21 Years in North Lake Tahoe

Bonnie Tsui's Sunday New York Times article on North Lake Tahoe raised a few eyebrows among the Renaud clan. Thanks to Jane, who alerted us to it's online presence. Tahoe locals are very much tuned in to the tourist experience, as our economy is based on tourism, recreation, and second home getaways. For the record, we have had a second home on the north shore since 1988 and have lived here full time since 2005.

By the way, Royal Gorge is nice but not the best choice for an opening photo. If you were doing an article on Central Park, would you open with a shot of the Statue of Liberty? Hey, there's a lake here and it's really BIG.

Here are some of our family favorites that we regularly visit.

Getting Here

Nevada State Route 431, from Reno to Incline Village, is the most beautiful way to enter the Tahoe basin. It's a vertiginous two-lane road that climbs above timberline and affords breath taking vistas of Lake Tahoe, Reno, and the Carson valley.

Nice Restaurants

Wolfdale's in Tahoe City is our favorite place for a special occasion or for guests. Not sure on the labels, but I would call it it a California/Asian fusion cuisine.

Spindelshank's in Tahoe Vista has no lake view but makes up for it with consistently excellent American cuisine. We took a large group their during a Thanksgiving holiday and everyone enjoyed it.

Gar Woods Grill in Carnelian Bay is the place for lakeside summer dining on the deck, even if its only for cocktails and bar food. They are famous for the Wet Woody, which is similar to an orange Hurricane.

The Blue Onion in King's Beach is a great place for breakfast or lunch. You can dine on the deck overlooking the first hole of the Brockway golf course.


Less Expensive Eats

The Log Cabin Cafe in Kings Beach is our favorite place for breakfast, particularly if we are jonesing for some french toast. The only downside is that it is small and there can be a wait. The Old Post Office in Carnelian Bay is a reasonable alternative but not quite up to the Log Cabin. When you sit at the counter, you feel like a local.

The Char Pit in Kings Beach is the place for burgers, or so I have been told.

The Coffee Shop in the Tahoe Biltmore Casino in Crystal Bay, NV (on the CA/NV border) is good place to get a filling breakfast at a low price. They also have great club sandwiches, which we enjoy at least once a year.

T's Rotisserie in Incline Village, NV is our favorite Mexican barbeque place. The soft chicken tacos are sublime.

The Tahoe House, south of Tahoe City on the west shore, has great sandwiches and yummy desserts.

CB's Pizza in Carnelian Bay. A local place behind 7-11, CB's provides pizza, soups, and other comfort food. You can watch sports on large screen TVs or possibly witness someone's retirement party. Service is notoriously slow but it's kid friendly.

Pizza

Jiffy's Pizza in Kings Beach is our favorite, although there are other locations. The plain cheese pizza is very similar to what you might get in New York.

Bars

The Bar of America in Truckee is my favorite, not so much for drinking, but for the beauty of the interior. I love to take visitors here just to see the bar, which is old and very long. A great place for lunch, the food is tasty and you can sit on high stools near the front windows and watch people pass.

Coffee

The Java Hut in Kings Beach serves up coffee and expresso drinks with a local flair. They also have an assortment of bagels and wraps. If you must have Starbucks, there is one inside the King's Beach Safeway, which we affectionately call the Food Palace due to its "oversized-Tahoe-cabin" architecture.

Ice Cream

Our favorite ice cream stand is across the street fom Mourelators' Lakeshore Resort in Tahoe Vista. It is open only in the summer and serves Bud's ice cream, hence, we call the place simply Bud's. An adjacent lawn with tables provides the perfect place to enjoy three dollars of bliss.

The Char Pit in Kings Beach has soft ice cream year around. Go for the chocolate/vanilla blend.

Gyms

Need a workout or a fitness class? Asante Fitness in Tahoe City, located behind the Safeway, is well equipped and has lake views for those doing cardio work. The yoga classes are among the best in Tahoe.

Ski Areas

Squaw Valley, between Tahoe City and Truckee, is the premier area, due to its Olympic history, incredible terrain, and huge number of lifts.

Alpine Meadows, next door to Squaw, also has excellent terrain but is a bit less expensive. Alpine has very little bottom-of-the-mountain development, compared to places like Squaw and Northstar, and presents a classic (i.e. little shopping) experience.

Homewood, on the west shore, is great when there is lots of snow and provides incredible lake views.

Mt. Rose, on the road from Incline to Reno, is the highest ski area in Tahoe and provides wonderful spring skiing.