AS 2008 begins to unfold, Lake Tahoe which encompasses Nevada and California still remains to be the favorite winter sports destination in North America. One of the activities that you may be interested in joining is the SnowFest photo contest organized by Tahoe World. The contest runs for almost two weeks from February 29 to March 9. But this is a unique photo contest though. You don’t need to get to Lake Tahoe to shoot winter sports photos because the older the photos, the better. Lake Tahoe has long been a winter destination after World War II and if you have black and white photos of the area circa the 1950s, you’ll have better chances of winning.

Elsewhere, Diamond Peak Ski Resort will have skiing lessons at Lake Tahoe this Friday for just $25. Remember that if you want your child to learn skiing, teach him or her early. And don’t just rely on any skiing instructor. Leave your child to those you can rely – the skiing champions. Diamond Peak Ski Resort and the dozens of other resorts in Lake Tahoe employ full-time skiing instructors which have been previous skiing champions. Your child will not just learn the basics of skiing, you and your family will also be introduced to the thrills of sled racing. But because skiing at the peak of this winter in Lake Tahoe may be too cold for you, and then you must don yourself with lots of clothing. Your usual outerwear will then become your underwear. Just make sure not to wear something cottony because cotton tends to absorb moisture and you will get colder as a result. Another thing that I admire at the resorts in Lake Tahoe is that they are staffed with people who are all Swiss hotel school graduates. Swiss hotel schools as we know are the best in the world.

But it’s not just skiing that you will enjoy in Lake Tahoe. It is also a haven for various activities such as cruising and fishing in the lake in a yacht, having some game of golf or playing baccarat and poker in its casinos or even enjoying seeing a painting gallery. In fact, artist Natalie Rishe will have her exhibit going on at the Prim Gallery in Lake Tahoe until February 8. Of course, Natalie will be on hand to guide the tourists in her painting gallery and she will also have free lectures on the basics of painting as well as her inspirations.

Speaking of lectures, Lake Tahoe is also a haven for intellectuals such as a lecture organized by the University of California this Thursday at the Tahoe Center for the Environmental Sciences on the potentials of tap water around the Lake Tahoe area. Chemists from the University of California are exploring whether tap water around the Lake Tahoe area are really fit for human consumption. This piece of news eerily brings me recalling the movie starring John Travolta, A Civil Action.