Awarded the 2015 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the lakefront Aston Lakeland Village Beach & Mountain Resort is located on 19 beautifully landscaped acres in South Lake Tahoe, just a shuttle ride away from Heavenly Ski Resort. Once you get here, you can shift into full chill mode. The views alone are therapy. If you’re here for winter sports, the onsite Lakeland Village Ski & Board Shop has everything you need to hit the slopes. Before you head out for the day, treat yourself to complimentary coffee in the lobby. (If you want to get fancy, there’s also a self-serve cappuccino/latte machine.) Summer visits call for a daily stop at the two outdoor heated pools, and little ones will have a blast splashing in the children’s pool. Soothe your sore post-hiking/biking muscles with a soak in one of the resort’s two hot tubs. Then challenge the kids to build the sandcastle of all sandcastles on the private beach while you make burgers on the outdoor grill. Get a great workout in at the fitness center, while the young ones are busy with Kids Camp, which includes field trips, treasure hunts and pool play. And take advantage of the Kids Camp weekly movie night. A grownups-only night on the town for you, pizza and a movie for the kids. It’s a win-win.

Condos at Aston are privately owned and individually decorated. Deluxe studios and one-bedrooms are 450 to 860 square feet and sleep two to four guests. Need more space? Upgrade to a townhome. They sleep four to ten guests and give you up to 1,900 square feet of comfy hangout space. Cribs or infant beds are available upon request. All condos feature fully-equipped kitchens. Head to Safeway for groceries, it’s only a block and a half away. (Get your caffeine fix at the attached Starbucks.) Bring the kids along, and let them pick out snacks in exchange for carrying bags. Even summer evenings can get chilly – cozy fireplace to the rescue. TVs feature satellite channels and DVD players. Peruse the resort’s collection of rental movies to see if you can get the kids to agree on a few. (Best of luck on that one.)

In addition to providing a complimentary shuttle to Heavenly Ski Resort, Aston Lakeland also offers shuttle service around South Lake Tahoe. Summer activities at Heavenly include mountain climbing, hiking and boating. And you can keep your crew busy skiing, sledding, snowshoeing and sleigh riding during your winter stay. For the shopaholics among you, a visit to The Shops at Heavenly Village is a must. Hodge Podge is a mishmash of clothing, games, toys and souvenirs. Del Sol sells t-shirts, jewelry and nail polish that changes colors in the sunlight. Catch a movie at Heavenly Village Cinema. Or head to Base Camp Pizza. Keep it simple with pepperoni and cheese or choose up to three toppings to create your own unique flavor. Before catching the shuttle back to the resort, seal your status as Best Vacation Planner Ever with a surprise stop at Cold Stone Creamery or Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.