05.18.13 Saturday Night Fever 

Disco will never die.  The casino’s at the lake remodel the clubs every 2-3 years.  I was talking to the manager and she confirmed that they dropped some serious cash on that light up floor.  No drinking on the dance floor, which was nice – no sticky shoes! They also did not allow cigarette smoking in the club which is a new thing and that was nice.  It was fun for my once a year trip to the night club.

The most amazing butter I’ve ever tasted and we kept the martinis flowing all night!

A few of the entres – chicken and some surf n’ turf

The best part of the meal – dessert!!!

The grand finale!

I’ll definitely be making a trip back to this place next time I’m in Tahoe. The service was fantastic and even with a part of 6, everything was fast and on point. Check out their Yelp Reviews and make a reservation here!

(credit: http://www.squaw.com)

New Year’s Eve in Olympic House, Squaw Valley

[cbs-foursquare business="Squaw Valley" address="1960 Squaw Valley Road" address2="" city="Olympic Valley" state="CA" zipcode="96146" phone="(800) 403-0206" url="http://www.squaw.com"]

Squaw Valley has so much to offer for a New Year’s Eve vacation. In addition to a huge party featuring two DJs, a live band, and five bars, you can relax with some ice skating, a ride on the cable car, dog sledding tours, the climbing wall, and snow tubing. Check out Olympic Museum which showcases memorabilia from the 1960 Olympics held at Squaw Valley. Entry to the NYE Party is only $10 and guests must be 21 or older.

(credit: http://www.ZephyrCove.com)

Zephyr Cove Resort New Year’s Eve Cruise
760 Hwy 50
Zephyr Cove, NV89448
(775) 589- 4906

In addition to the lodge, campsites, cabins and RV hookups, Zephyr Cove is home to the Tahoe Queen and the MS Dixie II. Take a cruise for New Year’s Eve for an outstanding party on the lake. The Tahoe Queen is the only authentic Mississippi paddle wheeler on Lake Tahoe. MS Dixie II is the largest cruising vessel on the lake and both boats have received rave reviews for their stellar service and enchanting tours.

(credit: NorthstarAtTahoe.com)

NYE at Northstar Resort

[cbs-foursquare business="Northstar Resort" address="5001 Northstar Dr." address2="" city="Truckee" state="CA" zipcode="96161" phone="(800) 466-6784" url="http://www.NorthstarAtTahoe.com"]

Mountain homes, family friendly condos, budget friendly hotels and brand new luxury condos round out the lodging choices available at Northstar at Tahoe. While the accommodations might be perfect, you probably won’t have much time to spend enjoying them because New Year’s Eve at Northstar promises fun all day and night. Shopping, dining, ice skating, bungee jumping, live music, drink specials and DJs will make NYE unforgettable. Throw in a fireworks show and you just might take up permanent residence there.

A Heavenly New Year Celebration
[cbs-foursquare business="Heavenly Ski Resort" address="1001 Heavenly Village Way" address2="" city="South Lake Tahoe" state="CA" zipcode="96150" phone="(775) 586-7000" url="http://www.skiheavenly.com"]

Touted as the best family-friendly celebration in Lake Tahoe, A Heavenly New Year Celebration has a schedule of events for everyone to enjoy. An ice sculpting show accompanied by a light show, music and audience participation kicks off the event. A live music dance party and gondola drop will precede the 9 p.m. celebration complete with fireworks.

(credit: http://www.rivagrill.com)

[cbs-foursquare business="Riva Grill on the Lake" address="900 Ski Run Blvd." address2="" city="South Lake Tahoe" state="CA" zipcode="96150" phone="(530) 542-2600 " url="http://www.rivagrill.com"]

If you’re looking for something a little quieter than an all night long street party, a relaxed dinner at Riva Grill on the Lake might be a good location for your New Year’s Eve festivities. The restaurant is located in South Lake Tahoe and showcases gorgeous views of the lake. If you have other NYE dinner plans, Riva Grill on the Lake also serves brunch, lunch and has an impressive bar and grill menu. There are plenty of photo ops from the deck and the food is delicious. Reservations are suggested.

Michelle Ventress lives in Sacramento with her husband and two dogs. When she’s not writing or traveling she enjoys spending time working in her garden and volunteering.

Amy, Ebon and Marcus – Congratulations! Thank you for allowing TJ and I to photograph your special day!

Venue – MontBleu Resort Casino
Hair – Aqua Hair Design

Andreas and I had a wonderful time in Lake Tahoe over the Thanksgiving holiday.  The weather on our first full day was just ideal.  The sun was out.  The snow atop the Sierra Nevada mountain range created the perfect view.  And of course the lake looked spectacular.  It definitely felt like a winter wonderland.  But little did we know that the following day would be a snowy mess. (Snow chains are essential when visiting Lake Tahoe during the Winter season!)  But alas, I’ll only share photos of the beautiful Lake Tahoe in all of its natural glory.  I took all of these photographs with my Panasonic Video Camera, which I am not really loving for photos but do love for its video capabilities.

By the way – we also loved the Montbleu Resort, Casino, and Spa.  Harrah’s Casino feels a bit like a dump compared to Montbleu.

The last time I was here, I was talking about my sons birthdays and 4 July. Well, we had a great birthday, 4th July, Summer Bash in South Lake Tahoe, NV with family and friends.  We had the whole works! BBQ, BDAY Cake, Fireworks, Casino, Champagne and you name it, we got it! We did it! In style!

Happy Birthday Rashaan & Sam!

The drive up was so nice and beautiful. Left on Wed…way before the mad dash of the 4th of July holiday so I was able to enjoy the views on HWY 50 and 89. Drove with my friend Glo and we took our time. Stopped at quaint little towns, took photos of beautiful vistas and enjoyed some good music on the drive. Now who’s luckier that us? LOL!

Drive to Tahoe

Tahoe Views

We get to Nevada and I had to check in at 2 of my timeshare condos with Worldmark. One in Zephyr Cove and another at Kingsbury Grade on Route 207. Did a little shopping and Glo was summoned by a client and had to be in her computer. So what’s a girl to do? Take lots of photos -since we’re staying at a picturesque location – and hob nob with the Condo staff and get the juice on what’s what and places to go that’s not touristy. Got the scoop, had a nice bottle of wine with Glo and made some delicious Salmon & Shrimp dinner.

Tahoe Condo

The next day, son #1 came and I welcomed him at South Shore Resort where the boys will be staying.  We then met up at Harrah’s Casino and had a blast! I even won! Not a lot….I’m not really a gambler you see, but I enjoy sitting at Black Jack tables. Of course I play and bet, mostly I socialize….except when I’m losing, then I concentrate.  But hey, we’re here to have fun right? Can’t take the games seriously.

Our Beautiful Harrah's Dealer

I had to drive to Squaw Valley the next day to pick up my niece Steph. Another nice, but long drive, especially if you had a few Bushmills the night before. But the views! Wow! It was awesome! So on our drive back, I took more pics, stopped and more photo ops followed. This was tiring you know, being a motion, yes, motion, not still photographer that we stopped and had some Chinese food. Lake Tahoe, right? so it had to be a buffet! LOL! The land of unlimited buffet restaurants! Then we unloaded her stuff at our condo, zoomed to the other condo because people are starting to trickle in….sons, nephews & friends.

Chinese Buffet

3 July…we went to Zephyr Cove Beach and boy….Spring Break revival! Gorgeous young bodies everywhere…music blaring…and the restaurant set up a bar at the beach! Hot sun, margaritas and a cold lake! Steph was actually having lots of fun! Me, I read and listened to my iPod. Am I getting old for this?! I hope not, but I tell you, it was dizzying! It was loud, crowded and hot! I kinda want some space on my beach with no one shading my sun as they constantly dance around me  ‘ya know? But I stayed because this is Steph’s first time in this environment. She just turned 18 and a recent HS grad. So Auntie Mame obliged.

Zephyr Cove Beach

Now dig this. Because I am such  a good friend or clueless, I agreed to pick up my friend Eve at Reno-Tahoe International Airport that same evening. She was flying in from the Bay Area to join the fete. Yes, the drive was gorgeous, I took the backroads – RTS 207, 44 & HWY 395 – but baby, it was a looonnnggg drive!

Back to Nevada. Now we are a big group sauntering the casinos of South Lake Tahoe…Montbleu it is! Fun and I got lots of attention but I lost on the Gaming tables. ;-( Perhaps I was paying more attention to my admirers? LOL! But we sure had a blast! Home by 5 AM! 

4th of July…Eve’s son is serving our country somewhere in the mid-east so we had more to celebrate! Happy Birthday Sam & Rashaan & America! My friend Pat came from Reno to join us. Pool, BBQ, lots of food and hot tub. Then the fireworks show begun! Most of our party hiked behind our condo to watch and what a show! Gorgeous! They say that South Lake Tahoe puts on one of the best Fireworks show in the country and they did not disappoint!

4th July

4th July

The next day, 5 July is my late mom’s bday and we honored her fittingly by doing a 2 mile hike to Vikingsholm in Emerald Bay. Saw and toured the late Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight’s Castle and even met Helen Henry Smith, who used to spend her summers at the castle as a kid. Very impressive. Home to more cooking and eating. Then gathered everyone for my Borgen Project awareness.  Gave out bumper stickers and made everyone promise that they’ll talk to everyone they know about helping downsize global poverty. I’m trying to build a tribe here. I even got Sam quite interested and will recruit and make calls for me. Good son. Although he was sick the whole time.

Emerald Bay

The next few days were easy. Drove around the California side of Lake Tahoe and sampled the margaritas at Tahoe Keys Marina and other local joints. After 2 ‘Ritas, they all taste the same. Thank goodness we have a designated driver. This time we enjoyed some quiet times at the Roundhill Beach and took care of some housekeeping. And one by one people started heading back to….their normal life.

On our drive back, we again stopped at different photo op places and enjoyed more nature. Got back in one piece, collapsed and was served a hearty breakfast the next day by Eve’s mom! Wow! What a holiday! 7 days of fun celebration! Then….I got sick  A full on cough, cold and chills. Thank goodness I didn’t have a fever…but sick as I was, I was smiling a lot!

Drive down view

There you are folks…still nursing some cough & cold and taking lots of Tylenol & Robitussin. Until next time? Cheers!

     
National Tourism Week is May 8-16, 2010 and it’s more important than ever to recognize how important travel and tourism is to us! Help us celebrate our industry and our livelihood, and get national exposure as well, through our Tourism Week partnership with California Travel and Tourism Commission’s “Spend Tom” promotion. This is the best kind of promotion…it’s FREE to your business! All you have to do is be a California business willing to offer specially-marked $2 bills as change to your clientele when they shop with you. The bills will be stamped with the “SpendTom.com” website where the visitor can register where they received their “Tom” and how it was spent. This demonstrates how our tourism dollars generate revenue and create jobs. The visitor can also enter a contest to win prizes. You can view a short video of last year’s pilot program at www.SpendTom.com. For more info go to www.LTVA.org and click on “Opportunities”. Participation form needs to be completed and returned by March 30, 2010. Prizes for those who enter the contest are needed (certificates are preferred), please donate!

The Lake Tahoe South Shore Geocaching event will take place June 12-13 this year. Here’s another opportunity to showcase your business. Participation can be as easy as allowing a “cache” to be placed in or around your business. If you donate a gift certificate (Buy one/get one, $10 off, Free Appetizer, etc), you have the additional opportunity to generate visitation and spend. You know where to go now to find out more and complete the form…. www.LTVA.org “Opportunities”.

Want to know what the LTVA staff is up to right now? Here’s a snapshot:

Anne: Sending out the monthly newsletter to our 36,000+ opt-in subscribers. Leaving for Seattle to attend the Western Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus Destination Marketing Tech Summit (with a focus on web and social media). Anne applied for and received a grant for registration, travel and accommodations, so there’s virtually no cost to the LTVA.
Sue: Signing up businesses for the “Spend Tom” promotion. Leaving Wednesday for the Nevada Commission on Tourism’s Rural Round-up in Winnemucca. Did you know that Sue is the chairperson for the Reno-Tahoe Territory and has been asked by her peers to run for a fourth 2-year term? Just this morning, she hosted ten German travel writers and tour operators at the Nevada Visitors Center as they toured south shore and experienced first hand skiing, snowmobiling, dining and shopping.
Mike: Just finished hosting six top agents from Ski Max Australia. They are agents that have actually booked Lake Tahoe South Shore, but never visited. Forest Suites was their host property. They executed site tours of: Lakeland Village, Lakeshore Lodge, Inn by the Lake, Embassy Suites, MontBleu and the Ridge Tahoe. They skied Heavenly and Sierra. They got a taste of night life as guests of Opal at MontBleu. They absolutely loved the variety the South Shore offers.
Carol: Sue and I were invited to participate in the concepting process for the new California Welcome Center in El Dorado Hills. We spent a morning seeing the new facility and talking about how to highlight the region in order to stimulate visitation. I attended the SMG Technology Conference to get smarter about online advertising and social media. As part of a cooperative grant-funded project, I am working with the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce on a geo-tourism centric, El Dorado County collateral piece for placement at events, in Visitors Centers and fulfillment, promoting a rich, regional experience. If you want more on geotourism, plan to attend the Tourism Forum on April 29th, Lake Tahoe Community College.

Carol Chaplin
Executive Director, Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority

And for an added bonus, the music video features Linda Ronstadt!  If the video isn’t working on your screen, click here.

I know what you’re thinking!!!  Click here to find out if I’m right.