Lake Tahoe
Majestic Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border is one of the American Southwest’s most spectacular natural wonders. At 72 miles around and almost 22 miles long, it is North America’s largest alpine lake, at an elevation of 6,220 feet. A haven for skiers and snowboarders in Winter, and for hikers and mountain-bikers in Summer, Lake Tahoe is a great place to visit at any time of year.
Dream
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe: An alpine lodge style hotel with a mid-mountain location, set amongst the pine trees of the Northstar ski resort. This AAA Five Diamond resort is approximately nine miles from Kings Beach, North Lake Tahoe and has beautiful forest and valley views. There are five restaurants, two outdoor swimming pools, a gym with a comprehensive array of equipment, and a direct complimentary gondola link to Northstar Village.
Dine
Truckee Tavern & Grill, Truckee: Located on Donner Pass Road, the main thoroughfare in this quaint Western town, the modern bistro set on the second floor features a speakeasy style bar, L-shaped dining room with exposed bricks and copper-topped tables, and outdoor balcony seating. The menu consists of fine American cuisine, specializing in wood fire grilled meats and locally grown produce.
Jax at the Tracks, Truckee: Traditional American comfort food served in a vintage 1948 Kullman Dining Car Company diner set beside the railway tracks in old Downtown Truckee. Once featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”, the menu still lists some of the items covered on the show, including Kobe beef meatloaf, and BBQ pulled pork and cheddar. Don’t forget to try one of the delicious malts.
Manzanita, at the Ritz-Carlton: This is the hotel’s signature restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in an elegant dining room with floor to ceiling windows offering scenic views of the surrounding ski slopes. The open kitchen serves California cuisine with something for everyone, including delicious Durham Ranch Filet Mignon, Diver Scallops and Manzanita Chicken Pot Pie! There is a seasonal outdoor patio for alfresco dining during the warmer months.
Jake’s On The Lake, Tahoe City: Casual, family-owned bar and restaurant in a marina setting serving lunch and dinner, featuring seafood, meat and seasonal produce with a menu inspired by Californian and Hawaiian flavors.
Do
Ride the Heavenly Gondola: One of the largest ski resorts in North America, Heavenly is located on the California-Nevada border in South Lake Tahoe overlooking the sapphire-blue waters of the lake. It has 97 runs, the longest being the 5.5 mile Olympic downhill, and 30 ski lifts, the longest being the spectacular year-round 2.4-mile scenic Heavenly Gondola. Buy tickets for the gondola online and collect them at the Heavenly Gondola Ticket Office in Heavenly Village to save time queueing.
On the very steep ascent to the summit, be sure to stop on the way up at the Observation Deck and take some photos, as the gondola does not stop at this point on the way down. Once at the top, there are a host of activities available including zip lining, tubing, rock climbing, gemstone panning and many more. There is also a cafeteria style restaurant located inside Tamarack Lodge.
We chose to go hiking. We took the moderately strenuous Tamarack Hiking Trail which zig-zags its way up the mountain in amongst pine forests, over rocks and across ski runs climbing steeply in places. From there we accessed another trail with a rapid elevation gain to reach the top of Sky Express at a height of over 10,000 feet. This 1.9-mile round-trip hike gave further fantastic views of the South Lake Tahoe area.
Visit Emerald Bay: One of the most picturesque parts of Lake Tahoe, this frequently photographed spot is extremely popular with visitors for good reason: it is quite literally a stunningly beautiful spectacle that has to been seen on any trip to Tahoe.
Hike to Eagle Falls and Eagle Lake: This moderately strenuous hike in amongst the pine trees, heads into the heart of the Desolation Wilderness area, affording spectacular views of Emerald Bay along the way. The trail passes over a wooden bridge traversing the river below Eagle Falls and continues beyond to pristine Eagle Lake, approximately one mile from the parking lot.
Hike the Vikingsholm Castle Trail: This easy to moderate trailconsists of steeply sloping dirt track heading down to the shoreline of the lake, with unbroken views of Emerald Bay and Fanette Island. Nestling beside the lake is a replica of a Viking castle constructed in 1929. Make sure you conserve enough energy (and water) to complete the stamina sapping climb back up the incline to the parking lot.
Old Downtown Truckee: The historic old west railroad town of Truckee, California is located 9 miles Northwest of the Ritz-Carlton and a quick 20-minute drive away. Probably most well-known for the Donny Party cannibalism incident of 1846, the quaint town now boasts many high-quality restaurants, set along the picturesque main drag together with boutiques and diners. Every Thursday during the summer, Downtown Truckee is transformed into an exciting street fair featuring local and regional artisans, food trucks, a beer garden and live music for the Truckee Thursdays Summer Street Festival.