4 Days in Lake Tahoe

Here’s another ski resort location, but an itinerary for visiting in the summer or fall…I think this is my last post in this category…for now at least! Lake Tahoe has a wide variety of things to do in the non-winter months, including alpine hiking, mountain biking, crystal clear lakes, mountains, golf, and even gambling on the Nevada side. It’s unique in that the East side of the lake is in Nevada, and the West side is in California. Lake Tahoe is over a mile deep, at over 6,225 feet, and the water is 99.994% pure, which makes it extremely clear, and a beautiful blue-green color. My husband and I visited in July, and the weather was perfect…70’s during the day, and quite chilly in the mornings and evenings. Fall would be an amazing time to visit as well, and probably less busy, Of course if you like to ski or snowboard, you could sub out the hiking and lakes for the slopes instead. This itinerary would be perfect for an active family with kids or teens too!

Here’s a sample itinerary based on our trip to Lake Tahoe in July:

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DAY 1: TRAVEL DAY AND RUM RUNNERS ON THE BEACH

Lake Tahoe is about a 4-hour drive from San Francisco if you’re coming from the West, but for the rest of us, the best way to get to Tahoe is to fly in to Reno (RNO) airport and drive just under an hour to South Lake Tahoe. We flew in early afternoon, grabbed lunch in Reno, and drove to the Nevada / Southeast side of Lake Tahoe, where we stayed at Harrah’s. It is a resort & casino and wasn’t too fancy, but the room was huge, it had all of the amenities, and the location was perfect…very close to the Heavenly Gondola, right on the Nevada-California border. We have friends that have a home on the California side that gave us plenty of good recommendations for our trip. They suggested we kick-off our long weekend in Tahoe with dinner and Rum Runners at the Beacon Bar and Grill, part of the Camp Richardson Resort in South Tahoe. The place was packed and the food was average, but the Rum Runners and the setting were perfect…out on the patio, with live music, overlooking the lake. I highly recommend starting your trip here!

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DAY 2: HIKING MOUNT TALLAC, HOTEL SPA, AND LAKESIDE DINNER

What I don’t recommend, however, is tackling a difficult hike very early the next morning after enjoying several of the aforementioned Rum Runners, and without acclimating a bit to the elevation…ugh! It made our hike a little extra challenging, but it was worth it. We started quite early, and drove the 30 minutes to the Mount Tallac Trailhead. Our sweet friend had packed a ton of snacks and water for us, which was critical given the hike was just under 10 miles and had an elevation gain of almost 3,300 feet…remember, Lake Tahoe is over 6,000 miles above sea level, so the peak of this hike is at 10,000 feet of elevation! The hike was amazing and the views can’t be beat, but it’s not for the faint of heart. If you have younger kids or aren’t up for Mount Tallac, here are some beautiful hikes for beginners in Lake Tahoe as well. This was probably the most difficult hike I’ve done to date…it took about 4-5 hours, with a 30 minute stop at the top to rest and refuel.

To reward ourselves after our hike, and since it happened to be my birthday, we had booked some massages at the spa at Harrah’s…it was exactly what we needed after the hike. I definitely fell asleep. The Harrah’s Lake Tahoe is a Caesars property, so if you are a Caesars Rewards member, you can use your benefits here and maybe get some discounted spa treatments! Or if the kids are along for this trip, some swimming pool and hot tub time would be a perfect way to unwind in the afternoon.

For dinner, we made our way over to the West side of Lake Tahoe to Christy Hill for dinner. If you’re looking for an upscale meal made with fresh, local ingredients, this is a great option. They have a large outdoor patio area that overlooks the lake, which I highly recommend requesting when you make your reservation. Just be sure to bring a sweater, because it gets chilly in a hurry!

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DAY 3: HEAVENLY SKI RESORT, EMERALD BAY BOAT CRUISE, AND CARB LOADING

Tahoe has 13 main ski resorts in the area. Heavenly is one of a handful that are open for summer outdoor activities, and was very near to where we were staying (by design, of course). We were able to walk just a few blocks from our hotel to the base of Heavenly, where there are many bars, shops and restaurants you can peruse, and then you can take the Gondola up the mountain. You can even snow tube on the mountain in summer for an extra charge! We decided to explore and do some easier hiking trails since we were pretty sore from our hike the day before. Be sure to pay close attention to the weather, as it changes quickly there and you will be sent back down the mountain if a summer storm comes along (this happened to us unfortunately, so our time on the mountain was cut short!). Note that the summer activities often shut down after Labor Day to prepare for the winter ski season. With that said, here are some beautiful options to hike and see the fall colors in Lake Tahoe if you visit in the fall.

Another area not to be missed while in the Tahoe area is Emerald Bay. It’s a beautiful blue-green bay on the South end of Lake Tahoe. There are hiking trails, camping sites, and swimming beaches all around Emerald Bay; and you can also visit the Vikingsholm Castle, which is a Nordic Mansion that was built in the 1920’s for a local transportation magnate. You can park and walk about a mile down to the mansion (it’s quite steep), and take a tour for a small fee. It’s only open during the summer months though, so be sure to check the website before planning your visit. You can also explore Emerald Bay by boat, which is what we chose to do on the evening of Day 3. We took a Sunset Champagne Cruise with Tahoe Cruises, which was a wonderful way to experience the area. There are day cruise options as well if you prefer.

On the drive back to our hotel, we stopped at Primo’s Italian Bistro for dinner. It was an unassuming spot in a strip mall, but the food and wine were so good! We indulged in some (ok, a lot of) pasta, which really hit the spot. They have a variety of pasta, seafood, brick oven pizzas, and have a happy hour during the week from 3-5PM.

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DAY 4: INCLINE VILLAGE, SAND HARBOR, HIDDEN BEACH, AND EDGEWOOD RESORT

On our last full day in Lake Tahoe, we decided to head to the Northeast corner of Lake Tahoe to Incline Village to explore the Lake up close. It was about a 45-minute drive from our hotel in South Lake Tahoe. I head read about the delicious breakfast burritos (who doesn’t love a good breakfast burrito?!) at the Tunnel Creek Cafe, so we grabbed our breakfast there and ate on their patio. There is a trail along the lake called the Tahoe East Shore Trail that starts near Tunnel Creek Cafe and runs South for about 3 miles, taking you past Hidden Beach, and ending near Sand Harbor Beach. It was a really nice way to spend a couple of hours, just taking in the views and stopping every now and then to wade in the Lake (it’s so cold!). If you’re seeking something more adventurous, I’d recommend renting a kayak, jet ski, paddle board, etc. from one of the many water sport rental places in incline village. That would be a really fun way to spend the day as well.

If you’re looking for another option on this day, I’d suggest booking a round of golf at Edgewood Tahoe, which is the home of the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament each summer. It is absolutely beautiful! Of course, there are many other golf courses around Lake Tahoe if you are looking for something a little more budget-friendly. If you aren’t a golfer, plan for dinner at one of the restaurants at the Edgewood at a minimum…the property itself is exactly how you would picture Lake Tahoe to be, and is worth a visit. We started with a drink at Brooks’ Bar and Deck (fun specialty cocktails), and then finished our trip with a fabulous dinner at The Bistro, followed by watching the sun set over Lake Tahoe.

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