In May my wife and I are heading to Northern California for 8 days. Our accomodations are already set, but it is all the in-between stuff (attractions, driving routes, restaurants, ect)that I am seeking advice on. Any help from you experienced travelers is greatly appreciated as this is my first trip to California.

We are flying into Sacramento early afternoon, renting a car, and driving to SF. We are only staying one night in SF at the Palace Hotel. Any restaurant suggestions? We know we want dim-sum in Chinatown for one meal.

The following day we leave SF and head to the North Shore of Tahoe (Tahoe Vista) where we will be staying 7 nights. We have all day to get there from SF and I was wondering if there is a scenic route to take or attractions we can see along the way. Not being familiar with the area or driving distances I am unsure if it is reasonable to go through the wine region and possibly visit a winery?

Any suggestions for restaurants, activites in the area of Tahoe where we will be staying? We have a car and are willing to strike out for day trips. We are active (not thrill seekers, though) and looking to mix fun with relaxation.

Sorry for the long post. Thanks for your help.

Tim

Well if the snow has melted back you should go to the lookout in Crystal Bay. Here are the directions from Tahoe Vista:

When you arrive at the state line, turn north on Reservoir Road, which is next to the Biltmore. Then turn right onto Lakeview Ave. Continue on this road, if it forks stay left and do not turn onto Tuscarora. It will bend back before you reach the parking area for the short walk to the lookout. The lookout provides you with really beautiful views of the area and lake.

My fave restaurants in the north part are:

Garwoods in Carnelian Bay - right on the lake, they have deck heaters so even if it';s a little cool you can eat outside and take in teh great views. Their specialty drink is a wet woody.
http://www.garwoods.com/

Lone Eagle Grill at the Hyatt in Incline Vilage is right on the lake with very nice views. I actually like the bar a bit better than the restaurant so if they will let you dine there try that.

Sunnyside Lodge (It looks like it has changed recently from Sunnyside Resort) Great lake views, located just south of Tahoe City on 89.
http://www.sunnysidetahoe.com/

People will tell you to visit Emerald Bay to see the views which is great but the castle will not be open for tours and it's a really steep trip down (and back up) so go if you want to see the bay or look at the outside of the castle. You may want to take a hike to see cascade falls or lake instead depending on the snow conditions at the time you go:

Cascade Lake & Falls – Turn into the Bayview Campground across from Emerald Bay Inspiration Point, drive to the end and park at the trailhead. Take the trail that veers left. Spectacular views of the 200-foot high falls and Cascade Lake can be seen from this short trail.

Or Eagle Falls:

Eagle Falls / Eagle Lake Trail starts at Eagle Falls Picnic Area, highway 89 across from Emerald Bay. Permits are required on this hike and a self-registration station is at the trailhead. The hike is only about 2 miles round trip to Eagle Lake (only about 1/3 mile to the falls); the terrain varies from steep to flat and crosses beautiful Eagle Falls on a steel footbridge.

You can also walk along the trail from DL BLiss toward Emerald Bay. The views offered there can not be seen from the road.

Driving from teh north toward Emerald Bay you can also stop in and see the grounds of the Ehrmann Mansion and peak into the boat house to see the silver boat.

You can also hang out on the beach at Meeks Bay if the weather is nice. On mother's day I usually can have my beach chair set up and read a book in short enjoying ht ewarm sun on my lily white winter skin.

The trams in both Heavenly and Squaw will most likely not be open as they close at the end of the ski season and then reopen about mid June.

Dim sum is only served at noon and seldom in the evening, you may miss it if you don't have a full day in SF. Would you like chinese for dinner? Any price and atmosphere preferences?

Thank you Suzie for the great suggestions for Tahoe!!

Shanghainese,

Yes, we will be staying in SF into the afternoon to ensure that we can get some dim sum. We love it here in S. Florida, but can only imagine it is that much better in SF. Any suggested restaurant?

For dinner our first night I am willing to spend around $100-$150 on a memorable dinner. Chinese would be excellent, particularly if authentic and different than the run of the mill stuff we get at home. We love good food, are adventurous in terms of trying new things, and are not extremely picky. Something with a nice atmosphere and ambiance would also be a plus. Thanks for your input.

You will take 80 all the way to get there. It's not scenic until you get the foothills. Wine country would be a bit out of the way.
7 days is kind of a lot of time in Tahoe for that time of year, but you said your accomodations are all set so...If you can adjust your days you could spend a day in Napa Valley before heading to Tahoe.

Right now our weather isbeautiful, but we can get spring storms that bring in more snow. The snow should be gone at lake level by then though.
One of the most beautiful spots at Lake Tahoe is Sand Harbor on the Nevada side. You won't get beach weather in May, but you could take a shoreline walk.

Austin's and La Fondue in Incline are good cozy little spots for dinner. Rosie's in Tahoe City is good too. Firesign Cafe in Sunnyside has awesome breakfast.

It usually takes around 4 hours from San Francisco to get to Tahoe. Be prepared for some stop and go traffic fron Vacaville to Sacramento.

Ok I've got a some more ideas for you. At Auburn on 80 take highway 49 for a little Gold County detour. Take 49 all the way through Grass Valley to Nevada City. Nevada City is a cute little Western town. You could do some quick sight seeing and lunch. Then take highway 20 east to meet back up with 80. Highway 20 is very nice and scenic.

Also to get to the Lake from 80 you can either take 89 which takes you through Tahoe City or you can take 267 and that takes you past Northstar. If you take 89 you turn left at the 'Y' to get to Tahoe Vista. If you take 267 turn right at the Lake to get to Tahoe Vista.

Another thing that's fun to do is take the tram at Squaw Valley. There are some nice restaurants and bars in the Village area. I like the Irish one.

Be prepared for any weather condition while driving in the Sierras. Always bring water and food. A blanket of some sort is a good idea too. The weather conditions can change rapidly up there.

The tram in squaw valley will likely be closed since ski season will be over and the summer sightseeing starts about mid June. Check their site though to make sure:

http://www.squaw.com/

More good ideas. Thanks glimmer2!

If 7-days seems a long time for Tahoe, we are willing to strike out on some day trips. I have never been to Reno and am not adverse to losing (hopefully winning) some money in the casinos. This might be a change of speed during the week. Is that a doable daytrip?

Is wine country within striking distance for a day trip? Obviously, we will have to watch the wine consumption.

Thanks.

Reno is close - about a 45 minute freeway drive from North Lake Tahoe.

Reno is an easy day trip, as is South Shore Tahoe, which has a lot going on.
When I think of Wine Country I think Napa Valley and no that wouldn't be a do-able day trip.
There could be some wineries within striking distance. Outside of Sacramento maybe, but don't know of any.

7 days isn't too long for Tahoe, it's just that May is an in between season. Not ski season, but not summer temps yet either. I'm sure you'll still find plenty of funs things to do and no crazy summer crowds.That's a big bonus!

I assume you are using a time share or renting a condo/cabin explaining the 7 days - right? If so what days of the week are you driving to SF and then up to Tahoe?

If you happen to be driving from SF to Tahoe on a Friday - your drive time will be MUCH longer than at other times.

No, Wine Country (meaning Napa/Sonoma) is not a doable day trip from Tahoe, nor a realistic detour enroute from SF.

There is a terrific wine/winery region east of Sacramento and south of Placerville. But it would be off of hwy 50 and not I-80 so not on the route to Tahoe.

I honestly think your detour to SF is a bit crazy. You do not land at SMF until early afternoon - which means you may be on the road by 2 p.m. after picking up your rental car. That means you will not get to your SF hotel until about 3:45-4 p.m. if you are lucky. That is too late for a dim sum lunch and by the time you get settled in it will be dinner time. Then the next day you are turning around to drive 4 to 5 hours to get to N Lake Tahoe.

I personally would ditch the SF Idea. You could spend that day/night in the Amador County wine area and the next day drive up hwy50 and around the lake to Tahoe Vista.

While at Tahoe - take a day trip to Virginia City. And you do not have to go to Reno to see casinos. there are small ones at north Tahoe, and major ones at south Tahoe.

Virginia City is also a good day trip from Tahoe. You can take 431, Mt. Rose Highway down into Reno, and when you get to South Virginia St. (395) you just cross it and you will be on 341 which is the road up to Virginia City. It's a pretty drive. Truckee is also a fun place to spend some time.

The Lone Eagle Grill @ the Hyatt as previously mentioned is a great place for a meal in Incline Village. We stopped here for lunch while staying in SLT at the Marriott Timber Lodge last May. The drive around the lake is great fun, in the SLT area don't miss Evans' Gourmet Cafe or Cafe Fiore some fantastic meals.

If you go into the casinos in SLT, Harvey's 19 Kitchen is also fantastic for a meal with gorgeous panoramic views of the lake from teh dining room.

Enjoy your travels! ***kim***

I really appreciate all the feedback and good ideas that I will look into incorporating into my travel plans. Unfortunately the scattered itinerary, like the one day jaunt into SF, is family related and out of my control. The flight into Sacramento was much cheaper and will ultimately be easier to leave from at the end of the trip. So, just trying to make the best of what I got...much like life.

I figure we will arrive in SF late afternoon or early evening as suggested and the highlight of the night will be the excitement of being there (I have always wanted to go to SF and will definitely be back)and dinner. The next morning we will explore the city get a brief look at the typical sites (GG bridge, Wharf?) and have dim sum for lunch in Chinatown. We will head out after lunch and it will be a Sunday so hopefully traffic won't be horrible. I thought we might try to stop by Muir Woods on our way out of SF and on the way to Tahoe. With this stop I'm giving myself 6 hours, so should arrive in Tahoe around 8pm for our check-in. I know it is a hectic way to start a trip, but then we have 7-days to relax in the Tahoe area.

With all that said, we live for food and clearly our two meals in SF need to count. Suggestions for an excellent and memorable dinner for between $100-150. Then excellent dim sum the next day for lunch. We love dim sum and it is hard to find in S. Florida and we can only imagine it is excellent in SF.

Yes, my stay in Tahoe is a time share, Red Wolf Lodge. We arrive on a Sunday and leave on a Sunday. The suggestions for activties, hiking locations, and day trips are so appreciated. Any futher ideas are welcomed.

Thanks again.
Tim

Tour SF, have a dim sum lunch, drive to Marin County, explore Muir Woods and drive to Tahoe all on the same Sunday - pretty darn hectic. Muir Woods is not a place one drives to and simply turns around and immediately drives off. SF to Muir Woods (and finding parking on a Sunday afternoon) seeing anything, and then driving to Tahoe is really a whole day's worth right there.

It would have been so much better to fly open jaw into SF (Or even San Jose or Oakland) and out of Reno or Sacramento. But what's done is done.

Also (Janis didn't mention), Muir Woods is not on the way to Tahoe - you have to go slightly northwest from SF to get to Muir Woods, whereas to go straight to Tahoe you would go north and then east. You'd have to "turn left" and then backtrack.

I was going to explain about Muir Woods not being on their way - but I didn't want to pile on

I'm just tired reading about all that driving....

Let's talk about food, chinese dinner choices are Tommy Toy's at 655 Montgomery or Shanghai 1930 at 133 Steuart Street, both are exquisite; if you prefer more casual, R&G Lounge at 631 Kearny Street.

For dim sum lunch, Yank Sing cannot be beaten, 49 Stevenson Street or 101 Spear Street. All places mentioned need reservations. Happy Eating!