We just returned from a week at the Grand Residence Club in Lake Tahoe at the end of August. Both properties are in an ideal location – right in the middle of things. Timber Lodge is a much bigger property, therefore the pool is bigger and a lot busier than the one at the Grand. We noticed a lot more families with small children at Timber Lodge. The service at the Grand was beyond excellent. Yes, the parking is expensive but the valets were fantastic! Not only would they quickly get your car, but they would wash the windshield and open doors, etc. The concierges, Rob & Connie were extremely helpful & knew what they were talking about. Everyone else there went out of their way to be helpful.
We travel with another couple & our unit was quite large with fireplaces both in the master bedroom & the common living area. These came in handy because the daytime temperatures were in the 80’s, sunny & beautiful but it went down to the low to middle 40’s at night. I think I read somewhere that not all Timber Lodge units have balconies. Some of the units at the Grand Residence have wooden balconies but we had a very large cement porch which overlooked the main street in Heavenly Village.
There is so much to do in that area. Here are some of the things that we really enjoyed: A cruise around the lake on Safari Rose – an 80 foot yacht once owned by the 3M Company. It was a 4 hour cruise with lunch included & grilled on board. Another day we took the old steam train – Engine #18 – the one featured in the movie Water For Elephants – from Carson City to Virginia City – an old mining town. If you choose to do this, the best place for lunch is the Bonanza Cafe. And also, once there, you should ride in an old authentic stage coach pulled by 4 draft horses. It was a short ride but long enough! Truckee is another old town that takes you back in time to the Old West. Squeeze Inn would be the place for lunch. And, if you’re able to hike over a mile almost straight down & then again straight up, you should take a guided tour of Vikingsholm Castle. This place was built by a very wealthy lady who thought that Emerald Bay reminded her of the Norwegian Fjords. Very interesting & well worth the climb. And, lastly, you will of course want to ride the gondola for a beautiful view of the lake.
For breakfast the Driftwood Café is just a short walk out the front door of the Grand & our other favorite was the Red Hut. There are a couple of these but we went to the newer one just a short drive down the road. This one is decorated with 50’s memorabilia & even has an old fashioned soda fountain.
Whichever place you choose you will love Lake Tahoe. We sure did.
