Snowy Adventure in Truckee: A Blizzard Tale and Ritz-Carlton Highlights

This post is a bit of a throwback (March of this year), but we went to Truckee, California for a nursing conference my wife was attending. The plan was to enjoy the snow, have some fun, and relax, since her conference wasn’t too busy. However, we ended up hitting the big blizzard that struck in early March. We flew into Reno and intended to drive to Truckee, which should have taken around 30 to 45 minutes. Instead, the highway was closed due to heavy snow and wind. We had to take a detour, traveling northwest before heading back south, which took us about two and a half hours. At times, the road barely resembled a road at all.

When we finally arrived in Reno, the conditions weren’t too bad. The snow had melted, it was cold but manageable, and while I was definitely stressed about heading to Truckee, my wife convinced me to go. My kids were really excited to get there, and I knew that once we arrived, everything would be worth it.

We made sure to rent a four-wheel drive to ensure we had the best traction possible, knowing we’d need it in the snow. Honestly, we didn’t want to deal with car chains; they’re a hassle, and I’m not great at putting them on. Plus, many car rental agencies don’t allow chains due to the risk of damaging the vehicle.

It looked beautiful at first, but that didn’t last long. About 30 minutes into our drive north, the scenery changed to an all-white, desolate landscape where you could barely see through the snow and wind.

That wasn’t even the worst of it. When things got really bad, my wife was quite stressed, but luckily our kids were asleep and didn’t know what was happening. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any pictures of the worst parts, but we did catch up to a snowplow, so we were moving slowly but surely. At least we knew we were on the right track and that the roads were likely to be okay for us.

Once we arrived, it was clear that we’d be sticking to the hotel and its immediate surroundings. We might venture into the nearby ski village, where a ski lift connects the Ritz-Carlton in Truckee, but we probably wouldn’t explore much beyond that. With the snowstorm and limited attractions, there wasn’t much to see or do, and we were more than happy to enjoy the hotel itself. It was definitely one of the fanciest places we’ve ever stayed.

The first thing we did was dress the kids in warm clothes to prepare for the snow. Once we were all set, we headed outside to play until the kids were too cold to stay out any longer. Then, we went inside to enjoy the free s'mores offered by the Ritz-Carlton in Truckee every day during our stay.

The only downside was that the food at the Ritz-Carlton wasn’t great, especially considering the price. However, this was balanced out by the many free amenities they offered. We enjoyed free s'mores and bath bombs, which we discovered online are worth nearly $15 each. They provided us with as many as we wanted throughout our stay, and we even took a bunch home. Overall, it was a nice perk, but if you’re staying at the Ritz-Carlton Truckee, I’d recommend skipping the in-house restaurants as they weren’t up to par.

They also offered a variety of activities throughout the day, like building snow globes and decorating cookies. Since we visited during the blizzard, these events were nearly empty, so the kids had most of the space to themselves, with maybe just one or two other kids around. We couldn’t have asked for a better setup, as it would have been much more crowded if not for the snowstorm.

That was pretty much our first day; we hit the sack early since it was the kids’ first time on an airplane and the drive had been long. We were all exhausted. The next morning, the boys and I woke up bright and early, hopped on the ski lift, and headed down to the ski village area. They had never been on a ski lift before and absolutely loved it. They also had a blast playing in the snow, especially climbing on some of the raised areas in the village.

When we got back to the hotel and my wife finished up at the conference, I did something I hadn’t expected, we went for a swim. Although it wasn’t snowing anymore, it was still cold and windy. The pool was supposed to be heated to 80 degrees, but it felt pretty chilly. Fortunately, we found an empty, secluded hot tub and enjoyed that for a while. I never thought I’d be relaxing in a hot tub with no one around.

After that, we didn’t do much more. We took the ski lift a few more times, visited the ski village, and went down there at night. It was completely empty, as Truckee was still quiet due to the snow. The freeway didn’t open up until our last night, which luckily was when we were leaving, making the drive back to the airport much easier and shorter. Despite the challenges, I’m really glad we made the trip. The blizzard allowed the kids to have free rein at the Ritz-Carlton without many other people around. They were well-behaved and respectful, even though they were running around quite energetically.

I would have loved to get more photos while we were there, but I find that with kids at their age, I spend more time running around and enjoying the moment with them. While having lots of pictures is great for preserving memories, I cherish the time spent with them more. I do take plenty of photos to capture memories for them, but I don’t want to miss out on the experience by constantly stopping to pose or take pictures.

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