Weekend in South Lake Tahoe!

Well first, don’t go to lake Tahoe if you plan on doing water activities --- the lakes always a comfy temperature of freezing.

Really, the water is unbearably cold, the boat rentals are excruciatingly over priced and when we called to rent ATVs they were rented out for the next month.

That being said, if you are traveling to South Lake Tahoe for the romantic sunsets, amazing dining options, and lively casinos then continue on!

EATING:

If I only have one reader worthy review, it is this one.   I left my heart at Café Fiore.  Truthfully the most romantic restaurant I have ever visited.  It is a small (miniscule even) restaurant with only 7 tables nestled into the base of a mountain. Strewn white Christmas light illuminate the impressive selections of fine wines.  This is the place of proposals (Matt missed the memo), celebratory news and anniversaries.  I’m a sucker for atmosphere, so I would have already rated Café Fiore highly just on my initial gush over the quaint romance oozing from the walls – but the food is equally spectacular.  Lamb chops soaked in butter, garlic and thyme and swordfish smothered in marinara and veggies escalated this restaurant to the top of my list before we even dived into the dessert.

We also stopped at Beacon bar and grille for the famed Rum Runners and some ahi tuna and short rib tacos.  The food was delicious, the outdoor patio fabulously fun and the food on par.

ACTIVITIES:

1.Casinos - Visit Harrahs and Harveys, but spend your time at MontBleu.  A clean, airy casino with a lovely selection of restaurants and an indulgent spa.   The other casinos are obviously fun (I mean really, gambling is fun anywhere) but if you are an atmosphere gambler, MontBleu is your best bet (heh heh pun alert!).

2. Boat Rentals – Every place will rape you on rates, no matter how honed in your swindling skills may be.  The water is much more like ocean boating with the choppy waters and cool wind.  Plus the water is unbearably cold.  If your heart is set on boating then I’d suggest renting some fishing poles and hitting some of the gorgeous inlets and coves to cast off.  There is a fish worth 1 million dollars swimming around in the dark deep waters, so keep your eyes peeled for any unusual taggings. As for the astronomical prices - some hotels will offer you a discount code, so don’t forget to ask at the front desk.  

3. More affordable are the paddleboard, paddleboat, kayak and jetski rentals but still bare in mind that the water will be too freezing to swim in. (Yes, even in August!)

4.Hiking.  While I didn’t get a chance to hike because my boyfriend can be quite the lazy slug after a night of pouring money into slot machines and blackjack (ok, ok I didn’t want to get out of bed either).. there are some amazing trails for hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, horseback riding and atvs.

Summer in South Tahoe is over priced and chilly – but I have an inkling that the mountainside town comes alive for winter activities.  Perhaps my review in December will have a different tune.