How to Spend a Getaway in South Lake Tahoe

When I think of Tahoe, I think of the lake. The clear blue water and snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in the background couldn’t set a more beautiful scene. From snowboarding to wake boarding, South Tahoe has it all. Thanks to a press trip from the amazing Tahoe South and other sponsors, I was able to spend a getaway in South Lake Tahoe.

How to Get There

If you live in the LA area, you are in luck. The fabulous Jet Blue is now offering direct flights from Long Beach to Reno/Tahoe. Long Beach Airport is old literally the cutest airport I’ve ever been to. My flight with JetBlue was my first time flying with them and it was amazing. I couldn’t rave about them any more than I already have in a previous post.

Where to Stay

Hipster joints are my jam. Anything that’s a bit rustic draws me to it. The Coachman and Basecamp Hotel couldn’t be more up my alley if they wanted to be. Both remodeled hotels in the area, each offer a different experience that you’re sure to love.

The Coachman

Originally built in the 1960’s as two separate motels, the Coachman is now a 42 room offering a king or two queen bed rooms. Donned as one of the most Instagramable hotels in Tahoe, the Coachman offers free wifi, complimentary smores in the evening, heated pool and hot tub, heated toilet seats, and yard games like cornhole.

The Coachman has a central traditional bar that serves as the reception desk too. Grab a coffee, beer, or wine and head over to the lobby to enjoy the view. Up early in the morning? No problem. The Coachman offers morning mimosas and complimentary breakfast as well. Want to grab a drink before dinner? No worries. The Coachman also offers a happy hour daily.

I loved the rustic feel to the rooms and loved that they utilize MALIN + GOETZ toiletries. Every room is stocked with unique, local snacks for purchase and an Apple TV. No need browsing channels to find something to watch when you can log in and watch what you like.

Basecamp Hotel

Built for exploring South Tahoe, Basecamp Hotel boasts 74 rooms all uniquely styled. I personally didn’t stay here but I got to check out some of the rooms and I was thoroughly impressed. One of the rooms were set up to replicate camping. The bed had a tent over it, there was a campfire with chair surrounding it, tree wall paper, and glowing stars on the ceiling.

The reception area kept the vibe going with a modern take on hipster lodging. I wandered into the beer garden to grab a delicious lemon cider and sat outside to watch people playing by the authentic air streamer. Basecamp is totally my type of lodging and I will definitely be staying there my next visit.

Though Basecamp offers a variety of beverages in the beer garden, they will soon be opening their own brewery called Desolation Brewery in the fall.

South Tahoe Eats

Even though I can be a picky eater, I can always find something to eat where ever I go. South Tahoe offers a large variety of restaurants to suit any palate. From Mexican to Italian, to American foods, you can’t go wrong in South Tahoe. Here are a couple of Tahoe eats I got my tastebuds on.

Azul Latin Kitchen

Yep, you already know I was all over this. Located in Heavenly Village, Azul Latin Kitchen is a family friendly take on Mexican, South, and Central American cuisine. Offering a lighter menu, Azul commits to using use organic and local products to give you the freshest options possible.

I personally tried out their So Cal. burrito which was huge and hit the spot. Filled with jack and cheddar cheeses, lime sour cream, over roasted chicken, and seasoned potato wedges, this burrito couldn’t have screamed my name any louder. Everything was full of flavor and the potato wedges knocked my socks off. Oh, and you can’t forget their red salsa. I wish they were closer so I could buy it by the gallon and put that tish on everything.

To make my meal even better, I order a couple of house margaritas to wash it all down. Salty and tart, their margaritas were made just the way I like them. They offer a wide variety of tequila and non-tequila options that are made with fresh-squeezed juices instead of mixtures.

Round Hill Pines Beach Resort Grill

Soaking up the sun can be exhausting. Okay, not really but while you’re catching some rays you may get a little rumbly in your tumbly. Have no fear, the Round Hill Pines Beach Resort Grill is here to save the day. Round Hill has an American filled menu with a variety of seafood sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Once you place your order, they have these cute wooden stakes to put in the sand. Once your order is up, they come find you on the beach and deliver your food. Beachside service, check!While I was hanging on the beach, one of the staff suggested that I try a famous Pain Killer. The Pain Killer is the resort’s original Alpine Caribbean style drink. The drink is made with pineapple, coconut, a variety of rum, some secret ingredients, and topped with freshly zested nutmeg.

Obviously, I had to give it a try. The Pain Killer had an interesting taste. It wasn’t bad but I wouldn’t say its great, however, this may have been the nutmeg on top that threw it off for me. I’m told their sister beach, Camp Richardson offers a drink called the Rum Runner that I have to try next time

The Loft

While exploring Heavenly Village be sure to stop in at The Loft to grab dinner and a show. The Loft boasts an Italian filled fare from culinary experts. With a full bar and an award winning wine list you can get your drink on all night. I enjoyed a pasta dish with a delicious meat & cheese tray appetizer before stopping in to catch a show.

The Loft offers an incredibly unique experience by hosting shows in the very same space you can have dinner. The Loft Theatre presents a magic show called Magic Fusion held nightly by award winning magicians. The show run about 75 minutes long and is appropriate for all ages as the humor is funny and censored.

Honestly, I was watching the magicians hands like a hawk to see how he did his tricks. I felt pretty confident and many of the tricks, however, there was one that blew my mind a bit. If you attend, tell me if you can figure out the lemon/lime trick! The show was great and I even volunteered for the final trick to get an up close look at the magic in action.

Things to Do

South Tahoe is hands down the coolest vacation spot you could visit to explore the best of everything in one trip. You can literally go snowboarding in the morning and jet skiing in the afternoon. I was amazed at everything you could do in a single day.

Explore the Land

While in Tahoe, I went on 2.5 different hikes with each having their own beauty to showcase. All I can say is water, water, water, and more water. From lakes to waterfalls, I couldn’t get enough of the stunning scenery.

Glen Alpine Falls

Glen Alpine Falls was what I consider the half hike. You can park and walk from the bottom up or you can drive all the way to the falls and walk a few yards. The falls were flowing so quickly and looked so majestic. I wanted to feel the water but I’m sure I would have been swept away. There were a couple cabins right above the falls too which made me jealous of that life.

Angora Lakes Trail

Though every hike had gorgeous views, Angora Lakes was the most stunning. You were up close and personal with scenery as you followed the trail. I took about a billion photos because I was in love. The trail itself was easy and almost anyone could do it. Once you get to the end of the trail you are greeted with adorable cabins and a lake. The cabins are rented by the week and offer lots of water activities to partake in. There was even snow on the mountains by the water that you could get into.

Van Sickle Bi-State Park

I can’t be the only one who had no idea that there was such a thing as a bi-state park, right? We started the hike in California and finished it in Nevada which was pretty rad. The Van Sickle Bi-State Park was a steep, let me repeat, steep trail to complete for those of us who aren’t used to the elevation. If my lungs could have handled the elevation I probably wouldn’t have struggled but I definitely did.

Through the middle of the trail is the gondola that you can ride up to another area if you’d like. Our trail didn’t stay near it but it was pretty neat to see people floating through the thicker parts of the forest. Once we got a ways up the trail the views started to flood the path. Once again, South Tahoe was showing off its beauty.

Finally, we made it to another waterfall that was majestically tucked in the forest and flowing nicely. This waterfall was definitely easier to access so I definitely made my way down. The water was nice and cool and of course, I had to take a sip. Yes, this isn’t suggested but it was so refreshing!

Explore the Lake

Once you’re done hiking, hop on a water taxi and make your way to one of the beaches of South Tahoe. Speaking of the water taxis, I knew the lake was big but not as huge as it is. It took probably 20 minutes to get from one side to the other which blew my mind.

Round Hill Pines Beach Resort Marina

After chowing down at the grill, make sure to burn off those calories in the water. The Round Hill Pines Beach Resort Marina offers a plethora of water activities to part take in. Without skipping a beat, I decided to hop right in and do some stand-up paddleboarding. In Hawaii, I use to love SUP but since I’ve lived in the desert for 5 years now, those opportunities haven’t been available. Not having the core strength that I use to, I went swimming at one point.

After rocking my legs with SUP, I decided to kayak for a bit. The marina was pretty wavy which made kayaking more fun in my opinion. I’m a beach baby so the rocking of the waves soothes my soul. I decided to trek along the coast and watch the marine life swimming around below me. Arm work out, check.

More to Do in South Tahoe

Though these are adventures I personally embarked on in South Tahoe, there are tons more to do. If you have more time to spend or want to find more to do, check out Tahoe South. They will work with you to plan the ultimate South Tahoe adventure that fits all your needs.