Kathleen’s Guide to Lake Tahoe
If you're ever in the need for a quick trip that's good for any time of the year. May I introduce you to Lake Tahoe!
I took a recent trip to Lake Tahoe and fell in love. This place has it all: breath-taking views, gorgeous beaches, great restaurants and even good night life. This place is just as amazing in the winter with great skiing, snowboarding and hot springs.
If I've convinced you to plan a trip to Lake Tahoe, keep reading to hear some of my recommendations.
WHERE TO STAY:
I stayed in the city of Stateline in the South part of Lake Tahoe which is on the border of California and Nevada (hence its name). This city seemed to be the most central to all the activities I wanted to do. There are also numerous hotels here to fit anyones budget. Here are my recommendations:
1. THE LODGE AT EDGEWOOD - approx. $400/night
This is the hotel I stayed at and would 100% recommend. It's on the water with it's own private beach and they have so many amenities; you could spend the whole day there and not run out of things to do. I would definitely recommend visiting their spa, I got a massage and facial and it was one of the best I've had (although it was probably one of the most expensive as well...)
2. GRAND RESIDENCES BY MARRIOTT - approx. $200/night
This is the place to stay if you want to be in the center of it all. This hotel is in the "village" which is were most of the restaurants, bars and shops are. This is also where the gondola is located if you're looking to head up the mountain to ski or snowboard.
3. BASECAMP HOTEL - approx. $100/night
If there was ever a thing as a luxury motel, this would be it. This place has lots of character with a modern meets rustic vibe. They even have rooms where you can pretend you're camping (complete with tent and faux fire pit)! I wanted to stay here for 2 nights but they were completely booked. Also worth noting, they don't have air conditioning (so maybe not the best for summer months).
SO MANY BEACHES, SO LITTLE TIME:
Lake Tahoe has so many beaches you really can't go wrong. That being said, the water is pretty cold no matter what time of the year. I found that the more shallow beaches had more tolerable water temps (although it might just be all in my head). Because of this, I gravitated to the beaches on the East side of Lake Tahoe. Here are my recommendations:
1. SAND HARBOR BEACH - This beach is pretty popular and for good reason. The water is calm and the temps more tolerable. This is also a good place to rent kayaks and paddle boards, especially if you are a beginner. In the harbor there is less boat and jet ski traffic. There is also a bar/restaurant at the beach and a few covered picnic areas. Again, this beach is pretty popular and parking tends to fill up quick. There is also a $10 parking fee, so I made a day of it.
2. CHIMNEY BEACH - For those who prefer a more secluded beach (like me). This beach is located a few miles south of Sand Harbor beach. There aren't really any signs on the main road either. We just google mapped it, then pulled into the closest parking lot when our GPS said "you've arrived". It's a fairly steep hike down to get to the beach so I packed pretty lite. There aren't really any amenities other than vault toilets in the parking lot.
3. SECRET BEACH - This beach is so secret, I couldn't even find it. Although this was mostly because I didn't have much time. This beach is less than a mile away from Chimney beach and looks like the most beautiful beach on Lake Tahoe. If you Google any images of Lake Tahoe chances are 50% of those pics will be from Secret Beach. Also, this is a clothing optional beach (just giving you a heads up).
MORE FUN IN THE SUN:
There is so much to do and see on Lake Tahoe besides laying on the beach. I'll only put my top three on this list since this post is already pretty long. Here are my recommendations:
1. HOP ON A BOAT - What better way to explore this massive lake than by boat. Speed boat, catamaran, luxury yacht...you name it and there's probably a cruise for it. I chose to cruise the famous Emerald Bay on the M.S. Dixie II a Mississippi paddlewheel. This is the largest boat to cruise around in and can get pretty packed (fits over 500ppl). Something to think about when picking a cruise. Other note worthy cruises in the South Lake Tahoe area are Lake Tahoe Bleu Wave a million dollar yacht and Rum Runner which has it's own signature cocktail. Both of which cruise around the scenic Emerald Bay.
2. TAKE A HIKE - I hiked to Grass Lake from the Falling Leaf Trailhead. This was an easy 5 mile (round trip) hike with lots of gorgeous views, waterfalls and even an abandoned mountain side hotel on the way to the lake. Falling Leaf Trailhead has a trail for every experience level with the hardest being a 13 mile (round trip) hike with a 1000ft elevation. There is parking at the trail head, but was full when we got there so you just have to find a good spot to pull over along the one lane road. There is a helpful forest ranger at the beginning of the trail to help you pick out which trail is best for you and answer any questions.
3. HIT UP THE CASINOS - The benefit of staying in Stateline is that half the city is in Nevada, which means you can gamble! There are four main casinos all right next to each other: Hard Rock, Harrahs, Harveys and MontBleu so you can gamble to your hearts content (like my husband did). If your not into gambling, these casinos also have some nice bars, restaurants and lounges.
PLANT BASED EATS!
If you read my previous blog post on my plant based lifesyle, you'll know I have certain food restrictions. But finding places to eat in South Lake Tahoe was no problem. Here are my recommendations:
1. SPROUTS CAFE - Best for lunch, this place specializes in fresh, organic food. They have tons of sandwich, salad and bowl options. A lot of these options have cheese on them so if you're plant based, like me, just omit the cheese.
2. SIMPLE BLISS VEGAN CAFE - Best for breakfast and lunch. Everything is plant based and affordably priced. They also make some yummy looking deserts!
3. FAT BURGER - Located inside of Harrah's casino. They have the impossible burger...enough said.
