Lake Tahoe

Author: Terry
Date of Trip: September 2005

It has been a little over a year since we have taken this particular trip, but I just found this web site and thought I would post a review of a terrific vacation we took.

September of 2005 we went to Lake Tahoe, NV for 8 days. I have to tell you, it is the most beautiful place I have ever been to. I have traveled several places in the world, and there might be more beautiful places out there, but none that I have seen. I LOVED IT.

We stayed in two hotels while we were there, Harvey’s then Harrah’s. Although the staff at Harvey’s was very friendly, etc., the room and hotel were a dump. Harrah’s rooms were beautiful and very comfortable. We have stayed in some very nice and expensive hotels, and I have to say that Harrah’s Lake Tahoe probably had the most beautiful room I have ever been in. Not the biggest room, but very pretty.

We gambled in Harvey’s, Harrah’s, Caesar’s and Horizon’s. I won a little in Harvey’s and Harrah’s, but actually hit jackpots in Horizon’s and Caesar’s. I would rate all four of those casinos about the same as far as looks, cleanliness and staff, however Horizon’s casino had a greater number of slot machines.

We were there during their off season, but I never felt like I missed out on one thing. We took a lake cruise. It was Lake Tahoe Cruises and the ships were the Tahoe Queen and M.S.Dixie II. We went on the shorter cruise, only a few hours, but it was very nice and we enjoyed it very much.

Also, while we were there, we took a ride up on the Heavenly Ski Lift. My memory recalls that it cost around $25.00 a person, which at first I could not believe. But after we had gone up the mountain I realized it was worth every penny. There was a mid-point that the lift stops at and I recommend you get off there and have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and go to their lookout point. Be sure to take your camera. You can get food and drinks like coffee and hot chocolate at the top of the mountain, but I really enjoyed the mid-point more.

One road trip you can do during the day is a drive over to Virginia City. That is a MUST if you are in the area. Most of the days we would just get in our rental and drive around the lake.It is a two or three hour drive around the lake. I loved it. Plenty of places to stop and view the lake. Quite a few beautiful parks.

I am a gambler through and through…I am a big guy that likes to eat, but when I am in a casino, I would rather play slots than eat. At Lake Tahoe, it was so beautiful, all I wanted to do was drive around the lake and see the sights. For those that know me, that is saying a lot.

Speaking of eating, there are three restaurants I recommend very highly. One is actually in Harrah’s. Friday’s Station Steak and Seafood Grill. Now, I am from Texas, so it is rare I will admit this, but I am not that much into beef. I will eat it, but if there is a choice of almost anything else, seafood, chicken, etc., I will usually go with the alternative. I had one of their Steak and Seafood dinners, Filet Mignon and Blackened Shrimp. The steak was so good I only ate one of the shrimp that I was served. Again, for those who know me, that is saying a lot. Expect to pay a good amount if you eat here, but it is worth it.

Another restaurant we enjoyed was one, that as far as I know, serves only breakfast. It is a quaint place called Heidi’s and it is on the California side of Lake Tahoe Blvd. VERY good breakfast and not very expensive at all.

While driving around the lake, on the west side in Tahoe City, we also had lunch at Bridgetender Tavern and Grill. Again, very good food and not very expensive.

One place I do NOT recommend is the Seafood Buffet in Harvey’s. It was VERY expensive and not very good.

Out of all the land trips we have ever taken, Lake Tahoe is my favorite. We normally take at least one cruise a year, and if we can fit it in, maybe a land trip somewhere. I can say this without hesitation, that I would like to go back to Lake Tahoe as much as I would like to take our next cruise. Again, for those that know me, that is saying a lot. (I promise I won’t say that again). When we booked this vacation, we had decided to stay three nights in Lake Tahoe and four nights in Reno. We ended up staying every night in Lake Tahoe, even though we had already paid for our rooms in Lake Tahoe except for our final night (because we had such an early flight leaving Reno). I do not like Reno. I HATED the casinos, except for maybe The Eldorado and Caesars. They were not too bad. The room we had in Reno was at the Silver Legacy and I have to say it was the worst hotel room I have ever stayed in.

I do have a general travel tip for you. As I said, we had originally planned on staying in Lake Tahoe for three nights and Reno for the last four. We had already paid for the rooms at both locations, so when we decided to stay in Lake Tahoe the extra nights, we did drive over to Reno and check into the room so we would have it for the last night. When we checked in, we did go up to the room and I had left a few things in the room, like an envelope, a small travel bag and I think two soda bottles. Well, after a few days of nothing in the room being moved and the beds not slept in, house keeping became concerned. They reported to the management of the hotel that the room had not been disturbed since we had checked in, and out of concern, the management of the hotel notified their house detective and security that we might be missing. Security and the detective left us several voicemails on the hotel’s voicemail system for guests, and actually had come into our empty room to see if all was ok. If you end up doing anything like what we did, you might want to let the front desk know what your plans are and that the room will not be used for a few nights.