A wonderful way to get to know the higher elevations of Lake Tahoe is to take a ride on the Aerial Tram at Squaw Valley. The tram is an 8-minute ride from the Village at Squaw, in the middle of a beautiful alpine valley, up to High Camp at the top of a precipitous peak on the west side of the valley. The tram can hold about 35-40 people and runs every 20 minutes. The cost for just the tram is $29 for adults, $22 for kids from age 13-18 and $10 for children under 12 years old. Seniors can go up for $22.

The Aerial Tram shot from the partner tram — Photo courtesy of Christina Nellemann

Squaw Village from the tram — Photo courtesy of Christina Nellemann

High Camp has tons of things to do, so you don't have to come down right away. If you're not skiing or boarding, you can ice skate at the highest ice skating rink in Tahoe (winter) or roller skate in the summer. There is also a large pool and spa, bathrooms, a cafe, a restaurant, tennis, disc golf, a small paintball course and tons of hiking. There are future plans for a zip line.

High Camp's pool area — Photo courtesy of Christina Nellemann

You can bring a picnic up to High Camp and eat at one of the outdoor decks or visit several of the restaurants. The Poolside Cafe and BBQ offers lunch options like sandwiches, burritos, a salad bar and wraps. The Umbrella Bar is near the pool and offers drinks on the pool deck. The Bar North Sports bar features a pool table and eight flat screen TVs, and the Terrace Cafe is a classy, sit-down restaurant that serves lunch and dinner and offers panoramic views of the valley and Lake Tahoe. During the winter, the Wildflour Too bakery and Alexander's are both open. The Wildflour serves legendary cookies, homemade baked goods, bagels, breads, tortillas and sandwiches, as well as Scharffen Berger hot chocolate and Peet’s coffee and tea. Alexander's features an eclectic lunch menu and chef's housemade specialties

The terrain of Squaw seen from the tram — Photo courtesy of Christina Nellemann