Mrs Dazzle
<font color=009900>Florida-mad (well, mad full sto
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2002
- Messages
- 3,045
Hi everyone - we've just got back from a little over two weeks in California/Nevada on our Easter skiing trip.
We have had such a great time with our friends, their children's first trip to the US.
We flew in to San Fransisco Friday 31st March where we stayed for a couple of nights. Whilst there, we did all the "tourist" things like visit Alcatraz (what a great place), drive down Lombard Street (the really crooked street you see in the movies), visit the Piers and the sea lions, go on a cable car ride up and down the streets; shop
; we also visited Coit Tower which has the most amazing views over the area. The only thing we didn't get a chance to do was drive over the Golden Gate bridge, but we simply ran out of time. We hoped to do it on our return to Frisco before our flight Friday morning, but there was so much traffic we didn't want to risk it.
We left San Fransisco on Sunday 2nd April and spent four hours driving up to Lake Tahoe, our skiing home for just under two weeks. The views once we'd passed Sacramento and onto the mountain were stunning. The snow was amazing (we don't get any down here on the South coast, so we really exicted to see so much, especially for our skiing!).
The skiing was the best ever. I've skied in quite a few places in Europe, but this was exceptional. The powder snow was excellent, the runs superbly groomed, everyone was so helpful from the lift operators, ski instructors, restaurants, to the man who helped rescue my clothes from the drier in the laundrette
Heavenly village itself is very high at 6,500 feet and the top of the mountain 10,500. That's the highest I've ever been without oxygen!
The weather was superb. It snowed most evenings so there was fresh snow each morning on the mountain. We lost the snow in the village by the middle of last week as it got really warm, our last days skiing was getting a little slushy, but we just missed a snow storm coming in this weekend.
It was quite amusing to ski in two states each day - start in California and ski over to Nevada, or vice versa. Our hotel was right on stateline, so we were actually walking and driving in two states each day too
The views were the most stunning, breathtaking, I've ever seen. Nothing will ever beat coming down the chair lift each evening to see the views from the top of the mountain over Lake Tahoe
We went on a lovely boat trip around the lake, a bit snowy that day so the views weren't clear, but great fun on an old paddle river boat.
We visited Carson City and Reno in the 'desert' in Nevada for shopping, Katie and our friend's children were very happy to pick up a couple pairs of Converse All Star trainers at around $20 a pair!
The hotel in Heavenly village (the ski resort we stayed in) was so disappointing, but it didn't ruin the holiday.
Very disappointed too with our Virgin Holidays 'rep' - they will be getting a letter from us, but won't bore you with the details other than to say it was getting to the end of the season and all he was interested in was getting us to part with as much money as possible for lift passes, ski instructors, etc. When I queried something I'd tried to book before we left (£300 cheaper), he said it wasn't anything to do with him and that I needed to talk to "England" when I got home! Funny, because "England" had told me to sort it out with him! Very helpful.
Both flights with VA were not as good as we've come to expect, my poor DH had no entertainment both ways, no-one had it (apart from Upper Class!) coming home, the cabin crew were a joke - but, the food was actually almost edible! We've travelled many times to Florida, and the Caribbean, with VA and never had such a disappointing time with them. Me thinks time to try another airline.
When we dropped out car off at San Fransisco airport on Friday afternoon, I noticed Dollar had kindly added $175 worth of 'extras' to our pre-paid bill, things like snow chains and a ski rack which we didn't have. That took half an hour to sort out, all irritating stuff, so please make sure you read the slip of paper they give you when you return your car. There were two other Brits in the queue behind us with a similar problem. Hmmmmmmm.
We tried not to compare with Florida, but California and Nevada are quite different. Better in some respects away from the tourists, but more expensive. Even restaurants that you get in Florida are more expensive there. Sales tax is 8.25 - 8.5% in most places. Well worth every minute and cent, though!
We have had such a great time with our friends, their children's first trip to the US.
We flew in to San Fransisco Friday 31st March where we stayed for a couple of nights. Whilst there, we did all the "tourist" things like visit Alcatraz (what a great place), drive down Lombard Street (the really crooked street you see in the movies), visit the Piers and the sea lions, go on a cable car ride up and down the streets; shop
; we also visited Coit Tower which has the most amazing views over the area. The only thing we didn't get a chance to do was drive over the Golden Gate bridge, but we simply ran out of time. We hoped to do it on our return to Frisco before our flight Friday morning, but there was so much traffic we didn't want to risk it.We left San Fransisco on Sunday 2nd April and spent four hours driving up to Lake Tahoe, our skiing home for just under two weeks. The views once we'd passed Sacramento and onto the mountain were stunning. The snow was amazing (we don't get any down here on the South coast, so we really exicted to see so much, especially for our skiing!).
The skiing was the best ever. I've skied in quite a few places in Europe, but this was exceptional. The powder snow was excellent, the runs superbly groomed, everyone was so helpful from the lift operators, ski instructors, restaurants, to the man who helped rescue my clothes from the drier in the laundrette
Heavenly village itself is very high at 6,500 feet and the top of the mountain 10,500. That's the highest I've ever been without oxygen!
The weather was superb. It snowed most evenings so there was fresh snow each morning on the mountain. We lost the snow in the village by the middle of last week as it got really warm, our last days skiing was getting a little slushy, but we just missed a snow storm coming in this weekend.
It was quite amusing to ski in two states each day - start in California and ski over to Nevada, or vice versa. Our hotel was right on stateline, so we were actually walking and driving in two states each day too
The views were the most stunning, breathtaking, I've ever seen. Nothing will ever beat coming down the chair lift each evening to see the views from the top of the mountain over Lake Tahoe
We went on a lovely boat trip around the lake, a bit snowy that day so the views weren't clear, but great fun on an old paddle river boat.
We visited Carson City and Reno in the 'desert' in Nevada for shopping, Katie and our friend's children were very happy to pick up a couple pairs of Converse All Star trainers at around $20 a pair!
The hotel in Heavenly village (the ski resort we stayed in) was so disappointing, but it didn't ruin the holiday.
Very disappointed too with our Virgin Holidays 'rep' - they will be getting a letter from us, but won't bore you with the details other than to say it was getting to the end of the season and all he was interested in was getting us to part with as much money as possible for lift passes, ski instructors, etc. When I queried something I'd tried to book before we left (£300 cheaper), he said it wasn't anything to do with him and that I needed to talk to "England" when I got home! Funny, because "England" had told me to sort it out with him! Very helpful.
Both flights with VA were not as good as we've come to expect, my poor DH had no entertainment both ways, no-one had it (apart from Upper Class!) coming home, the cabin crew were a joke - but, the food was actually almost edible! We've travelled many times to Florida, and the Caribbean, with VA and never had such a disappointing time with them. Me thinks time to try another airline.
When we dropped out car off at San Fransisco airport on Friday afternoon, I noticed Dollar had kindly added $175 worth of 'extras' to our pre-paid bill, things like snow chains and a ski rack which we didn't have. That took half an hour to sort out, all irritating stuff, so please make sure you read the slip of paper they give you when you return your car. There were two other Brits in the queue behind us with a similar problem. Hmmmmmmm.
We tried not to compare with Florida, but California and Nevada are quite different. Better in some respects away from the tourists, but more expensive. Even restaurants that you get in Florida are more expensive there. Sales tax is 8.25 - 8.5% in most places. Well worth every minute and cent, though!
would love to go to san francisco and see all the sites,any chance of piccies please! 
You've made me 'home' sick! I absolutely love Lake Tahoe, although I've never been sking there! DH used to try and persuade me to go, but I'm such a chicken! 
), but we had no idea that the casino was the be all and end all at this hotel. With three children (ages 13, 13 and 11), it was not particularly fun to have to walk them through the casions each time we wanted to use one of the hotels three restaurants. The smoke alone was too much, let alone the 50 year old women drinks servers in their short, black hotpants and bits hanging out the top 
