This popular resort on Lake Tahoe’s northwest side lets you start celebrating right out on the slopes. Kick off après with Northstar California ski resort’s “daily tōst,” where guests are invited to raise a glass and sip bubbly on the mountain each day at 2 p.m.
Down at the base, all the après action centers around the lively ice rink anchoring the handsome Village at Northstar. Scan the crowd chillin’ by the ice rink and you can see this place is all about families—happy families—on the ice, sprawled on cushy sofas, in shops and in restaurants. Kids bust their moves (or their buns) on the ice, then take breaks with mom and dad (sipping Irish coffees in heated rink-side cabanas) to make marshmallow-y treats with ready-made s’mores kits, complete with toasting sticks and all the sweet ingredients (for sale at a rink-side stand).
Another fun option for all is the tubing hill, where visitors of all ages can hurtle down the 200-yard groomed tube run, then grab the tow lift back to the top of the hill to do it all over again..
A favorite après-ski hangout spot for grownups, including gold medalist Shaun White (Northstar is his home mountain), is romantic Petra, in the village a short walk from the ice rink. Slip into a pillowy banquette at the edgy urban-meets-mountain-hip hangout, then sip delectable wines paired with sophisticated small plates, like Moroccan tagine.
After a day in ski boots, getting a massage can be an awesome way to après. Try one of the featured treatments at the swanky spa at Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. Rehydrate with cucumber water, then steam, soak, or swim in a heated lap pool, included with all treatments.