Affordable California

Hi all,

I'm planning a trip to the US this winter (late December early Jan), which will include some skiing (four days, max). As my girlfriend and I are on a budget I was wondering whether there is any affordable lodging in Mammoth or whether I'm better off going to Tahoe. I don't want to have to drive an hour every day to hit the slopes. Guess I'm spoiled by what I'm used to in Europe.

Thanks for any and all advice.

Jasper

Not sure how discount oriented you are, but check out Motel 6 (usually very plain accommodations) in Mammoth Lakes: http://www.motel6.com/ms/check-avail...elAgentNumber=
During Xmas-NYs Holiday period it's about $130 per night, from Jan 4 and after it's about $77.

South Lake Tahoe near Heavenly has a lot of relatively inexpensive motels, about same as above, again lower priced from Jan 4.

Thanks for the tip. I think it will be South Tahoe near Heavenly. We'll be staying in enough Motel 6's anyway!

Have a good winter

Tahoe

Better Yet (just my opinion). Stay at North Shore stay at Tahoe Biltmore Hotel and Casino (google them). Rooms cheaper and nicer than Motel 6. Good food prices, free booze if you are in gambling room. Close to Squaw, Alpine, Homewood, Diamond Peak, Northstar and Mt. Rose. Max drive woould be Homewood or Squaw - 30 min max. Really good restaurants close, shuttle to ski areas if you want, prettier than south shore strip mall look. Better snow. 15 min from Truckee and/or tahoe City. Just a whole bunch better and cheaper.

You have a gf = you are single.
Join the ski club I belong to for $55. www.apres.org (you don't have to live here to join, but you do need to be single).
Stay at the club's cabin in Kings Beach (north tahoe) for $20-25/night. There's a full kitchen, hot tub, free wifi, etc. If its two of you, I'd reserve a "deluxe" room which has two twin beds in it. You'll need your own sheets/towels or sleeping bag, but it will be very inexpensive. You'll save enough $$ to pay for a rental car which will allow you to get to Northstar (10mins), Squaw, Alpine, Homewood (25 mins), Diamond Peak (3-5 mins), Heavenly (45 mins) or any other tahoe ski area. You can walk to restaurants or cook your own dinner/breakfast.

That's my idea. Or stay at the Biltmore if its cheap when you are coming. You can PM/email me if you need more info on the club.

Thanks for all the further tips.

I'm looking into it. It's def. going to be somewhere around lake Tahoe. Just need to settle the dates etc.

Also, I'm practicing the snow dance!!

klim:

If by "late december-early January" you mean anytime between december 23 and January 4, then tahoe will be chock full of people, and you will need reservations and pay holiday rates.

The rest of "early january", that is January 5-15, usually has far less people and rates for rooms etc., are alot lower.

The exception are powder days, and everyone shows up for those.

Great place to stay near Tahoe

I used to stay in Minden, NV when skiing in Kirkwood, CA. It's about a 35 minute drive, but lodging is super cheap, and of much better quality than most places in SLT. Particularly, I can recommend the Carson Valley Inn. Ask them for the motor lodge. It burnt down to the ground a few years ago and is newly rebuilt. Big rooms, clean, and cheap (about $59/night if you're a AAA member, from what I remember). You can walk to the Casino, and there's a really decent restaurant that's part of the resort as well, called Fiona's. They have a killer salad bar, and pretty good steaks at relatively decent prices. Very nice hot tub area also.

Haven't stayed there in about a year now, but I'm sure it's similar.