# Lake Tahoe Experts



## Deb from NC (May 7, 2010)

I had to cancel an exchance into Marriott Grand Residence Club for September   , but still want to plan a trip to Lake Tahoe for 2011.  I'm wondering if you Tahoe experts can give me some advice on the best place to stay for a pretty setting, access to hiking, etc.  I don't care about granite countertops, fancy interiors, etc, as long as a place is clean & comfortable.  Is MGR still my best bet? We are primarily interested in nature, hiking, etc...don't care about nightlife.  This will be our first trip there...I can trade through RCI or II
Thanks in advance for your help!
Deb


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## DeniseM (May 7, 2010)

The top 3 resorts are the Hyatt, the 2 Marriotts, and the Tahoe Vacation Club - formerly the Embassy.  The Hyatt is on the north shore, and the other 2 are on th south shore.  It is 72 miles around the lake, so I can't really say there is one place that is closer to hiking, than another.  For serious hiking, you will have to drive to the trail head no matter where you are.  For casual hiking - it's all over the place.  

The Marriott is right in the middle of the south shore strip, which you may not care for if you don't plan to gamble or enjoy the nightlife.

The Tahoe Vacation Club is a littl farther out, but still in South Shore, and it's on the lake.

The Hyatt is in Incline Village, which is a quieter, upscale area on the north side of the lake.  It shares the property with the Hyatt hotel, which also has a casino.

Besides these properties, there are a dozen mid-range, and bottom tier resorts.  Your best bet is to read the TUG reviews and ratings for Nevada & California, since half the lake is in CA and half in NV.  Be careful of the bottom tier resorts - several of them are converted motels.

Note that Tahoe is high in the Sierras and it's cold at night year round, and they get snow very late in the spring and early in the fall, so for hiking, summer is the best season.  In fact the last 2 times we have been up there for Memorial Day weekend, it snowed, and we got a lot of snow when we were there in October this year.

More info. about Tahoe


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## Phill12 (May 7, 2010)

Deb from NC said:


> I had to cancel an exchance into Marriott Grand Residence Club for September   , but still want to plan a trip to Lake Tahoe for 2011.  I'm wondering if you Tahoe experts can give me some advice on the best place to stay for a pretty setting, access to hiking, etc.  I don't care about granite countertops, fancy interiors, etc, as long as a place is clean & comfortable.  Is MGR still my best bet? We are primarily interested in nature, hiking, etc...don't care about nightlife.  This will be our first trip there...I can trade through RCI or II
> Thanks in advance for your help!
> Deb



 Deb I would say to check out the Ridge Tahoe fifteen minutes up the hill from the lake. We own two units [Naegle and Tower] and have for years and love it. My daughter and her husband are up there right now on some of my bonus time for his birthday. Your in a resort on top of the mountain with two swimming pools and all the toys. 

 You can get the Naegles if lucky with Rci because these are the first buildings built and dealt with Rci until changing over to II twenty something years ago. There are not many owners still with Rci but a few. The Naegles are more condo/cabin type units two bedrooms sleeps six. These for summer are the best units on the property because of the large patio with gas bar-b-que and table /chairs. We stay every fourth of July week.

 You can trade in with II for all the units too. I would recommend staying at the main resort so get Naegles, Tower, Plaza, Casecade or Terrace buildings because they are inside the gates. Naegles are 1450 sq.ft. and are not lockouts so you would only have choice of two bedroom. The Naegles and Tower are the oldest and still most asked four units.
 There are four smaller resorts outside the gates that you have use of the Ridge  but would have to drive up about a mile to use. These outside units great for skiers during winter!

 I would also agree with last post of the Hyatt if you like slower time and North Shore. We drive around lake every trip and have lunch and gamble some at the older casino's.

 When we came back to timeshares after ten years of being away we had choice of any of the listed and to be honest last place we wanted was right in town by the casino's.
 Stayed at Harrah's for over forty years in Lake Tahoe and if we wanted the people and noise we would stay there before buying a timeshare no matter how great looking they are.
 We are going up to Harrah's for three nights of May 24,25 and 26 just to get away for few days and with discounts its only costing $29.00 a night for large king room.Harveys would have been free.

 Lake Tahoe has something for everyone! Have fun! 


 PHIL


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## Deb from NC (May 7, 2010)

Thanks to both of you, you've given me a lot to think about!   I can see availablity at all of the resorts you mentioned except the Hyatt...I don't know if I would have the trade power to pull that, except maybe during flextime.

Any thoughts on whether June or September would be a better time to visit?
I can't go in July or August due to work issues.  I don't mind if it's cool, but would rather not hike in snow !!!


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## DeniseM (May 7, 2010)

Early September is definitely warmer than June.  We have had snow the last 2 Memorial Day weekends.


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## Deb from NC (May 7, 2010)

Thanks, it sounds like I'd better stick to September....!
Deb


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## wilma (May 7, 2010)

We are big fans of the north Lake Tahoe lakefront resorts--Red Wolf, Edgelake, and Brockway Springs. It's great to sit in the lakefront hottubs and Red Wolf & Edgelake have free kayaks and small boats to use. We find south lake Tahoe too crowded and prefer the funkier less-developed northshore.


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## Robert D (May 8, 2010)

We own two summer weeks at Marriott Timber Lodge and love it.  Depending on the unit you get at Grand Residence, a 1BR or 2BR at TL (as opposed to a studio) would probably be better.  Although TL is right in the middle of the action if you have a unit on the inner courtyard facing the pool you would never know you're so close to everything unless you walked out of the resort.  It sits far enough back from the highway that you don't hear anything in the courtyard.  This resort is up to Marriott standards and IMHO is the newest and best timeshare on Tahoe, although I've never stayed at the other places mentioned but have looked at them.  The Hyatt in Incline Village would be a good choice if you want to be in a more seculded area but you don't see many trades come up on it.  We go in July and August but I think Sept would also be a great time to go to Tahoe and would be a lot less crowded.


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## Deb from NC (May 8, 2010)

Sounds like a lot of nice resorts to choose from!   (Probably nicer than the ones I own, so I will probably be very happy   Searching on II this morning, I can pull a 1 bedroom at Marriott Grand Residence or a 2 bedroom at Ridge Tahoe.  Nothing this morning at Grande Timber Lodge or Red Wolf, but I think I've seen both before.  Also someplace called Olympic Village Inn...reviews are really old on that, does anyone know anything about it?  It looks kind of cute, but a lot different from a Marriott or Hyatt !   

I remember seeing something that said that MGR had a pretty hefty parking fee for exchanges (I think
$ 22 per day?)  Does anyone know about parking fees at the other resorts?
Or is that normal for the area?

Anything else I should consider in deciding where to stay?  

Thanks!
Deb










c


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## DeniseM (May 8, 2010)

The Marriott does not charge a fee for the first car - only additional cars.

Parking is free just about everywhere in Tahoe.

Olympic Village Inn is not at Lake Tahoe - it's at the Squaw Valley Ski Resort.  I believe it was once housing for the 1960 Olympics.

It's about 8 miles from Tahoe City.


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## Robert D (May 8, 2010)

I'd call Marriott about the parking fee.  Denise may be right but my understanding is that they don't charge for the first car if you were a Marriott owner (i.e. owned at any Marriott resort, not just Timber Lodge) but charged if you were not a Marriott owner.  At any rate, that's not a problem as you can park for free in the Harrah's garage that's only a block away.


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## DeniseM (May 8, 2010)

I was not charged as an exchanger - maybe they charge renters?


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## Robert D (May 9, 2010)

Denise, your info is a lot better than mine since you had first hand experience with the parking charge.  What time of the year did you exchange into Timber Lodge and what did you use for the exchange?  It seems to be a very hard exchange in July and August (maybe also during ski season) - that's why we bought two summer weeks there that we use each year.  Living in central Texas, you can't beat Tahoe for two weeks during the hotest part of the summer.  Also, have you stayed at the Hyatt and Tahoe Vacation Resort (i.e. former Embassy), and if so, how did they compare to Timber Lodge?


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## itchyfeet (May 9, 2010)

There are many units for The Ridge Tahoe for July, August, September 2011
available on II right now.  You can always call prior to checkin to request the Naegle -- that's what we have done.


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## Deb from NC (May 9, 2010)

Thanks All !   It sounds like there are quite a few resorts that I can't go wrong with.    I do see quite a few units at the Ridge..any negatives to staying there?  (We will have a rental car).  How does it compare to the Marriotts?
Deb


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## Phill12 (May 9, 2010)

Thanks All !   It sounds like there are quite a few resorts that I can't go wrong with.    I do see quite a few units at the Ridge..any negatives to staying there?  (We will have a rental car).  How does it compare to the Marriotts?
Deb[/QUOTE]

 Deb, The Marriotts are really nice and top of the line in most resorts! The Ridge I would say is one level down as far as plush type hotels/timeshare resorts and we are owners at the Ridge and have been two different times including the Tower before it was even open.

 The differances I see that help make our our choice to come back are simple. As nice as the Marriott is we didn't like being in middle of all the night life and a block from the casino's seven days and nights. We have stayed there few times  and just like staying at a hotel except condo has kitchens.We are going up May 24-26 and staying at Harrah's and with players card comps its only costing us $29 a night or we could have stayed across the street at Harveys free for those night. This is only way for us to go up for short stay. Any longer and we would have stayed at the Ridge on bonus time. 

 We like being up the hill 15 minutes from all the night life and noise so we can use our patio and bar-b-que our steaks and enjoy cold beer or wine coolers. Enjoy coffee and reading paper in the morning and watching the chip monks run around.When in town we deal with the crowds but when we return its peaceful at our resort. Two swimming pools,tennis courts, basketball courts, small play ground for the younger kids and game room for older kids.Ridge Tahoe is 302 units on eleven acres with plenty of Carson Valley views.  My wife loves the spa area and we already have our reservations for our massages with the same lady that we have used for five years now July 4th week. Somedays we just kick back and enjoy the Ridge and have dinner there, very good food. Hungry Bear only open about three days a week,mostly thru-sat for guest. Wife signs up one day a week to go on hike if enough people sign up its great. The Ridge has bar-b-que around main pool on Sat's so this is great for the kids and parents.

 If your asking which timeshare is top I would say Marriott but if your asking which gives your family best vacation week its the Ridge. The Naegles are the oldest built about twenty seven years  and Tower about twenty three years ago. The Ridge is one of the best run resorts anywhere and always updating.
 Tower is updating right now for the summer opening with new kitchens and finally getting rid of the dated wallpaper in units and hallways. Naegles are in planning stages for all new kitchens and bathroom remodeling which is nice and needed. This year we have our unit as usual for July 4th week and also our second week for Sept 3rd week. If not rented we will be going up for Labor Day week this year also!

 The only building we didn't like was the Terrace which is more like hotel with kitchens and washer/dryers on one floor for all to use. The Plaza across the road is same ecept they have washer/dryers in the units like the Tower and Naegles.

 The main complaint I read are from people staying in hotels gripping because someone didn't carry their stuff to their unit. Each building has rolling carts to load everything on to take to your room.Other complaint is from a few that some units dated because of wallpaper. This is why at the owners meetings that happen every tue morning the decision was to go back to paint. Point also is when someone mark or rip the paper the whole unit needs to be redone in many case. With paint the crew can go in paint damaged area and its ready for next family.

 There is a free shuttle down to Harrah's if needed so if you want to gamble and drink you can just ride the shuttle back up to the condo at night,think it runs until mid night. 

 Not sure what more a vacationing family could ask for! The one warning I will say is unless you have no problem with stairs the Naegles first floor has no elevators to them. You need to take elevator to second floor and carry everything down one floor. Not sure why this happened when building but that is just the way it is. 

 PHIL


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## Rent_Share (May 10, 2010)

> Ridge Tahoe is 302 units on eleven acres with plenty of *Carson Valley views*




Desert View not Moutain IMHO


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## abbekit (May 10, 2010)

Any thought on Club Tahoe in Incline Village?  We don't have the trading power for the higher end resorts.  We have stayed at the Hyatt (hotel not condos) in Incline and like that area.


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## Phill12 (May 10, 2010)

Rent_Share said:


> [/COLOR]
> 
> Desert View not Moutain IMHO



 Not sure what building your talking about! The Naegles have mountain views and Tower and also Carson Valley view which the lights are nice to see at night while enjoying the patio. The Terrace mainly has parking lot view by ski lifts and some Valley Views. 

 Sorry but in all the years we have stayed there as owners and guest I never heard desert view. The Ridge is 7500 feet up on the mountain

 You do need to understand though that Nevada is mostly desert with towns built on top!  Las Vegas is a town that was built on the desert like most of the Nevada towns. 

 PHILL12


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## DeniseM (May 10, 2010)

The Carson Valley is high pasture land:






We prefer to be closer to Lake Tahoe:






What we like about South Shore is that it is very compact.  You can literally park your car for the weekend and walk everywhere if you like to walk - and we do.  We like to be within walking distance of the lake.  Our timeshare is one block off of highway 50, on Kingsbury Grade, tucked back into the woods.  We are close to everything, but not right in the middle of the strip.


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## Robert D (May 10, 2010)

Denise, is the second picture from your timeshare?  Hard to beat that view!


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## DeniseM (May 10, 2010)

No - our timeshare is not right on the lake, unfortunately.  But it is within walking distance.


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## winger (May 10, 2010)

Deb from NC said:


> Thanks All !   It sounds like there are quite a few resorts that I can't go wrong with.    I do see quite a few units at the Ridge..any negatives to staying there?  (We will have a rental car).  How does it compare to the Marriotts?
> Deb


We stayed there many years ago and enjoyed our unit and ammenities.  However, the series of Ridge resorts are about 4 miles UP the hill, and not everyone wants to do that daily drive to/from the Lake-level/area, where most of the 'the action' is.  Now, if you are really wanting the nice/quiet atmosphere, the Ridge offers an abundance of that.  

Note, also cell phone coverage up in the Ridge area may not be the best for some carriers.  You may want to check with the resort if cell coverage is important to you.  I mention this as this is very important for me, which is why I no longer stay there LOL

A couple of other notes.

Marriott's Grand Residence and Timber Lodge - prob the best in South Tahoe based on its central location and walking proximity to many ammenities.
Diamond Resort's Lake Tahoe Vacation Resorts (formerly the Embassy as noted on one of the earlier posts above) - pretty nice second. Offer's a lakeside location, which we like.
Red Wolf Lodge - is a step lower in overall quality than the two resorts I just mentioned - located more towards north shore of the Lake.


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## Rent_Share (May 10, 2010)

The water of Lake Tahoe is my draw, the Carson Valley is not . . . . JMHO

Thanks denise

2 Pictures are worth 1,000,000 Words (1,000 x 1,000 )


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## davidvel (May 10, 2010)

Deb from NC said:


> Any thoughts on whether June or September would be a better time to visit?
> I can't go in July or August due to work issues.  I don't mind if it's cool, but would rather not hike in snow !!!



June is 20 days away and it is snowing in Tahoe. Chains/4WD required over the passes.


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## dougp26364 (May 11, 2010)

Deb from NC said:


> I had to cancel an exchance into Marriott Grand Residence Club for September   , but still want to plan a trip to Lake Tahoe for 2011.  I'm wondering if you Tahoe experts can give me some advice on the best place to stay for a pretty setting, access to hiking, etc.  I don't care about granite countertops, fancy interiors, etc, as long as a place is clean & comfortable.  Is MGR still my best bet? We are primarily interested in nature, hiking, etc...don't care about nightlife.  This will be our first trip there...I can trade through RCI or II
> Thanks in advance for your help!
> Deb



While we own and love Marriott timeshares, when we've traded into Lake Tahoe we've traded into The Ridge instead of Marriott's timeshare. The reason is we prefer to be in the mountains rather than in town. 

The Marriott is more convenient to restaurants, casino's, shopping and the lake but, the Ridge is litteraly on top of the mountain. There is at least one hiking trail from The Ridge but we've never taken it. In reality, even though The Ridge is on the mountain and Timber Lodge is in town, Timber Lodge probably has better access to hiking trails around Lake Tahoe. It's that town feeling vs being on the mountain that makes the difference to us. Personally, I don't think you could go wrong with either resort.


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## riverdees05 (May 11, 2010)

What request should we make for room location at the Timber Lodge?


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## Deb from NC (May 11, 2010)

Thanks so much to all for the advice !  I think I'll lurk around on II for a while and see what comes up for September 2011.   (The hunt is always part of the fun, at least for me   )  Very much looking forward to our first trip to Lake Tahoe!


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## winger (May 11, 2010)

riverdees05 said:


> What request should we make for room location at the Timber Lodge?


Mountain-side view is our favorite.


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## Laurie (May 11, 2010)

Deb from NC said:


> Thanks so much to all for the advice !  I think I'll lurk around on II for a while and see what comes up for September 2011.   (The hunt is always part of the fun, at least for me   )  Very much looking forward to our first trip to Lake Tahoe!


If you're a Hilton Head kind of person, you might really prefer North Shore, as we did - I'm with wilma on that. 

One of my favorite exchanges ever was into Red Wolf Lakeside Lodge, luckily we got there early enough to get a newer lakefront unit. We went over Memorial Day, it didn't snow during our stay but some of the trails were snow-covered (good thing too, as we got a little bit lost one day, our finally-found footprints saved us from an inadvertent camp-out ...   otherwise weather was mostly perfect for hiking - loved the state park trail along the lake!).


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## Robert D (May 11, 2010)

riverdees05 said:


> What request should we make for room location at the Timber Lodge?



I'd suggest the newest section that has the flat screen TV's with a room overlooking the pool (i.e. inner courtyard). It's very quiet and nice view. A few inner courtyard rooms have balconies and if you get one of them it's a plus.  None of the rooms have a view of Lake Tahoe but some have balconies overlooking the bus depot next door, and I'd stay away from that.


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## riverdees05 (May 11, 2010)

*South Lake Tahoe - Yosemite*

On the NPS Site it states:

"The Tioga Road closes due to snow, usually from sometime in November through late May or early June. The road closure extends from the Tuolumne Grove, just east of Crane Flat, to Tioga Pass Entrance Station. (Highway 120, the continuation of the Tioga Road outside the park, is often closed in winter from Tioga Pass to five miles east of Lee Vining.)"

Since my wife and friend are going to South Lake Tahoe in a couple of weeks, what is the best western route to Yosemite?


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## DeniseM (May 11, 2010)

Here is a map - http://www.mapquest.com/mq/7-S9UZjcZ4

There has been snow with chains required this week, so watch the weather and rent a 4WD if they are predicting snow.  We had snow in Tahoe the last 2 Memorial Day weekends.

South Shore from the gondola last year:


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## riverdees05 (May 12, 2010)

Thanks, is there anything to see or do on the way there and back on the west route?


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## DeniseM (May 12, 2010)

The West Route is very scenic and will go through several historic towns, but it's a fairly long drive, so I am not sure if you will want to linger.  It's a 5 hour drive on a two lane mountain road, even under the best conditions.  If there is heavy snow on that route (unlikely, but possible) it will be faster to go to Sacramento and go south on Highway 99.


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## gnipgnop (May 12, 2010)

Abbekit:  We stayed at Club Tahoe a couple of years ago.  It is a very nice place with very clean and comfortable beds.  Only one problem that I found was that the second bathroom is extremely small.  Almost too small for adults.  You have the sink out in the hallway and if you turn around the washer and dryer are there.  Go through the doorway and the toilet and shower are next to each other.  It is definitely usable but very, very small.  There are two bedrooms both down stairs and there is a loft with twin bed up stairs.  The living area, dining area and kitchen are on the main floor.  It is not rated high on the resort table but we loved staying there.  Incline village was nice and there were plenty of places to eat and shop.  I would go back.


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## abbekit (May 12, 2010)

gnipgnop said:


> Abbekit:  We stayed at Club Tahoe a couple of years ago.  It is a very nice place with very clean and comfortable beds.  Only one problem that I found was that the second bathroom is extremely small.  Almost too small for adults.  You have the sink out in the hallway and if you turn around the washer and dryer are there.  Go through the doorway and the toilet and shower are next to each other.  It is definitely usable but very, very small.  There are two bedrooms both down stairs and there is a loft with twin bed up stairs.  The living area, dining area and kitchen are on the main floor.  It is not rated high on the resort table but we loved staying there.  Incline village was nice and there were plenty of places to eat and shop.  I would go back.



Thanks for the input.  We won't need to worry about the second bathroom since it will just be my husband and myself so we'd use the main bathroom for showers.  I guess we won't need the loft either unless we need it for a storage area for the empty luggage.    We don't expect fancy but we might be entertaining friends one evening so I hope it isn't too shabby.  

I do hope we have a nice enough location so we can sit on the balcony and enjoy a quiet area with a view of the trees.  Hard to tell from the map.  We have been assigned unit 76 that looks like it has a stream running behind it.

We like Incline Village too.  Enjoyed the bar at the Hyatt and the fondue restaurant nearby.


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## davidvel (May 21, 2010)

Yes, folks 10 days till June and its snowing in Tahoe. Snow at lake level and definitely over the passes:


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## davidvel (May 28, 2010)

*5 days 'til JUne*

And heavy snow in tahoe:
US 50  
    [IN THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA] 
    CHAINS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES EXCEPT 4-WHEEL-DRIVE VEHICLES WITH SNOW 
TIRES ON ALL 4 WHEELS FROM 1.5 MI WEST OF KYBURZ TO MEYERS (EL DORADO CO) 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I 80  

    [IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA & THE SIERRA NEVADA] 
**FOR EASTBOUND TRAFFIC: 
    CHAINS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES EXCEPT 4-WHEEL-DRIVE VEHICLES WITH SNOW 
TIRES ON ALL 4 WHEELS FROM CISCO GROVE (PLACER CO) TO THE  
DONNER LAKE INTERCHANGE (NEVADA CO) 

**FOR WESTBOUND TRAFFIC: 
   CHAINS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES EXCEPT 4-WHEEL-DRIVE VEHICLES WITH SNOW  
TIRES ON ALL 4 WHEELS FROM THE DONNER LAKE INTERCHANGE (NEVADA CO) TO BAXTER 
(PLACER CO)


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## Phill12 (May 28, 2010)

We must have just missed it. We just came back May 26 and there was some snow on the side and road was wet from morning rain but that was it!

 We took mini vacation to Harrah's on comps but only rain was last night there. 

 PHIL


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## Phill12 (Jul 14, 2010)

We just returned from our weeks stay July fourth week at our Ridge Tower building seventh floor. Second week for the Tower to be open after all the updating. 

 The Tower is great with all the wallpaper gone and new kitchen and counters tops. Wife had to learn how to cook with new stove area. Bathrooms updated and really nice. Had all new tv's (FLAT SCREENS) in living area and both bedrooms.New beds and it took three nights to settle on sleep comfort #55.

 The Ridge crew hurried so much for opening that they still brought some new kitchen tools up well we were there. 

 It was a very busy and packed week with most units full {302}inside the gates. Many holidays the people leave after weekend but this year it was still packed the day we left for home 7/10/2010.

 We have had our Naegle unit listed for rent for 7/3/2010 or for sale in Market place on Tug few months without one contact which is what I expected.
 We had two different people interested in buying our Naegle while we were up there. We ran into one family that also owned the Tower and they bought our unit within two hours and resales dept handle everything free and sent him down the hill to just record the deed. We sold for same price we listed on Tug and had cashers check next morning and all paperwork finished.

 I guess II getting ready for 2011 and the Ridge as we just received a AC offer from II for one of our units if deposited by Aug 29th 2010. II wants the weeks Apr 21,2011--June 22,2011. Promotion Code: BONUSCERT.

 As we sold one unit and would never deposit our Tower unit this does us no good. We always did request first anyway to make sure we received the resorts we wanted or we would go to Tahoe.

 PHILL12


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## gnipgnop (Jul 18, 2010)

We stayed at Club Tahoe and liked it very much.  It is close to many things at Inclined Village.  It is very clean and comfortable.  Only one major problem and that was the second bathroom.  It was as small as a closet and very hard to use.  The bedrooms are on the lower floors and the second bath has no privacy.  We did not like that for our guests at all!   In fact i felt embarrassed.  The master bath was fine...large enough but not fancy.  We would go back but be sure to warn guests of their bath arrangements.  O-K for kids but not for adults.


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