Resort height: 1900m
The mountains
Most of Heavenly's pistes are lined with trees, and fall away from two sides of a long ridge at the southern end of Tahoe. On one side, you look out over the iridescent blue water of the lake. On other, you're confronted by the distant browns of the Nevada desert. It's weird and wonderful in equal measure, and quite unlike anything you'll see elsewhere in the world of skiing.
The pistes themselves suit skiers rather than snowboarders and intermediates more than anyone else. Skiing beginners have a limited amount of room to play in, on a flat plateau half-way up the mountain, and there are some steep chutes, bowls and mogul fields to challenge the experts. But mostly, this is a place to cruise the corduroy, building your technique and confidence.
Sounds a bit limited? But that's only if you consider Heavenly in isolation - which is crazy when you consider that there are more than ten other ski areas nearby. The best of them is at Squaw Valley, on the other side of the lake, and it makes a great day out from your base - especially if you take the paddle steamer back across the lake at the end of it.
Getting there
It's a long haul from the UK, but at least you get to fly into San Francisco by way of compensation. Driving out across the suspension bridges is a real thrill for a Brit. The drive from airport to resort takes about four hours.
Rating: 
8/10
Après-ski
First of all, this isn't Las Vegas. By European standards, the casinos are big, but they're nothing like the glittering halls of greed you'll find in Vegas. In a way, that only deepens the appeal, because they feel much more blue-collar and American. The craps tables in particular are a lot of fun, though you could spend a whole night playing them and still not understand the rules. For more conventional après-ski, head to Fire and Ice at the bottom of the main gondola up the mountain. Many skiers eat at the casino buffets at night (several have fancier restaurants, too): but for a change of style try the Hunan Garden for excellent Chinese, or jump on the paddle steamer for a dinner cruise.
Rating: 
4/10
Non-skiers
Heavenly is an unusual destination for non-skiers too, but unless you're a gambler, you'll probably find the casino-town atmosphere tacky.
Rating: 
7/10
Cost of living
Of course, you could lose your shirt at the poker tables. But provided you control your gambling, you'll find Heavenly cheap for a ski resort. There are often good deals to be found on package holidays here from the UK, too.
Rating: 7/10
Attractiveness of the resort
Down by the side of the lake, Heavenly isn't such a beautiful spot - thanks to the big gambling sheds, and the attendant sprawl of cheap motels. But once you get up on the slopes you'll love the mix of forests and lake views.
