1. EMERALD BAY STATE PARK  


VIKINGSHOLM

In 1928, a woman by the name of Lora Josephine Knight purchased the land where Vikingsholm currently sits, as she was enticed by the view and surrounding nature that reminded her of the fjords in Norway. She contracted a Swedish architect, and just one year later, her house was finished. Along with the home, a stone tea house was built on the small island in the middle of Emerald Bay and still stands there today (also featured under #4 in this list). Vikingsholm has been deemed one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the U.S. 

TRAIL

2. DONNER MEMORIAL STATE PARK 


There's parking next to the visitor center where you can pop in and check out different exhibits relevant to the history of the general area. This includes information about the Chinese construction of the railroad to the Land of the Washoe, and of course, the Donner party story. A walk-through of all the displays and interactive exhibits can probably be done in about 30 minutes, but they also offer a brief film presentation of the history of the Donner party which was about 30 minutes long as well. 

To the left of the visitor center, there is a short trail that leads to the Donner Memorial State Park where camping, swimming, boating, fishing, etc. is available.

3. HAVE LUNCH IN TRUCKEE, CA 


About a 10 minute drive from the Donner Memorial Park is a small historic town called Truckee. The downtown area is filled with a bunch of restaurants, boutiques and shops -- perfect for spending a couple hours in after hiking the trail at the park. There was also a music festival going on the evening that we were there and it seems they may also do a farmers market on Thursdays, so be sure to see if there are any events going on while you're in the area.

4. TAKE A TOUR OF THE LAKE BY BOAT STARTING AT THE TAHOE KEYS MARINA 


Lake Tahoe Boat Rides offers stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, sailing charters, yacht charters, and guided boat tours. We booked the "boat rental with captain" which goes around the whole lake with stops at scenic views and popular points of interest. There's even a spot where you can take a family photo on the lake with snowcapped mountains in the background. The tour also includes the option to go tubing, wake boarding, and/or waterskiing. This was a great a way to check out different parts of the lake without having to drive to every location. We also stopped for some food at Sprouts cafe beforehand and took it out on the boat with us for a picnic on the water. This was a great way to really experience Lake Tahoe.

5. SPEND THE DAY ON HEAVENLY MOUNTAIN


There's a ton of things to do on Heavenly Mountain so I've featured it on its own post you can check out here.

6. KING'S BEACH STATE PARK 


A beautiful beach equipped with grills, picnic tables, and a playground for the kids. The surrounding area is filled with shops, restaurants and multiple spots to grab ice cream. 

7. HIKE EAGLE FALLS 


A moderate hike filled with beautiful views, a waterfall and a lake surrounded by mountains if you reach the top. I've read that hikers can actually access Desolation Wilderness from one of the trails here. Parking is only $5 per vehicle and is well worth it because it goes towards maintenance and the general upkeep of the park. 

8. STAY IN A CABIN NEAR THE LAKE


I've done a full post about where we stayed here.

9. HAVE LUNCH AT MOUNTAIN HIGH SANDWICH CO.


This place was by far the best food we had on our trip. (We may have gone there more than once...) There was a ton of vegan and vegetarian options including their house-smoked tofu which was absolutely amazing. Check out their menu here.

10. TAKE A FAMILY PHOTO AT CHIMNEY BEACH

LIST OF LINKS:

  1. EMERALD BAY STATE PARK  
  2. DONNER MEMORIAL STATE PARK 
  3. TRUCKEE, CA 
  4. TOUR OF THE LAKE BY BOAT AT THE TAHOE KEYS MARINA 
  5. HEAVENLY MOUNTAIN
  6. KING'S BEACH STATE PARK 
  7. EAGLE FALLS 
  8. AIRBNB CABIN
  9. MOUNTAIN HIGH SANDWICH CO. 
  10. SPROUTS CAFÉ 
  11. CHIMNEY BEACH



Click here to receive $25 off your first stay with Airbnb through my referral code. 

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See you on the next adventure. Thank you so much for reading. xx

 

All content copyright 2016 Shauna Hundeby; all rights reserved.