Thanksgiving in South Lake Tahoe at Moonhaven Lodge

This year, our entire family of 30 escaped to South Lake Tahoe for an unforgettable Thanksgiving weekend. We stayed at the beautiful Moonhaven Lodge, a stunning lakeside cabin designed for large group gatherings — perfect for reunions, retreats, and multigenerational Thanksgivings.

LINK: Moonhaven Lodge

From massive shared meals to morning lake walks, ice skating, private movie showings, sauna sessions, campfire s’mores, and our annual family games… this was one of our most memorable Thanksgivings yet.

Whether you’re planning a big family holiday, a winter getaway, or simply want inspiration for organizing a large gathering in Tahoe, this blog post gives you our full itinerary, menu ideas, activity list, and tips to help make your trip seamless.

🏡 Where We Stayed: Moonhaven Lodge (Perfect for Large Families)

Moonhaven Lodge is located just minutes from the lake and offers:

• Multiple large bedrooms
• Double kitchens
• Spacious dining areas
• Huge common rooms perfect for group games
• A hot tub + sauna
• Easy access to nearby towns (Incline Village, Heavenly Village, Stateline)

We arrived Wednesday afternoon, unloaded all the food, snacks, and games for the long weekend, and settled in with a big pot of soup for dinner — the calm before the Thanksgiving festivities.

🦃 Thanksgiving Day at the Cabin (Thursday)

Morning Breakfast Spread

We started our holiday morning with a full breakfast spread:

• Homemade granola
• Baked breakfast casseroles
• And Kouign Amanns — my absolute favorite pastry
  • These can be found frozen at Trader Joe’s. Just proof overnight and bake fresh in the morning.

Rebecca added the most thoughtful touches, including custom mugs for all 30 family members with our names and “Tahoe 2025,” plus matching family shirts. These little details made the gathering feel extra special.

Pre-Dinner Lake Walk + Sauna Time

Before Thanksgiving dinner, many of us bundled up and took a peaceful lake walk to enjoy the crisp November air. Afterward, I jumped into the lodge’s sauna and hot tub to get cozy and reset before the big meal.

Our Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

Our feast included:

• Oven-roasted turkey
• Filet
• Mashed potatoes
• Cornbread stuffing
• Crispy Brussels sprouts
• A classic jello salad
• Homemade orange rolls
• Coconut cream pie

After dinner, we gathered as a family to play Left, Right, Center — a simple dice game that gets loud, competitive, and hilarious very quickly.

Friday in Tahoe: Ice Skating + Private Movie Screening + Cave Rock Sunset

Family Ice Skating at Heavenly Village

We took the whole crew to the Heavenly Ice Rink, one of the most festive winter spots in Tahoe. With music playing, lights twinkling, and the whole family skating together, it was a highlight for the kids.

Private “Wicked 2” Screening in Incline Village

Rebecca booked a private showing of Wicked 2 at the Incline Village Cinema — meaning we had the entire theater to ourselves. The kids sprawled out across rows, adults had unlimited seating, and it felt like our own personal premiere event.

Cave Rock Sunset Hike

On our drive back to South Lake, we stopped at Cave Rock trailhead for a quick sunset hike. The overlook glowed orange and pink, reflecting across Lake Tahoe — truly a postcard moment.

Back at the lodge, we ended the night with campfire s’mores and stories wrapped in blankets.

Saturday: Family Photos + Burgers + Snowboard Boots + Pizza Night + Bunco

Midday Family Photos

We took our group family photos around noon while the light was soft. Coordinating 30 people is always chaos — but worth it.

🍔 Lunch + Snowboard Gear with the Boys

I took the boys to Big Daddy’s Burgers for lunch and then to Blue Zone Sports to pick up new snowboarding boots.

🍕 Pizza Night at the Lodge

My dad brought up a portable pizza oven, and he and the boys prepped big batches of homemade dough so every family member could build their own custom pizza.

Annual Giant Bunco Game

Our family tradition is a massive bunco game with very real prizes — we’re talking trips to Mexico and Hawaii, plus Tesla stock.

This year:

• I didn’t win the trips 😭
• BUT… the boys won a PS5, and Stewart cried from excitement

It was honestly one of the sweetest moments of the whole weekend.

Sunday: Packing Up & Heading Home

After a beautiful long weekend, we packed up and said our goodbyes. Tahoe is always magical — but sharing it with 30+ family members makes it unforgettable.

This entire video was filmed using my DJI Osmo Pocket 3, my favorite compact vlogging camera for travel and family trips. LINK: DJI OSMO 3 POCKET CAMERA

AWE-FULL WAFFLES

IN A HEAVY DUTY BLENDER PLACE: 1 cup Milk 1 Cup WHOLE WHEAT Blend for approx. 3 minutes THEN ADD the following to the blender: ½ cup Vegetable or canola OIL ½ teaspoon Salt 1-Tablespoon Baking Powder 2-Tablespoons sugar 2-EGGs CONTINUE BLENDING for an additional 3-5 minutes. BATTER IS DONE PUT an appropriate amount of batter into the waffle maker (do not overfill) Cook to desired doneness

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families!