Lake Tahoe

[professor]

Me and my buddies were planning on a trip to South Lake Tahoe for some skiing. I have having the hardest time finding the cheapest way of even getting there. Flights are at least $500 out of Des Moines to Reno.

Can anyone help me on this?
If you have been there, can you share your experience out there?
Or is there a better place to ski or at least something fun in the winter?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Swanson10]

Amtrak then rent a car. better view and can party on the way.

 

[sdillon500]

Flying out to Tahoe's gonna be pretty expensive no matter what. If you have time and have friends with you, I'd suggest driving. It's the most economical way to get there, and the drive will be beautiful. If not, does Southwest fly out of Des Moines yet?

Heavenly's probably your best bet for skiing in south Tahoe, although any of the mountains around will give you a great experience. Try Kirkwood or Sugar Bowl if Heavenly is too crowded.

 

[professor]

Yeah renting a van and taking a road trip out there was one of my buddy's idea....how long is the drive?

 

[heyguy85]

We are going to Lake Tahoe next week. What is worth seeing? Skipping? Other recommendations?

 

[Skipple]

I went to Lake Tahoe last fall. It was really amazing. South Lake is neat, but very commercialized except around Emerald Bay. Honestly, I liked the north side. We stayed at the Cal-Neva (which is cheap because they didn't have a casino in there at the time so no one really wanted to go there). It's really "woodsy".

I would absolutely recommend it to anyone, but specifically people who like outdoors things. I really wanted to go and bring my bikes and a tent and just camp and bike for a week. I can't speak for doing anything on the lake though, all we did was go up to the shore and get out at Emerald Bay. Make sure you have cash, they charge you to park there. Also be sure to bring your camera.

If you're interested in history I would suggest stopping by the Cal-Neva and doing one of the ghost tours. It goes into a lot of the history of the hotel, as well as a few haunted things. Was definitely worth the $5 or whatever it cost.

 

[ferdnand1]

We are going to Lake Tahoe next week. What is worth seeing? Skipping? Other recommendations?

drive around the entire lake at some point. Take an afternoon and head to Virginia City and Carson city for some history.

Their is a 2-hr cruise around the south part of the lake that explains its' history

We stayed in South Lake Tahoe on the California side...beautiful. Water too cold to swim but we cayakked

 

[Cybyassociation]

I believe we flew into SF then actually drove to Tahoe. The vacation itself was to go to SF but we ended up driving to Tahoe for the last few days. Really pretty place. I have a friend whose brother is or was a ski instructor up in the mountains around there.

 

[Jonecy]

Hit up breakfast or lunch at the old Red Hut on the southwest side of the Lake.....awesome little diner with killer food and friendly lady waitresses. You may have to wait to get in, but it's worth it.

BTW - we flew into Reno from Minneapolis and drove to South Lake. It's an easy drive that takes about 40 minutes.

 

[sunnysideup]

I have been out at Tahoe three times in the last few years. South Lake Tahoe is probably the best area to stay at. You have the casinos on the Nevada side but still all the services and hotels on the California side. If you like brewpubs South Lake Tahoe has two of them. I prefer the Brewery at Lake Tahoe. The beer selection is awesome and they have some really good food. I make it a point to go there when I am out in Tahoe. They also have Stateline Brewery which is in the basement right around the shops near the Heavenly ski gondola. I wasn't nearly as impressed with their beer and food offerings and they are a little more on the expensive side.

If you are looking for a high end dinner I would check out Riva Grill. It has a patio right on the shore and they have really good steaks and entrees. It does tend to be more on the pricey side but a good bet for a nice dinner. South Lake Tahoe is a very clean city with low crime, so there isn't really a bad area of town. I particularly enjoyed just going to some of the ma and pop bars on the main drag and off on the side streets. Another place I really enjoyed for some drinks and pub grub was Mott Canyon Tavern and Grill on the Nevada side. It was some of the best pub grub I had eaten out there. Just be mindful of your money. Sitting at the bar means you will have a video poker game in front of you. My wife's and my food cost about $20 but I ended up leaving with $80 less in the wallet.

 

[baller21]

drive around the entire lake at some point. Take an afternoon and head to Virginia City and Carson city for some history.

Their is a 2-hr cruise around the south part of the lake that explains its' history

We stayed in South Lake Tahoe on the California side...beautiful. Water too cold to swim but we cayakked

uh-oh,too much to drink?

 

[SantaRosaCy]

heyguy85 we'll probably just miss you, we're heading there the 31st. For us Tahoe is a 4 hour drive so we go fairly often and always rent a house; it's a great set up if you'll be there more than a night or two and with more than one family it's a lot cheaper. There are numerous websites that offer rental services, and honestly no matter where you stay you'll be happy; it truly is one of the most beautiful places on earth. No way I'd drive that in winter; it's got to be 30 hours and if they close any of the roads you are screwed. Reno is the closest major airport, but my guess is Sacramento may be cheaper. San Francisco and Oakland are options, but that's a good 5 hour drive.

 

[sunnysideup]

heyguy85 we'll probably just miss you, we're heading there the 31st. For us Tahoe is a 4 hour drive so we go fairly often and always rent a house; it's a great set up if you'll be there more than a night or two and with more than one family it's a lot cheaper. There are numerous websites that offer rental services, and honestly no matter where you stay you'll be happy; it truly is one of the most beautiful places on earth. No way I'd drive that in winter; it's got to be 30 hours and if they close any of the roads you are screwed. Reno is the closest major airport, but my guess is Sacramento may be cheaper. San Francisco and Oakland are options, but that's a good 5 hour drive.

It's not that long. I drove from San Raphael to South Lake Tahoe via I-80/US50 and it took right around three hours. Plus US50 after leaving the Sacramento metro area is a pretty scenic drive.

 

[ThatllDoCy]

Tahoe is Beautiful. The skiing at Mammoth is better.

 

[heyguy85]

heyguy85 we'll probably just miss you, we're heading there the 31st. For us Tahoe is a 4 hour drive so we go fairly often and always rent a house; it's a great set up if you'll be there more than a night or two and with more than one family it's a lot cheaper. There are numerous websites that offer rental services, and honestly no matter where you stay you'll be happy; it truly is one of the most beautiful places on earth. No way I'd drive that in winter; it's got to be 30 hours and if they close any of the roads you are screwed. Reno is the closest major airport, but my guess is Sacramento may be cheaper. San Francisco and Oakland are options, but that's a good 5 hour drive.

We will be leaving there the 26th-31st, flying Omaha to Reno. We are staying at the Aston Lakeland Village.