Every winter I try and take a short vacation away from the balmy climes of Southern California, and try to get to some place that actually gets cold. With snow. And icicles. Whether Mammoth or Big Bear, getting into the snow is somewhat cathartic for me — I really feel like I’m getting away from the rote things I tend to do.

This winter, my heart was set on getting to Lake Tahoe, but not settling for a hotel room. I was looking to stay in something more memorable and less cookie-cutter. So, I started checking out my options on the ‘net , and one of the first places I came across was a great website called Home Away. Now, this isn’t an Expedia, Travelocity, or Orbitz, this is simply a site that connects someone who has a place to rent — whether a condo, a cabin, a house, or an entire plantation — to someone looking for a place to stay. Read the rest of this entry » »