North Lake Tahoe/Truckee things to do

[klpca]

We're heading there soon for my husband's big birthday (don't tell anyone but it starts with a 6 and ends with an ixty). We're more on the outdoorsy side so have a number of hikes bookmarked, plus some rafting/kayaking/sailing planned. All plans are loose at the moment. Any personal favorites you would like to recommend? Beautiful places we shouldn't miss? Also we'll be checking out the local breweries. Any recommendations? We'll be up at Northstar and our adult kids/friends will be with us (so activities that will appeal to them too). TIA.

 

[Islander7]

Two of our favorite Tahoe hikes are Tunnel Creek in Incline Village and Rubicon Trail from D.L. Bliss State Park. They are on opposite sides of the lake, so will require some driving.

Tunnel Creek hike starts behind the Tunnel Creek Cafe. Park across the highway as they don't like you to park in their lot for hiking. Spectacular views of the undeveloped east shore of the lake and Sand Harbor. The hike can be out and back or a 14 mile one way with a shuttle. There is also an option for a strenuous mountain bike ride on the Flume Trail, with the shuttle definitely recommended.
See: https://flumetrailtahoe.com/trail-info/ for details.

The Rubicon Trail is a spectacular hike on the west shore of the lake that starts from D.L. Bliss park. I would recommend parking at the Lester Beach parking lot right on the water and going for a swim after the hike. The traffic through Tahoe City and parking at DL Bliss will be pretty crowded, so definitely get to the park before 10 AM to ensure a parking spot at the beach. The hike itself parallels the shore of the lake, with incredible views of the water, rocks, etc. Got early because it can get hot. An added benefit is at the end of the trail you can visit Vikingsholm. http://vikingsholm.com

There is a decent brew pub in Tahoe City on the way back from the west shore.

Enjoy!

 

[klpca]

Two of our favorite Tahoe hikes are Tunnel Creek in Incline Village and Rubicon Trail from D.L. Bliss State Park. They are on opposite sides of the lake, so will require some driving.

Tunnel Creek hike starts behind the Tunnel Creek Cafe. Park across the highway as they don't like you to park in their lot for hiking. Spectacular views of the undeveloped east shore of the lake and Sand Harbor. The hike can be out and back or a 14 mile one way with a shuttle. There is also an option for a strenuous mountain bike ride on the Flume Trail, with the shuttle definitely recommended.
See: https://flumetrailtahoe.com/trail-info/ for details.

The Rubicon Trail is a spectacular hike on the west shore of the lake that starts from D.L. Bliss park. I would recommend parking at the Lester Beach parking lot right on the water and going for a swim after the hike. The traffic through Tahoe City and parking at DL Bliss will be pretty crowded, so definitely get to the park before 10 AM to ensure a parking spot at the beach. The hike itself parallels the shore of the lake, with incredible views of the water, rocks, etc. Got early because it can get hot. An added benefit is at the end of the trail you can visit Vikingsholm. http://vikingsholm.com

There is a decent brew pub in Tahoe City on the way back from the west shore.

Enjoy!

Great information! Thank you.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

I just returned from the Welk Northstar.

I hike too. I always enjoy the hike back to Eagle Lake (by Emerald Bay). 2 miles round trip but a lot of steps up and down.

I also hiked along the Truckee River Park trail. Flat and easy. I went 6 miles round trip but I suspect that it goes further.

BTW, we stayed in unit 407 at Welk. We had AC problems in the master BR as well as dealing with a filthy carpet (primarily in the master). For four or five days we had engineering people in our unit trying to boot strap the AC to work. We lived with a portable AC (that sounded like a vacuum cleaner) in the master BR for several nights. When I checked tripadvisor I found someone who posted way back in August 2017 who complained about (1) non-working AC in master (80 degrees) and dirty carpets. So, in almost a year, Welk either did nothing or was ineffective in fixing the AC in unit 407 (or 1407). The poster pushed and had the carpet cleaned while they were there (Aug. 2017). So, in my opinion, the last time the carpet was cleaned was about 11 months earlier. It looked disgusting.

The place has very good "bones" but it doesn't seem (in my opinion) that Welk has fully maintained the property.

We complained and got (1) a replacement week and (2) a nice dinner at Gar Woods ($140).

The GM is Michelle. If you have problems, don't be shy to talk with her. She seems to be an empathetic person.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

BTW there are lots of good restaurants in Truckee. There are also a couple of microbreweries. We also stopped at the Truckee River winery. They brew their wine in Truckee but the grapes are grown in Napa, Carmel, etc. Some of their wines are very good and the tasting fee is either $5 or $10 (depending if you go cheap or flamboyant - - spend the $10 if you like reds).

Take the time to go to the Truckee Donner museum. It is interesting and sobering.

 

[vikingsholm]

Hiking, etc.: Here are some of your best bang for the bucks (views without extreme climbs). It's a good idea to get a detailed Lake wide trail map like Tom Harrison's Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Rim Trail Recreation map too to use for the week:

- Start at Tahoe meadows up by Mt. Rose. Climb up shortly to the Tahoe Rim Trail, heading South on the TRT. Nice views of Lake plus to the east in Nevada.

- A new alternative nearby to that is the Incline Flume trail, off highway 267 (the Mt. Rose Highway from Incline). This is a 6 mile, mostly flat (until the last half mile) trail with great views after a mile or two that also crosses part of Diamond Peak ski area and connects with Tunnel Creek dirt road. That's the one you have to hike up steeply to get to the original Flume trail that Islander7 mentioned. The Incline Flume section is newly christened, with a new land donation right of way, and isn't yet marked at the start as of a few weeks ago. You park in a paved pulloff on the left about a half mile after you pass a large hairpin turn with a viewpoint pullover going up from Incline. The trailhead's across the road from that. Great trail, and now that it connects with the original Flume, it's possible to hike or bike it all the way to Spooner Lake (that's a 25 mile one way trip, better for bikes though but highly scenic).

- Also, Islander's idea of hiking part of the Rubicon trail and on to Vikingsholm is a great day trip. (Why wouldn't it be, when I made vikingsholm my user handle, heh heh).

- Ellis Peak from up high on Barker Pass road south of Tahoe City is a few miles long, and a bit of a climb but with great lake views.

- Here's one I'd recommend to anybody: Hike up to the top of Eagle Rock right off Hwy 89 near Homewood (only about a mile hike gradually uphill to great views). Plan it for late afternoon, then stop at the Westshore Cafe & Inn across the road from Homewood for happy hour on a patio with a great view. Then mosey up to the Sunnyside Cafe a few miles north toward Tahoe City, and have a dinner with a lake view either on the patio or inside the nice large restaurant. Don't forget the Hula Pie for dessert. These are 2 of the best lakeview restaurant/bars on the Lake.

- From the east side of the lake a ways south of Sand Harbor, hike down to Chimney Beach from a forest service parking area, only about a half mile. Then it's a glorious stretch of path just above the beach line along the coast towards Secret Cove.

- Renting a bike in Tahoe City and riding along the river path to Squaw Valley is a good half day trip too.

- Fallen Leaf lake on the south side of the Lake has kayak rentals on that beautiful lake from the resort at the end of the road. Sand Harbor's a great scenic spot to rent a kayak or just hang out too.

Some other restaurants:

- The Log Cabin Cafe in King's Beach, or Marty's in Truckee for breakfast or brunch.

- The Lone Eagle Grille at the Hyatt Incline on the beach is great for happy hour. Restaurant there is very expensive, but drinks with an unbeatable view works for us.

- The restaurant at the Ritz nearby at Northstar is a fine place. Ate there when they had a top chef, don't know how it is lately, but stop to tour the Ritz briefly at least.

- Big Water Grille on the road up to Diamond Peak in Incline has a good happy hour drinks and food, and is up the hill a bit for filtered lake views.

- Bite American Tapas right in Incline is some of the best food in the vicinity.

Microbreweries:

- Alibi Ale Works in Incline

- Fifty Fifty brewery in Truckee

- Tahoe Mountain Brewery in Tahoe City

...but my favorites are in South Lake Tahoe. If you go there, they have at least 7 craft brewpubs that brew their own beer, all of which are pretty unique, though fairly small.

The best beer at the Lake IMO is at South Lake Brewing, near the Y junction of Hwy 50 and 89 (but at the other end of the lake from your stay). A few blocks from there is the most unique one, Tahoe AleWorx. They have 15-20 taps on the wall that you pour yourself however much you want, after an electronic swipe that registers how much you pour each time. Right next door to them is the Tahoe Pourhouse, which does the same thing with wines. In between them is a good sized patio with a bandstand for occasional musical acts.

We go to Tahoe a lot, so this is just a sampling, but some of the suggestions I'd make based on what you said you want to do.

-

 

[Cornell]

I just returned from this trip! I've never been to this part of the country before so it was a wonderful change for me. I loved Truckee so much that I actually was daydreaming about moving there! I stayed at Northstar and my biggest regret was that I didn't stay actually in Truckee. I barely did anything in the resort. Most of the resort restaurants are closed except on weekends.

BTW we were very affected by the fires when we were there. (just got home Sat). There was a haze everywhere, my eyes were burning. The last morning the smell was intense enough that I woke up smelling it in the condo .

Something fun to do -- rent ebikes (Electric bikes). So so fun to ride. You'll never want to be on a regular bicycle again. We rented from "Bike Truckee" and they were GREAT. They will direct you to the paved trail that goes along the Truckee River. There is a huge upward ascent (that will provide a beautiful view/ vista) but with an ebike, you're just going to have fun with no pains of hill climbing. They recommended a great local pizza place to ride to that you'll never know about unless you were a local. Excellent pizza. Rest up with a meal, then ride back.

Other restaurants that I'd recommend are ...Moody's for dinner. For breakfast/lunch, JAX's diner. DO NOT EAT AT THE WAGON TRAIN.

If you are into fitness, utilize Tahoe Mountain Fitness. Great classes and welcoming to visitors. Right in Truckee.

Don't laugh, but one of my favorite parts of the trip was the Mountain Ace Hardware in Truckee. Possibly the best hardware store I have ever seen. And I could give a $%^ about hardware stores. Great clothing, home decor. Amazing staff. They know a ton about outdoor recreation so they helped us with fishing locations and hiking suggestions.

I also suggest going to Donner Lake State Park. I actually found Donner Lake to be as beautiful as Lake Tahoe. There are some incredibly easy hikes there that you could do with ANY fitness level that provide beautiful scenery.

Finally - check out "Truckee Thursdays" from 5:30-8:30. I'm not sure if that event will still be going on when you plan on attending but it's awesome. Live music, vendors, incredible food trucks, and just a fun vibe.

 

[klpca]

Wow! Great suggestions and timely too. We had planned sailing and kayaking as our two group activities only to find out that our SIL gets seasick and avoids water activities at all costs. Who knew? So we have to switch to land based for the first few days.

I'm bummed about the smoke but not much we can do about that. (Especially because we had vog on the Big Island). Such awful fires. I get sick thinking about the terrible loss of life. Everything is just tinder dry after our drought years.

 

[Cornell]

It's also fun to drive the entire perimeter around Lake Tahoe. We went clockwise around it , which is kind of nice because the most beautiful part of the drive is the last 1/4 , when you go that direction around the lake from the North End. You get the best for last!

Also -- another incredible drive is the Donner Bridge (aka Rainbow bridge) on US 40 . Wow -- the views are INCREDIBLE. We had one haze-free day and got lucky that we did this drive that day.

Enjoy. I'm super jealous.

 

[Cornell]

View from Donner Lake Summit Bridge

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[klpca]

We're finishing up our week here. Again, many thanks for the great suggestions (not that we were able to do all that we wanted but...next time). Northstar was fine - the units are definitely showing wear but I wish that I had access to them in the future but luckily there is a lot of inventory in Lake Tahoe so I am sure that we will find something for future trips.

The trip was amazing fun because we had everyone together at one place for the first time in three years, even if it was only for one night. Two kids/spouses/friends stayed for the first three nights, and the other kid/bf stayed for three more nights. We had two units across the hall from each other and congregated in one unit for the most part. We did a sunset kayak trip from Tahoe Vista to Carnelian Bay and back. It was still a bit smoky that evening (Saturday) but was definitely clearing up.The rest of the week was pretty clear. In addition to kayaking we hiked to Sawmill Lake (trailhead is at Northstar), did a section of the PCT at Donner Pass to Lake Angela, kayaked from Sand Harbor to Thunderbird Lodge, played mini-golf at the Magic Carpet (lolol) and made great use of the darts, corn hole, and ping pong at the resort. Two of the kids went climbing somewhere over by Donner so they were very happy. We made it to the Fiftyfifty Brewery but timing wise couldn't get down to South Lake Tahoe this time. Next time. This may be the perfect location for our family because of the great hiking, climbing, kayaking, all of which are easily accessed.

 

[JohnPaul]

Northstar was fine - the units are definitely showing wear but I wish that I had access to them in the future but luckily there is a lot of inventory in Lake Tahoe so I am sure that we will find something for future trips.

Where did you stay? I've always thought the Welk resorts looked terrific so am wondering if that is what you felt was showing wear.

I know Northstar itself has a tone of rental lodgings and am guessing that might be where you stayed?

 

[klpca]

Where did you stay? I've always thought the Welk resorts looked terrific so am wondering if that is what you felt was showing wear.

I know Northstar itself has a tone of rental lodgings and am guessing that might be where you stayed?

It was the Welk resort. The floors are beat up (dark wood was a terrible idea for a ski resort), the carpet is dirty and needs to be restretched, and our dining room chandelier was broken. There was also a lot of missing glassware and dishes. It was still nice but not as nice as it used to be.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

It was the Welk resort. The floors are beat up (dark wood was a terrible idea for a ski resort), the carpet is dirty and needs to be restretched, and our dining room chandelier was broken. There was also a lot of missing glassware and dishes. It was still nice but not as nice as it used to be.

Yes, I was a little disappointed too. I typically think of Welk as being top quality like Marriott, Hyatt, Westin, etc. but the place is not being maintained as well as it should be, IMnSHO. I was surprised how filthy the carpet was and surprised that after 10 years of service (yes, I verified that with the staff) the carpet was still in service. (For reference, I believe that Marriott shampoos the carpets monthly and replace at the 5 year point). The Welk carpet was ready to be replaced 5 years ago. I spilled some water on the hardwood floor and when I wiped it up the paper towel had picked up a lot of dirt. I'm not a terribly neat person (my wife would use different words to describe me....) but the carpet and the dirty floors kind of creeped me out.

The management fee that comes out of the MF is probably around 10% (a typical number) - - so if they did more thorough cleaning and a shorter period between replacement of worn out things, the MF would go up as well as the Welk management fee. So, you would think that it would be in Welk's interest to maintain things better albeit with an associated increase in costs. But, considering "points" owners, if they spend more money maintaining things at Truckee, then all points owners would pay more. I'm pondering that perhaps they are trying to keep the points MF down, because they feel that it could impact the sales of new points ownership??