I'd go to NY at Thanksgiving without a reservation before I'd go to Yosemite in summer without one! It's not a question about a sense of adventure, it's whether I want to sleep in a hotel, or in my car!!

As for Tahoe, Labor Day may be less busy than all those other weekends, but it's still plenty busy. Yes, you'll find someplace to stay, but you'll also have to go from place to place to find it. Up to you.

Oh, and I also disagree with the concept....to me, a sense of adventure means I don't know where I'm going to be, so making a reservation can't be done or makes no sense because it would restrict my travels. In this case, the OP knows exactly where she's going to be and when, so what's the point of NOT making a reservation in advance?

<Labor Day weekend is considerably less crowded than those times.>

This statement is completely irresponsible!!!

OP - give yourself a less stressful situation & get a reservation at Tahoe. Adventure does not = common sense!

I hope the original poster who posed this scenario comes back and lets us all in on what happens!!! (lol!)

we were in tahoe last weekend which is a busy one for up there due to celebrity golf tourn and there was still vacancies on saturday night. not alot of them and not right next to stateline but you wouldn't be forced to sleep in the car!
funny, i always want to go without reservation because sometimes i 'll see the perfect place but we can't stay there and we used to travel with our dog and sometimes the places that take dogs aren't the nicest so i want to see them first but my husband's biggest fear is that we'll end up in the car! guess he's not the only one!