Lake Tahoe - North Shore

Tahoe City, California - We are now on the North Shore, staying at the Ski Resort Granlibakken, which is absolutely fantastic. It is conveniently located within walking or biking distance of Tahoe City, William Kent Park, and the Truckee River, which is a must considering that traffic going through Tahoe City makes LA traffic look tame. With a lovely heated pool, large (and I mean LARGE) hot tub, various tennis courts, and it's own hill to enjoy during the snowing months - it's the perfect getaway. You can enjoy a room, a town house, a cabin, or even a small lodge. I will definitely be revisiting come snowboarding time.

Yesterday, after arriving at Granlibakken and making a quick supermarket stop, we headed to William Kent Park - a campground just off of 89 and next to Sunnyside. At the private beach just next to the public access, we settled in for some fine BBQing. Pork, steak, corn, potatoes, shrimp, beverages, and plenty of tasty fresh salad made for an exquisite yet affordable meal. The view of the shore as the moon hit the glassy water was the perfect ending to an exciting day.

Today was full of excitement as well. After having an excellent breakfast at Granlibakken, known to the locals as the 'G,' we took a nice stroll around the property as we followed one of many private trails at the resort. It was a nice way to start the morning. For some highlights of what you can do while you are staying at the G, check out the Granlibakken Blog.

Our plans to go rafting were thwarted by the weather and instead we hopped in the car and took a short drive south on 89 and just before getting to Tahoe Pines parked at a opening in the shoulder. We took the trail up to Eagle Rock for some amazing views of the lake. It was breathtaking to be up there. A short, but fairly difficult hike up, but completely worth it.

Afterwards we headed back down for lunch, exploring the various restaurants in Tahoe City. After a delicious Chinese meal and with the weather looking cloudier, we decided to go north this time on 89 towards Squaw Valley. We decided on a whim to visit Squaw Village for some shopping and some coffee, instead I found a gem. The Gallery Keoki.

The Gallery Keoki is a small, but fun gallery that I would recommend to anyone - art lover or not. Inside you will find a plethora of various contemporary art. And not what you would think to find in the Tahoe area. No there is much Native American art or craft, but instead a few original Dali's, amazing work by Mark Campbell, and exciting photography by Keoki Flagg, the owner of the gallery.

We just returned from Chambers Landing, just south of Homewood, and home of the infamous Chambers Punch. Head down to the beach at Chambers Landing to the small bar at the end of the pier for a delicious (yet somewhat pricey) cup of Lake Tahoe goodness. Enjoy responsibly and is usually best enjoyed out in the sun looking at from the pier onto the water.

We're about to head to the hot tub and heated pool before dinner for our movie night in.

While I watch the boys cook food, travel on.