Experience a multi-day kayak adventure along the Lake Tahoe Water Trail in style September 23-26 or by special arrangement. This fall, Tahoe Adventure Company features a multi-day kayak and stay package along the West, North and East shores of Lake Tahoe. Enjoy the glassy, clear waters with early morning guided paddles spotting local wildlife and learning about the unique natural and human history of this special region.

By afternoon, you’ll arrive at a lakefront hotel for a hot shower, warm meal and pure relaxation. The best hotels have been chosen for comfort and include Sunnyside Lodge, Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort and the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. After checking in get a massage, take a walk along the beach, skip some stones or simply relax by the pool or on the water’s edge.

A four-day kayak adventure is a luxurious way to spend a long weekend, special occasion or simply a reason to celebrate autumn on one of the most magnificent lakes in the world.  Fall in Lake Tahoe treats visitors to warm sunny days as well as calm water and is void of crowds.

In addition to thorough instruction, guides will inform you about natural and human history topics such as wildlife, geology, ecology, and native peoples. Kayaking is at a leisurely pace, allowing time to see the sites and enjoy the crystal clear water. Each day’s paddle starts after an excellent breakfast, finishes in the afternoon and is suitable for beginners. Evenings are enjoyed with delicious meals at terrific local restaurants with great company.

For more details and the day-to-day itinerary, call Tahoe Adventure Company at 530-913-9212 or visit online. Space is limited.

Take a hearty hike along the Tahoe Rim Trail, mountain bike the famed Flume Trail or spend the day kayaking Lake Tahoe’s picturesque waters, then head to one of the 30 restaurants offering 3-course prix-fixe menus – all at exceptional values – as part of the seven-day celebration. Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week attendees also save on lodging, up to 35% off, simply by booking at participating properties.

It can’t get any easier as there are no passes, tickets or coupons needed to take part in Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week. Instead guests simply visit their favorite Lake Tahoe eatery, historic bistro or charming resort, all of which are offering 3-course, prix-fixe menus for $20, $30 or $40 per person (tax and gratuity not included) to indulge in the region’s most delicious offerings. Reservations, however, are recommended.

Lake Tahoe chefs won’t disappoint, with many employing local, seasonal and organic ingredients for the freshest of dishes. In South Lake Tahoe, 19 Kitchen & Bar has lobster corn chowder and beef medallions fromage, with Fresh Ketch providing a stuffed halibut with shrimp, lobster, scallops, Brie, dill and lemon beurre blanc. For authentic Mexican, Latin Soul has lamb steak with goat cheese crust and caramel flan with seasonal berries. Don’t miss the maple leaf duck breast at Edgewood Restaurant. It’s served up with an apple ginger sauce and sweet potato gnocchi, and can be paired with a 2006 BR Cohn, Silver Label, Cabernet.

North Lake Tahoe restaurants are also pulling out all the stops and Cottonwood Restaurant is offering a pine nut crusted Asian Basa with a tomato and dill beurre blanc and roasted autumn vegetables. River Grill has green chard raviolis with Sonoma goat cheese and portabella mushrooms, while Six Peaks Grille is providing a pan seared Bristol Bay salmon (with $2 of every $30 three-course dinner going to the Tahoe Forest Cancer Center). Right on the lake, Lone Eagle Grille has a mesquite grilled New York steak over watercress and red cabbage salad.

Learn more about Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week, review the list of participating dining establishments and their downloadable prix-fixe menus and book your discounted lodging online.

Tahoe is fabulous, especially during the months of September, October and November when the region plays host to the annual North Lake Tahoe Fabulous Fall Celebration. It’s the best time to visit the largest alpine lake in the country, with its warm days and cool evenings, exceptional deals on lodging and a calendar of events and activities as colorful as autumn itself.

Fabulous Fall for Foodies

The first-ever Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week, September 5-12, showcases delicious dishes all at exceptional values, with 3-course, prix-fixe menus ranging from $20, $30 or $40 per person. No tickets are required to take part, but reservations are recommended. 

The Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary September 10-12 and is considered the area’s finest foodie gathering. This year the festival pulls out all the stops with a new Welcome Party sponsored by Corzo Tequila at The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe. Free cooking seminars taught by acclaimed chefs, with ticketed wine tasting and pairing events, grape stomp and Celebrity Chef Dinner are also provided throughout the three-day affair.

The Downtown Truckee Wine, Walk & Shop is October 2 and has attendees shopping and strolling in historic Truckee while indulging in bite-sized portions prepared by area chefs and sipping fine vintages. Another favorite is Passport to Dining with samples from 25 local restaurants, wineries and breweries, along with live music and silent auction scheduled for October 7 in Kings Beach.

Chocolate lovers feast on decadent goodies and taste boutique wines at the 22nd Annual Chocolate, Wine & Roses Festival November 6 at The Chateau at Incline Village, all while benefitting Tahoe Women’s Services. This year, attendees are going vintage Hollywood and are encouraged to come dressed as their Hollywood idol of the 30s, 40s or 50s – think Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Charlie Chaplin.

The 34th Annual Elegant Affair, also a foodie must-do, is November 19 at Tahoe City’s Boatworks Mall.

Fabulous Fall Adventures

Work off all that scrumptious cuisine at one of North Lake Tahoe’s many recreational events. The Tahoe Big Blue Adventure Sprint is September 18 and is ideal for beginners with its two to four hour finishing time, and has participants kayaking, mountain biking and trail running. Tahoe Adventure Company gets you on the water with their Lodge-to-Lodge Kayak Tour September 23-26, with daily guided paddles ending at overnights at Tahoe’s best lakefront properties. 

Health and wellness are the focus of the Hyatt Regency’s Lake Tahoe Wellness Weekend September 24-26 with rejuvenating activities focused on achieving inner balance, as well as beauty seminars designed to recharge and reinvigorate. Try stand up paddle boarding at the Tahoe Fall Classic September 26, a 22-mile race from South Lake Tahoe to Kings Beach on the North Shore, with demo boards available for spectators.

Another way to get moving is to explore North Lake Tahoe’s splendid fall foliage, marked by the red, gold and orange aspens juxtaposed against the forest evergreens. Ideal hiking trails for viewing changing colors are many and include Page Meadows outside of Tahoe City and the two-mile hike to Spooner Lake just off Highway 28 before the Highway 50 junction. Less adventurous travelers will find abundant beauty by driving Highway 267 from Truckee to Kings Beach or Highway 431 (Mount Rose) from Reno to Incline Village with its many aspens along the roadway. Read more about hiking at Tahoe. 

Live music is also part of the North Lake Tahoe fall experience and the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe is again hosting the Holiday Jazz Festival November 26-27 with Peter White Christmas, Rick Braun, Mindy Abair, Gerald Albright and others.

Fabulous Fall Deals

Take advantage of North Lake Tahoe’s Fabulous Fall Celebration deals and savings with these Cool Deals. 

Nearly 30 restaurants are participating in the inaugural Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week, and most have posted their 3-course prix-fixe menus, scrumptious cuisine at exceptional values, to the event’s website. Menus are offered during the weeklong celebration Sunday, Sept. 5 through Sunday, Sept. 12.

There are no passes, tickets or coupons needed to take part in Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week. Instead you simply visit your favorite Lake Tahoe eatery, historic bistro or charming resort, all of which are offering 3-course, prix-fixe menus for $20, $30 and $40 per person (tax and gratuity not included). Reservations are recommended.

In South Lake Tahoe, 19 Kitchen & Bar has lobster corn chowder and beef medallions fromage, with Fresh Ketch providing a stuffed halibut with shrimp, lobster, scallops, Brie, dill and lemon beurre blanc. For authentic Mexican, Latin Soul has lamb steak with goat cheese crust and caramel flan with seasonal berries. Don’t miss the maple leaf duck breast at Edgewood Restaurant. It’s served up with an apple ginger sauce and sweet potato gnocchi, and paired with a 2006 BR Cohn, Silver Label, Cabernet.

North Lake Tahoe restaurants are also pulling out all the stops and Cottonwood Restaurant is offering a pine nut crusted Asian Basa with a tomato and dill beurre blanc and roasted autumn vegetables. River Grill has green chard raviolis with Sonoma goat cheese and portabella mushrooms, while Six Peaks Grille is providing a pan seared Bristol Bay salmon (with $2 of every $30 3-course dinner going to the Tahoe Forest Cancer Center). Right on the lake, Lone Eagle Grille has a mesquite grilled New York steak over watercress and red cabbage salad.

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus and the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce are Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week’s presenting sponsors.

Media partners are Tahoe Quarterly Magazine, Lake Tahoe Traveler Touch Tour, Edible Reno-Tahoe Magazine, Sierra Heritage Magazine, the Sierra Sun, North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, Chow, Lake Tahoe Action, the Tahoe Daily Tribune and Tahoe TV.

The Tahoe City Downtown Association, Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce and the Squaw Valley Institute are event Community Partners.

To learn more about Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week, a list of participating dining establishments and their downloadable prix-fixe menus, lodging discounts (up to 25 percent off for Restaurant Week attendees) and how to take part, visit www.TahoeRestaurantWeek.com.

If you’ve got toddlers, you know they wake up at the crack of dawn with more energy than an adult could muster in a week. Start the day by taking them to the gourmet Tahoe House Bakery on the West Shore, where you can stock up on coffee and some of the best-baked goods on the lake, which are made onsite during the wee hours of the morning. Kids feel right at home by the cozy fire, with loaner crayons, colorings books and plastic and wooden toys - all of which keeps them busy as the wolf down their bagel.

Regardless of age, you’ve got to keep the party moving – and one of the best ways to do that is a steady hike along one of North Lake Tahoe’s myriad of trails. A popular place for a family outing is off the picturesque Mount Rose Highway (431) with its paths of winding trails that lead through wildflower meadows and to stunning vistas.

After a workout, who can resist jumping in the lake? Head back down the hill to the sandy beaches of Kings Beach State Recreation Area, Sand Harbor Beach State Recreation Area just outside of Incline Village or Meeks Bay Resort on the West Shore, where the Washoe Native Americans summered during Tahoe’s early years. The lake’s clarity will tempt even the faintest of heart to plunge in headfirst. Once you’re cooled off then hit the sand for hours of sandcastle building, while older kids will enjoy renting a kayak and silently exploring Tahoe’s pure waters.

Lunch stops are many and include the established Bridgetender Tavern & Grill right on the Truckee River in Tahoe City, where locals and visitors hang out to watch the rafters disembark, and also munch on juicy burgers and waffle fries. Another popular joint is T’s Mesquite Rotisserie in the heart of Incline Village, which specializes in Mexican fare. Mouths are watering as the wafts of succulent grilled meat makes its way out the door to the line waiting to order. No credit cards taken here, so bring cash.

Let the afternoon slide by with a leisurely bike ride along one of Lake Tahoe’s many paved paths. A favorite stop, and perfect for those with training wheels, is the mellow Truckee River Trail from Tahoe City to River Ranch with is car-free route and loads of fly fisherman to watch. Parents and kids can stretch their legs at River Ranch Lodge’s outdoor patio overlooking the river, while sharing an appetizer or two. For those that shred year-round, the Truckee Skate Park off Highway 267 is ideal for skateboarders, and gets the thumbs up from kids for its layout and flawless trannys.

North Lake Tahoe restaurants make dinner-to-go a no-brainer with picnic-type themed goodies for those catching an outdoor movie under the stars at dusk. In Tahoe City, flicks every Wednesday night until 
August 25.

For sit down service, Lanza’s Restaurant in Kings Beach gets kids. This Italian favorite has been owned and operated by the same family for years and pulls out all the stops for the younger ones. Everything on the menu is scrumptious, but locals swear by the jumbo shells stuffed with a special ricotta mixture then baked with marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese. Also popular on the menu, and always a kid pleaser, are their homemade pizzas with toppings that range from pepperoni to anchovies. Lone Eagle Grille, right on the lake in Incline Village, is also kid friendly and offers a majestic Old Tahoe setting with the some of the freshest seafood and best steaks – anywhere. Another favorite is Mamasake in the Village at Squaw Valley, where parents can dine on delectable sushi rolls, such as the Stop Drop & Roll and the Mama’s Basically Insane, while kids not ready for the raw can get grilled shrimp or seared salmon.

For more information about North Lake Tahoe’s activities and events, along with lodging, recreation and the best deals, visit our homepage or call North Lake Tahoe at 1-877-949-3296.

North Lake Tahoe takes its music outdoors with a variety of concerts and festivals all part of the destination’s High Notes – North Tahoe’s summer long Music Series, running now through August. The lake’s music campaign also has a new website the covers all the weekly free events, festivals and headliners.

When you visiting country’s largest alpine lake, you will find outdoor live performances free of charge every night of the week, except Mondays. Sundays rock out at Tahoe City’s Commons Beach, which features Hot Buttered Rum July 18. It’s Blues Tuesdays at the Village at Squaw Valley, with Candye Kane July 20, and live music Wednesdays at the Truckee Regional Park and Thursdays on Commercial Row. Kings Beach is lakeside Fridays with Downbeat July 23, then Tahoe City Saturdays for Heritage Plaza’s Unplugged. The Village at Northstar also does a variety of live music on weekends.

There are also a number of fabulous ticketed musical events held throughout the region. In addition to its popular Shakespeare on the Beach, the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival now provides a Monday and Friday night music series, which is also held at the scenic Sand Harbor Beach State Recreation Area just outside of Incline Village.  This summer’s calendar is the best of the best with Orgone plugging funk, soul and Afro beats August 20. Sugaray lights us the stage with blues and souls July 16 and August 9, with Paul Thorn performing southern rock August 2 – all against Tahoe’s alpenglow sky.

Right on the Truckee River, River Ranch Lodge has its 18th Annual Under the Stars Concert Series with reggae, bluegrass, funk and rock, with Pato Banton & The New Generation Band July 22 and Prezident Brown from Jamaica August 5.

The Lake Tahoe Music Festival is one of the summer’s must-attend events with musical performances, set for July 22 to August 7, ranging from Broadway to classical to rock to jazz and big band swing. This year, the festival is taking their Orchestra Night on a  swingin’ ride…straight to the “sing era” of the 40s and 50s with Simply Sinatra, starring vocalist Steve Lippia, who will be belting out tunes including “My Way,” “New York New York” and “Mack the Knife” July 29 at Old Greenwood. Combining R&B, jazz and pop sounds, Natalie Cole, a nine-time Grammy Award-winner, is an unstoppable force in music and will perform August 5 at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort. The festival’s first country concert stars country legend Wynonna at Northstar July 31.

Wanderlust returns to Squaw Valley USA July 29 to August 1 with yoga, music and nature at the festival’s forefront. The music is a mix of styles and genres ranging from indie rock to electronic to alternative world to kirtan. The impressive lineup includes The Brazilian Girls, whose latest album was nominated for a Grammy, as well as MC Yogi, who combines his loves of yoga with hip-hop music.  MC Yogi made history when he released his video “Vote for Hope” in support of President Barack Obama. Through an incredible grassroots network, the video reached more than a million people in less than three weeks leading up to Election Day.

In Lake Tahoe’s historic casino corridor, the Crystal Bay Club offers a host of free concerts throughout the week, as well as ticketed bands from the Bay Area. What sets this venue apart is its intimate setting that gets guests up close to the performers.

Ticketed Concerts

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival’s Sand Harbor Music

July 12 – Reno Philharmonic - Broadway on the Beach

July 16 – Sugaray  - Blues and Soul

July 19 – Cecilia Noel  - Hip Shaking Latin Salsera

July 23 – Mitch Forman - World Renowned Jazz

July 26 – Café R & B - Presenting the First Lady of L.A. Blues!

July 30 – Mrs. Robinson - Hits from the 60’s & 70’s

Aug. 2 – Paul Thorn - Southern Rock

Aug. 6 – Royal Crown Revue - Gangster Swing

Aug. 9 – Sugaray  - Blues and Soul

Aug. 13 – Cecilia Noel  - Hip Shaking Latin Salsera

Aug. 16 – Karen Briggs - Legendary Yanni Violinist

Aug. 20 – Orgone - Funk, Soul and Afro Beats

28th Annual Lake Tahoe Music Festival

(gates open at 5:30 p.m., concerts start at 7 p.m.)

July 22 – America- 40th Anniversary Tour, West End Beach- Donner Lake

July 24 – Broadway’s Best with Debbie Gravitte, Tahoe Donner

July 29 – Steve Lippia’s Simply Sinatra, Old Greenwood

July 31 – An Evening with Wynonna, Northstar-At-Tahoe Resort

Aug. 5 – Natalie Cole, Northstar-At-Tahoe Resort

Aug. 7 – Michael McDonald, Northstar-At-Tahoe Resort

Outdoor Concerts

Jakes on the Lake

(concerts start at 8 p.m.)

July 9 – Hester Jazz Trio

July 10 – George Souza (jazz/flamenco/blues)

July 16 – Kip Yager (classic rock favorites)

July 17 – Doug Yuska (acoustic folk)

July 23 and 24 –Dave Manning (the piano guy)

July 30 – Emily Tessmer (piano/vocals)

July 31 – Paul Covarelli & George Sauerbier (guitar & stand-up

bass duo)

Commons Beach Summer Concerts

(all concerts start at 4 p.m.)

July 11 – Mumbo Gumbo

July 18 – Hot Buttered Rum

July 25 – Janiva Magness

Aug. 1 – The Mother Hips

Aug. 8 – Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Cha’s

Aug. 15 – The Trey Stone Band

Aug. 21 – Vinyl

Aug. 29 – Monte Montgomery Band

Sept. 5, 3 p.m. – Grand Finale’ Grammy Winner Bill Champlin with The Sons of

Champlin

Bluesdays at the Village at Squaw Valley

(all concerts start at 6 p.m.)

July 13 – Guitar Shorty

July 20 – Candye Kane

July 27 – David Jacobs Strain

Aug. 3 – Lady Bianca

Aug. 10 – Zac Harmon

Aug. 17 – Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers

Aug. 24 – Carolyn Wonderland

Aug. 31 – Eden Brent

Moody’s Bistro and Lounge

July 14 and 15 – Shotgun Wedding Quintet, 9 p.m.

July 16 and 17 – Supertaster, 8:30 p.m.

Music on the Beach

Kings Beach, Ca

July 16 – Groove Session      

July 23 – Downbeat

July 30 – Funky Miracle

Aug. 6 – Buster Blue

Aug. 13 – Jelly Bread

Aug. 20 -– The Trey Stone Band

Casino Concerts

Crystal Bay Casino

(all shows are 21 and over)

July – 10 ALBINO! 9 p.m.

July 12 and 13 – The Soul of John Black, 10 p.m.

July14 – Rogue Wave, 9 p.m.

July 15 – Dead Winter Carpenters, 10 p.m.

July 16 – Stone Foxes, 10 p.m.

July 17 – Leon Russell, 9 p.m.

Tahoe Biltmore

(all shows are from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

July 9 – Baron Von Remmel

July 10 – Whitney Meyer Band

July 15 – Entertainment TBD

July 16 – Grove Session

July 17 – Entertainment TBD

North Lake Tahoe plays host to a number of independence events and celebrations, which begin Friday, July 2.

Incline Village pulls out all the stops with a multi-day celebration, scheduled for Friday, July 2 through Sunday, July 4, called Red, White and Tahoe Blue. Special events include a 4th of July concert, flag raising, special lunch for veterans, patriotic chalk drawing contest and ice cream social for children, parade, dress-up-doggie contest, opening ceremonies and rubber ducky race. The festivities culminate with the Fourth of July Fireworks, Sunday, July 4, at 9:30 p.m.

Fireworks get under way at Kings Beach Saturday, July 3. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. and can be best seen from the Kings Beach State Recreation Area . There’s also a Viewing Party at the North Tahoe Event Center, starting at 6:30 p.m., right on the water in Kings Beach. For just $10, attendees get entry to front row fireworks, live music and dancing, along with a no host bar and food available for purchase throughout the evening.

The Village at Squaw Valley USA hosts new releases and summer classics as part of their Summer Movie Series Thursday, July 1 at dusk. Flicks are shown in the plaza on the big screen under the stars. The Squaw Valley 4th of July Fine Arts and Crafts Festival is July 2-4, while the resort’s popular Mountaintop Stargazing is July 2-3. There is also a Family Disco Skate Party scheduled for Friday, July 2 at the High Camp Ice Pavilion.

The holiday weekend also starts on Thursday, July 1 at the Village at Northstar in Truckee with a Family Golf Clinic at 4 p.m., followed by their annual Outdoor Movie Night (every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night through August 28), with the Bee Movie, Little Giants and Earth running respectively over the July 4 holiday weekend. The resort is also hosting Kid’s Adventure Day Camps, giving parents some time solo, with interactive learning experiences that involve nature hikes, games and activities.

Tahoe City’s 64th annual fireworks celebration begins at 9:30 p.m. at Commons Beach Sunday, July 4. Prime viewing spots are from the beach, where family picnics are popular, as well as various locations throughout town along North Lake Boulevard.

On the West Shore just outside of Tahoe City, Granlibakken Lodge has got a western barbeque Sunday, July 4. Guests here get a special rate when they stay two nights with the third night free and can walk or ride bikes to the Tahoe City fireworks.

It’s an old-fashioned July Fourth Holiday Celebration in Truckee Sunday, July 4 with a morning Truckee Firecracker Mile fun run and walk for all ages followed by a 10 a.m. hometown parade in historical downtown along Commercial Row.

Free Concerts

·         Northstar-at-Tahoe hosts free concerts every Friday and Saturday night starting June 12 to August 20 where you can sit back, relax and enjoy a nice summer evening.

·         Commons Beach is the scenic venue for the Tahoe City Concerts every Sunday starting June 20 to September 5.  The concert line-up includes performances featuring both local acts and regional touring artists.

·         Dust off your beach chairs and dancing sandals for Music on the Beach in Kings Beach Friday evenings beginning July 2 to August 20.

·         The Tahoe Biltmore and Crystal Bay Club also offer a variety of live music weekly so you are sure to stay in tune every day of the week.

Ticketed Concerts

·         The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival offers live music set against the magnificent Lake Tahoe backdrop at Sand Harbor.  This year they are welcoming back the Sand Harbor Music Series so get ready to dance in the aisles every Monday and Friday night from July 9 to August 22 at Sand Harbor, featuring everything from blues, jazz, classic 70’s rock, Latin rhythm, the Reno Philharmonic, and so much more.

·         From blues to Bach and beyond, the Lake Tahoe Music Festival scheduled for July 22 to August 7 at various locations in North Lake Tahoe combines scintillating sounds with the beauty of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe all underneath a blanket of stars. The year’s fantastic musical lineup brings incredible artists including Natalie Cole, Michael McDonald, Wynonna and America’s 40^th Anniversary Tour. The series also stays true to its classical roots with two orchestra-backed performances of Broadway’s Best with Debbie Gravitte and an evening of ol’ blue eye classics with Simply Sinatra featuring Steve Lippia for a total of six concerts.

·         The Wanderlust Festival is a one-of-a-kind festival bringing together the world’s best yoga teachers and best performers in rock & roll all in a setting of breathtaking natural beauty, Squaw Valley USA. For its second year, you can expect a mix of styles and genres ranging from indie rock to electronic to alternative world to kirtan.