OK, North Shore it is:

I don't want to stay in a condo or cabin. Thanks for any hotel recommendations you can make.

Do you want an upscale hotel, or a downscale motel, or something in between?

Upscale, thank you, but I prefer not to go much north of $200 unless the place is very special. But not TWICE or more, that's why I'm not staying at the Hyatt.

I've considered the Cal Neva or the Cedar House in Truckee or Mourelatos...but it's just hard to tell whats best by looking at websites.Thanks.

I would look at the Resort at Squaw Creek - there are a wide variety of prices if you hit "check prices" on TripAdvisor.

Getting into SMF after dark, like after 7:00 PM, the traffic is really not that bad.

If it is really late and you are concerned about "jet lag" prior to driving, then stay at the Host Hotel at the airport. You can save a day on the rental car and walk a few 100 feet to the hotel.

Rooms are nothing to write home about, but clean and close.

You can drive to Tahoe (either north or south) the next AM by either leaving prior to 6:00 AM or after 9:00 AM and miss most of the commute traffic, in fact you will be going reverse commute to just about any time you won't have an issue.

If your are going to north LT then take Hwy 80, if south LT take Hwy 50. In Sacrmento they are only a few miles apart and then spread out as you head east.

Hwy 80 is mostly four lanes all the way and a better road after dark. However, both drives are awesome and I would say do them during the day if you have never been up there.

Moxie's at 20th and H street is a best kept foodie secret that is not shared much outside of people who live in Sacramento's downtown. You should make reservations.

There is an Embassy Suites in Old Sacramento that is a short walk to Old Sacramento with many great foodie places. I like River City Cafe..

I think jamesr meant the <b>Rio</b> City Cafe (not River City Cafe)

Where are getting $400-$500 at the Hyatt? Especially for the Thursday night - you should be able to get it for much less.

Hyatt website: Thursday $365, Friday $519. If you know of any discount opportunities, spill 'em ;-)

Here's another complication. It has crossed my mind to only Mountain Bike two days, and get up early Saturday and drive to the coast. Maybe Point Reyes? I've never seen the Pacific. It looks like there are no main arteries to the coast. If it's like lowcountry SC, it will take a LOT longer to get to the beach than you think by looking at the map. Opinions? How long would it take a fairly aggro driver to get from N. Lake Tahoe to the coast on a Saturday morning?

YOu guys are great, thanks for all the help.

Cal Neva is a decent property on the lake but nothing like the Hyatt. I'd recommend using priceline to score the 4* Resort at Squaw Creek. From recent posts on www.biddingfortravel.com it looks like you will get a room for $125-$145 per night. A bonus in staying there is that it is pretty easy getting in and out of to Sacramento.

Going from Tahoe to the Pacific and back to Sacramento on Saturday is borderline crazy. I'd save the Pacific Ocean for a future trip to Muir Woods and Napa/Sonoma if I were you.

Kevin

<i>Going from Tahoe to the Pacific and back to Sacramento on Saturday is borderline crazy. </i>

Or perhaps certifiably crazy :)

(Seriously, have you looked at the map? Tahoe is on the California/Nevada border; the Pacific is &quot;on the other side&quot; of California - NOT CLOSE!!!!)

HehHeh, I do have a map, and I&quot;m always dangerous with one. So I was thinking 1.5 hours N. Tahoe to Sac., and an 1.5 hours Sac to the coast. Incorrect, apparently?

I'm sure you're right about the crazy part, though. Most of my friends think I'm nuts just for going to Tahoe for just 3 days. (hell, we went to Paris for 3 days a couple of years ago)

So, ChiDad, Squaw Creek is nice? I was concerned that the ski-type properties might have that &quot;shut down&quot; feeling in the summertime. Again, I'm clueless....

litespeed, it probably is 3-4 hours, but that's EACH WAY. That's a lot of driving on a 3-day trip, just to see an ocean :)

And you have to factor in time spent sitting on the freeway in traffic

My daughter lives in Sac - sometimes she gets to SFO in 1 1/2 hrs - sometimes its 3 hours

Chick,

You'll have to do your own homework, but the reviews on tripadvisor sound great. I haven't stayed there, myself. However, I've stayed at both the Hyatt and CalNeva and there's a wide gulf between them that the Resort at Squaw Creek would certainly be in. By my read, you'd be much closer to Hyatt-level accomodations and even closer to lots of great mountain biking than you'd be at the Hyatt.

You may even be able to bike down the mountain at Squaw Valley itself (I know you can at Northstar)

Depending on what time and day of the week you want to head to the coast you can make it in 4-5 hours. That would be a weekend day and leaving early.

Mapquest shows from Tahoe City to Bodega Bay at 4 hours.

You need to plan to avoid Sacramento headed west between about 0700 and 1000 hrs.

That means don't get to Auburn on Hwy 80 before 0930-1000 hrs or Folsom (Hwy 50) same.

If you plan for downtown SAC around 0930-1000 hrs you can get through town fairly fast.

The fastest (not best) route would be from Sacramento to take Hwy 80 to Vallejo, then Hwy 37 to Novato, then Hwy 101 north to Petaluma then Bodega/Valley Ford Road over to Bodega Bay.