Well, on a day like today when it’s snowing like mad outside and the inches are just rising and rising, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than at the top of a mountain with my board, ready to hit the slopes and have a great day of fun! I actually just got back from an awesome vacation in South Lake Tahoe, CA, and it was probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. For an entire week I did nothing but relax, hang out and get in a couple of great days on the mountains which, by the way, boast the most amazing views.
California is a lot different than New Jersey. It’s funny because, to be honest, I was shocked the most by how nice the people were. Everyone you pass on the street gives a smile as they walk by or whispers a nice morning greeting to a stranger; the overall atmosphere of the place and the attitudes of the people are just so much more laid back than they are here in Jersey. Why is that? Is it because they have the luxury of looking at a beautiful, clean and crisp lake and snow-capped mountains every day of their lives, or is it just because that’s the way of small town people? Here, there’s so much hustle and bustle, everyone’s always in such a rush and it’s just so fast paced – it took a little getting used to, but once I did I was in love.
So Tahoe has some great things to do, and although it’s a small town whose main attraction is the mountains and the millions of trails to ski or snowboard, if you’re not exactly the adventurous type, there are plenty of other things to occupy your time. For instance, off the south shore of Lake Tahoe is a small island called Emerald Bay. It just so happens to be the third most photographed place in the world and it’s a great activity for those who choose not to spend their days atop one of the various mountains. There are a couple of ways to get there – either you can drive, which is really nice to do so that you can see all of the town and take a nice ride through the windy mountain roads (although, this is not always an option because the Lake Tahoe area gets a significant amount of snow throughout the winter and most of the time the streets leading to Emerald Bay are closed off), or you can take a leisurely boat ride across the lake and enjoy the beautiful views and have lunch and cocktails on the ride over. It’s about two-and-half hours total, there and back, and entirely worth the time.
If that doesn’t grab your attention though, fear not. There’s more. In the center of town in South Lake Tahoe, where the main gondola that takes you up to Heavenly Mountain is located, there are lots of little shops and eateries and art galleries to keep you busy throughout the day. I actually stopped in to a great little art gallery called “Oh My Goddard” which was the home to many of the works of Michael Goddard, a contemporary artist who has become very well known and has a huge cult following. His art is displayed throughout the space and is joined by the works of many others including a young female artist named KAT, who happened to be there doing an in-store demonstration of her painting. She’s extremely talented and paints portraits of iconic musicians such as the Beatles, Janice Joplin, Bruce Springsteen and more. So, if you’re into that kind of thing - wasting away the time on a snowy afternoon with a glass of wine and a day at an art gallery, then this is the place for you.
For those that don’t mind taking a bit of a drive Sacramento is about two-and-a-half hours away and San Francisco is just about another hour or so from there, so if you’re like me and you have reason to head out that way (I visited my grandmother) then it’s a nice day trip to take.
As for night life, I have to be honest I was a bit lame in Tahoe. I wasn’t in the bar all night partying because that’s not what I went for. I did, however, manage to get a few good nights in at the two major casinos right over the Nevada state line, Harrah’s and Harvey’s. I became addicted to roulette and didn’t win any money – but it doesn’t matter because drinks were free and I had fun!
So all in all Lake Tahoe was a successful vacation, and as I look out the window at the snow pouring down, with no sign of stopping, I long to be back there. It’s back to life and back to reality for now though, and about another year until I can revisit the beautiful little lakeside town in California. So, goodbye for now but rest assured, I’ll certainly be back!
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