Doing Lake Tahoe/Great activities to suggest?

[Alicia64]

We're doing a long weekend in Tahoe. Any restaurants, hotels, activities for families you'd like to suggest? I'm open!

 

I'm having my boys start a nature journal which I have no idea how to facilitate. Or even what kind of notebook to buy them.

 

Any ideas welcome!

 

Alley

[Mothersweets]

Well, I don't know how interested your boys might be but the ranch home that they used for the show, Bonanza, is right around there!

[Carol in Cal.]

Are they into views or activities or what?

 

Emerald Bay is a must see spot, and you can hike down this easy trail from an outlook parking lot and picnic at the bottom. Down there there is also the best example of Scandanavian mansion architecture in the whole country, or something. It's a great tour, but I don't know whether the home is open except during the summer.

 

At Heavenly Valley ski resort you can pay to take the tram up the mountain and see all of Lake Tahoe from up there. It's pretty spectacular.

 

I like to stay at the Tahoe Beach and Ski Club--they have their own private beach and you can see the most gorgeous sunsets from there. They also have a pretty standard playground, and tennis courts, and workout rooms. Obviously you don't want to just stay on site, but it's nice to have some amenities to keep the kids occupied for a while while you're doing something else sometimes.

 

The Tahoe Queen is supposed to be a great tour, although I have never done it.

 

I like to drive over Carson Pass into Nevada once per trip when I go to Tahoe. If you are doing earth science, the Nevada State Museum in Carson City is not to be missed. If not, head through Carson City right on up to Virginia City--a genuine Western mining town. It has a little train, mining tours of several types, and cool Western stuff. It hugs this steep hillside--hard to believe that it stays standing! The trip over the pass shows the very abrupt change in climates between the Lake Tahoe area and Nevada. LT is all green and tree-covered. NV is amazingly dusty looking--the sagebrush dominates, and there is little other underbrush. It's almost like the arrival at Oz scene in The Wizard of Oz, only in reverse (from very colorful to almost no color at all.)

[HollyinNNV]

Bonanza is gone.:glare: What a bummer!

 

I'm not sure when you are going, but we've already had snow! Bring clothes you can layer. Be sure your rental car-if you have one-has chains. If you bring your own car, bring chains just in case.

 

I think a lot of what you can/cannot do in Tahoe will be weather dependent. You might be able to sled? I'm not sure if the various cruises run in inclement weather (google M.S. Dixie). I don't think any of the ski resorts have opened yet, but they usually don't open till Thanksgiving. And, that is if we have enough snow.

 

If you decide on driving down to Reno, you could go to the National Automobile Museum or Coconut Bowl. Carson City has a fun railroad museum, although it is pretty small. If you think you will be in Reno for very long, let me know and I'll give you more specifics for our area. (I'm a resident.) Like-don't miss Peg's Eggs for breakfast.

 

Virginia City is a great day trip. Visit the Wild West. It will be cold there, just like Tahoe. Dress warmly.

[usetoschool]

The official Tahoe website is useless but this one lists all the museums, activities, hikes, etc. at Tahoe and surrounding areas, with the address and other visitor information.

 

http://www.tahoesbest.com/Places/