow suits. I do not care who you are. Some air will come out of your body on the trip up and down from that altitude. I assume when you climb Everest it is even worse.

Well, part of my day today is going to be resting at base camp. I should have come to the area a day earlier and just rested and let my body get used to less oxygen. That would have prevented the headache and exaggerated muscle aches I felt today.

After sleeping in and lounging most of the day, I set out to take my niece and her friends somewhere fun they liked for dinner and drinks.

Beacon Bar & Grill

The Beacon was the location chosen. They offered live music, good food and a generous selection of craft beers. They also have a frozen Rum Runner drink that we all enjoyed at least one of. We stopped before I let the younger bunch pull me into any drinking games. I left the rental car and made arrangements with one of her friends to grab it for me in the morning, but I got us all rides where everyone needed to go. When you are the old one in the group, it feels like the responsible thing to do. A few decided to stay in the extra room at my place and 2 who had to work in the morning took an Uber. I called back to their apartments.

I let the kids stay up and talk and laugh some. My bed was calling me again.

If you want the best ski vacation possible, stay at this resort and give Heavenly a try. Just make sure you book through Tzort and save.