David Kelly Consulting

All my life, I have heard about the breathtaking beauty of Lake Tahoe. Situated at an elevation of over 6,000 feet and straddling the states of California and Nevada, this world-renown lake has always called to me with its promise of crystal blue waters, stunning mountain views, and active outdoor fun. A Tahoe trip sounded like a bucket-list thrill for this Floridian, so we began to make plans.

But plentiful area activities that include snow skiing, boating, hiking, sledding, and fishing left us with one question … “What time of the year should we go?”

We opted for the fall, and it was the perfect choice. We landed at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, grabbed a rental SUV, then took the scenic one-hour drive to the city of South Lake Tahoe for a week of mild sunny days and cool crisp nights.

Lake Tahoe lies between the towering peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains. With an average depth of over 1,000 feet and containing a whopping 39 trillion gallons of water, North America’s largest alpine lake draws visitors year round, seldom freezing over in the winter due to the presence of high winds that constantly churn the water. The fishing in this deep lake is always excellent, and locals will tell you that the fall months are the best for mackinaw and rainbow trout.

Lakeside Vistas

For the first half of our trip, we checked into the Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge & Spa. Located in the center of town directly on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, each of its rooms looks out onto the lake’s sandy beach and the mountains beyond. Our accommodations, which were laid out like a vacation apartment, included a private patio that led directly to the water’s edge. It had a cozy alpine feel to it, with a gas-burning fireplace tucked into the corner of the living room. Our full-sized kitchen gave us plenty of space to stock up on food and drink.

The resort’s entire beach area is private and includes a huge pool and a hot tub for evening soaks. What an amazing feeling … watching the sun set on Lake Tahoe while enjoying the sizzling warm water of the spa in the cool mountain air.

The Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge & Spa was the perfect jumping off place to explore South Lake Tahoe and the local and state parks that dot the nearby landscape. Early the following morning, we were up and headed to Emerald Bay State Park. This iconic landmark is situated high above scenic Emerald Bay, home to Lake Tahoe’s only island. There are no roads to drive down to the lake, but paths such as the Rubicon Trail traverse the upper reaches of the park rim, offering stunning vistas to those that tackle its challenge. Hikers can also experience the cascading water at Eagle Falls and tour Vikingsholm, a 38-room Scandinavian lakeside mansion built almost a hundred years ago. You can visit Vikingsholm by navigating a steep one mile trail that drops 500 feet to the lake with stunning vistas around it.

Fishing, Mountains, and More

The next morning, we set out early to join Tahoe Sport Fishing for a day of angling. We teamed up with a couple of other families for a quick trip out to the opposite shore, where lake trout – often known as mackinaw – patrol the bottom in search of their food.

Captain Cesar quickly eased us onto an area that he sensed was bursting with hungry fish. During our journey, he explained the best ways to fish for our targets. Half of our team was to implement the jigging method - dragging shiny artificial bait near the bottom to target this delectable fish. The rest of us were to employ the “downrigger” method, utilizing stern-mounted mechanical devices that held our rods and allowed us to fish with live bait at the exact depths recommended by the captain’s instrumentation.

Both methods worked like a charm.

True to his word, Captain Cesar had us reeling in mackinaw within minutes of arriving at our destination. Every person on our boat caught fish, with many of us reaching our daily limit. And since reeling in hundreds of feet of line from these depths can be intimidating, having the different fishing style options worked well across the age span of anglers on our boat.

On the way back to the dock from our half-day trip, the crew even prepared our catch for cooking at one of the many local restaurants that features the option of bringing your own dinner. We took ours back to the Tahoe Lakeside Lodge & Spa, where we iced down half of it for a future restaurant trip and grilled the other half right on the beach outside of our room. Fresh and delicious!

For the second half of our trip, we chose to stay at the Black Bear Lodge. These cozy accommodations are tucked into quiet lush pines and greenery, far enough from the main roadway to be serene yet close enough to the action to be accessible. Heavenly Mountain Resort and Van Sickle Bi-State Park are just a short walk away.

Owners Greg and Rachel Carlson focus on offering a different kind of luxury to their guests. The property is a two-acre mix of suites, hotel rooms, and private cabins, all with a nod to sustainability. From local food and drink partners to vintage-sourced artwork to water refill stations (Tahoe tap water is fresh and pure and was voted the best-tasting in the country), the Black Bear Lodge is a place to rest and connect with all that is Tahoe.

Our suite was huge and came with two fireplaces that double as room heaters. Amenities such as fluffy robes, a selection of board games, and even a DoTERRA essential oil diffuser were thoughtful touches. We walked the plush green lawn and wildflower gardens, then hit up the intimate wine bar in the lobby, where the drink menu was comprised of local selections from around the area. We sipped our libations in the warm friendly lobby, then capped off another night of our trip in the Black Bear’s secluded outdoor hot tub.

The next day we visited Nevada’s Sand Harbor State Park. Tucked into the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe, Sand Harbor is known for its huge granite boulders, turquoise waters, and panoramic views of the surrounding mountain peaks. The park attracts families from around the world to its pristine beach for such varied activities as paddleboarding, kayaking, swimming, and even diving and snorkeling.

We pulled into the bustling park on a cloudless sunny day and headed out on the wooden Sand Harbor Boardwalk Trail that crisscrosses the scenic coastline. The unspoiled landscape was dotted with dozens of birds peeking out from in between the gigantic rocks lining the shore. We then hopped onto the Memorial Point Trail, a short trek that gave us access to even more secluded beaches and rocks.

The Sand Harbor Visitor Center and Gift Shop offers self-guided tours with information about the Tahoe region and its history. We grabbed some snacks and drinks at the Kokanee Bar and Grill and chilled under the sky-high pine trees that overlook its shady deck. The property itself accommodates dozens of weddings and family outings each year and is home to the Trepp Amphitheater, hosts of the Shakespeare festival and various popular music acts each summer.

That evening, we discovered a Margaritaville Resort tucked into the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. In a nod to our Florida roots and intrigued by its slogan “Mountain Latitude and Island Attitude,” we decided to check it out. We booked a reservation for dinner at JWB Prime Steak and Seafood and were thrilled with the experience.

Named after our favorite tropical musician Jimmy William Buffett, JWB Prime is an eclectic mix of high-end fare and a classy-but-laid-back atmosphere. From our Seafood Tower of oysters, clams, king crab, shrimp, and lobster to our delectable lamb chops to our chocolate mousse and homemade key lime pie for dessert, the folks at JWB Prime impressed us with their menu and their talents.

We topped our evening off by listening to live music at the License to Chill bar, then headed back to the Black Bear Lodge to plan the next day’s activities.

We decided to make one final visit to the lake, this time getting as close as possible to its unspoiled waters. We met up with Caitlin and her team from Clearly Tahoe kayak rentals for their Clearly Explorer guided cruise experience and headed out onto the lake.

The chilly fall morning gave way to a delightfully warm day. We soon learned that Clearly Tahoe has a unique approach to launching and riding. Rather than getting into your clear kayak at the dock and paddling to the scenic areas, Clearly Tahoe loads all the kayaks into their large tritoon vessel and heads out to the starting point of the trip with kayaks and riders aboard. When we reached our drop-off destination, the kayaks were offloaded and then stationed at the side of a floating platform attached to our larger boat. Our group used this platform to transfer from boat to kayak, and we were in the water and paddling in minutes.

For the next two hours, Caitlin and her guide partner Gaeliel led us on a breathtaking journey of Lake Tahoe’s western shore. They filled our heads with fascinating information about the area while we filled our senses with the astounding beauty around us. The steep wooded mountainsides meet the aqua waters of the lake at the rocky shoreline, creating beaches, waterfalls, and coves. Best of all, the tritoon mothership followed us from beginning to end, making it unnecessary to turn around at a halfway point and paddle back the same way that we came.

Clearly Tahoe offers summer and winter kayaking, e-bike tours, stand-up paddleboard tours, and even winter snowshoe trips through the backcountry mountains.

To celebrate our last night out west, we grabbed the remaining fresh mackinaw and headed to Macduff’s Pub. As South Lake Tahoe’s only Scottish pub, we knew we would get the best in shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and chicken pot pie made from locally sourced ingredients.

But what brought us to this quaint magical location was their policy of cooking your fresh catch especially for you. We simply walked up to the “drop today’s catch here” sign at the doorway and we were all set. Macduff’s prepares your fish up to three ways and serves it on a bed of roasted vegetables, french fries, and homemade tartar sauce.

As we ate our fresh catch under the stars on the outdoor patio, we reflected on our trip and made plans to visit again. There is still so much more to explore in stunning Lake Tahoe.

ROUND UP

Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge & Spa

www.TahoeLakeshoreLodge.com

Black Bear Lodge

www.TahoeBlackBear.com

Tahoe Sport Fishing

www.TahoeSportFishing.com

Clearly Tahoe Kayak Rentals

www.ClearlyTahoe.com

JWB Prime Steak and Seafood

www.MargaritavilleResorts.com

Macduff’s Public House