My First Impression of Reno, Lake Tahoe, Nevada

Atlantis Hotel and Casino

We stayed at Atlantis Hotel and Casino. The hotel room is quite large and quiet. One problem we faced is that we just can't shut the airflow from the AC/heater even though the AC/heater control has been turned off. Well, it didn't bother us or we didn't have enough time to call the front desk to solve this problem for us.

The drive from Reno to Boreal

On the second day, we decided to go to Boreal to ski because another family's relatives were coming from California to join us. The drive from Reno to Boreal was a very scenic one. The blue sky, white peaks, brown stones, and green pine trees were quite impressive. You can see the pictures yourself.

Boreal Skiing

As soon as we arrived at the registration area, we realized that we made a mistake. We shouldn't have come to Boreal. The reason is that the place is packed with people, Californian people. Boreal is the closest skiing area to the San Francisco bay area. It's ony three hours away from San Francisco. People from Bay area can go skiing at Boreal and return on the same day. Almost all other skiing areas will take at least another hour or so. Visitors from non-bay-area should avoid Boreal especially during the holidays or weekends.

The main lifts were very short but the waiting lines were very long. However, we love the route. It's a very long ride. It's not well known so that not too many people are in line for the lift.

Mount Rose Skiing

It's the highest among all skiing areas in Reno/Lake Tahoe area. Therefore it's also the coldest. And the weather most unpredictable. The elevation is about 8200 feet. The first day was rainy/snowy. The fouth day we went there it was extremely windy. A good time of skiing really depends on the weather - something I learned from this trip. I have skied at Pensylvania, California, and Minnesota. This is the worst weather.

Peppermill Hotel and Casino

We visited Peppermill on Christmas Day to see the place. The Oceana seafood restaurant is very unique with all the blue lights. The line at the Island Buffet was too long. So we end up eating upstairs at the Grand Ballroom where the Christmas dinner was held.

The entire casino was packed with players on Christmas night. People are certainly celebrating the antient holiday in a very modern way.

Reno/Lake Tahoe Next Time

Reno/Lake Tahoe area has more than 20 skiing areas. We didn't go to the South Lake Tahoe yet. I heard Heavenly is the most beautiful spot. We didn't take the lake cruise either. We are saving those for our next trip back to Reno/Lake Tahoe.

（原文：http://www.directron.com/reno.html）