Last weekend my friends Kelley and Irving graciously invited me to join them in Lake Tahoe for a few days of sun, skiing, and awesome casino buffet dinners fine dining. We left Los Angeles on Friday afternoon and encountered very little traffic on our 7.5 drive to Tahoe – on a holiday weekend, no less!

We stayed at the Tahoe Seasons Resort in South Lake Tahoe. The rooms are charming, a little retro, and feature gigantic Whirlpool tubs. Confession: I took a bath the second night and it was quite relaxing, but I felt guilty for using so much water.

The next morning Irving left to ski at Sierra mountain with friends, while his aunt and uncle (long-time Tahoe visitors) gave Kelley and me a special tour. Since the snow has been a no-show this season (much to the chagrin of local businesses dependent upon winter tourists), we took advantage of the clear roads to check out Emerald Bay.

Vikingsholm is a castle-type mansion on the shores of Emerald Bay.

Thanks to Jake and Janie for the fabulous tour!

Emerson buddies!

Next we stopped at Camp Richardson by the Beacon Bar and Grill. We skipped their famous rum runners but enjoyed a walk the beach.

After years of spending winter holidays on Cape Cod, I have grown to love snow on the beach.

A few more photos from our walk:

Next up we drove by the Tahoe Keys. These are large, closetogether properties on man-made canals. The development is somewhat of a bust and property values have dropped tremendously, however the views of the water are pretty. Irving’s friends rented a gorgeous house in this neighborhood.

We caught this little guy:

Just beyond the Tahoe Keys we stopped at Cove East, a wetlands area with hiking paths and a reputation for birdwatching.

Jake and Janie took us to their favorite bakery, Sugar Pine. Kelley and I managed to resist the tempting aroma of warm carbs.

We grabbed lattes and lunch at Red Hut Cafe, which has three locations in Tahoe.

Next up: off to the casinos and Heavenly Village! And then skiing!