I want to go snowshoeing

I've only been once, so I don't have any real advice--but I will say it was SO much fun! It was a great workout, though not nearly as difficult to master as I was worried it would be (then again, I'm big into hiking, so the climbing wasn't the thing that was scaring me as much as having to get used to having a ginormous attachment on the bottom of my foot).

We brought a few thermoses of hot chocolate with us (but definitely bring lots of water--you don't realize how quickly you're dehydrating when you're kinda chilly out in the snow).

Depending on the type of snow (dry powder or wet slushy), it can be a very different experience.  We get very dry powder in the middle of winter and the snowshoes kind of sink.  Not all the way to the ground, but still sink.  On snow that has an icy crust, they are great!  No breaking through.  We bought snowshoes last winter and just used them around the farm.  Once around our 28 acres with hills and deep drifts is a workout.  Of course, I can find the deepest drifts and manage to get kind of stuck.  It's a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to getting enough snow on the ground to break them out again.  If you have any way to get a set of gaiters to go over your shoes, do it!  Makes a huge difference in keeping snow out of your boots.  Have fun!

I snowshoe all winter. I love it. Most of mine involve some kind of mountain so I have nice hefty snowshoes. How hard/easy it is depends on the grade of the trail your hiking on and the snow conditions. I have hiked in fresh deep snow and it is killer. I have gone to the point where I could barely move. Thankfully I had lots of friends with me on that trip and we took turns breaking trail. I have also gone where the snow is firm and hard and it is close to just a hike. Your gait changes a little cause of the width of the shoe but you get use to it pretty quickly. I highly recommend bringing a dog to break trail Mine is very useful.

Nice if your dog goes in a straight line!  Mine does not.  Of course, in general, my dog is not terribly useful. 

Snowshoeing is great, you'll love it. I didn't see anyone else mention this yet, but I'd highly recommend you do a little research on avalanche danger. You could spend years in the field and still not be able to predict avalanches, but at least teach yourself the basics. Stuff like staying off, and out from under possible slide areas. (30-45ish degree slopes) Don't be scared off the backcountry, most places are super safe, just know what you're getting into.

I would probably find the 'outdoor shop' in whatever town you'll be staying in and pick their brains a little bit. Plus I'm sure they'll have a book for sale about local snowshoe/cross country ski trails, most of which will rate trail difficulty and avy danger.

BTW, I spent about 6 mos in Truckee, CA and I used to go snowshoeing up on Donner Pass I think. It was awhile ago and I wouldn't remember any directions, but I do remember heading west up the hill from truckee and finding lots of good stuff.

small steps, use poles.

If you are going up, or down, make sure you have the spikes on the bottom, most do.

Go up, because then you get to go down, and that is fun.

Don't walk on the cross country ski trails because they might get mad.

Layers, toque, gloves.

Find a mountain to go up, really not as hard as it looks.

Dont wear fleece pants, if you can help it, snow sticks to them.