So this week I took a vacation from my vacation – don’t hate. Once I arrived in Lake Tahoe, I decided to stay an extra few days, as the town is unbelievably gorgeous with tons of things to do, including just relaxing. It has unsurpassed beauty like Big Sur but with tons of cute restaurants and storefronts along with biking and hiking trails throughout. As you lay at the beach along the crystal clear water, you can see snow on the peaks of the mountains surrounding you. This post is mostly about me relaxing by the Lake and indulging at local eateries in South Lake Tahoe, which basically means a perfect week with pure contentment.
It was a long day of driving from Yosemite in the south and coming up Hwy. 49, there must have been over ten lakes and rivers filled with wake boarding boats as the water appeared deep and blue. From 49, I hopped on the 89 and then 88 through the Stanislaus and Eldorado National Forests, both with tons of camping and fishing spots, especially the last thirty minutes before the Tahoe Airport. Knowing it was summer, I wanted to get to my campgrounds immediately to ensure a site before I explored. As I passed the Y, where the Lake forked off towards Nevada and then the west end of the Lake, I hit the historic Camp Richardson, where there is the best ice cream parlor. I just had to take a picture when I reached the middle of Emerald Bay as the water turned from a deep blue in the middle to emerald green along the edge of the huge smooth boulders (Photo #1 & 2) I continued on and came up on the Emerald Bay Campgrounds, where I had planned to stay but the gates were closed so I continued on in bewilderment (found out it was being renovated). Next was D.L. Bliss State Park Campgrounds so I quickly took whatever I could get as the day started to get crowded and hectic (Photo #3). I was really disappointed because I thought I was going to be camping on the ridge of the Lake and while Bliss SP has about ten waterfront campsite, they were full. The rest of the campground, while pushed away from the main road and in the trees, had no privacy, It was by far the loudest and busiest campground I have been to this summer and the most expensive at $35. I claimed my site and headed back into town to grab some food and supplies. Having driven all day and now dealing with the Sunday tourist traffic, I decided to regroup and grab some food at Burgers A-Go-Go at 89 and 7th avenue (Photo #4). Not that it was anything spectacular but refreshingly small town as the husband and wife owners took my order through a window outside and bought Lucy water (Photo #5). I started to look at my camping books and knew I needed a different plan for tomorrow. The rest of the evening I checked out the town, including the casinos on the Nevada side and ended up stopping at Starbucks at the base of Heavenly to use the Wi-Fi and book a hotel the next day. I did not return to camp til 8pm and it was a very long and loud night at the campsite.
The next morning I eagerly woke up and went to explore. Right after sunrise, I went down to the campground's beach, which the day before was packed. I know now that they had a blob there on Sunday, which is a giant inflatable…well just watch the video link (http://www.newschoolers.com/watch/493894.0/Lake-Tahoe-BLOB?c=6). The Lake was unreal, as it laid so still and the mountains reflected into the clear water (Photos #6-10). It would have been perfect for some morning wake boarding sessions. After packing up camp and the bear box again, I headed back into town as even for 8am the campground was loud with the clutter of weekend families. There is tons to do on this stretch of 89 from hiking to secluded lakes where you can play fetch with your dog, to a 4 mile bike trail along the coastline called Rubicon to even a full amenities marina with boat rentals and a bar with famous $5 rum runners. Thanks to a nice family I met at my hotel in Yosemite (Hi Landon), I knew some of the best hiking spots around. First there is Vikingsholm, where you have to pay $10 to park at but it has trails to a waterfall and an old historic castle (Photo# 11-12). Then there is also Eagle Creek and Fallen Leaf Lake trails to take you to some real amazing and isolated places just a mile or less off the road.
As I left the state park area and got onto 50, I saw Brothers Burrito with a $5 breakfast burrito sign and frankly I could not resist (Photo #13). And, did I find a great spot, where you can get a huge $5 burrito with free tortilla chips and even a salsa bar with my favorite fresh salsa verde. I ate out front with Lucy over some coffee and wrapped up the rest for later. I just wanted to sit and read by the water when I stumbled upon free parking at Eldorado Beach or Lakeview Commons ( it seems the name is disputed on by locals after the city changed it recently). Lucy and I sat for hours as I read, ate the rest of my morning leftovers and got my tan on a little (Photos #14-15). As we departed our lovely day by the beach, I had to get some locally made ice cream and I shared it with Lucy and she enjoyed it more then me (Photos #16-17).
It was finally time to check in at my hotel, Three Peaks Resort and Beach Club and I was beyond blown away with what I got for $50 a night (Photos #18-19) They accommodated me to the fullest and had great, clean facilities including a nice pool and double decker hot tub. The room had a big screen, kitchenette, heater in the bathroom (got to get one of those) and as a matter of fact, the best bed that I ever slept in with a big, soft down comforter. After I settled in, I moseyed on over to the free private hotel beach, at the end of Park avenue, that had a great little restaurant with live music in the evenings (Photo #20). I laid out reading for a few hours but had some plans to try paddle boarding in the evening. I always grab those tourist guides and it always ends up being rewarding. I found out that at Eldorado beach where I spent the whole afternoon, there is $20 Paddle Boarding for Ladies Night on Mondays. The family owned company, Tahoe Stand Up Paddle, did a great job and just sent me out with a smile (http://southtahoestanduppaddle.com). It was my first time but since I pretty good with my balance I was a natural and ended up going out for almost two hours, all for $20. I was hungry, again, after all that hard work so I grab some yummy sake and Ahi Poke at the Naked Fish right on 50 (Photo #21). The bartender, Ricky was super knowledgeable even teaching me about a good luck pour for sake where you overfill the square cup. The tuna was $14 but you did get a lot of fish over a wonderful seaweed salad. However, on a side note, one of my pet-peeved is being served food in a martini glass. It was a long day and I enjoyed the walk back through the Heavenly resort.
I woke up early and headed to Alpina Coffee at 8th avenue and 89, after seeing it the day before and it was the perfect coffeehouse (Photo #22). The staff was super friendly and even gave me coffee ice cubes in my regular iced Americano. They had tons of great pastries and breakfast sandwiches but I settled on a homemade bagel. Lucy and I sat outside in their courtyard with tables made of tree stumps and relaxing water fountains (Photo #23). Another great discovery from my silly tourist guide was the American Legions Farmers Market, every Tuesday off 50 (Photo #24). I got all kinds of goodies like freshly made Kettle Corn (my favorite), local honey (for Carol), some homemade goat cheese, fresh lavender pouches (for my Mom) and some mutated fruit called an angelcoit, which was so sweet and soft (Photos #25-33). It was a great farmers market with lots of variety and packed for a Tuesday.
Later a local I met took me to a great secret beach on the east end of the Lake at Chimney Beach State Park, just off US28. There is a trail along the rocks, which takes about fifteen minutes to get to Secret Cove but there is a lot of nudity there so we where we ended up settling into Boat Cove (Photos 34-37). They were free and deserted so it felt like your own little private oasis. It was a great afternoon and I felt miles away from everything. The sun beat down on one of the hottest days of the year and the crisp 60 degree water was so refreshing, it really made you feel alive. I watched the sunset over the mountains at my hotel beach and finished the night off with some Mammoth Brewery Golden Trout beers – it was not a bad day, not at all (Photo #38).
The next afternoon, I grabbed lunch at another locals joint called the Beach Hut (Photo #39). It was very low key and super fresh. I got a Santa Barbara sandwich with bacon, avocado and sprouts along with a Longboard beer for $9 (Photo #40). After that, I met up with some locals an old friend of mine from Chicago hooked me up with and they took me to check out some of the south shore beaches. We settled on Baldwin Beach which did have $7 parking but that gave you access to four other beaches along this stretch including Kiva and Pope (Photo #41). These local people were professional at this with music, beach games, floaties, cut fruit and cold beer. They were the ones that told me about the Blob on Sunday and all day they were a wealth of knowledge. I could not even believe when they told me that the lake is 1800 feet deep. Can you even fathom that and what lives down that far? This whole region is so old, formed by glaciers and a volcano and probably why it is so one of a kind in beauty. They also boasted about a mile hike to cliff diving at Angora Lakes with up to sixty feet high jumps and while I could not go this trip but it is for sure on my list. That night, I really wanted to get some ink from Reed Mathers at Lake Monster Tattoo but of course he and for that matter the entire store was booked during the duration of my trip. However if you are in the region, he is the best (http://www.lakemonstertattoo.com/). It was another amazing day in perfect Lake Tahoe.
My last day was uneventful as unfortunately I played too much this week and had to stay in to write this blog and do laundry before the next week of camping at Lassen Volcanic and Redwood National Parks in NoCal. I just ordered into the room from Fat City and actually ended up eating here twice throughout the week since it delivered to the room and both times it was a great locals place for some pizza or some apps (http://fatcityfood.com/). After my last, quick walk to the beach, I hit up the Red Hut Soda Fountain Shop for some late night coffee and dessert and it was adorable and a nice night-cap (Photo #41). A little sad I did not get on a boat to wake board but there are endless amounts of free activities to do too. Stuck doing choice, i missed out on a free movie at Squaw Valley and an unbelievable free concert at Eldorado beach on Thursday, with Keyser Soze this week. You won’t run out of things to do here both in the winter and summer. I meet so many locals this week that were ready and willing to take you to their favorite beach or share a story about their favorite peak to board in the winter. The town has everything from the lake and beaches to the mountain and casinos. I am infatuated with South Lake Tahoe and will definitely be returning again.
It was a long day of driving from Yosemite in the south and coming up Hwy. 49, there must have been over ten lakes and rivers filled with wake boarding boats as the water appeared deep and blue. From 49, I hopped on the 89 and then 88 through the Stanislaus and Eldorado National Forests, both with tons of camping and fishing spots, especially the last thirty minutes before the Tahoe Airport. Knowing it was summer, I wanted to get to my campgrounds immediately to ensure a site before I explored. As I passed the Y, where the Lake forked off towards Nevada and then the west end of the Lake, I hit the historic Camp Richardson, where there is the best ice cream parlor. I just had to take a picture when I reached the middle of Emerald Bay as the water turned from a deep blue in the middle to emerald green along the edge of the huge smooth boulders (Photo #1 & 2) I continued on and came up on the Emerald Bay Campgrounds, where I had planned to stay but the gates were closed so I continued on in bewilderment (found out it was being renovated). Next was D.L. Bliss State Park Campgrounds so I quickly took whatever I could get as the day started to get crowded and hectic (Photo #3). I was really disappointed because I thought I was going to be camping on the ridge of the Lake and while Bliss SP has about ten waterfront campsite, they were full. The rest of the campground, while pushed away from the main road and in the trees, had no privacy, It was by far the loudest and busiest campground I have been to this summer and the most expensive at $35. I claimed my site and headed back into town to grab some food and supplies. Having driven all day and now dealing with the Sunday tourist traffic, I decided to regroup and grab some food at Burgers A-Go-Go at 89 and 7th avenue (Photo #4). Not that it was anything spectacular but refreshingly small town as the husband and wife owners took my order through a window outside and bought Lucy water (Photo #5). I started to look at my camping books and knew I needed a different plan for tomorrow. The rest of the evening I checked out the town, including the casinos on the Nevada side and ended up stopping at Starbucks at the base of Heavenly to use the Wi-Fi and book a hotel the next day. I did not return to camp til 8pm and it was a very long and loud night at the campsite.
The next morning I eagerly woke up and went to explore. Right after sunrise, I went down to the campground's beach, which the day before was packed. I know now that they had a blob there on Sunday, which is a giant inflatable…well just watch the video link (http://www.newschoolers.com/watch/493894.0/Lake-Tahoe-BLOB?c=6). The Lake was unreal, as it laid so still and the mountains reflected into the clear water (Photos #6-10). It would have been perfect for some morning wake boarding sessions. After packing up camp and the bear box again, I headed back into town as even for 8am the campground was loud with the clutter of weekend families. There is tons to do on this stretch of 89 from hiking to secluded lakes where you can play fetch with your dog, to a 4 mile bike trail along the coastline called Rubicon to even a full amenities marina with boat rentals and a bar with famous $5 rum runners. Thanks to a nice family I met at my hotel in Yosemite (Hi Landon), I knew some of the best hiking spots around. First there is Vikingsholm, where you have to pay $10 to park at but it has trails to a waterfall and an old historic castle (Photo# 11-12). Then there is also Eagle Creek and Fallen Leaf Lake trails to take you to some real amazing and isolated places just a mile or less off the road.
As I left the state park area and got onto 50, I saw Brothers Burrito with a $5 breakfast burrito sign and frankly I could not resist (Photo #13). And, did I find a great spot, where you can get a huge $5 burrito with free tortilla chips and even a salsa bar with my favorite fresh salsa verde. I ate out front with Lucy over some coffee and wrapped up the rest for later. I just wanted to sit and read by the water when I stumbled upon free parking at Eldorado Beach or Lakeview Commons ( it seems the name is disputed on by locals after the city changed it recently). Lucy and I sat for hours as I read, ate the rest of my morning leftovers and got my tan on a little (Photos #14-15). As we departed our lovely day by the beach, I had to get some locally made ice cream and I shared it with Lucy and she enjoyed it more then me (Photos #16-17).
It was finally time to check in at my hotel, Three Peaks Resort and Beach Club and I was beyond blown away with what I got for $50 a night (Photos #18-19) They accommodated me to the fullest and had great, clean facilities including a nice pool and double decker hot tub. The room had a big screen, kitchenette, heater in the bathroom (got to get one of those) and as a matter of fact, the best bed that I ever slept in with a big, soft down comforter. After I settled in, I moseyed on over to the free private hotel beach, at the end of Park avenue, that had a great little restaurant with live music in the evenings (Photo #20). I laid out reading for a few hours but had some plans to try paddle boarding in the evening. I always grab those tourist guides and it always ends up being rewarding. I found out that at Eldorado beach where I spent the whole afternoon, there is $20 Paddle Boarding for Ladies Night on Mondays. The family owned company, Tahoe Stand Up Paddle, did a great job and just sent me out with a smile (http://southtahoestanduppaddle.com). It was my first time but since I pretty good with my balance I was a natural and ended up going out for almost two hours, all for $20. I was hungry, again, after all that hard work so I grab some yummy sake and Ahi Poke at the Naked Fish right on 50 (Photo #21). The bartender, Ricky was super knowledgeable even teaching me about a good luck pour for sake where you overfill the square cup. The tuna was $14 but you did get a lot of fish over a wonderful seaweed salad. However, on a side note, one of my pet-peeved is being served food in a martini glass. It was a long day and I enjoyed the walk back through the Heavenly resort.
I woke up early and headed to Alpina Coffee at 8th avenue and 89, after seeing it the day before and it was the perfect coffeehouse (Photo #22). The staff was super friendly and even gave me coffee ice cubes in my regular iced Americano. They had tons of great pastries and breakfast sandwiches but I settled on a homemade bagel. Lucy and I sat outside in their courtyard with tables made of tree stumps and relaxing water fountains (Photo #23). Another great discovery from my silly tourist guide was the American Legions Farmers Market, every Tuesday off 50 (Photo #24). I got all kinds of goodies like freshly made Kettle Corn (my favorite), local honey (for Carol), some homemade goat cheese, fresh lavender pouches (for my Mom) and some mutated fruit called an angelcoit, which was so sweet and soft (Photos #25-33). It was a great farmers market with lots of variety and packed for a Tuesday.
Later a local I met took me to a great secret beach on the east end of the Lake at Chimney Beach State Park, just off US28. There is a trail along the rocks, which takes about fifteen minutes to get to Secret Cove but there is a lot of nudity there so we where we ended up settling into Boat Cove (Photos 34-37). They were free and deserted so it felt like your own little private oasis. It was a great afternoon and I felt miles away from everything. The sun beat down on one of the hottest days of the year and the crisp 60 degree water was so refreshing, it really made you feel alive. I watched the sunset over the mountains at my hotel beach and finished the night off with some Mammoth Brewery Golden Trout beers – it was not a bad day, not at all (Photo #38).
The next afternoon, I grabbed lunch at another locals joint called the Beach Hut (Photo #39). It was very low key and super fresh. I got a Santa Barbara sandwich with bacon, avocado and sprouts along with a Longboard beer for $9 (Photo #40). After that, I met up with some locals an old friend of mine from Chicago hooked me up with and they took me to check out some of the south shore beaches. We settled on Baldwin Beach which did have $7 parking but that gave you access to four other beaches along this stretch including Kiva and Pope (Photo #41). These local people were professional at this with music, beach games, floaties, cut fruit and cold beer. They were the ones that told me about the Blob on Sunday and all day they were a wealth of knowledge. I could not even believe when they told me that the lake is 1800 feet deep. Can you even fathom that and what lives down that far? This whole region is so old, formed by glaciers and a volcano and probably why it is so one of a kind in beauty. They also boasted about a mile hike to cliff diving at Angora Lakes with up to sixty feet high jumps and while I could not go this trip but it is for sure on my list. That night, I really wanted to get some ink from Reed Mathers at Lake Monster Tattoo but of course he and for that matter the entire store was booked during the duration of my trip. However if you are in the region, he is the best (http://www.lakemonstertattoo.com/). It was another amazing day in perfect Lake Tahoe.
My last day was uneventful as unfortunately I played too much this week and had to stay in to write this blog and do laundry before the next week of camping at Lassen Volcanic and Redwood National Parks in NoCal. I just ordered into the room from Fat City and actually ended up eating here twice throughout the week since it delivered to the room and both times it was a great locals place for some pizza or some apps (http://fatcityfood.com/). After my last, quick walk to the beach, I hit up the Red Hut Soda Fountain Shop for some late night coffee and dessert and it was adorable and a nice night-cap (Photo #41). A little sad I did not get on a boat to wake board but there are endless amounts of free activities to do too. Stuck doing choice, i missed out on a free movie at Squaw Valley and an unbelievable free concert at Eldorado beach on Thursday, with Keyser Soze this week. You won’t run out of things to do here both in the winter and summer. I meet so many locals this week that were ready and willing to take you to their favorite beach or share a story about their favorite peak to board in the winter. The town has everything from the lake and beaches to the mountain and casinos. I am infatuated with South Lake Tahoe and will definitely be returning again.
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