Summer and Winter vacation in Lake Tahoe~~ Where to play, stay and dine – Part 1

FEATURED STORY – Summer vacation in Lake Tahoe, California; Where to play, stay and dine!

by Joseph Chandler

Some interesting history about Lake Tahoe…Lake Tahoe is the largest and most beautiful alpine lake in North America, as well as the second deepest lake in the U.S. The maximum depth is 1,645ft.

Lake Tahoe is a major tourist attraction for both Nevada and California. It’s home to numerous ski resorts, summer outdoor recreation, and is a major tourist attraction. The Nevada side also includes large casinos. Surrounding highways provide year-round access from Reno, Carson City, and Sacramento.

During the first half of the 20th century, development around the lake consisted of a few vacation homes. The post-World War II population and building boom, followed by construction of gambling casinos in the Nevada part of the basin during the mid-1950s, and completion of the interstate highway links for the 1960 Winter Olympics held at Squaw Valley, resulted in a dramatic increase in development within the basin. From 1960 to 1980, the permanent residential population increased from about 10,000 to greater than 50,000, and the summer population grew from about 10,000 to about 90,000.

WATER SPORTS

During late Spring to early Fall, the lake is popular for water sports and beach activities. The two cities most identified with the Lake Tahoe tourist area are South Lake Tahoe, California and the smaller Stateline; smaller centers on the northern shoreline include Tahoe City and Kings Beach.Boating is a primary activity in Tahoe in the summer. The lake is home to one of the most prestigious wooden boat shows in the country, the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance, held every August. There are lake front restaurants all over the lake, most equipped with docks and buoys (See the restaurants section). There are all sorts of boating events, such as sailboat racing, firework shows over the lake, guided cruises, and more.

HIKING and BICYCLING

View from the Tahoe Rim Trail. There are hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails all around the lake. They range in length, difficulty and popularity. One of the most famous of Tahoe’s trails is the Tahoe Rim Trail, a 165-mile (270-km) trail that circumnavigates the lake. Directly to the west of the lake is the Granite Chief Wilderness, which provides great hiking and wilderness camping. Also, to the southwest is the very popular Desolation Wilderness. One of the most popular trailheads is the Eagle Lake Trailhead. The Flume Trail is one of Mountain Biking Magazine’s Top 10 Trails in the US. There are also several paved off-road bicycle path.

BEACON BAR and GRILL, at CAMP RICHARDSON

The Beacon Bar and Grill is a hot spot for all! It’s one of my favorite dining destinations at Camp Richardson located on the waters edge of South Lake Tahoe. Camp Richardson has an historic hotel, lakeside cabins, campsites and a large group home, The Richardson House.

There’s a marina, with inboard/outboard boat rentals, pontoon boats, sea doos and waverunners to entertain yourself and the family. At Beacon Grill, I had their famous drink, the ‘Rum-Runner’ made with select rums and a secret blend of passion fruit, pineapple & orange juice, so icy and refreshing it’s like an alcoholic slurpy and you just can’t stop at one!

Then, I had the ‘Deep fried calamari’ as starters. This is one of the BEST I’ve tasted in most restaurants. Super large strips that could easily feed 2 people. Then, we tried the ‘Philly cheese steak sandwich’~~take a look at this picture. Is that big enough for your tastes? I think so.

A new addition to Granlibakken is the ‘Treetop Adventure Park’ that has zip lining with a challenging obstacle course. Fun for the whole family! It’s rated Lake Tahoe’s #1 adventure attraction.

This article is a follow-up to my story entitled, ‘ Summer vacation in Lake Tahoe, Ca: where to play, stay and dine, which can be found in the ‘archives’ section of IPA Travels.

LAKE TAHOE is truly a winter playground to travelers from all over the world! Here is a small list of things to do: downhill skiing, snowboard, cross-country ski or snowshoe hikes, snowmobiling, ice skating, sledding or just sitting in your hotel with a warm cup of hot chocolate. For the nightlife, you may try the casinos and dining at the MontBleu, Harrah’s or Harvey’s hotel. Check out the entertainment venues which happen all year long.

This year on March 15, I was able to experience the homecoming parade of our (3) Olympic athletes, all from the small town of Meyers in South Lake Tahoe. Jamie Anderson, 23, won a gold medal in the women’s inaugural snowboard, slopestyle competition at Sochi, Russia. Maddie Bowman 20, won gold in the women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe competition and Hannah Teter, 27, was a 2006 gold medal and 2010 silver medal winner in snowboarding halfpipe. Hannah finished 4^th at Sochi. Congratulations to our American athletes!

With all the activities, nightlife and venues for dining, I would think that no one should ever find themselves bored. Some of the ski resorts I visited while on location were of course, Heavenly Valley located in South Lake Tahoe, Squaw Valley (located on the north shore of the lake) along with Northstar ski resort, located off of Hwy. 267 out of north Lake Tahoe towards Truckee. The new Ritz Carlton hotel, located in Truckee at the north end of the lake, backs up to the Northstar ski resort and you can literally ski right up to the lodge off the slopes (* this is termed a ‘ski-in and ski-out facility’). During the winter season, I highly recommend that you book your hotel or resort accommodations well in advance of your stay to be sure you can find a wonderful room at the hotels and resorts IPA Magazine recommends!! From the Reno, Nevada airport, in good conditions, it should only take you about 1 hour to get to the lake. If you find yourself renting a car, you should always carry chains or cables. Even though the temperature is typically around upper 30’s and 40’s during the day, it didn’t stop me from putting on my snowboots and going for a walk around the lake shore. One of the walks I recommend would be to start from the Beacon Bar and Grill ( that we mentioned in our Summer review article found under ‘Archives’- I mention the Beacon again, because it’s a great place for dinner or their famous $5 Happy Hour;Mon-3-close, Tues-Fri 3:00p.m.-6:00p.m. and Sundays all day; even during the winter!!You can enjoy $5 Rum Runner drinks too!) I continued walking the shore West to Taylor Creek. This took us through the historical settlement of the Pope and Baldwin families with historical signs and landmarks to read along the way. They describe the early days of Lake Tahoe back to the 1800’s through the early 1900’s. There is still a foundation of the 1^st casino built by the Baldwin family, called the ‘Tallac Casino’ that had 30 rooms.

The Ridge Resort, Stateline, Nevada

One of my first stops to relax for a few nights was the beautiful facility, the Ridge Resorts. I stayed at the ‘Ridge Tahoe’ in the Tower building, which is one of many buildings on the property. The Ridge Resorts includes: Ridge View, Ridge Crest and Ridge Pointe. Nestled on the Sierra Nevada Ridge above Lake Tahoe, with breathtaking views of the Carson Valley, this is a full-service resort offering year round luxury vacation rental accommodations for Vacation Club owners and the public as well. This is a wonderful facility for family vacations, or romantic getaways. There are deluxe hotel rooms and 1 or 2 bedroom condominium suites with full kitchens. I stayed in a 1 bedroom executive suite. This suite was quite spacious, with a large living room and dining room,and a beautiful kitchen with granite counter tops. It also had a very nice bedroom and lovely bath area. At the time, we got quite a bit of snow, so it was an extra special sight to see snow falling. A lot of skiers were there partaking in the new snowfall which was greatly desired for those ready to anxiously awaiting to hit the slopes!! They just put in the ‘Ridge Tahoe Skier Express’ which is a 2.5 minute ride, from start to finish. This takes you to the famous, “Heavenly Stagecoach skilift.” So, you walk out of the Lodge and jump on to the Skier Express~~~how great is that!! This facility is also open to the public to book your room reservation. In fact, there was a special on one of their rooms for $59.00/night at that time!! Some of the amenities you will experience are a Complimentary Health Club, Indoor Sports Complex, Outdoor/Indoor Swimming pools and Jacuzzis, Restaurant- ‘The Hungry Bear’, Deli, Market, Full-Service Spa. The Lake Tahoe casinos are within 5 miles of the resort and there is a Complimentary Shuttle service which takes you to the heart of the Lake Tahoe nightlife~~ no need to drive!! When I arrived, I was handed a pamphlet, that listed all of the activities for the week. Everything from the Spa, to movies for the kids, restaurants, indoor tennis activities, adult and teen activities, etc. You literally would never have to leave this resort! There is that much to do!! Visit them on their website at: www.ridgetahoeresort.com for information on reservations. This resort is open all year round, Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer.

One of the activities that myself and my photographer thoroughly enjoyed was ‘An Evening With The Chef’ cooking class. This took place in the Clubhouse, upstairs at the ‘Hungry Bear’ restaurant at the Tahoe Ridge Resort. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the Executive Chef, Stephan J. Moise, who conducted this class. He offered culinary tips and lessons, wine pairing, in-kitchen preparation of a 3-course meal and then we finished off with a ‘group’ dinner and wine prepared by Stephan. Executive Chef Stephan has quite an impressive resume. He was Executive Sous Chef at the famous, ‘Tavern on the Green’ in New York City, and worked for Tommy Hilfiger USA as a Corporate Executive Chef. He’s produced special winery dinners for up to 400 people in conjunction with Chalone Winery, Almaden Winery and Chateau Julien Winery. Need I say more! Stephan has a great way with people. As he professes that “food is my connection with people, my signature, a part of who I am. It comes from love, hard work and sacrifice. This is what I observed as a little boy; this is what I am as a man.” We were joined by a family of 4 from New York. They were lots of fun. Chef Stephan gave each one of us an apron and a special Lake Tahoe cooking cap to wear as we tasted, observed and laughed together!! The (3) courses were; 1) Thai chicken and Pineapple wraps, 2) Grilled River Trout with root vegetable hash and citrus butter, 3) Warm poached pear, with cinnamon ice cream, orange syrup, and macadamia nuts. Every item was cooked to perfection! If you think your Mom taught you everything you needed to know about cooking, think again! I learned so many tips that you will not hear from Mom or if you don’t have time to watch cooking classes on TV!! Chef Stephan prepared all (3) courses for us, as we were all seated at a table with a white tablecloth and roses at the end of the culinary class. This class is about 5 hours and includes the final sit down dinner. I highly recommend this class from IPA Magazine! You will NOT be disappointed. Salute!! Be sure to call for reservations. 775-588-3553. (The day, time and price may vary).

Beach Retreat and Lodge Tahoe/The Boathouse on the Pier, South Lake Tahoe, Ca.

As we entered our destination, ‘The Boathouse on the Pier“, a fine dining, very popular restaurant situated on the longest pier in Lake Tahoe, we were warmly greeted by Amanda Mason, Marketing & Events Manager. There is such a great atmosphere at this restaurant. As you sit at your table, you see the best sunsets on beautiful Lake Tahoe with a view of the entire lake. There is a small bar where you can take your drink and go outside for a lovely walk on the pier. Happy Hour is 7 days/week with drinks half off, as well as some food items. We had a delightful talk with Amanda as she discussed some of the new amenities and upgrades that will be taking place with the Beach Retreat and Lodge Tahoe (formerly Best Western).

I started off with a ‘lemon drop martini‘, an excellent blend of liqueurs, and served in a large glass, I might add! I recommend for ‘starters’: crab cakes topped with mango salsa and drizzled with lemon aoli as well as the calamari. For your salad, I had the ‘roasted beet salad’, made with tri-color roasted beets, burrata cheese, charred green onion, fresh onions, drizzled with poppy seed vinaigrette. This salad was excellent! Then, for dinner, I sampled the ‘fish of the day’ which that night, was a potato crusted halibut, served over polenta, which was absolutely mouth watering. I also sampled the ‘pan seared jumbo scallops’ and chicken piccata’ which I highly recommend both of these entrees.

Just the week prior, Amanda told us of a ‘wedding’ ceremony on the Pier that she as the Events Manager planned. As soon as she said this, the newly married couple walked through the doors for dinner!! This is a very special venue for weddings, as the Beach Retreat and Lodge has over 262 rooms to house many guests. We at IPA Magazine, highly recommend this restaurant and lodging. Please contact them on their website at: www.tahoebeachretreat.com. For lodging, be sure to book your reservations at least 4 months in advance, especially with the upcoming ‘fireworks show’ July 4th!!! By the way, a new addition for you Summertime visitors, will be ‘Music on the Beach’ right near the Pier. Stay tuned!!

MontBleu Resort Casino and Spa, South Lake Tahoe, Ca.

At the MontBleu Resort and Casino and Spa, you’re going to enjoy the best that civilization has to offer amidst the incomparable beauty of the surrounding Lake Tahoe area! Every comfort, luxury, and service awaits your pleasure here in this towering, magnificent resort.

Enjoy your pick from 437 luxurious hotel rooms; many of these rooms have a spectacular view of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains. Some of the larger suites are designed for entertaining and feature a living area with big screen TV, dining and wetbar.

Now let’s talk about entertainment! The MontBleu has some of the biggest names in show business. My photographer and myself went to see ‘The Straits’, formerly the Dire Straits. What a fabulous showroom that took my breath away when I walked in. Escorted by the professional staff to my table, we were treated like Kings! Needless to say, the show that night, received a standing ovation. And, being a Recording Artist in my previous years, I appreciated the superb sound system and stage lighting that made the whole experience unforgettable! Other names that have appeared in this historical showroom are: America, Three Dog Night, Sinbad, Ray Charles, Richard Marx, Dean Martin, Cher, Tony Bennett, and at times, on the casino floor, you could have bumped into Michael Jordan, Randy Quade and Kenny Rogers.

The next night, we went to ‘Ciera Steak & Chophouse’, which is in the MontBleu and is Lake Tahoe’s only Four Diamond Restaurant. It has won the 4 Diamond Award 2011-2014. When we entered the restaurant, the hostess took us to a private booth, all in red leather, that has drapes for you to close for your privacy! The service was impeccable. Our waiter Chris, has been with the restaurant since 1981. The Executive Chef, (shown here in the picture), has made all the difference in the cuisine. The food is exquisite in taste and will appeal to all of your taste buds. We started with a ‘lemon drop martini‘ and my photographer had a ‘pomegranate martini‘. For starters, we had ‘shrimp scampi‘, 4 large pieces of shrimp with a sauce that melts in your mouth. Also, a sample of the ‘lobster bisque’ soup, made with aged sherry, lobster medallion, and a touch of cognac. For dinner, we had the ‘Cowboy Rib-eye’ a 24oz. certified  angus beef, and the ‘New Zealand Rack of Lamb’, pistachio encrusted, served with pomegranate balsamic demi-glace sauce. The side dishes we sampled; creamed of fresh sauteed spinach, white truffle mac and cheese, and white cheddar scalloped potatoes, of which you could split the side orders. Then to top off this fabulous meal, we had a sample of their ‘Pina Colada Cheese cake’ and ‘Chocolate lava cake’, which was superb!

Don’t forget the amazing, Weekend Buffet at the MontBleu. On Fridays, it’s the ‘Seafood Buffet‘, all you can eat shrimp, fish, seafood of all kinds, and Saturday, ‘Prime Rib Buffet’ for the same price. It opens from 5p.m. – 9p.m.

We highly recommend staying at the MontBleu whether its Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall. You can’t go wrong with the MontBleu Resort, whether it’s fine dining, entertainment or just a suite with a gorgeous view of Lake Tahoe. For more information go to: www.montbleuresort.com.

The Hacienda Del Lago, Tahoe City, Ca.

We decided to check out the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, to see what it had to offer for dining. We went into the BoatWorks Mall at the Tahoe City Marina. We came upon this wonderful restaurant, overlooking Lake Tahoe called, the ‘Hacienda Del Lago’ a mexican restaurant. We were greeted by one of the Partners, Eli Covell. Eli was very gracious and proud of his restaurant. The restaurant has been around for many years and I can see why! The original owner is Joe Alanza, who’s been in the area for 40 years. He also owns, ‘Lanza’s italian restaurant‘ in Kings Beach. To start off, my favorite was the margarita, ‘Eli’s margarita! made with chimayo, 100% agave tequilla with triple-sec, a splash of lime & a splash of sweet & sour. Or you might try the ‘Escalade‘ margarita, another favorite. We had a half order of the ‘guacamole‘ which was simply delicious. Then, we sampled an a la carte order of a ‘shrimp taco‘ and a ‘carnitas taco.’ I will tell you, that these are the most delicious and large, filling tacos you will ever have. For a main dish, I sampled the ‘El Grande’ dish, very reasonable in price, a combination dish of 3 items; tacos,cheese enchilada and scrumptous chile rellenos. All of the guacamole and sauces are homemade. This is a very reasonably priced restaurant, considering it having views of the Lake, mountains and boats, you can’t go wrong with the Hacienda Del Lago. I could have stayed here all day as we sat at a window seat with a great view of the lake. Our waiter Josh was extremely good. By the way, Happy Hour is Monday – Friday from 4:30pm-6:00p.m. You can make online reservations on their website at www. hacdellago.com. We will be back!!! IPA Magazine, highly recommends!

Rubicon Pizza Bistro, Northstar Village, Truckee, Ca.

Rubicon Pizza Co. was established in 2007 and is the sister restaurant of Fireside Pizza Co. in Squaw Valley, CA and Base Camp Pizza Co. in South Lake Tahoe, CA. They specialize in Californian styled pizza dishes but also brush the palette on a wide variety of pastas, salads, beers, wines, and desserts.

I met the manager, Stacey Alonzo who was very gracious. This is a great find! Rubicon Pizza is right near this ‘ice rink’, part of the Northstar Village in Truckee, Ca. Just like a winter wonderland you can watch kids through adults, ice skate, and drink hot chocolate!

We had samplings of the ‘beer battered parmesan garlic fries’, ‘lodge wings’, and check out

this ‘Rubicon’ pizza, made with pepperoni, italian sausage, roasted peppers, onions, portabella mushrooms. I sampled their ‘gouda mac and cheese with ham’ pasta and I can’t believe I could make room for dessert, but I’m glad I did. An out of the oven ‘chocolate chip cookie with ice cream.’ Everything here is so delicious. Many people have already discovered this awesome place. IPA Magazine highly recommends the ‘Rubicon Pizza Company’. I will be back!! Visit them on their website at: www.RubiconPizza.com. Take the ‘tram’ from the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Truckee and it literally drops you off at the Village!!

Snowmobiling Tours

Snowmobiling at Lake Tahoe’s Zephyr Cove Resort puts you on top of the world, with cruises over mountain meadows to peaks nearly 9,000 feet above sea level. We have access to 45 miles of groomed trails where you can glide through towering pine and aspen, breathing in the fresh air and marvel at the amazing scenery. With our expertise and Lake Tahoe’s natural beauty, you’ll have an unforgettable tour, whether you’re a novice or a seasoned snowmobile enthusiast. Discover why Tahoe is the perfect place to ride with our fantastic Snowmobiling Tours.

You’ll tour in confidence with one of the largest snowmobile tour centers in the U.S., Zephyr Cove maintains a fleet of more than 90 current model Yamaha and Ski-Doo snowmobiles, to provide you with top-notch equipment. Every customer, single or double rider, rides a state-of-the-art touring machine offering superior performance and safety features.

Our expert guides, grooming equipment, and trail maintenance are second to none. Tours depart morning and afternoon, weather permitting, and include transportation, open-faced helmet, snowmobile and guide. Snowmobile clothing rental is also available. Visit this great facility on their website at: www.zephyrcove.com/snowmobiling.aspx.

Lake Tahoe winter sports are one of the main reasons people visit the region between mid-November and April. Tahoe is one of the west coast’s most popular ski vacation areas. Snowfall in the surrounding mountains is the heaviest of any winter recreational area in the United States. Most winter visitors come for the downhill skiing and snowboarding, although cross country skiing and snowshoeing are growing in popularity. There are so many resorts nestled in the mountains around Lake Tahoe it’s difficult to keep track of them all. Lake Tahoe winter resorts can best be grouped by geography.

Heavenly Ski Resort is practically within the city limits of South Lake Tahoe, sits atop Monument Peak in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, and is the most conveniently located resort on the southern rim of the lake. There are vast numbers of hotels and lodging nearby. A gondola whisks visitors directly from town to peak. Kirkwood is about 35 miles south of South Lake Tahoe on Carson Pass, and Sierra-At-Tahoe in Twin Bridges is just 18 miles southwest of the city. Oh, and incidentally, in South Lake Tahoe, if you want a hotel, you should know that you can easily walk from the 3 Peaks Resort and Beach Club to the lake, the mountains (via the Heavenly Gondola), and the casinos.

Modern snowshoes are fashioned from space age materials like polypropylene, are often solid (without the traditional lattice work), and have hinged heels called ascenders. Solid snowshoes? Yep! It turns out that in the real world of trekking across the snow the worry about snow covering, and weighting down, the snowshoe was groundless. It just doesn’t happen! Unlike skiers, snowshoers don’t wear ski boots (too heavy) but rather light hiking boots. Most snowshoers use poles similar to ski poles for balancing purposes.

If you’re staying at the 3 Peaks Resort and Beach Club, just steps away from the Heavenly Gondola, you’ll probably want to start out snowshoeing at the Heavenly Resort’s Adventure Peak where up to 4K of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails are available. There are even introductory class sessions for newbies. Sierra at Tahoe, located just 12 miles west of South Lake Tahoe, has a groomed three mile snowshoeing trail. Signs along the route describe local flora and wildlife.

Serious snowshoers, who want to cover a lot of territory, will find a tremendous number of trails throughout the Lake Tahoe region. Many of the hiking trails in the Tahoe National Forest are also open in the winter to cross-country skiers and snowshoers. On the South Shore the Echo Lakes Trail is fairly flat and an excellent starter trek for beginners. The Little Round Top trail takes snowshoers along a ridge providing almost continuous scenic views. The Mount Tallac climb is only recommended for those with considerable experience as the terrain rises 3,000 ft. in about 2.5 miles, a fairly steep slope requiring intimate familiarity with one’s snowshoes.

Comment from the Author:

“After thousands of comments and letters to the Editor, I’m sure it’s become obvious I’m calling Lake Tahoe, my second home and now am an official snowbird!! I find it’s just as easy to fly out of the Reno airport to cover our stories and articles as it is out of John Wayne airport in Orange County, Ca. I’ve been enjoying the clean air, the great hospitality of these people around the Lake and plan on future articles in the surrounding areas and wine country. Just in case you wanted to know!!!” .. Joseph Chandler