Go Wild – Inspiration for the Best New Year’s Celebration!

What happens when 12 of the most ambitious travel photographers and content creators choose to ring in the New Year in Reno Tahoe? Plenty of non-stop memory making and epic adventures, with a dash of unforgettable dining experiences and world-class pampering. Get inspired to kick off your New Year with a bang, throwing those typical resolutions to the wind.

Make This the Best New Year’s Celebration Ever!

Dare to Try Something New

On a scale of one to Evel Knievel, how much of a daredevil are you? If you’ve always wanted to see where Olympians like David Wise train and try your hand at some of those high-flying, medal-worthy tricks, make a stop at Woodward Tahoe at Boreal. One of Woodward’s most popular attractions is the Bunker, a 33,000 square foot sports playground with trampolines, foam pits, an indoor skatepark and more. You can work with their coaching staff to learn new skills or try new tricks. This group had such a good time, they went twice!

Be a Kid Again

When was the last time you let your inner child out to play? Follow the lead of Quin, Nathaniel, Ryan, Travis, Kylor, Michael and Matt, and let that fun-loving version of yourself cut loose! If going over the speed limit is your vice, take a few laps at Need 2 Speed indoor kart racing, where the twists and turns of their track and high-performance karts (they can go up to 45 mph!) will make you feel like you’re racing down the Autobahn.

Keep the competition alive but slow it down a bit at Need 2 Speed’s 9-hole blacklight mini-golf course. The racing theme carries over to the course, inspiring you to challenge your friends and maybe put some friendly wagers on the line.

Star-Worthy Pampering

You work hard. You play hard. That means you deserve a spa day that’s on par with all the action you pack into your life. The good news is that there is no shortage of world-class spas in Reno Tahoe and Jess, Renee, Christian, Chelsea and Andrea can attest to the next-level luxury at the spa at Atlantis Casino Resort Spa. With a full menu of spa treatments, as well as plenty of lounge areas, you can truly escape and relax.

Powder and a View

A trip to Reno Tahoe in the winter wouldn’t be complete without spending time in the mountains, and if you’re skier or snowboarder, that probably means a day at one of Tahoe’s ski resorts. Whether you’re staying in Reno or at the lake, Diamond Peak is a great option, with panoramic views and a variety of terrain for all abilities. The resort is less than an hour from downtown Reno, and if you stay in Incline Village, you can practically roll out of bed and onto a chair lift! There are shuttle stops throughout Incline Village and the resort offers a discount on rental equipment when you show your airline boarding pass. There’s no excuse not to take advantage of fresh snow and bluebird days.

Get on the Water

Yes, you read that right. A little nip in the air doesn’t keep this hardy group from spending a sunny afternoon paddleboarding on Lake Tahoe. The temperature may be close to freezing, but Reno Tahoe’s abundant sunshine means that lake days are still in the cards, even in the winter. You’ll have the water to yourself, and the snowcapped mountains paired with Tahoe’s blue water make for a perfect photo op.

Eat, Drink, Repeat

All of this is making us hungry, but deciding where to go when your whole crew is in tow can be a challenge. Luckily Liberty Food & Wine Exchange in downtown Reno has something for every palate, including custom charcuterie boards, housemade soups, pizza, pasta and more. Craving dinner with a view of Lake Tahoe? Lone Eagle Grille serves up delectable options for breakfast, lunch and dinner – you HAVE to save room for their Baked Tahoe dessert – with unparalleled lakeside ambiance. They also offer a tasty lounge menu of appetizers and cocktails, perfect for an après-ski snack.

Meet the Crew

This group is no stranger to beautiful places and all of them collectively have more passport stamps than most of us could dream of collecting in a lifetime. But when you’ve traveled the world and have your pick of destinations to ring in the New Year, where do you head? This group couldn’t resist the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains, set between Lake Tahoe’s clear water and Reno’s lively downtown scene. Let’s meet the group that made this legendary itinerary come to life.

Jess Dales, @jess.wandering – Having spent time at Lake Tahoe as a child, Jess returned in 2018 and has fallen even more in love with the area and all it has to offer. When she’s not paddleboarding on Tahoe, Jess is exploring the world, photographing and writing about her epic travels.

Quin Schrock, @everchanginghorizon – Loosely based in Southern California, or wherever his van happens to be parked, Quin is well-known for his surreal imagery that captures the unexpected beauty of the world around him.

Nathaniel Wise, @nathanielwise – An adventurer and photographer living life on the road full-time, Nathaniel has a unique style that captures the color and vastness of nature.

Christian Schaffer, @christianschaffer – Answering the call of the open road, Christian is drawn to mountain tops and wide-open spaces, documenting the ethereal side of even the most dramatic landscapes. Christian and Nathaniel loved Reno Tahoe so much, they returned in the summer to explore the area and take advantage of our long days.

Ryan Robinson, @handsomerobinson – Professional highliner and adventure athlete, and contributor to National Geographic, Outside Magazine, GoPro and RedBull, Ryan is no stranger to finding gravity-defying perspectives.

Travis Burke, @travisburkephotography – If you’ve opened Instagram or just about any outdoor magazine, you’ve probably seen Travis’ work. He approaches life with a ‘no regrets’ attitude and this shows in each of his amazing photographs.

Kylor Melton, @kylor – Equal parts photographer and storyteller, Kylor’s images and videos tell stories that truly move you.

Michael Matti, @michaelmatti – Based in Seattle, Michael’s love for the outdoors has taken him around the world. He’s photographed mountains in Italy, remote Canadian lakes and almost everything in between.

Renee Hahnel, @reneeroaming – After relocating to the US from Australia, Renee and her husband Matt (we’ll meet him in a minute), hit the road and embarked on a journey to each of the National Parks in the United States. She hasn’t stopped there and continues to travel the world, sharing her photographs and stories along the way. And this wasn’t Renee’s first time in Reno Tahoe! See what she got up to during her last visit.

Matthew Hahnel, @matthewhahnel – When he isn’t exploring and photographing his own backyard of the Pacific Northwest, Matt and Renee can be found almost anywhere, from Finland to Tahiti.

Chelsea Yamase, @chelseakauai – A hiker, diver, surfer and photographer, Chelsea calls Hawaii home but this adventure seeker is often found globetrotting for brands like Canon USA and Adobe.

Andrea Ference, @vagabondhearts – Growing up in the Canadian Rockies fueled Andrea’s passion for the mountains, which is where most of her travel takes her, capturing peaks, glaciers and lakes from Europe to North America.

It doesn’t stop there! Reno Tahoe has plenty of ways to ring in the New Year and even stick to those resolutions in 2020.