Looking for suggestions?

Hi:

I will be visiting Lake Tahoe next week. This is my first time, so I would like to ask for your pointers.

1. I am planning to stay at South Lake Tahoe, since it is more crowded, hoping to get better deals on hotels. I am planning to stay for 3 or 4 days depending on the activities. I would like to spend between $30-$40 per night for a hotel. I will be going during the week to keep the hotel price low.

I would appreciate your suggestions for hotels in this range. Hotwire has a 2 star hotel for $35, but I do not know which one. I would have a car. So, I can stay a bit further than South Lake Tahoe. I am not that picky about the hotel, something clean, which may have fridge and microwave.

2. Could you suggest some nice beach where water is clean and deep not too shallow for swimming? Sand harbor looks a good one. I also would like to rent a kayak. Emerald Bay and South Lake Tahoe have kayak rentals, but I do not know if I can swim there.

3. I would like to hike for round trip of 10 miles or so. If trail follows the lake, that would be nice. Here are a few I found, but I do not know which one would have the best view.

a) Flume trail at Spooner Lake

b) Eagle Lake trail Emerald Bay

c) Squaw Valley Shirley Lake trail

4. I would like to ride bike around the lake for 20 miles. I am not a good biker, so I prefer paved flat roads. Does Tahoe Rim have a bike path overlooking the lake?

5. I would like to take a lake boat tour, nothing fancy. M.S. Dixie II sounds a historic good one. There is also Hornblower���s Tahoe Queen. I do not know which one is better. How long are these tours?

6. Does Gondola ride operate during summer? Is there any nice hiking or bike trail where gondola ride starts/ends?

7. Which restaurants would you suggest for good inexpensive breakfast assuming that I would stay at South Lake Tahoe?

8. Between Altitute and Nero night clubs, which one has a nicer atmosphere?

Thank you.

Looking for suggestions?

3. Mt Tallac is my favorite hike in the Tahoe area. Trailheads begin just southwest of Emerald Bay. It%26#39;s a butt-kicker. It%26#39;s ten miles roundtrip, with a 3200 ft elevation gain from bottom to top. Round trip takes maybe eight hours. The hike and its views are unbelievable. Great views from the top. Watch out for mosquitos in the wet areas near the bottom, especially around dusk.

5. I%26#39;ve been on the M.S. Dixie II. It lasted maybe an hour or two. I thought it was ok. IMO, it%26#39;s not as interesting as a Seine river cruise in Paris, but I guess if you want to see Lake Tahoe, this is one way to do it.

6. Yes Gondola rides operate in the summer. Both hiking and biking can be done at Heavenly Valley ski resort at South Lake Tahoe during the summer months.

7. Inexpensive breakfasts. How about a buffet at a casino?

Looking for suggestions?

Thank you for your reply.

3. From the reviews, Mt. Tallac trail looks a good one. Is trailhead close to the Eagle lake trailhead? I easily confuse the trails.

5. MS Dixie II leaves from Zephyr Cove. I think it is 4 miles to South Lake Tahoe. Hornblower leaves from South Lake tahoe. So, locationwise Hornblower is more convenient. If they are both going to Emerald Bay, I would take the Hornblower. But, it seems like Dixie II is more popular. Does it get sold-out, so that I should make reservation ahead of time?

7. I read that Harrah%26#39;s buffet is good. I think this buffet is $11 or so. I won%26#39;t be able to eat too much. Is there any other buffet maybe around $7-8 or so?

Thanks.

3. Here%26#39;s a website about the Mt Tallac trail:

fs.fed.us/r5/…mt-tallac-trail.shtml

5. I did the MS Dixie II in July of 2002. Yep. It%26#39;s popular. It was hard to find parking. I don%26#39;t know how hard it is to get tickets. My brother-in-law got caught in some timeshare presentation and got us in for cheap.

3. I will go to Baldwin Beach and ask around.

5. I do not like timeshare presentations. It seems parking is a problem around Lake Tahoe. That%26#39;s why I picked this week, one week before the season ends. I am hoping I will have a better time with traffic.

Thanks.

3 Peaks Resort and Beach Club or Lake Tahoe Inn usually have rates in your price range at this time of the year and are both nice budget properties. However don%26#39;t expect many amenities in this price range, but if you are an outdoor type you wouldn%26#39;t sit around your room anyway.

Yes, 3 Peaks seems the cheapest one. Econolodge is also in this price range. I will be looking more.

2. All water is clean - that is part of the draw of Tahoe! But, it is COLD even in the middle of summer (it%26#39;s melted snow, afterall) so don%26#39;t get too set on swimming. Don Cheapos rents kayaks - on Hwy 50 across the street from Safeway, right where you can see the lake from the road, past the Park and Rec Dept. and campground (Regan Beach area).

4. absolutely not! Tahoe rim trail has no paved anything. Around Camp Richardson / Fallen Leaf Lake there are bike paths that are paved and mostly flat. Also on West Shore / Tahoe City there are paved bike trails, but not so flat.

6. Heavenly Gondola does operate during summer.

7. Lakeside Inn has prime rib for breakfast (or anytime for under $8) in the Timberhouse and authentic Mexican downstairs at Taberna (toungue or goat tacos, anyone?) Also very good breakfast, not necessarily %26#39;cheap%26#39;, is Driftwood Cafe just off Hwy 50 one street, 1/2 a block from Harvey%26#39;s Casino.

8. Depends on the night. Locals go to Attitude%26#39;s (yes, I misspelled it) for $1 drinks on Thursdays and us diehards still attend $1 drinks on Mondays at Nero%26#39;s. I like Nero%26#39;s better as it was designed to be a nightlclub and Altitude is a recent remodel of a showroom. To each their own.

Thanks.

2. Thanks for the warning about the water. I see where Regan Beach is. I was planning to rent from Kayak Tahoe, but I may go here.

4. I will venture around South Lake first. If it is short, I will go to Tahoe City.

8. I am planning to go one of the clubs on Friday hoping there would be more crowd. But, I think Friday night is lady%26#39;s night at Altitude.

2. Sand Harbor is nice. We also like Nevada Beach, 2 miles north of casinos. $5 day use, tables, bbqs, sandy beach, big swim area.

2. Thanks. I will try the Pope Beach first. I may go to Sand Harbor if I have time.

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