You don't give many specific details. Drivable from an airport up to what distance? ANY airport? So air fares don't matter? There is an airport at Mammoth, but I don't know if the fares are cheap, and there aren't that many flights. Tahoe would be good, and easly accessible from the Reno airport, or Sacramento. Not bad from San Francisco, but may be too far to drive (you are kind of vague about not just wanting to drive from the airport to the ski area; you want it to be a long enough drive to take in other sights along the way???). Also, it would help if you could be more specific as to what you consider "a lot of money" for your rooms. What is your budget? Lift prices can vary tremendously, so you might look at the Web sites for some resorts and see what's within your budget.