sf7307

For those of you who have not been, Lake Tahoe is a gorgeous alpine lake about 4 hours from San Francisco. The lake is 71 miles in circumference. As you drive around the lake, there are a number of little towns (mostly a pizza place - laundromat - real estate office type of towns) with a few larger towns (Tahoe City, Incline Village, Kings Beach) with lots of restaurant, beaches, bars, hotels and motels) and one very large town (South Lake - still a resort town, just happens to be on the Nevada border so has many more residents, a bigger area, and casino hotels). There are various ski areas scattered around the lake (Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Northstar, Heavenly Valley, Sugar Bowl, Diamond Peak are the big ones, but there are smaller ones too -- Donner, Boreal, Homewood, etc.). Also as you drive around the lake are many residential communities -- condos, whole developments and private homes -- ranging from very downscale to real estates (the $35 million kind ). I've attached a map to give you an idea how it's laid out.

http://www.aaccessmaps.com/show/map/us/ca/tahoesub

I was just wondering if anyone who has been there (or hasn't, but can figure out from my description what it's like), can suggest other places like this in other parts of the US. I'm interested in something near the water, with nearby beach-y towns, with great weather in at least one season. I'm not interested in an out-of-the-way fishing lake or too much "getting away from it all" -- I like activity like hiking and biking, live music on the beach or in dive bars, street fairs, that kind of thing.

Thanks!

travelbuff

I love Tahoe, so I agree it is a special place to visit. The only place I can think of with a large lake and cute towns in Lake Winnepausauke, in NH. The Inn in Meredith is right on the lake you can get tours of the lake, several nice beaches in the area, restaurants, and lots of cute little towns dot the area.

happytrailstoyou

I prefer Lake Como, Italy.

HTTY

Dayenu

Maybe Niagara area? On the Canadian side Niagara-on-the-Lake.

peterboy

I've been to Tahoe and driven all the way around it.

The only lake I know that is similar in size is Lake GeorgeNY. It actually has a tourist town at the south end like Tahoe (no casinos though...yet). There are even ski resorts near Lake George.

Western lakes and forests are quite different than those here in the east.

Rastaguytoday

I've been to Lake Tahoe all my life, starting when I was 3, or so say my parents. I love the place.

The one downside is the large number of people who have moved here, mostly in S Lake Tahoe.

It's the coldest water I've every tried to swim in, that's for sure. The objective,when we were kids waterskiing on Lake Tahoe, was not to fall.

I've been to the north side of Como in the town of Varenna. I really did not like the persistent smog layer over the lake.

sf7307

Rasta, I know all about Lake Tahoe -- I'm trying to figure out if there's anything comparable elsewhere in the US. (PS, I avoid South Lake Tahoe as much as possible -- I'm definitely a North/Westside person).

tracys2cents

Moosehead Lake in Maine sounds a little too remote for you, but the Sebago Lakes area in Maine would fit the bill in summer and fall. I would imagine there is something along the lines of what you are looking for in Idaho, as well.

tomfuller

For Idaho, both Coeur d'Alene and Lake Pend Orelle. For Montana it would be Flathead Lake south of Whitefish.
The other lake on a state border would be Lake Meade.

Tomsd

Crater Lake Oregon, about an hour from where I grew up - in South Central Oregon - about 5 hours from Lake Tahoe.

http://tinyurl.com/7h3t26y

Crater Lake is one of the three bluest lakes in the world - the other two being Lake Tahoe and Lake Baikal Russia - all very deep - hence the great color.

And loved Lago Como - and we stayed just north of the fabled Villa d'Este - at the Hotel Grand Imperiale - in Maltrasio - and it was beautiful - in late May.

sf7307

Does Crater Lake have towns, beaches and residential areas? All I remember is the gorgeous view from the rim.

Fodorite018

sf7307--No, CL doesn't have any of that. You are remembering correctly

1JAR

Gosh SF7307,
That is a tough one. Doing some research and came up with Lake Chelan for one of our trips home to Washington... maybe Lake Chelan?

Not quite the same but has of the features you posted.

http://www.lakechelan.com/visit/about-area/

J62

2nd Lake George.

beaches
a little honkey tonk at the south end
hotels
resorts
lotsa wilderness
cool clear water
paddle wheel steamers, kayaks, sailboats, power boats, canoes

janisj

Crater Lake has none of the things you mentioned.

I agree Lake George may be about the closest you'd find.

LindainOhio

The only thing I have found similar to Lake Tahoe for scenic beauty are the lakes in the Canadian Rockies. The Canadian Rockies are not in the US---but they are very close--a lot closer to you than to me. It is also more a series of lakes with lodging and towns rather than a large lake with development around the lake.

Lake Tahoe is more developed than the areas around the lakes in the Canadian Rockies. If you like busy though, you would like Banff in the summer.

I never swam in Lake Tahoe because the water was too cold. I never swam in any of the Canadian Lakes either but did rent a canoe and had a great happy hour on the dock at Patricia Lake in Jasper.

In Tahoe I loved Sand Beach and the restaurants right on the lake. We loved biking the path and hiking the wonderful trails.

Both areas have great skiing.

sf7307

Linda, we're in Tahoe every weekend this summer. We rode 30+ miles on the bike trail (round-trip) a couple of weekends ago, and have done multiple 5-6 mile hikes (Five Lakes, Mt. Judah, Sawmill Lake, Shirley Lake, Ellis Peak). We've been to the Canadian Rockies - I've never seen anything so gorgeous in all my life, and want to go back in summer, when we can use our newfound love of hiking to its best advantage! I think your description - more a series of lakes with lodging and towns rather than a large lake with development around the lake - is perfect.

The reason I asked is, despite going to Lake Tahoe in both winter and summer for many years, we never broke down and bought a place (we could never decide between the lake and the mountains so we didn't buy anything ). Needless to say, Lake Tahoe real estate is pretty pricey, although prices have plummeted in the last few years (excluding those $35 million estates, although maybe they would have been $50 million, who knows?). So I was wondering if there's anyplace else we might considering looking, mostly for a summer place. We're not looking for anything big or fancy, but it's got to be big enough to have a few people over - the living room in the condo we're staying in this summer is really too small - and for storage (we have no place to put our bikes indoors).

christabir

Western Michigan and the Upper Penninsula are very nice. My sister rents a place every year in the summer. Mackinac Island is very special and the Sleeping Bear area is great! Not sure if that's too far for you, but it's easy to get to.

Tomsd

Of the other places mentioned - not sure how many really have "beaches" in the California sense - or music on the beach?

Personally - I think it's hard to beat Lake Tahoe for what you have described/are looking for, and I am guessing you have checked out the June Lake and Mammoth areas?

As for not buying a place at Tahoe - don't feel too badly. A group of us were going to buy a ski cabin in the 70's - and then it was - do we buy at North Shore or South Shore - yada yada yada - so it never came off, although I had an offer in on a nice place by King's Beach.

The prices back then were fairly reasonable - and you could rent it out a few times and pretty much pay for about half of the mortgage payments.

Should have just gone ahead and bought it - but of course - hindsight is 20-20, eh?

LindainOhio

You are lucky to live so close to Lake Tahoe. Think of all the taxes, maintenance fees you have saved not owning a place.

Where do you stay? How lucky you get to go every weekend.

My dad has a mobile home on Lake Erie. We could have bought a cottage/condo there 30 years ago very reasonably but we were poor then.