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serie1926 · 02-22-2008, 08:07 AM

Guys, my wife has been busting my chops for years to take her to Lake Tahoe. I have no knowledge of the area or where to even begin looking for a place to stay for a few days. Our 26th anniversary is coming up and I thought I would try and get away for a few days. Any ideas, recommendations, etc... is greatly appreciated.
tia.

cute fuzzy bunny · 02-22-2008, 09:47 AM

I can help in a general manner. What do you want to do while you're there?

If you want to gamble or see casino type shows, you'll want to go to the south lake area. Thats where you've got ready access to the nevada side and the big casinos, lots of kitchy, cheap motels, lots of mediocre restaurants. Couple of nice ski resorts like Heavenly and Kirkwood.

If you like lower key and less Vegas-like, the north lake area has a bunch of smaller but very good ski resorts like Squaw and Alpine Meadows, some somewhat nicer "cabin in the woods" type places to stay, and some (IMO) better restaurants.

You can drive from one end to the other via twisty route 89, which is often closed during snow storms...but it can take an hour or more this time of year.

Notmuchlonger · 02-22-2008, 10:42 AM

It all depends on what you want to spend or where you want to stay. Like CFB said lots of motels downtown. Or you can try the ski resorts. We have a place in South Lake Tahoe so we mainly hang out on the south shore. I know little about the North end. There is a new Marriott Grand that was built downtown recently also.

Charlotte · 02-22-2008, 01:32 PM

Last summer my family spent a week in Carnelian Bay, which is sort of on the NW side of the lake. It was very, very nice. It's a quiet area, just a little shopping, lots of homes tucked discreetly among the trees. We were lucky enough to be directly on the waterfront. It was gorgeous.

Make sure you get out on the lake. We had a kayak for the whole week and really enjoyed it. Rented jet ski's another day. The kids did some swimming, but most of the adults found the lake to be too cold. I think water temperature was something like 69 degrees in July. Brrrr.

We did not go down to South Lake Tahoe at all. Not our kind of place so much. We like lots of nature, fewer people.

Charlotte

IBWino · 02-22-2008, 02:26 PM

My wife and I visit the Lake Tahoe area at least once a year, usually in the spring or summer. Although we are not gamblers, we enjoy staying in South Lake Tahoe. From there, it's an easy drive along the west side of the lake to many hiking and biking trails.

The casino hotels offer nice rooms with some of the best dining in the area and host a variety of shows and concerts. We like rooms at Harrah's and Harvey's best, but they can be expensive during peak times. For romantic dining, I highly recommend Friday's Station at the top of Harrah's. It's a steak and seafood restaurant with terrific views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

You can also take a dinner cruise on one of the two paddlewheelers on Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe Queen or the MS Dixie II, both of which launch from the South Shore.

serie1926 · 02-23-2008, 05:29 AM

Thanks to all for the replies! Sounds like the North Shore in the spring will work.

meridiver · 02-23-2008, 07:56 AM

Unless you are coming to gamble (which you can do anytime), Lake Tahoe activities are very weather dependent. If you don't ski, snowshoe, or love alpine woods in the winter, I wouldn't recommend coming now. Even in April, it's possible to get caught by a late season snowstorm and unless it's a dry winter, the snow is usually on the ground until well into May so the hiking/boating season doesn't really start until Memorial Day or later. Golf courses may open earlier but it all depends on how early the snow melts.

If your primary activity is gambling, you'll want to stay in south shore. The casinos are all there, as is more shopping, hotels, people, etc. but the south shore also has good access to the Lake and to boat tours. The North Shore is more quiet and wooded with just a few small towns. Traffic on the main road between north and south shore is pretty heavy on the weekends. If you are retired, you should come midweek.

The largest town on the northern end is Truckee, which is actually about 15 miles north of the Lake but is very popular with people from the Bay Area because it's convenient to the Interstate. It has some good golf courses, restaurants, and a cute old downtown. Tahoe City and Kings Beach are north shore, but down on the lake. If you like to hike, there's good day hiking all over the area. You can also rent a small raft and float the Truckee River in the summer. The larger ski areas also have summer activities. Squaw Valley (on the north shore) has a recreation complex midmountain with a pool and skating rink as well as summer evening concerts. You take the gondola up the mountain to get there (the views are gorgeous). I believe Heavenly Valley (on the south shore) has something similar.

There are all kinds of lodging options, from B&Bs to motels to cabin rentals. A good source is for rentals is Bay Area Craigslist, VRBO, and all of the realtors that do second home rentals.