Last week we traveled to one of my favorite places in Southern California, now this week we’re taking it up North to my favorite place in Northern California: Lake Tahoe! One thing I always said when I lived in SoCal was how much I missed Tahoe… it’s my other home away from home. Spoiler alert: Tahoe and the coastal part of Orange County (Newport/Huntington/Laguna Beach) are my favorite places in California, *hence why these are my first two destination blog posts*. Something that I am attracted to is beauty, space, fresh air, and a large body of water. I know some people love cities or the country… but for me the mountains, lakes, and beaches are my sanctuary. One thing that Tahoe has, that SoCal doesn’t is seasons (another thing I missed while living in SoCal). I hate the rain, but I love seeing the leaves change in the fall and I enjoy my seasonal sweater weather. Tahoe is somewhere that is breathtaking all year long and has activities for people to do year-round. In this blog post I am going to be discussing things to do both in the winter and summer seasons!
What to Do:
Winter:
- Snowboard, Snow Ski: I know this one may come as an obvious but yes, snowboarding and skiing in Tahoe is a necessity during the winter time (sometimes during spring as well). When I was little I snow skied, and now that I’m older I snowboard so this is something I do every winter. Since this blog post is specifically about South Lake Tahoe, here is are a couple of ski resorts in South Lake: Heavenly Mountain Resort and Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort.
- Sledding: Another fun snow activity to do in beautiful South Lake Tahoe! This is something fun to do with family or with friends (if you’re a big kid like me). There are many different places that you can rent tubes or sleds from in Tahoe, but you could bring your own and find a good place to slide for free! However, if you’re looking for a place that has designated sledding, here are a few places: Adventure Mountain, Hansen’s Resort, Blizzard Mountain, Heavenly Mountain Resort’s tubing hill, Tahoe Snowmobile . And here are some sledding spots for free: Kahle Park and Sawmill Pond.
- Snowmobile Tours: I have to be honest, a lot of these activities that I’ve listed below are things on my bucket list… like this one! I’ve never done a snowmobile tour, but it sounds fun doesn’t it? The “Summit Snowmobile Tour” and the “Ultimate Tour” by Lake Tahoe Adventures is where you can book your next tour!
- Ice Skating: Okay this is one recommendation I am making solely for the people, because I do not personally like ice skating. I am too clumsy and have too bad of a back (thank you Scoliosis) to thoroughly enjoy this classic winter activity. However, in Heavenly Village there is an ice rink in the center for all of you ice skating lovers!
- ATV Tours: Who doesn’t love a fun ATV ride? Well, if you go to Lake Tahoe Adventures website there are several ATV tours for you to enjoy!
- Snowshoeing: Not gonna lie, this activity has never sounded that appealing to me, but I know it’s a cool and unique activity to do-which is why I’m recommending it, because of course South Lake Tahoe has it! Check out: Tahoe Snowshoe Tours.
- Sleigh-Ride Tours: Another thing I haven’t done, but something that I think many families would enjoy, especially during Christmas time! Check out: Borges Sleigh & Carriage Rides.
- Relax at a Spa Resort: There are several hotels in South Lake Tahoe that have some nice relaxing spas, and here are a few: Edgewood Tahoe, Postmarc Hotel & Spa Suites, The Landing Tahoe Resort & Spa, Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, and the list goes on.
- Cross Country Skiing: Yet another thing that I have not done, and do not plan on doing… this activity is for those extreme sports, super athletic people! I’m good with just snowboarding down a hill. Google “Cross Country Skiing South Lake Tahoe” and there you go!
- Rent a Cozy Cabin: Now this an activity I can definitely get behind! The only reason why I would stay at a hotel in Tahoe is for a Spa relaxation experience or a couple’s getaway. However, renting a cabin with a big group of family and friends is definitely a must! Check out Airbnb for the best prices.
- Snowglobe Music Festival: If you are someone who does not do well in the cold and is just gonna complain the whole time, save yourself and your friends, and don’t go. But if you’re someone like me who is warm blooded or if you can pack LAYERS of warm clothing, I promise you, Snowglobe is an experience to remember forever. I have been to many music festivals and I do not like EDM or DJ type music, but this by far was my favorite music festival ever (along with Stagecoach). It’s a winter wonderland, New Years Eve music festival in somewhere breathtaking? This is a dream!! Yes, it’s freezing so pack lots of warm layers of clothes, hunting socks, thick boots (that won’t absorb water), gloves and a face mask. The last night for me was the most cold, so my nose was numb frozen which is why I recommend a face mask of some sort. Still, one of the best times of my life up to this point (and I was 100% sober).
- Heavenly Gondola Ride: Right in the center of Heavenly Village, you can take a nice little gondola ride up the mountain to catch some breathtaking views!
- Ridge Rider Mountain Coaster: This is something I have never done but would love to do! You can ride this coaster almost all year long.
- Cruises: There are several cruises that you can take on the beautiful Lake Tahoe. There are sunset cruises, dinner cruises, private boats and more!
- Brewery Hop: Tahoe has several breweries which makes for a fun thing to do with friends!
- Clubbing: Inside some of the casinos in Tahoe, there is a nightclub that is actually pretty fun. I recommend going late though (like midnight) so you’re not the first one to the party.
- Gambling: There are obviously multiple casinos in Tahoe for all you gambling lovers.
- Dine: Some day I’ll do another blog post on South Lake when I have more than two restaurants to recommend!
Summer:
- Boating: Rent a boat or bring your own boat and have some fun on this gorgeous lake! Wakeboard, ski, kneeboard, entertube, and wake surf to your desire!
- Paddleboard, Kayak: There are several places in South Lake to rent paddleboards and kayaks to enjoy for the day. Specifically, there is something called an “LED Glow Tour” where you can take a light up glowing kayak tour at night… yes this is real life!
- Jetski: Rent a jetski or bring yours for a day of fun!
- Biking: I’ve never had the best luck with bicycles and seem to just always crash them, but there are several places to rent bikes from or you could bring your own!
- Camping: I love camping and of course Tahoe is covered with campgrounds for people to enjoy.
- Hiking: If you’re into hiking, Tahoe is the perfect place for it.
- Fishing: I don’t really know much about fishing but there’s creaks, rivers, and a huge lake for people to do so!
- Parasailing: Sign up for parasailing and enjoy yet again, another way to catch some beautiful views of Tahoe.
- Horseback Riding: Another fun and beautiful activity to do is go horseback riding for a day. There are short tours and long tours.
- Golfing: I hate golf, but there are plenty golf courses for you golf lovers! There is also a celebrity golf tournament here that people love to attend.
- Hot Air Balloon: Google “Hot air balloon in Tahoe” for an unbelievable experience.
- Attend a Live Outdoor Event: I went to a Reggae festival outside of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino here in South Lake and it was by far one of the best experiences ever! Many country artists and other performers head to Tahoe for those summer concerts.
- Cruises
- Heavenly Gondola Ride
- Ridge Rider Mountain Coaster
- Brewery Hop
- Clubbing
- Gambling
Turismo de Catalina 