Ever been in two states at the same time? The California/Nevada state line cleaves Crystal Bay and you can actually swim from one state to the other in the Cal-Neva Resort's swimming pool. Very cool party trick. The Lake Tahoe neighborhood of Crystal Bay overlooks its namesake and sits upon a tremendous granite-boulder-strewn point.

This is where Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Kennedy and Sam Giancana (the mobster whose presence brought Sinatra's casino adventures to an end) played here in the '60s. There are four lively casinos with the gamut of Lake Tahoe lodging and dining, plus a tremendous helping of live entertainment.