Northstar-at-Tahoe has an ice-skating rink (530-562-3689) in the village, with outdoor fire pits and occasional entertainment. Skate rentals are $5; lessons are available. A tubing park (530-562-2013), located mid mountain, is open midweek noon to 4 p.m. and weekends/holidays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $14 first hour plus $10 each additional hour. Heres a kid pleaser: Tahoe Apex Adventure Bungy (530-414-1935), a trampoline in Village Center Overlook, is open to anyone weighing 20 to 220 pounds. Fee is $12 for 5 minutes. Polaris Park, located mid-mountain at Northstar, has lighted snow play areas for tubing, snowbiking and other activities. It is open weekends and holidays, 3 to 9 p.m. Sleigh rides are available at Northstar-at-Tahoe, (530) 562-2480, and in the Squaw Valley meadow, (530) 583-6300.

The region also has snowmobiling, scenic flights, hot-air balloon rides, horseback riding, sleigh rides, bowling, movies and health clubs. Snowfest is North Tahoe's winter carnival, usually in late February/early March. Call (800) 824-6348 or (530) 583-3494 for a complete list of things to do.

At Diamond Peak, check out the Incline Village Recreation Center, which has aerobics, basketball court, weight room, European sauna and an indoor pool among its amenities. Visitors can use the facilities for $10 per day or $25 per week. Discounts are available for children, teens, seniors and families. Another spot for family fun is Bowl Incline with more than bowling. You'll find pool tables, other pinball gizmos, video poker built into the bar and a golf simulator where you can play seven world-class courses. Greens fees are $24 per hour and it takes about an hour to play 18 holes. The Incline Village Cinema is an excellent movie theater.

There are also plenty of casinos on the north shore. The Tahoe Biltmore is a favorite of locals for slots and poker. The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe is also an excellent casino and has perhaps the best shows. The best shopping is in the Boatworks Mall.

National Automobile Museum: The Harrah Collection, 10 S. Lake St. in Reno, has more than 200 classic and antique automobiles. It is considered to be one of the top auto museums in the United States and includes autos such as the 1907 Thomas Flyer, winner of the 22,000-mile 1908 New York-to-Paris race, the 1949 James Dean Mercury from the movie "Rebel Without A Cause" and Elvis Presley's 1973 Cadillac. Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for ages 62 and older, $3 for ages 6 to 18, and free for ages 5 and younger.