| If you're looking for a summer vacation with mountain | | | | between Homewood and Meeks Bay, is Sugar Pine |
| fresh air and mild temperatures, then Lake Tahoe is | | | | Point State Park. The park has many miles of inland |
| the place for you. The average summer temperatures | | | | hiking trails and a variety of trees including the park's |
| are in the 70s and 80s. Tahoe is known for its clear | | | | namesake, the sugar pine. The park also has two |
| blue water and beautiful mountains surrounding the | | | | miles of lakefront, but the beaches are too rocky for |
| alpine lake some 4,500 miles above sea level. The | | | | many beach activities. Another attraction here is the |
| lake's western shore in California offers several | | | | rustic three-story Ehrman Mansion which was built in |
| activities for summer vacationers. From Tahoe City | | | | the early 1900s and is open for guided tours. |
| down to Emerald Bay, the west side has lodging, | | | | In Meek Bays at the Meeks Bay Resort and Marina, |
| restaurants, boating, kayaking, boat cruises, swimming, | | | | you have several summer activities to choose from. |
| hiking, rafting and tours of historic sites. | | | | Boat, canoe and kayak rentals are available along with |
| Tahoe City, the largest city on the western side, offers | | | | access to beautiful white sand beaches, barbeques |
| several options for your summer vacation. The city | | | | and designated swimming areas. Meeks Bay also |
| has many places to stay and eat with plenty of lake | | | | offers fishing, hiking and the Washoe Cultural Art |
| side dinning choices. The Sunnyside Lodge offers the | | | | Festival. The Meeks Bay Resort offers a variety of |
| mountain grill on their large deck overlooking the lake. | | | | lodging choices. You can stay in log cabins along the |
| The grill has a casual atmosphere where kids are | | | | lakefront or stay in a historic mansion. The Kehlet |
| welcome. The menu consists of appetizers, | | | | Mansion rests on the bay's north point and offers |
| sandwiches, seafood dishes and salads. The Calamari | | | | impressive views of the lake. |
| steak sandwich is my favorite menu item. Sunnyside is | | | | Emerald Bay is located in the southwest corner of |
| also a lodge that has been a landmark on Lake Tahoe | | | | Lake Tahoe and is home to a unique Vikingsholm |
| since the 1950s. Their location is right on the lakefront | | | | mansion built in 1868 and features Scandinavian |
| with 23 guestrooms and suites. | | | | architecture. The bay also has a small island, Fannette |
| Rafting and boat cruises are also popular activities in | | | | Island, where a Tea House was built. This is the only |
| Tahoe City. You can take a leisurely, self guided raft | | | | island to be found on Lake Tahoe. You can get to the |
| down the Truckee River. The trip is a five mile float | | | | Vikingholm by boat or by hiking down the trail from the |
| down the river ending up at the River Run restaurant. | | | | parking lot on Highway 89. The hike is about one mile |
| About half way down the river along the shore is an | | | | and drops 500 feet to the base of the bay where the |
| ice cream vendor. This stop is a nice break and | | | | house is located. |
| provides a cool treat on a summer afternoon. You can | | | | Down the road from the Vikingshom parking lot, you |
| also enjoy a nice meal along the river at the restaurant | | | | will come to the Eagle Falls Picnic Area parking lot on |
| at the end of your trip. From the restaurant you can | | | | highway 89. From here you can hike the trail that leads |
| take a bus back to your car on highway 89. There are | | | | to the Upper Eagle Falls which is about a one-third a |
| two different rafting companies on highway 89 | | | | mile away. The hike is very rocky and has steep |
| offering rentals. | | | | areas that drop off suddenly. The trail offers several |
| Departing from Tahoe City, the North Tahoe Cruises | | | | breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe. If you keep |
| offer sightseeing boat cruises on the Tahoe Gal. They | | | | climbing further up the trail you'll reach Eagle Lake. The |
| offer four different daily cruises; a shoreline brunch | | | | hike is two miles round trip if you go all the way to the |
| cruise, a lunch cruise to Emerald Bay, a cocktail cruise | | | | lake. |
| and sunset dinner cruise. We took the sunset dinner | | | | The west side of Lake Tahoe has plenty to offer |
| cruise that goes along the northern shore. This cruise | | | | summer vacationers. From Tahoe City in the |
| features views of some of the luxury lakefront homes | | | | northwest down to Sugar Pine Point, Meeks Bay and |
| and beautiful views of the lake and surrounding | | | | Emerald Bay in the southwest, the western side of |
| mountains. | | | | Lake Tahoe is a great choice during the summer |
| Further down the shore on Tahoe's west side, | | | | months to enjoy all that Lake Tahoe has to offer. |