As you may well know, September is a month of vacations for me. I finally feel settled enough to start a blog about my first trip… to Lake Tahoe.<br/><br/>Molly, a friend of mine, was gracious enough to invite me on this trip in which her parents had a timeshare they were unable to use. Tahoe was the choice. Accommodations were free. Totally awesome.<br/><br/>The trip started with a bit of a foul-up on my part. Typically, I plan all the trips I go on and have a very clear idea of what’s going on. With this one, I simply purchased tickets on the same flights as everyone and forgot about it. Unfortunately, I wrote the date into my calendar wrong. As I arrived to work the day before we were “supposed” to go, I receive an e-mail from one of the females on the trip about how excited she was to be going to Tahoe today. Wait a minute… We’re on the same flight… I’m going tomorrow… I have to do laundry, pack, and clean at least some of the nasty dishes in the sink before I’m picked up at 4PM, but I’m AT WORK and I have meetings until 2! Ungh… I somehow made it happen. Luckily, our place had laundry so I only needed to pack half as much as I normally would have, which turned out to be the right amount as I wouldn’t have fit anything more in my carry-on. Note: This is the first trip longer than a weekend I’ve ever managed to fit in a carry-on for. Packing for only light running was a big help.<br/><br/>I usually like to to do a day-by-day of my trips, but I didn’t take notes and the daily doesn’t really matter for a trip like this… A tour around the lake might be more appropriate in case you ever find yourself out there.<br/><br/>We stayed at the <a href=”http://www.ridgetahoeresort.com/” target=”_blank”>Ridge Tahoe</a>, which is at the base of <a href=”http://www.skiheavenly.com/” target=”_blank”>Heavenly Ski Resort</a>, which is about 1500ft up a mountain (7500ft total elevation) from <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Lake_Tahoe,_California” target=”_blank”>South Lake Tahoe</a> / <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stateline,_Nevada” target=”_blank”>Stateline</a>. The amenities were not the best I’ve ever experienced, but they were good enough for free. The downside of staying at a ski resort in the summer is obvious; we’re up a mountain, but all the activities are down by the lake. Not too big a deal, but it burned 15 minutes each way up and down.<br/><br/>Now let’s take a clockwise trip around the lake, where I’ll mention all the places we stopped. <br/><br/>Heading out of South Lake Tahoe, which is a major tourist trap with its casinos (technically in Stateline, but I’m trying to simplify here) and shopping, we first hit <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/heidis-pancake-house-south-lake-tahoe” target=”_blank”>Heidi’s Pancake House</a>. This place had some pretty stellar deals on breakfast and the food was quite good. They are going for a very Swiss lodge-like feel and succeed. <a href=”http://media1.px.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/fSS8o5qPB9mXiobhJiI2Uw/l” target=”_blank”>This image</a> is from Yelp, but is taken from the exact seat I was sitting in… Neat!<br/><br/><div style=”text-align: left;”>When the trip began, we laid out plans to hit various types of food joints. One of them was sushi. We chose <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/off-the-hook-california-sushi-bar-south-lake-tahoe” target=”_blank”>Off The Hook</a> because it was nearby and got great reviews. We arrived at closing, but managed to squeak in anyway. Definitely some fresh sushi, but I feel they were trying to be a little too creative. I got the chef’s special something-or-other, which came with some nice slabs of fish including mackerel, which I normally really dislike, but liked this time around. :shrug: Overall, good sushi, but I can’t say you have to stop there.<br/></div><br/><div style=”text-align: left;”>Moving onward, we’ll quickly come to <a href=”http://www.tahoemarina.com/” target=”_blank”>Tahoe Keys Marina</a>, where we rented an 18.5′ boat from <a href=”http://www.tahoesports.com/” target=”_blank”>Ski Run Boat Company</a>. This was probably the highlight of my trip; we were free to move about the entire lake, stop where we wanted, go where we wanted, and tube. Yes, we rented a tube. While enjoyable, either the specific tube we had or the lake and its choppiness [or both] were not conducive to good tubing. It was a lot of effort to stay on… While boating around, we first visit <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Bay_State_Park” target=”_blank”>Emerald Bay</a>, which we had been to already on a vehicular tour around the entire lake. While there, I jumped off the boat, swam to and hiked <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannette_Island” target=”_blank”>Fannette Island</a>. We then made a beeline for the fabled “middle of the lake.” Fabled because nobody [without instrumentation] actually knows what the middle of the lake is… You really just go out there and eye it. Some guy a mile away from you may think he’s there too and you’d have no idea he was even around. Kind of neat. From there, we anchored in <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeks_Bay,_California” target=”_blank”>Meeks Bay</a> (wiki link does it no justice… pictures a near-perfect beach, water with amazing visibility, and mountains all around). I hopped off the boat again and did some snorkeling (without a snorkel)… Amazing how clean the water and lake-bed are. I couldn’t even find a rock down there! Looking back, I’d probably spend the extra bucks on a bigger boat… The water is pretty choppy out in the lake, and the small boat simply couldn’t handle it too well. Also of note, you don’t need a boating license. I have driven a boat a few times before, have a great sense of direction, and am not all that big of an idiot (did I mention I’m pretty awesome?) so we did perfectly fine. Other renters out there? Some boats were lost, some guy was spinning the steering wheel like he was playing Pole Position, which resulted in the boat going every way other than straight… Man… If you see someone else on an obvious rental boat, stay away from them… Of course, unless they’re me <img src=”http://www.iammike.org/cutenews/data/emoticons/wink.gif”/><br/><br/>Next stop is a place with many names, but I think <a href=”http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2837375-tallac_historic_site_south_lake_tahoe-i” target=”_blank”>Tallac</a> is the true one. A collection of historic estates that were truly awesome, a nice bit of beach, and <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/beacon-bar-and-grill-south-lake-tahoe” target=”_blank”>Beacon Bar &amp; Grill</a>, where you definitely need to stop in for a Rum Runner. Their food was pretty good to boot, but be forewarned about a lengthy wait-time. We were seated pretty promptly since we showed up “early” (early in Tahoe/California for lunch is 12:15). By 1PM, the wait was over an hour. Not worth that…<br/><br/>A short drive later, after straddling a mountain on one of the coolest strips of road I’ve experienced, you’ll find an inland lake on your left and Emerald Bay on your right. We stopped at Emerald Bay to do some looking out, but chose to not hike down the hill/pay the fee to visit <a href=”http://www.vikingsholm.org/” target=”_blank”>Vikingsholm</a> at the bottom. I can’t imagine the castle being all that awesome. Besides, we would visit the bay twice more on the trip via water. The bay is absolutely majestic. I’m not sure why, but the water is all… emerald in color. There’s some cool history here as well, which can be read about in the links above.<br/><br/>Moving on, you’ll come to <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunnyside-Tahoe_City,_California” target=”_blank”>Sunnyside</a>, where we ate a fantastic meal, were served by fantastic staff, and had a fantastic view at <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/sunnyside-resort-tahoe-city” target=”_blank”>Sunnyside Resort</a>. If it wasn’t clear already, you NEED to go here. Our waitress even told us to skip dessert at her place and instead head over to a local favorite, <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/spoon-tahoe-city” target=”_blank”>Spoon</a>, a family-run hole-in-the-wall with supposedly great froyo. I opted for some homemade lemon and blueberry cake, which was a smart move as the girls on the trip were not fans of the froyo. Based on the cake, I can only guess their food would be great, but I’d have to recommend the resort due to the incredible view. Did I mention the resort had an incredible view?<br/><br/>A short bit further up the lake, you’ll hit Tahoe City (linked above via Sunnyside; they’re technically the same place). Quaint little area with some shops and a beach/park thing called <a href=”http://www.aboutlaketahoe.com/beaches/commons_beach.htm” target=”_blank”>Commons Beach</a>. The water was really shallow and rocky here, which meant the water was pretty warm and there were plenty of places to sit; I went out and sat on a rock under about a foot of water… Really relaxing. I also picked up a coffee/banana smoothie thing at <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-dam-cafe-tahoe-city” target=”_blank”>The Dam Cafe</a>, which is situated right next to <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truckee_River” target=”_blank”>Truckee River</a> outlet dam, which is also something to check out really quickly. Highly recommended drinks… Also in Tahoe City was the marina where we took a sunset sail cruise aboard the <a href=”http://www.tahoesail.com/” target=”_blank”>Tahoe Cruz</a>. For $60ish, we had about a two hour cruise around the lake to watch the sunset, and snacks and alcohol were provided. The crew and other passengers were also great… Super, super highly recommended.<br/><br/>Heading away from the lake from Tahoe City, is <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squaw_Valley_Ski_Resort” target=”_blank”>Squaw Valley</a>, which we didn’t get a chance to visit, and then <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truckee,_California” target=”_blank”>Truckee</a>, which is an old railroad town. If you use your imagination, you can see the Wild West here. No, not Will Smith, but tumbleweeds, horses, saloons. We paid a visit to the local wine shop, <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/bacchus-and-venus-truckee” target=”_blank”>Bacchus and Venus</a>. I had a bit of a cold/allergy/sinus infection so I wasn’t able to taste anything, but I gambled on a couple of bottles that turned out to be delicious days later. The place has pretty poor reviews, but we had a great time and the sommelier? and clientele were incredibly fun and friendly… Probably helps they were all males and I was there with four females. I would have liked to have spent more time in Truckee, but it was a bit of a haul from where we were staying and we didn’t feel the urge to make the trek back.<br/><br/>We’re only halfway around the lake, but fear not, the other half of the lake is very tame comparatively.<br/><br/>On the north side of the lake are three attractions: 1) <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/cal-neva-lodge-crystal-bay” target=”_blank”>Cal-Neva Lodge</a>, a favorite of old-time mafia and crooner types. It’s said to be haunted. It also has accommodations in both California and Nevada, hence the name. There are underground tunnel tours (the tunnels were apparently used by stars to get around without being spotted) on the weekends, but we didn’t find that out until we were back to weekdays. 2) <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/seven-eleven-food-stores-incline-village#query:7-eleven” target=”_blank”>7-11</a> (note: I took that picture that’s on Yelp). At this location, I discovered mixed drinks in a can. They are a new staple to my diet, but I unfortunately have to smuggle them in from other states. 3) <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/mofos-pizza-and-pasta-incline-village” target=”_blank”>Mofo’s</a>. This was a family-run pizza joint that our friend Molly remembered from years ago, but didn’t recall where it was or what it was called. As we drove past our 30th pizza shop on our tour of the lake, she was sure she had found the one… How she forgot the name? We’ll never know. Yes, I asked the waitress why it was named what it was… “More For Your Money.” Right.<br/><br/>Having started around 5 o’clock (if the lake was a clock), we’re now around 12:30. For the next few “hours” there’s nothing but roads and the turn to head to Reno, which is where we flew into. Nearing back to where we started, you’ll find <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/zephyr-cove-resort-and-marina-zephyr-cove” target=”_blank”>Zephyr Cove</a>. Yet another nice beach, and the location at which we rented jetskis! Wooo jetskis! I’m convinced I need to buy one… Pretty certain my car could tow one. Anyway, the jetskis were a blast. VERY pricey, but we were able to get all the way to Emerald Bay and back with some short excursions to catch massive air off the wakes of massive boats… We were getting so high the folks on the boat were watching us and taking pictures. Think of that… I made someone’s vacation photo album.<br/><br/>A quick stop after Zephyr is our favorite liquor store, which we only visited once. Not only did we buy the biggest bottle of <a href=”http://www.greygoose.com/” target=”_blank”>Grey Goose</a> for what I thought was a steal, but Shaily made friends with the Indian owner/employee and was promised discounts on our next visit. Did I mention how big this bottle was? And that I’m now addicted to mixed drinks in a can? Yeah, we didn’t need to go back.<br/><br/>The next stop on “our” (this isn’t a chronology of the actual trip) trip turned out to be a Mexican place called <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/cilantro-stateline” target=”_blank”>Cilantro</a>. We managed to get in right before they closed, but I’m not sure that affected this experience much. As one reviewer [on Yelp] noted, this place is weird. My garlic &amp; shrimp burrito was great, but the layout of the place… A bar and some tables… an open floor, presumably for dancing, and then more tables… You had to be there.<br/><br/>Right back around to where we started and you’ll find <a href=”http://www.edgewoodtahoe.com/” target=”_blank”>Edgewood Tahoe</a>, home to an annual celebrity golf tournament that’s apparently on national TV, as well as being a great wedding spot (we saw one taking place and on the plane the following day met someone whose brother was getting married… I inquired… sure enough, that was her/them at the Edgewood!), and also a place for some great eats. We didn’t eat at the actual restaurant, but instead went for <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/brooks-bar-and-deck-at-edgewood-tahoe-stateline” target=”_blank”>Brooks’ Bar and Deck</a>, which is a rather upscale sports bar with food from the renowned kitchen of the main restaurant. Great food, great view.<br/><br/>Back at base, in our condo thing, we did some grilling, some hot-tub, some football watching, some SERIOUS rice krispey treat eating, and some drinking… I also went for two hikes. The first, I woke up one morning, put my running gear on, and decided to go to the top of the mountain. I didn’t take food or drink and didn’t even sip some water after waking up. BAD IDEA. 7500ft of elevation is thin air; after about 5 minutes, I was done with the run idea, especially considering I was going straight up a mountain. I continued my hike, and continued it, and continued it. Eventually, I reached the summit at 9500ft. The views were incredible (Lake Tahoe on one side and Carson Valley on the other), but I was taxed. Luckily, my phone worked and I had verified there was water by turning on the sprinkler system of an entire ski slope. Yes, I was that concerned for my safety, but I probably didn’t need to be… The second hike was with Molly and Erin on the <a href=”http://www.tahoerimtrail.org/” target=”_blank”>Tahoe Rim Trail</a>. We made it a small fraction of the way around this 165-mile trail that encircles the lake. I vow to get back there one day and do it on mountain bike or foot. I also vow to get out there and do a full loop of the lake by road bike in a single day. 72-miles isn’t much, but at that elevation? All bets are off.<br/><br/>Our tour of Lake Tahoe has now come to a close. While writing this, I took note of some items that didn’t fit in the tour, but were worth mentioning… They follow:<br/><ol><li>The water is cold. Some places are far colder than others. On the surface, it’s pretty decent, but the temperature drops off dramatically as you dive. I read something about a “dead zone” 10ft under. Apparently the water is ridiculously cold that deep and can actually shock your system / leave you in danger. I don’t think I dove more than 7ft when I was “snorkeling.” The first time I got in the water, a worker at the beach commented that I was the first person to go in in months. He was wrong, as some other guys had gotten in just before me, but clearly only tourists are dumb enough to think it’s a good idea. I think it’s 60-65 degrees in late August? That’s really not <span style=”font-style: italic;”>that</span> bad, but I could only stay in about 15 minutes before I began shivering uncontrollably.<br/></li><li>The water is clear. I wouldn’t think twice about drinking water straight from the lake. Visibility hovers between 60-75ft, but is at risk due to some invasive species (including humans).</li><li>The water is old. Well, technically, all water is old… Really old. Water only leaves the lake via evaporation (1.4mil gallons per day) or a very small river outlet. That may sound like a large amount, but this lake is HUGE. On average, once water enters the lake, it stays there for 700 years. I don’t know how they figure that out, but it’s a fact.</li><li>The lake is deep. 1600ft at its deepest. The guys at the boat rental joked about people trying to anchor at the center of the lake and failing.</li><li>The place is high. Not like that… I only smelled marijuana once, but there were a number of “glass” shops around the lake. No, we’re talking elevation. The lake itself is 6000ft above sea level. The air is noticeably thin.</li><li>I went on this trip knowing only two of the five other on it. Scary, but it worked out great. Everyone got along and had common opinions on food and what to do… Great travel group.</li><li>Sweet minivans are sweet. We had a Town and Country with the usual neons (not joking) and was unusually loaded. For the price we paid, it had better have been! This week coincided with <a href=”http://www.burningman.com/” target=”_blank”>Burning Man</a> so I think that may have been why our rate was so high. Anyway, serious big pimping in that thing. Mad props to Big Daddy/Pink Lips/Sweet Lips/Pretty Mouth (he bought some chapstick that made his lips glow… Erin wouldn’t let him live it down) for hauling us all over the place.</li><li><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th_%28franchise%29″ target=”_blank”>Friday the 13th</a> is a far better series than <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Nightmare_on_Elm_Street_%28franchise%29″ target=”_blank”>Nightmare on Elm Street</a>. It’s older, and less creative, but the effects and scariness are far superior. Nightmare was comparatively laughable. We (meaning me… everyone else fell asleep despite “loving” them) watched the first two Fridays following a night of Nightmare. It was such a crowd favorite that we plan on finishing the series as a group.<br/></li></ol>Tahoe is easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, and must be in the top three such spots in the entire US (I’m thinking Yosemite and Grand Canyon). I will definitely be going back another couple of times… Just hope I can get folks to go with me. Interestingly, it’s a popular weekend trip from San Fran… Yet another piece in the puzzle that ends with me one day moving out there (San Fran).<br/><br/>For getting this far, I treat you to my trip photos. The first album are pictures taken by me with my iPhone4. I took some with my nice Canon point-and-shoot before realizing I could do away with it because the iPhone camera is that good. The second album is pictures of me from the albums of others… They don’t share their pictures with the world so I re-shared the ones that contained me. Note: Albums are linked as the pictures below… just click on them.<br/><div style=”text-align: center;”><br/><a href=”http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#%21/album.php?aid=203296&amp;id=772254395″><img height=”40%” src=”http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs605.snc4/58521_430871024395_772254395_4709206_4920000_n.jpg” width=”40%”/></a>  <a href=”http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#%21/album.php?aid=231327&amp;id=772254395″><img height=”40%” src=”http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs330.ash2/61016_433153569395_772254395_4754570_6161289_n.jpg” width=”40%”/></a></div></div>