Gondola to Heaven

If you want a preview of heaven, take a ride on the Heavenly Valley Ski Resort gondola. State-of-the-art "cars" whisk you from South Shore's downtown area up the mountain to Heavenly Resort's 14,000-square-foot observation deck, complete with telescopes and a cafe. The 2 1/2-mile ride rises to an elevation of 9,123 feet, offering passengers shore-to-shore views of Lake Tahoe, Carson Valley to the east, and Desolation Wilderness to the west (all best seen at sunset). The gondola is a half block west of Stateline, an easy walk from downtown. It's open in the summer Monday through Friday from 10am to sunset, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to sunset; winter hours are daily from 9am to 4pm. Tickets are $28 for adults, $24 for teens ages 13 to 18, $18 for children ages 5 to 12, and free for kids 4 and under.