Page 158 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

LAKE TAHOE SOUTH SHORE
Indoor and outdoor mountain playground
B Y B I L L F I N K
»HIKE, PLAY,
EAT, DANCE!
Visitor Information
tahoesouth.com
skiheavenly.com
biketahoe.org
americancentury
championship.com
fs.usda.gov/ltbmu
kirkwood.com
sierraattahoe.com
hotelbecket.com
edgewoodtahoe.com
zalanta.com
FROM SERENE VIEWS over mirror-flat
morning waters of Lake Tahoe and the gentle
footfall of hikers on pine needle-covered
forest paths, to the jangle of slot machines
and the pumping bass of a casino dance club,
Lake Tahoe South Shore (what the marketers
call Tahoe South) is a destination hosting a
unique mix of wilderness and wild-ness, an
indoor and outdoor playground with equal
measures of altitude and attitude. Visitors
can follow their desires to find peace and
solitude on back country hikes or ski runs, or
dive into a swirling social scene at a packed
summer beach, holler at a crowded craps
table or slurp microbrews at an après ski bar
complete with go-go dancers. It’s dealer’s
choice on the South Shore. And South Lake is
continuing its renaissance with ongoing
openings and renovations of hotels, restau-
rants and retail spaces across the area.
Summer
Summer activity around the South Shore is
understandably focused on the beautiful
waters of spectacular Lake Tahoe. Beaches
are packed with summer revelers, while the
waters are filled with every type of floating
vessel imaginable—from kayaks and stand-
up paddle boards to small sailboats, fishing
cruisers, water-ski boats, luxury cruising
vessels and even the 500-passenger paddle-
wheel ship M.S. Dixie II that runs daily
Emerald Bay sightseeing trips and sunset
dinner cruises.
For fun out of the water, the South Shore
is a hiker’s paradise with journeys ranging
from multi-day treks into the Desolation
Wilderness and a steep day’s climb up to
the awe-inspiring views of Mount Tallac, to
relaxed family strolls in flat meadows at
Camp Richardson and around the Tallac
156 2017 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A