lake tahoe, calif
 

We are looking at The Landing in South Lake TAhoe, CA and know little about the best locations on the lake. Any suggestions. We are planning for the end of April, two adults.

What do you want to know -- The Landing is fine, down on the lake behind Harvey's. But it depends on what you are looking for - Stateline is mainly for the Casinos, and Edgewood, and the Gondola to the top of Heavenly.

IMO the north end or west side of the lake is better for scenery, hiking, 'old Tahoe', etc. But if you want to be close to the Casino hotels etc -- then, Stateline is where you'd want to be.

janisj, we definitely don't want to be close to the casinos. So it seems that the north or west end of the lake is better for what we want which is to be able to stay in a nice resort type place, with a view of the lake or close proximity and access to a local town with restaurants, etc. We have never been to Lake Tahoe so we're not familiar with the area or what to expect so thanks for any suggestions.

The Hyatt at Incline is what you want.

The Landing isn't what I'd consider a resort. It's a small hotel right in town across the street from the lake. If you stay on the south side, The Edgewood looked really nice (we've only eaten there) and is right on the lake with some separation from town. On the north side is the Hyatt (where we've stayed a couple of times) which has lakefront cottages. The regular guest rooms are in a tower across the street from the lake and there's a casino but it's not obtrusive. There's also a Ritz Carlton but it's at Northstar and not near the lake. There are several more rustic, cottage-y type places on the lake.

Ditto - if you want a resort type hotel, Hyatt Regency Incline village. It does have a casino -- but it is small and not all that significant.

And eat lunch out on the deck at the Lone Eagle. https://www.loneeaglegrille.com

There are other good places but for view (!), a short walk from your room, cocktails and food - it is great. Definitely for lunch.

Jake's on the Lake and Sunnyside are places with deck dining - west in Tahoe City.

You also might want to take a jaunt over to Truckee

Fantastic thanks so much.

We stayed at the West Shore Inn and loved it. It will be very quiet in April and you're not within walking distance of other restaurants but the restaurant there is very good if it's open.

https://www.westshorecafe.com/suites-rooms/

West Shore Inn is my dream place $$$. I only dream of staying there. Not a resort though. We always do our annual lunch on their pier every summer. Our favorite view on the lake

West Shore Inn looks very nice - you mentioned it is not within walking distance of other restaurants. Would we have to drive into Tahoe City more to go to various restaurants and activities? The website seems to show that there are activities doable on site like biking, kayaking, etc.

You would have to drive anywhere,, but that is the case for most properties around the Lake

Thanks to everyone. We would like a resort type place with lake views in the North Shore because this is a milestone birthday for DH and 40th anniversary for us as well. A couple of places we liked like West Shore Inn is booked, as is Hyatt Regency Incline Village Sunnyside Stake House and Lodge. We are booking rather late because we initially planned to go to Seattle and Portland but decided to stay in CA as we are going to Portland for a big family event in June. We aren't sure what to do now as most places are booked for weddings in Lake Tahoe.

I can't imagine the Hyatt being totally booked at his time of year unless there is a convention of some size.

Have you phoned them or just looked on line?

If so, I'd maybe try for accommodations in Squaw Valley.

Nanabee, in late April, you won’t be doing lake or any other outdoor activities that do not involve snow!

I agree. We were there in early June and the boats weren’t even in the water.

thanks again janis, we went ahead an booked a place last night although it doesn't seem like the ideal place but it is a place! It is in Tahoe City. I wanted to stay in Squaw Valley but DH wanted to be closer to the lake. Maybe we can rethink Squaw Valley. We can cancel this current reservation 48 hrs in advance. It is a place called BaseCamp (not the sister hotel in South Lake Tahoe).

Hi sf and Birdie. We are going end of April because it is my DH's 75th birthday and our 40th wedding anniversary. We are going to Portland in June and Lake Arrowhead in July so we can't go then. We checked the weather forecast and it will (hopefully) be in the high 50's during the day. So we are fine with that. We live in S.CA so sunny days are a dime a dozen :)

We spent our honeymoon in Lake Tahoe 23 years ago. We stayed at Harrah's in south Lake Tahoe and loved it (got a free suite upgrade). It is a resort hotel with beautiful lake and mountain views. There is a casino but it is not in your face like Vegas. We were there in April and arrived to warm 70 degree weather, then about mid week we woke up to a foot of snow. It was amazing. We skied at Heavenly, we did a lake dinner cruise, took a drive around the lake and visited Squaw Valley and rode up the big gondola. But the highlight of our trip was the snowmobile tour we went on. We each had our own snowmobile and the guide took us to a remote wilderness area that was breathtaking. Hope you enjoy Tahoe as much as we did.

The Parkside Inn is a beautiful property. It boasts an indoor pool and sauna and is not far from the Hyatt. I hope you enjoy your trip!

Definitely pack your layers as April weather can really vary. I live in the area, and we had snow three nights ago, clear and very cold weather following, and back to spring weather now. A few inches of snow forecasted for Sunday night, though! The good thing is the days are nice and long and the ground has warmed up, so any snow at lake level will melt right away. It is off season, so it’s a pretty quiet time to come, but that peacefulness is nice!

Thanks so much to everyone I really appreciate all the advice and help. I wished we could have planned this trip with more lead time but we weren't able to. The three major resorts in Tahoe City each had wedding parties the weekend we wanted to be there and they were booked. We got a reservation for 3 nights at at reasonable and nice place so we are just happy to be able to get away.

Thanks for the update on the weather. Will dig out extra jackets for sure.

One day definitely drive east along the north shore, through Incline Village, and about 3 miles beyond to Sand Harbor. The absolutely prettiest place on the Lake. Don't drive in the first entrance -- that is for boat launching. Take the second entrance and park down at the lake. Big beach, crystal clear turquoise water, boulders/rock formations, boardwalk circling the whole area so is good whether its dry or snowy.

https://www.jetsetter.com/photos/san...ls-lagoon-lake
https://www.hobie.com/blog/alter-you...bor-tahoe,401/
https://aboutboulder.com/blog/the-mo...e-sand-harbor/

Meant to add -- if it is at all decent -- take a picnic lunch. You can take a blanket and eat on the beach, or just sit on one of the benches scattered along the boardwalk .

Janisj the beach looks absolutely stunning. That will move to the top of list of things to do and see.

Swing by Gar Woods for a Wet Woodie! 🍹

Great tip; Sand Harbor is a delightful spot.

I was going to suggest dinner at Wolfdale’s (Tahoe City), but I checked their website (I was looking for you to see when their usual “off-season” deal was), and they’ll be closed the last weeks of April. Christy Hill is another nice lake view restaurant for dinner.

I agree that Sand Harbor is gorgeous but since it's your first trip, I would also drive all the way around the lake -- the drive continues to be beautiful from Sand Harbor south to Zephyr Cove and again from the other side of South Lake Tahoe, CA all the way up the west side to Tahoma. If you're there around lunchtime, have lunch at the very popular Firesign Cafe in Tahoe City (no view, but great food, closes at 3 p..m.), or continue on and spend an hour or two in Truckee - fun old mining town, have lunch at the Squeeze In (closes at 2 p.m.). Even if you don't drive around the lake, do make the trip to Truckee!

Any restaurant suggestions in Truckee?

I love Harrah's Lake Tahoe. I've been there a few times. I love Lake Tahoe in general. We've gone in the spring and in the summer. Summer is awesome there.

Truckee restaurants -

My friends love Trokay for a high-end meal.
Moody's and Bar of America are also very good. Bar of America has two sides - bar side and restaurant side - I think they have the same menu.
Best breakfast/lunch - Squeeze In
Good inexpensive casual burger place - Burger Me
The restaurant at the golf club at Tahoe Donner (which is technically Truckee but not in town) is excellent
Old Town Tap is a good bar/restaurant

Lots - but you can basically just walk up the main street and see place after place

check these out

Truckee Tavern & Grill - A sophisticated American Cuisine restaurant with a rustic feel located in Truckee, California

Restaurant Trokay

https://cottonwoodrestaurant.com

Pianeta Ristorante | Cucina Italiana | Truckee CA

Moody's Bistro Bar & Beats ? Located in downtown Truckee, CA

Or for burgers etc - there is always Squeeze In. https://www.squeezein.com/truckee-ca/

We have eaten at all of these, except Trokay. Pianeta is my favorite.