We have been riding, summer, fall and sometimes winter, to Lake Tahoe for about 30 years.
Most of our visits were related to tent or trailer camping, usually at Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, a lovely Forest Service campground about 4 miles north of South Lake Tahoe, just off highway 89 and close to the big lake. From this campground we often focused on the lake from nearby Camp Richardson, historic Tallac and north up Hwy 89 to Emerald Bay and Tahoe City.
Late last year, we banked an unused “COVID Pandemic Timeshare Week” with Interval International, and realized it was better to use it or lose it. So we booked a condominium in Stateline, Nevada, a few blocks from the intersection of Nevada Highway 207 and US Highway 50.
With that as a base, we set out to re-explore South Lake Tahoe and the Stateline casinos, find new hiking trails, and discover new restaurants and nightclubs.
If you don’t have a timeshare week to redeem, take a look at slower season rates for overnight stays; using KAYAK or Booking.com, Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO) or AirBnB. Older, relatively inexpensive but pleasant motels can be found just northeast of Stateline and Lake Tahoe boulevards. From our condo or other area hostels, you can walk to many attractions, morning til night.
We’ve found that you can experience a lot just by walking. A mile-long morning hike from our condo at Stateline revealed a host of beautiful motels on the California border, and new restaurant gems such as Idle Hour wine tasting, with cheese fondue and other interesting creations and a spectacular view to the northeast on the shore of Lake Tahoe. .
The Beach House Restaurant on Lakeside Beach offers spectacular lake views and a variety of tasty bistro dishes. We also found the Toulouse restaurant right by the lake, with a “touch of New Orleans” (with shrimp gumbo, shrimp and grits, oysters and more) with delicious food although the service from holiday was a little stressed.
Later in the week, we discovered the best Bloody Marys in town (subjective, yes), with either omelettes for breakfast or calamari for lunch at the Artemis Lakeside Cafe on Ski Run Boulevard.
Just steps away is an excellent full service restaurant on the lake, Riva Grill, with the best fish and chips meal we’ve tasted in a long time and other tasty options. Late in the week, we realized that the Chart House restaurant was only a mile off the 207 freeway, and wife Susan found out that it had a happy hour from 4-6 p.m. With a slew of tempting fancy appetizers from $4 to $8 and discounted drinks in a white-tablecloth part of the restaurant, it was a hit for an upscale but inexpensive outing.
Looking for memorable yet affordable nighttime activities, Susan opted for Magic Fusion, two magicians wow the crowds at the Loft Theater with an entertaining 1.5 hour magic show for adults and children. Other memorable options include a trolley ride from Heavenly Resort, which takes you several thousand vertical feet for breathtaking views of the lake. Likewise, a sunset cruise on the lake from Zephyr Cove, just 3 miles east of State Line, remains very popular.
Just north of Camp Richardson is one of the West Side’s top attractions, the Tallac Historic District. Start at the Forest Service Visitor Center explaining the details of these three former luxury waterfront mansions, Baldwin’s Estate, Pope’s Estate and Valhalla, bringing you back to life in the Roaring Twenties , when these lavish mansions were the summer retreats of the wealthiest Californians. Sign up for a docent-led tour of multiple homes to appreciate the pampered lives of celebrities 100 years ago.
We had long heard of the Valhalla Boathouse Theatre, in the huge old boathouse, now converted into a 160-seat performance hall. On Wednesday night, the Boathouse featured Tim Snider and his bluegrass band Wolfgang Timber, who played a lively set as the sun set over sparkling Lake Tahoe behind the main stage. With a series of performances coming up on Wednesday nights and additional shows featuring Tahoe Improv, Young Shakespeare, ‘Word Wave’ (three one-act plays) and ‘Motherhood Out Loud’ (a rousing play) on select dates through in October, this theatrical experience not to be missed.
We decided to hike 4-6 miles a day and explore new hiking routes early each morning. Using a favorite trails app, AllTrails, and talking to several local hikers, we discovered some great hiking options within a block of our condo.
A favorite, which we did twice in different directions, was Round Hill Pines/Kahle Park Trail, which took us further into Nevada and up to Nevada Beach, where we discovered a lovely Service campground. forest adjoining the beach. This nearly 10 km round trip includes shaded paved trails, perfect for hiking or biking. Nearby on the state line is Van Sickle Park, with the Van Sickle Connector Trail climbing high into the Sierra to the Tahoe Rim Trail, which loops the entire lake for people who want to hike 10, 20 or 70 miles!
Additional trails start from the summit of Kingsbury Grade, Mount Tallac just north of Camp Richardson, and other hiking routes near Emerald Bay on Hwy 89 on the south and west shores.
Pack hiking boots or bikes and whet your appetite for food and fun in South Lake Tahoe!
For more Lake Tahoe information, visitlaketahoe.com; Tallac Historic District, fs.usda.gov; Valhalla Boathouse Theater, valhallatahoe.com.
Contact Tim at [email protected] Have a nice trip out west!