It has been a glorious autumn here at South Lake Tahoe. Everywhere you look are pockets of turning Aspen and Willow trees just popping with bright yellow leaves, which are contrasted perfectly with the green Jeffrey Pines and Evergreens. The lake is, as usual, a striking cobalt blue, and with boating season over, it’s not as busy, just Tahoe in its natural state.
It’s the quiet time, before the snow flies and the town fills back up with eager winter sport enthusiasts. It’s an unpredictable time as well. Could winter arrive this month? Making for a very long snowy season? It has been known to happen; seasons change in the blink of an eye around here.
In the old days ski resorts had to rely on mother nature to deliver for the ski runs to open, but modern technology has changed things a bit. With the cold temperatures at night, the snowmaking machines will be able to get things rolling, and that has enabled Heavenly Mountain Resort to announce a November 16 opening day. Every year the snowmaking expands to more parts of the mountain at Heavenly, giving skiers and snowboarders more options than the usual one or two runs.
Another option has been added to South Lake in the way of a brew pub and restaurant. Lake Tahoe AleWorx at Stateline next to Harrah’s casino opened their doors a couple months ago. AleWorx offers a large array of craft beers in its constantly rotating serve-yourself taproom. Select from 30 taps that include three wines, one Kombucha, nitro coffee, and 25 craft beers. And what goes best with a cold beer? Pizza. AleWorx has a great selection of specialty pies that will fill tantalize your taste buds and fill your belly.
November is one of the calm months we have, just a town laying in wait for winter. It’s a very serene time to visit and just take in the beauty of the lake and mountains without the crush of people that summer has. The month is also the start of the holiday season, and it becomes a very popular getaway, but both provide wonderful experience.
Come on up — we never close.
— Brendan Packer
