Traveling from Reno to the north shore of Lake Tahoe in winter can be difficult. The quickest route is over Mount Rose Highway, which is almost 11,000 feet at its highest point and gets a lot of snow. But it's also spectacularly beautiful when you can make the trip.

Tahoe's south shore has more casinos and lodging options (Harrah's, Harveys and Montbleu being the biggest). If you're going to gamble, I would go to the south shore. If you're looking for scenery, it's hard to beat the north shore, regardless of the time of year.