rebbu

Hi,

We are travelling to Lake Tahoe on Thanksgiving weekend with my 16-month old and staying at Inn by the Lake.
I would like information on the following:

1.Is there snow at Lake Tahoe now ?
Should we carry chains for drive from San Jose

2.Recommended mid-points for rest during the drive

3.Feedback on Inn by the Lake.
Most other hotels are already full.

Thanks,
Rebbu

utahtea

I think they got a little snow recently. You can see for yourself during daylight hour at these webcams:

http://www.skiheavenly.com/audio_visual/webcams/tram/

At this time of the year I would ALWAYS carry chains going over the passes!

Utahtea (I live in the Bay Area..not Utah!)

J_Correa

I was checking the weather forcast yesterday for northern California in general and there don't seem to be any storms coming in - sunshine, blue skies through Thanksgiving weekend. That could change, of course, but the weather looks like it is going to be great.

So you probably wont have any snow at Lake Tahoe, but carry chains anyway - better to be safe.

janisj

What day are you driving up? If Wed or Fri - plan on a VERY long trek. Basically bumper to bumper through Fairfield/Vacaville (or Stockton if you go that way), through Sacramento, through Placerville, and much of the way up hwy 50.

I would get a VERY early start and just drive straight through.

rebbu

Thanks for the info.
Will carry snowchains.

We were planning to drive on Friday morning starting from San Jose around 9:00 AM. I was hoping traffic will be less on Friday than on Thursday.
Do you have recommendations for the route/time for the drive ?

viamar

Like the othere posters said, carry chains. No snow as of now and the forcast is calling for clear skies for awhile. I love this 75 degree temp, but it's not helping it to feel very holiday like around here.
When we drive to Tahoe we;re coming from Santa Cruz. We usually stop at Vacaville. If we have time we eat at the Black Oak. You'll see it from the freeway. If we're in a hurry we stop at In 'n' Out. I think the exit they are on is called Orange Blvd. You might want to stop again in Placerville since you have a little one.
If you leave at 9 you can expect traffic almost the whole way. If you can swing 6 ( I know it's early, but crawling along 80 is the worst) try.
We usually take 17 to 880, cut over to 680 via 237, 680 to 80, 80 to 50 for South Shore. Some people take 580 to 5 to 80, but I don't like the big rigs on 5 so we avoid it.
It would be nice to have snow, but it will make driving easier. Have fun.

J_Correa

We live in San Jose and when we head up to Sacramento and points north or east, we generally head up 680 to 580 to Tracy, then 205 to I5 to Sacramento. Then from Sac to Lake Tahoe, take 50 or 80 depending on which part of Lake Tahoe we are going to.

We don't mind the big rigs on I5 and find the traffic on 80 west of Sac to be worse than the traffic on 580 going over to Tracy.

If I suspect that traffic is going to be really bad getting out of the Bay Area, I will head south on Hwy 101 and cut over to I5 on Hwy 152. This is the long way around, but less likely to have heavy traffic.

janisj

Actually I think Friday will be almost as bad Wed. A LOT of people from the valley have Thankgiving at home and then head up to Tahoe on Friday morning. Of course you won't be dealing w/ the normal Wed commute in addition to the holiday traffic like on Wed.

But I would think that 9 a.m. is an awfully late start from SJ. Even if I was leaving from Sacramento, I'd want to be on the road by 7 or 7:30 at the latest.

From SJ - I'd personally want to be on the way by 5:00 -- 6:00 absolutely the latest. Even then you will be lucky to be to tahoe by noon - and much later if you stop enroute.

viamar

I meant to say " I would be nice to have snow, but the lack of it will make driving easier."

rebbu

Thanks everyone for your input.
Do you think if I drive on Thursday ,traffic will be better than Friday ?
If I can change my hotel reservations ,I could do that.
With the little one in the car , I would like to avoid sitting in the traffic.

janisj

Oh - yes things should be a lot easier on Thursday. Especially in the middle of the day.

When are you coming home? If Sunday afternoon - plan on a parking lot most of the way. If you can wait until Monday a.m. you will have it sooooo much easier.

annabelle2

agree with janisj -- Friday and Sunday, count on sitting in traffic. I would either travel on Thursday and then return Sat or Mon, or get a REAL early start on Friday and the same Sunday if you need to get back before Monday. Patience will help!

re: chains -- if you have never put them on, make sure you know how and that you have some type of tarp or something to put on the ground by the tires so you don't get wet and cold when you are chaining up. Or, bite the bullet and pay the chainers to put 'em on for you. No shame there!

luvtahoe

We just got back last Thursday from California (we're in South Carolina) and we stayed at the Hyatt. Wow, what a place. Beautiful decor (I'm an interior designer) lodgy but not corny, very sophisticated, a casino on the ground floor, 2 different restaurants on the lobby level and the staff is the most accomodating I've ever run across. I felt like I was home...a fire was roaring in the lobby fireplace, cozy rooms, not small, great bathrooms and a wonderful concierge staff. The staff goes out of their way to help you, even with road conditions and printed directions to your destination. Obviously, I am in love with this hotel. I am very fussy and felt I could live at the Hyatt.

viamar

We've driven up on Thanksgiving before and it a piece of cake. No traffic at all. It was weird driving on a holiday though.

rebbu

Thanks for all the info. We changed our travel date to Thursday . We are staying there only 1 night. Being my first trip with the toddler , dont want to spend 2 nights away from home.

So , I will be driving back to bay area on Friday .. Probably start from Lake Tahoe in the evening and reach here by night..

-Revatha.

Suzie

If you are talking about driving on Thanksgiving Day you will be shocked at the traffic coming and going from the bay area. We live in the Sacto area and sister lives in bay area. We alternate between each others' homes for Tday and without a doubt it is the worst driving day I have ever experienced except maybe Christmas Day. The erlier you go the better it will be. It takes us hours in the bumper to bumper traffic on 80 at around 11:00 or 12:00. One year I took I5 to Tracy and then cut east but it really was no better. The traffic going west started right at Sacramento and I could not tell where it started going east because it was cars for as far as the eye could see.

Start early! This weekend is supposed to be beautiful. It's really amazing how warm it's been these last few weeks. Not fog, no rain but some weird warm wind.

Kal

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuz...where yah been.

Plans for a Sacto area GTG in the Spring if you are interested.

Suzie

Hey Kal! I changed jobs within the company and have far less "free" time. Sacto GTG would be great this spring, maybe I'll be over the flu by then. cough cough

Kal

I'm just getting over the West Coast Crud.

Got my flu shot and my tetanus shot...both arms are killing me.

I'll keep you posted. Son still at my ol' Blue and White alma mattahhhh'?

Suzie

Yes, still there. Also now driving. How did he get so old?

Guess I delayed my flu shot a week late. Bummer for me!