McB

Going to a wedding in tahoe (Incline Village) in mid-September and looking for things that we should do the several days before the wedding. What are activities that we should do? What are the hot restaurants?

BillJ

Don't know what your interests are, but here's a few ideas. Sept begins to get cooler, especially in the evening. Also, you can expect late afternoon thunderstorms in the vicinity. That said, you could have some pretty good weather, but swimming is probably done for the year. Also, river rafting isprobably done, but check out www.truckeeriverraft.com. In general, the crowds have definately thinned out.
Near Incline is one of the best beach areas, Sand Harbor. Over the hill in California is Kings Beach, another great Tahoe beach. There are plenty of places to rent bikes and water craft of all kind.
The little town of Truckee will provide great shopping and Sweet's is the greates chocolate shop in the Sierra. Tahoe City also features some nice shops.
You can take dinner cruise out on the lake on the MS Dixie out of Zepher Cove, south from Incline. It cruises out to Emerald Bay, and is a treat, especially if you have a group.
If you're into early western history, take a day trip over to Virginia City, a huge silver producing area in the 1890's. The Ponderosa Ranch at Incline is kind of corny, very touristy, but little kids might like it.
For breakfast, try The Log Cabin Caffe, in Kings Beach. Very crowded, very busy, very good, worth the trek (not that far from you) and the wait.
A great casual restaurant is Lake Tahoe Brewing Company, at Crystal Bay near the Cal-Neva Lodge. Also Jason's Grill at King's Beach (terrific ribs and burgers).
Fine dining can be had at le Petit Pier and Captain Jons, both at Tahoe Vista and on the lake (and very good by the way). Captain Jons has a neat little bar out over the water. Off the water, The Boulevard Cafe serves wonderful Italian. I'm not as familiar with the restaurants in Incline, but there is one way up the hill, looks out to the sunsets over the lake. - - beautiful.
Hope this helps a little. There is plenty to do in and around North shore Tahoe, the lake is one of the most beautiful sights on earth. Hope you enjoy!

janis

BillJ pretty much nailed it. All of his suggestions are spot on.

No matter what, do not miss Sand Harbor. The first entrance driving from Incline is for the boat launch area. Continue on about 100 yards to the entrance to the main parking area. It will blow you away - tourquoise water, rock formations, sand dunes, nice beach, and a wooden walkway that takes you all the way around the sensitive ecological area.

Tony

Agree with all the recommendations listed above. Incline Village is a great place to stay. Le Petit Pier and Captain Jons are perhaps the finest dining on the North Shore. September is one of the best times of year at Lake Tahoe. Most of the summer tourists are gone and the ski season hasn't started so it won't be as crowded. The weather is generally quite nice although it gets a bit chilly in the evenings. In addition to what has already been said, since you have a couple of days, stongly suggest you spend at least a day driving around the lake. The highways on both sides of the lake provide excellent views and interesting drives. On the highway 89 drive, try to stop at Vikingsholm which is located on the land side of Emerald Bay. If you're in pretty good shape, its about a mile long hike down a steep trail to a reproduction of a 9th century Norse fortress. Another interesting stopping point is Tallac Historic Site, which has summer homes built in the late 19th and early 20th century. The North Shore of the lake is generally more rural with small towns, while the South Shore is more developed and has all of the major casinos (if you are into that kind of thing), and more shopping areas and restaurants. For a spectacular view of the Lake, take the tram at Heavenly Valley. While there are also many great restaurants at the South Shore, including those at the casinos, the finest food in all of Lake Tahoe is found at a small restaurant on the South Shore called Evans. It is located on Highway 89 just a mile north of the junction (referred to locally as the "Y") of Highway 89 and Highway 50.

Suzie

If you get reservations to the aformentioned (by Tony) fabulous restaurant Evans (and you should) take some time to try the new tram that is located in South Lake Tahoe near the Embassy Suites and the casinos. Beautiful trip! You can now take the Meteor across the lake and it stops in Sand Harbor, Tahoe City and South Shore. High speed lake crossing. Sounds FAB! You can also try Squaw Valley which is beautiful. Has stables and a Tram that can take you to a giant spa, a pool and ice skating at the top. If you like to hike there are many trails, like the one out of Bliss whcih hugs the lake side. Also the Tahoe Rim Trail was just completed and is 150 miles around. There are shorter sections for a day hike too! Have a great time!

Dave

Evans is one of the best kept secrets in Tahoe. I wish people wouldn't spread it around. Its already too hard to get a reservation.

Suzie

Ok for Dave and the rest of us who need the reservation, forget about Evans and go to Cafe Fiore. Very good, small, intimate, six to eight tables inside. Fabulous.

Edalso

Suzie is right. Cafe Fiore is great and everything she described. However, with apologies to Dave, you can't beat Evans. My wife and I go there every time we go to Tahoe. Great menu, outstanding deserts, and an extensive wine list. It is the best restaurant in Lake Tahoe. Although small, it also attracts celebrities. One night my wife and I sat next to Joe Montana and his wife. The neat thing was despite everybody recognizing him, nobody in the place bothered them. Other very good, but less expensive restaurants in the South Shore include Scuza's (italian) and the Cantina (mexican).

Topper

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