This resort is located near the village at Squaw Valley. You could probably go online and see what types of shops, restaurants, etc are located in the village. It is not near the casinos. Most of the casinos are located on the South Shore of Tahoe and this is considered the North Shore area. There are a couple small casinos on the north shore, one in Incline and one other a bit closer, but they would still be about a 30 min drive from Squaw. The resort is located at the base of the squaw valley ski area and has it's own lift and runs near it. It's a great location for ski season. There is also a golf course there in the valley floor, that may still be open in October. ANd there are some riding stables nearby. Lake Tahoe is beautiful but you don't have a lake view from this resort. It is a very nice resort, I personally have never stayed there, but I do have friends who have during ski season, and they like it. At that time of year, it would be very quiet, and probably not alot to do and not much nightlife. It's only about 5 minutes or so to Tahoe City though which can be nice to walk around and they do have some nice shops and restaurants located right on the lake. Hope that helps.
