Each anniversary we plan to travel to a new Californian vacation town. Last year we ventured up to scenic Mendocino, a beautiful coastal town in Northern California. This year we headed in the opposite direction to Lake Tahoe!
I’ve never vacationed in a place that perfectly blends the forest and beach. One minute we’re laying in the sand and the next we were hiking through beautiful trees. In the summer months, it is easy to drive between points of interest. I couldn’t imagine would it would be like with snow-covered roads. Our hotel was in South Lake Tahoe (more on Basecamp in a later post), sort of the hub for tourism there. The casinos, several restaurants, shopping, beaches, hiking, and family fun are on this side of the lake.
Our favorite place in Tahoe is Emerald Bay. Located on the Southwest corner of the lake, it is a secluded bay complete with an island, waterfall and castle! There’s lots of parking on the road above the bay. It was a little busy when we arrived (and we got there around 10:30am), but we just pulled over and parked along the road.
To reach the base of the bay, there is a one mile hike down the hillside. It’s completely paved and the tall trees create wonderful shade. Going down felt like a nice stroll and coming back up only felt manageable because of the great scenery. Definitely wear good pair of Nikes for this hike. I saw a few poor girls in flip flops slowly trying to reach the top.
We couldn’t get over how blue the sky is in Lake Tahoe. I guess that easily identifies us as LA kids who grew up in hazy smog.
At the base of Emerald Bay, sits an awesome Scandavian style summer home, Vikingsholm. The original owner spent her summers here entertaining guests. The entire surround bay was a part of the property including the small island. You can take a canoe and hike to the top of the little island for an amazing view.
The state maintains the property now and you can tour inside for just $10 per person. All the original Scandinavian furniture is still in place. The lighting inside is a little dark, so photos are tricky and don’t do the space any justice! I felt like we were walking through Fantasyland at Disneyland. Lots of little stained glass windows and dainty chenille bedding.
During our hike back to the top, we found the edge of the waterfall. This is as far as I could get before feeling a little lightheaded. There was a cute little yorkie climbing down the side, how I have no idea. My Sprinkles never would have made it, she’s a bit to clumsy and I’m a worrier.
There are definitely a few weeks of great weather left to visit Lake Tahoe. It is wonderful to have something like this just a few hours away from Oakland. I highly recommend the southside, but North Lake Tahoe is just as beautiful. There are several gorgeous home rentals available and the Hyatt Resort has a private beach and floating dock bar!
Basecamp was such an amazing little hotel and the perfect vibe for Tahoe. Stay turned for a feature on the hotel!
