Hi
We are planning our honeymoon to include Las Vegas and then rent a car and drive up to Lake Tahoe. We will be going Oct 21 - Nov 3. How long would we need to stay in Tahoe to see the sights? Can anyone recommend any good day trips from there. Best places to stay in Tahoe (remember honeymoon). How far to San Francisco from Tahoe, is it driveable etc.
Thanks soooooooooo much!!!!

Elaine:

The sights are the beautiful lake itself. If, after Vegas, you're still in the mood to gamble, stay on the Nevada side. The majority of hotel/casinos are on the south rim. I once stayed in the Hyatt in Incline Village, which is on the north end. What I liked about it was the proximity to the lake and the fact that there were not other huge hotels next door. You might consider a night at each end of the lake, but, in any case, you should drive the perimeter of the lake. There are some spectacular views and some interesting walking trails. If you're a real gambling addict, drive down to Reno.

S.F. is a much shorter drive from Tahoe than is Tahoe from Vegas. Donner Pass and Sacramento are on the way.

Elaine, there is an earlier post from Nevine about driving from Las Vegas to Lake Tahoe and San Fran. From personal experience, I can tell you that the drive from Las Vegas to just outside Mammoth Lakes is hard and the scenery not so great. There is no interstate and it will be hard to drive from LV to Tahoe in one day. There is no easy route. Suggest you break up the trip and spend at least one night in Mammoth Lakes and go into nearby Yosemite Park. This area is beautiful. I personally would skip Lake Tahoe altogether if I were coming from Vegas. If your heart is set on Lake Tahoe, the drive from there to San Fran isn't bad and you can easily do it in less than a day.

For a really strange experience, be sure to stop at Mono Lake on your way north and take a look at the strange--very surreal and bizarre--natural sculptures lining the shore. It's the kind of experience you'll never forget.

Elaine, we honeymooned at the Tahoe Seasons Hotel, located at the base of Heavenly Valley, and loved it! We called some tourist information number in Tahoe, explained that we were honeymooning, and the operator recommended this place. Turned out to be a great choice.

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage.

Dont miss the Ponderosa ranch, some of the shops are tacky but the scenery is gorgeous. They actually filmed Bonanza there and you will recognize the horizons you see.
Take one of the boat trips across the lake, very informative and lovely scenery.
2 full days in Tahoe is probably enough to see the sights.

There is one thing that everybody is overlooking and that is the weather. There is a good possibility that you could have snow in the higher elevations. The chances are that Tioga Pass will be closed which eliminates the possibility of entering Yosemite from the east.

Snow is also possible in Lake Tahoe at that time. It varies from year to year. Two days is more than adequate to see everything around Lake Tahoe. I would visit Virginia City as a day trip. Spend one day traveling around the lake. There are many nice places to stay. If you want to be where the action is then I would stay at Caesars, Harveys, Harrahs or the Embassy Suites.

San Francisco is an easy 3.5 hour drive from Lake Tahoe. You can take Hwy 50 west to Sacramento and then I-80 to San Francisco. This would be the best route from South Lake Tahoe. You can also take I-80 all the way which would be the best from North Lake Tahoe.

I would suggest flying from Las Vegas to Reno and renting a car at the airport for the drive to Lake Tahoe. There are numerous cheap flights to Reno from Las Vegas. Harrah's is a very nice property. The rooms are spacious, there are his and hers bathrooms and the views are great. Definitely drive around Emerald Bay - amazing views.