8 top things to do in Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe can be termed as one of the most beautiful creation of nature.

Pristine blue clear water, beautiful Alpine trees surrounding the lake and Majestic Mountains at the backdrop, makes it an unparalleled beauty.
Mark Twain even called it the ‘Fairest picture the whole world affords’.

Situated on the border of California and Nevada, this lake can be explored from both the sides.
It is split up into South Lake Tahoe – in CA and North Lake Tahoe in Nevada and is also referred to as the California Side or the Nevada Side. 

As it lies at an elevation of 6,000+ feet above sea level, it is better the visit it during the summers, when all the routes are open and there is no need to use snow chains.

There are a lot of activities/things to do and places to see, but here are top 8 things that you can’t miss in Lake Tahoe.

Emerald Bay State Park -
The best way to observe the magical beauty of Lake Tahoe is from the Emerald Bay State Park. The views from the top, of the glacier carved granites, towering Alpine trees and pristine blue water are just stunning. It is a mountain/lake combination like no other.

There are two observation points:
1. The first one is at the top of the rock in the Emerald Bay State Park. Do remember that the parking
    is extremely limited here and you would want to come early to find one. Otherwise lot of people 

    park alongside the road too.

2. The second and most important point is a bridge which is just a mile away from the Emerald Bay
    State Park. The pics of the Fannette Island lying in the center of the lake that you see on Instagram 

    and google are being taken from here.

Fannette Island. 
One of the most magical and popular tourist spot on Lake Tahoe is the only island present on this lake - Fannette Island. If you are into adventure, you can kayak or take a bout tour to the island. 

Donner Memorial State Park
Camping at Lake Tahoe is an experience of lifetime and I would definitely suggest you to do that.
Donner Memorial State Park is a great place for camping. Apart from that it also offers the visitors with various opportunities like picnicking, boating and fishing.
There are also various trails, which offer stunning views of Lake Tahoe.

King’s Beach State Recreation Area.
There are lot of beaches on the California side of Lake Tahoe, but King’s Beach is my favorite.
There are lot of activities to do here like swimming, parasailing, jet skiing, paddle boating, kayaking, canoeing and various other water activities. Also the views of the mountains in the backdrop is quite mesmerizing. The water is crystal clear and clean. The beach is quite happening with lot of people enjoying themselves round the summer. There are also plenty of places to eat around.
Getting a parking is the only difficult task here.

Sand Harbor Beach
There are beautiful beaches on both sides of Lake Tahoe. Once done exploring the Californian side, head towards the Nevada side beaches for a different experience.
As compared to the beaches on California side, Nevada has lesser number of beaches.

By favorite beach on Nevada side is Sand Harbor Beach and also it is probably the best spot to watch sunset in Lake Tahoe. It is less crowded than King’s Beach but provides more scenic views.

The parking is $10 per car.

Trails
The top trails providing breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe are as below:
- Rubicon Trail:
  This is a 22 mile trail through the Sierra Nevada and can be experienced in iconic jeep tours.
- Cascade Falls Trail
  This is a moderate hike to the beautiful Cascade Falls which provides amazing views of Lake Tahoe.
- Fallen leaf lake trail
  There is another lake near to Lake Tahoe, Fallen leaf lake which can be visited using this 7.8 mile 
  trail.Though the trail is not well marked, so there is a possibility of getting side tracked. The 

  stunning views of huge snow covered mountains reflecting over calm water is worth the visit.

Heavenly Mountains
You need to take a 2.4 mile gondola ride up from Heavenly Village to the stunning heavenly mountains. This gondola ride provides breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe and surrounding mountains.
The ride is $44 per adult.

Once you reach the top, there are lot of activities you can do here like rock climbing, snow tubing, skiing and zip-lining.

Tahoe City
Tahoe city is a great place for vacation and also one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited.
Once you are done exploring Lake Tahoe, you can stroll around the city for some delicious food, shopping and art galleries. Best way to explore the city is by renting a bike.

Credit - Here

Winter Wonderland
Lake Tahoe is equally beautiful in winters and is home to some of the best skiing areas in USA.
You can try Squaw Valley or lessen know Alpine Meadows to enjoy and experience the winter activities.
Not to forget the views from these places are unparalleled.

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How to cover the real California in 7 days - Day 7

As today was the last day of our trip, we wanted to keep it simple and relaxed.
Also, we had not covered few points of SFO, so the plan was to cover those points and catch the flight back home.

 

                         

 

We started a bit late in the morning around 10 a.m. and it was time for some Golfing. There are lot of good clubs around San Jose for Golf lovers with scenic views. One of the best among them is Cinnabar Hills Golf Club. One of our friends suggested us that it is also good club for novice players, who are looking for just some practice in the range and not the mainstream action. We took a large bucket containing 110 balls for $13. It was sufficient for both of us.

After having a good one-hour at the range, it was time to get to one of the dream places of a software engineer, the headquarters of big 4. As we did not had time to visit all of them, we visited our favorites, Google Headquarter. It’s a completely different feeling when you visit the headquarters of your dream company. We stayed for half an hour checking the campus from outside as only employees were allowed inside the headquarters.

Next, it was time to explore the remaining attractions of SFO.
After having a sumptuous lunch at Subway, we headed towards our first spot, the Lombard Street.

Credits - Here

Lombard Street is also known as the crookedest street in the world. Located in the East-West Street of SFO, this famous attraction comprises of total eight tight hairpin turns winding down the hill.

After driving through the most crooked street in the world and clicking some pics, it was time to head towards one of the most happening places of SFO, Pier 39.

There are lot of Historic Piers in San Francisco which were used for trade and shipping cargo.
Many of them are still actively used, but one of them has become a popular tourist attraction – Pier 39. There are shops, restaurants, cafes, aquarium, pubs, street shows and performances, 7D experience, waterfront and the beautiful & lively sea lions.



You can buy the All-day Pier 39 ticket, which includes all the major attractions of Pier 39 as stated below :
- Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise
- City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Downtown Loop and Golden Gate/Sausalito Tour
- 7D Experience
- Magowan's Mirror Maze
- Aquarium of the Bay OR Flyer San Francisco
- PIER 39 Savings Fun Pack

We spend around 3-4 hours exploring this happening place, though a whole day is less to cover everything at this attraction.
It was around six in the evening and it was time to end this magical and adventurous tour of one of the most beautiful state of USA, and head toward the SFO International Airport to catch our flight to Newark, NJ.

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How to cover the real California in 7 days - Day 6

Today we were going to visit one of the most beautiful lakes in US – Lake Tahoe.
It is also the second deepest lake in US, Crater Lake in Oregon being the first one.

Credits - Here

As it takes around 4 hours to reach Lake Tahoe from San Jose, we started early around 8 a.m.

Activities
There are lot of summer activities that you can do in and around Lake Tahoe, some of which are:
1. Paddleboarding
2. Kayaking
3. Parasailing
4. Jet skiing
5. Boating
6. Ziplining
7. Hiking
8. Rock climbing
9. Cruise
10. Golfing
11. Stargazing
12. Helicopter tours

As Lake Tahoe is situated on the border of California and Nevada, you can explore it from both the sides.
It is split up into South Lake Tahoe – in CA and North Lake Tahoe in Nevada and is also referred to as the California Side or the Nevada Side.

Beaches
There are beautiful sandy beaches on both sides of the lake.
The Californian ones has a fee of $10 for parking and in summer the slots fill quickly, so you need to go little early in the morning or later in the afternoon.

Here is the list of beaches on Californian side
- Meeks Bay
- Lester Beach at Dl Bliss
- Emerald Bay State Park
- King’s Beach State Recreation Area

On Nevada side, we have more hiking trails as compared to beaches.
One of the famous beach is Sand Harbor Beach, which is a good place for paddleboarding and sightseeing.

Credit - Here

Sightseeing
Emerald Bay State Park -
The best way to observe the magical beauty of Lake Tahoe is from the Emerald Bay State Park. The views from the top, of the glacier carved granites, towering Alpine trees and pristine blue water are just stunning. It is a mountain/lake combination like no other.
If you are into adventure, you can kayak or take a bout tour to the only island of Lake Tahoe - Fannette Island.  
Alternatively, if you are into history, Vikingsholm a 38-room mansion on the shore of Emerald Bay is the best bet for you.

Alpine Meadows
One of the hidden gems of Lake Tahoe, Alpine Meadow is a heaven for skiers. If you happen to visit the place in winters or spring, this 2400 acre ski facility is one of the best things to do.

Credit : Here

Heavenly Mountain Gondola
This 2.4 mile ride up in the Heavenly Mountain Gondola will leave you breathless as you take in panoramic views of Lake Tahoe. It starts at an elevation of 6360 feet and take you to over 9100 feet.

Donner Memorial State Park
Donner Memorial State Park offers the visitors with various opportunities like camping, picnicking, boating and fishing. There are also various trails, which offer stunning views of Lake Tahoe.

Trails
The top trails providing breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe are as below :
- Rubicon Trail
   This is a 22 mile trail through the Sierra Nevada and can be experienced in iconic jeep tours.
- Cascade Falls Trail
   This is a moderate hike to the beautiful Cascade Falls which provides amazing views of Lake
   Tahoe.

- Fallen leaf lake trail
   There is another lake near to Lake Tahoe, Fallen leaf lake which can be visited using this 7.8 mile
   trail.Though the trail is not well marked, so there is a possibility of getting side tracked. The 

   stunning viewsof huge snow covered mountains reflecting over calm water is worth the visit.

There are also other things to do in Lake Tahoe, like
- Check out the museums in vicinity
- Skiing at various play areas
- Balloon tours
- Wine tours

Cost
Mostly the cost comprises of parking at the beaches and parks which is max $10/vehicle.

Stats

Total hours of commute           : 10 hours

Total hours at the attractions    : 5 hours

Food and other break                : 1.5 hours

Start time of the day                 : 8:00 a.m.

End time at San Hose               : 1:00 a.m. (next day)

Here is the map to all the must visit places in Lake Tahoe

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How to cover the real California in 7 days - Day 5

Credit - Here

After having a good night sleep in the lap of the nature, it was time to start early for the day as we had to cover the Vernal/Nevada Fall in Yosemite and head towards Sequoia National Park.
We took the shuttle to the trailhead and started the hike around 7:00 a.m.
It took us around 1.5 hours to reach to the top of Vernal fall. After enjoying the breathtaking views of the fall from the top, it was time to continue further on the Mist trail.
As we were short of time, we did not go all the way to the top of Nevada fall, but decided to see it from a distance and started our backward journey to the trailhead.
Total it took us 3 hours for the entire hike.

It was 10:00 am and we were feeling hungry.
After having breakfast, it was time to leave the most beautiful national park of USA and head towards the land of giants, Sequoia National Park.

It is a 3.5-4 hours drive from Yosemite to the Visitor Center of Sequoia National Park.
We started around 10:30 am and reached around lunchtime.
After filling our tummies and getting the required energy for the day, it was time to explore the land of the oldest and biggest trees in the world.

Sequoia National Park

The main attractions include :
1. General Sherman Tree
     General Sherman tree is the largest tree of the world. It stands 275 feet tall and measures more
     than 36 feet in diameter at its base. Clicking a pic with the largest tree is always a bucket list 

     activity, but it is advisable to arrive early, as there might be long queues for photos.

Credits - Here

2. Congress Trail
     Sequoia National Park is home to giant sequoia tress and the best part to explore them is by taking
     the Congress Trail. It is a 2-mile loop, which starts from General Sherman Tree and normally
     takes 2 hours to complete.

Credit - Here

3. Moro Rock
     This is a great hiking point, which provides scenic views of Great Western Divide and western
     half of Sequoia National Park. About 400 steps lead 300 feet to the top from where you can 

     observe some breathtaking views of the valley.

Credit - Here

4. Tunnel Log
     Another free tourist spot is the Tunnel log, which is located along the Crescent Meadow Road in
     Giant Forest. An enormous tree, which was 275 feet tall and 21 feet at the base, fell across the 

     road in 1937 and a tunnel was cut through it the next year. From then it has become a famous 

     visitor point.

Credit - Here

Time
So finally, after spending around 5 hours here, it was time to head back to San Hose. I think half day is enough to cover Sequoia National Park.
As we were short of time, we could not cover the Kings Canyon National Park, but its worth a visit if you don’t have that constraint.

Cost
Finally coming to the cost, it is a combined fee of $30 per vehicle for both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.

Stats
Total hours of commute           : 8 hours
Total hours at the attractions    : 8 hours
Food and other break                : 1.5 hours
Start time of the day                 : 7:00 a.m.
End time at San Hose               : 12:30 a.m. (next day)

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How to cover the real California in 7 days - Day 4

Finally, it was time to explore the most awaited destination of our California trip, Yosemite National Park. It is counted as the best national park of USA. Magnificent granite rocks, mesmerizing waterfalls, one of the oldest and largest Sequoia trees, world famous trails and nice camping grounds, this natural wonder has it all.

As the national park was 4 hours drive from Airbnb, we started a little early than normal, around 7 a.m. from our place. Yosemite is at an elevation range of 2,127 to 13,114 feet and during few months of the year, there is even snow on the entrance roads, hence it is always suggested to check on the road conditions and carry snow chains with you.

Route
We took the below route -:
US-101 S -> CA-152 E -> CA-140 E
I think it is the most scenic route from San Jose to Yosemite. On CA-152 E, do watch for the scenic views along the Upper Cotton Creak Wildlife area and Pacheco State Park. In addition, the route from Mariposa until the entrance of Yosemite is quite spectacular/stunning. Huge mountains on one side with variety of fauna and river flowing in the valley on the other, is just phenomenal.

Yosemite National Park

Although Yosemite National Park is spread across 3000+ sq km, but the main attractions/natural wonders of the park lie in the 8 mile of the Yosemite Valley.

Here is the list of the main attractions:

Credit - Here

1. Bridalveil falls – It is a 620 feet fall tumbling down a granite face beneath the Cathedral rocks. If you want to propose someone special, this is the place to do it and hence the name too.

Credit : Kirk Lougheed

2. El Captain – It is the world's tallest granite monolith and one of the world's top rock climbing destinations. Just for FYI, it is more than 3500+ foot tall.

3. Yosemite Village – It is the human hub of the valley and home to park’s visitor center. In addition, you will also find grocery store, gas station, Yosemite museum and Yosemite Wilderness Center.

Credit : UIG via Getty Images

4. Yosemite Falls – It is the highest fall in North America and sixth in the world. It is divided into 3 sections, The Upper Yosemite Fall, Middle Cascade and Lower Yosemite fall. The total height of the fall is 2425 ft.

5. Half Dome – Hiking to the top of Half Dome is one of the most difficult hikes in the world. It is every serious rock climber/hiker dream to hike up to the Half Dome. You need to have a permit to do this world famous hike and it is lottery based.
6. Mirror Lake – This Lake reflects half dome and other monoliths.

Credit : Here

7. Vernal Fall – It is a 317 foot waterfall on the Merced River. Trails to both the foot and top of the falls are accessible. Mist trail is the famous one, which takes you to the top of this waterfall. It is a 2.4 mile round trip with strenuous difficulty level.

8. Nevada Fall – Nevada Fall is present in the little Yosemite Valley. This 594 feet waterfall got its name because it is nearest to Sierra Nevada. You can take the Mist trail to reach at the top of Nevada falls too. It is a 5.4 mile roundtrip trail with strenuous difficulty level.

Credit : Rakesh Kumar Rakshit

9. Tunnel View – The best place to get a glimpse of the Yosemite Valley is Tunnel Point. It offers breathtaking views of the Valley and several of its attractions -- El Capitan, Half Dome and the Bridalveil Fall. 

10. Glacier Point – It is one of the highest and best viewpoints of the Yosemite Valley. Rising to an elevation of 7000 ft, it offers stunning views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall.

Time
Covering all the attractions require atleast 1.5 days, hence it is a wise decision to stay in the camping grounds of Yosemite Valley. During night star gazing from Glacier point is highly suggested.
Out of the 10 attractions, except for Vernal and Nevada Fall, cover everything on Day 1.

Cost
Finally coming to the cost of entering the park, it is $35 per vehicle.

Stats
Total hours of commute           : 4 hours
Total hours at the attractions    : 9 hours
Food and other break                : 1 hour
Start time from San Jose          : 7:00 a.m.

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How to cover the real California in 7 days - Day 3

Day 3 was dedicated to cover two of the most scenic drives of USA – 17 Mile drive and Big Sur, and attractions around them.

 

As usual, we started around 8:00 a.m. from San Jose, our first destination was 17 Mile Drive, which is an hour and half drive from San Jose. The entry fee for the drive is $10 per vehicle.
There are 17 different attractions/points to see on this drive, hence the name.
The route offers stunning view of the Pacific Ocean and its coastline, as it weaves through the Del Monte forest.
The famous points are:
Pebble Beach – Pebble beach is known for its golf course and amazing view of the ocean.
Lone Cypress – This tree is more than 250 years old and a historic icon. It is also one of the most photographed tress in North America overlooking California’s stunning Pacific coast.
Bird Rock – You can watch seals and sea lions lying on the top of the rock and bathing in the sun. In addition, you can watch variety of birds here.

Apart from the above points, there are also beautiful beaches, multi-million dollar homes, restaurants and points to observe huge waves hitting the rocks and the stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.

It took us around 3 hours to complete the entire drive.

The next destination was Carmel-By-The-Sea. It is a small beach city on California's Monterey Peninsula and is famous for its fairytale cottages, museums and beautiful Carmel beach.
We stayed at the beach for half hour and had our lunch.

Now it was time to hit the most scenic route in the entire USA, Big Sur.

There are multiple points on Big Sur, which provides astonishing view of the pacific coast. We stopped at few of them but preferred to spend more time at the most popular of all, Bixby Creek Bridge. It is a half hour drive from Carmel-By-The-Sea. It is one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design and mesmerizing views of the surrounding cliffs, rocks and Pacific Ocean. After spending half hour at this point, it was time to head toward McWay Falls.

McWay Falls is an 80-foot tall waterfall on the coast of Big Sur in the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. It is one of the most photographed waterfalls in California. Though the beach is inaccessible but the view of the fall from the top is absolutely gorgeous.

After spending half an hour here, it was time to explore the hidden gem of Big Sur, Pfeiffer Beach. It is a little off the beaten path and hard to find, but one of the best places to watch sunset. The place turns magical during the evening when the sun sets. The focal point of the beach is a huge iconic rock - Keyhole Rock, which has a natural arch at the base, which looks like a door to heaven. When the sunrays pass through the arch, it creates a passage of light, which is mesmerizing.

The north end of the beach has unique purple color sand, which looks lovely.

Credit : Here

 After sunset, it was time to head back home and get to bed early, as we had to start early the next day, to explore the best national park in USA.

Stats

Total hours of commute           : 5 hours

Total hours at the attractions    : 7 hours

Food and other break                : 1 hour

Start time from San Jose          : 8:00 a.m.

End time at San Jose                : 9 p.m.

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How to cover the real California in 7 days - Day 2

After having an amazing Day 1, we were tired as hell and it was time to get a good night sleep to prepare us for Day 2.

We normally take 6-7 hours of sleep while traveling, as it is enough to refresh us and get going for the next day.

We always plan to start at 8:00 a.m., considering the fact that not all days are the same and we might waste time being stuck in traffic, roadwork or something similar which are inevitable.

On Day 2 and 3, we planned to cover South California and some points of San Jose.

Our first destination was Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve. It is one the highest points in San Jose from where you can get jaw dropping views of San Jose city and nearby bay areas.

In addition, the view of the mountains to the left is equally amazing. After spending an hour in the bliss of nature, it was time to head to the next point.

Our next point was Pigeon Point Lighthouse, which is a beautiful lighthouse perched on a cliff on the central California coast. Standing at 115 foot, it is one of the highest lighthouses in California. You can see variety of marine life like seals and whales passing by.

After spending half hour here and taking some nice shots, it was time to head towards Monterey Bay as we had our whale watching tour booked for 1:00 p.m.

Monterey Bay is one of the best spots in US or probably the world, for whale watching.

You can see variety of whales all-round the year. During winters, you get to see grey whales, while during the summer, it is home to humpback, blue and killer whales.

The tour is around 3-4 hours, depending on how quickly and how many varieties of these giants you get to have a closer look.

It was like a dream come true to observe these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat.

After a fascinating experience of whale watching, it was time to visit the surf city of USA - Santa Cruz. Just in case you do not want to go for whale watching, you can visit Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is the best aquarium in the country.

Santa Cruz is a beautiful city known for its boardwalk, amusement park and surfers.
It is also known as the surf city of US, as the sport was originally introduced here.

It was around six in the evening and we had around 2 hours to cover this gem of a city, before heading towards San Jose.

The boardwalk is the main attraction here, with lot of shops, eateries, arcade game parlors and an amusement park, on the way. If you are a ride lover, you will definitely love it.

The boardwalk parking is $15, so if you want to save few bucks you can park your car in the public parking just at a 15-20 minutes walk.

The arcade games were nice and so were the rides. It was like reliving the childhood again. The only con of this place is it is too crowded and noisy, and sometimes can get into your head.

Finally it was time to turn the curtains down for Day 2 and head back to San Jose for some delicious Indian food and good night sleep.

Stats

Total hours of commute           : 5 hours

Total hours at the attractions    : 7 hours
Food and other break                : 1 hour
Start time from San Jose          : 8:00 a.m.

End time at San Jose                : 11 p.m.

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