Where we stayed:
Black
Bear Lodge Bed & Breakfast: WOW. WOW. WOW. What a treat and gem this place was and the price was unreal. Such a comfy room, fresh bagels and pastries for breakfast and lots of local coffee to pick from. The grounds are like a dream to wake up to every morning, you feel like you are on your own Tahoe island and secluded from everyone. I can't recommend this place enough!
Where we ate:
Boathouse on the Pier- Beautiful views of the lake, food was not so great. It was average. So if you are looking for a great happy hour/sunset spot, this is your place
Base Camp Pizza-Very well known in Heavenly Ski Village, pizza was good and beer list had a lot of local taps
Cafe Fiore-Made a reservation here and it is the most charming little Italian spot (walkable from the B&B). We felt right at home and like a local. Amazing wine list
Sprouts Café-Loved this spot for our vegan fix of smoothies and breakfast
Freshies Restaurant & Bar-A must for the best fish tacos you will have in your life. We were thrilled to have a memorable meal here and sit on a roof looking out over the lake. Everything we had was very good!
Sunny Side Restaurant-Went here on our drive around the entire lake and loved it! Really good/fresh food and you sit right on the lake. Highly recommend adding this to your day trip around the lake or you can even stay at the resort
*In my humble opinion, we weren't blown away by the food in Tahoe. It wasn't amaze but it wasn't terrible. Just not really a foodie destination.*
What we did:
Logan
Shoals Vista Point-Perfect little walking spot that overlooks Lake Tahoe. Get your camera ready! This is a drive up spot so all levels of fitness are welcome
Cave
Rock-Get there early to get a spot to park and check out the beaches and views of Tahoe beach
Zepher
Cove-I don't know that I would try and go here, it is SUPER toursity and not really my sort of vibe. Might be yours though
Heavenly
Valley Ski Resort-Shops on shops and local eats
Paddle
Board and Kayak rental (South Tahoe Stand-up Paddle)-Really wanted to get out on the water so we rented a double kayak from here. Great hourly price, super easy to rent, and it was a fabulous experience for my non-outdoorsy fix. Just a warning that if it is a choppy day on the water, paddle boarding is not the easiest and boaters on Lake Tahoe give me mercy
The
Hangar-Bottle shop for local brews
The
brewery at Lake Tahoe-We didn't make it here but get all the local tastes of Tahoe
Emerald
Bay State Park-Can't recommend this enough! We spent an entire day driving around the whole lake and it was SO worth it. Emerald Bay may be one of the prettiest spots I have seen in my US exploring. Next time I would try and rent a boat to get down to the water and explore it. For sure make time to drive the whole lake and get out to enjoy the sites!
Looking back:
Tahoe's beauty was everything that I dreamed it would be. It is magic. I don't know if I would stay again in South Lake Tahoe. Next time I think we will stay in Tahoe City, seems a bit more our speed and not as toursity. Glad we experienced what we did, but want to explore more areas to find the right fit since it is so close to us. We will be back next year with our girl!
