Trip | A Lake Tahoe weekend with friends | South Lake Tahoe, CA | 3 days
Day 1 – South Shore and the gondola
12:00 PM | Stay | The Landing Tahoe Resort & Spa, 4104 Lakeshore Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA | Or wherever the group is staying
1:00 PM | Do | Heavenly Gondola, 1001 Heavenly Village Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA | Runs daily in summer. Get off at the Observation Deck partway up for the lake view
4:00 PM | Do | Pope Beach, Pope Beach, South Lake Tahoe, CA | Paid parking, season runs May to October; no dogs
7:00 PM | Eat | Himmel Haus, 3819 Saddle Rd, South Lake Tahoe, CA | Bavarian food; takes large parties, so book ahead
Day 2 – Emerald Bay
7:30 AM | Eat | Ernie's Coffee Shop, 1207 Emerald Bay Rd, South Lake Tahoe, CA | Breakfast from 7 AM, on the way to Emerald Bay
8:30 AM | Do | Eagle Falls Trailhead, Highway 89, Emerald Bay, South Lake Tahoe, CA | Small paid lot that fills early. Past the falls you're in Desolation Wilderness, which needs a permit
10:30 AM | Do | Vikingsholm, Emerald Bay State Park, South Lake Tahoe, CA | Steep one-mile walk down from the Highway 89 lot. Tours run late May to September 30, first come, first served. Lower Eagle Falls is a quarter mile behind the visitor center
1:30 PM | Do | Baldwin Beach, Baldwin Beach, South Lake Tahoe, CA | Picnic tables but no drinking water; bring lunch and plenty to drink
7:00 PM | Eat | Riva Grill, 900 Ski Run Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA | The group dinner, on the water at Ski Run Marina; call ahead for a big table
Maybe | Do | Gatekeeper's Museum, 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA | About 45 minutes north on Highway 89, next to the Lake Tahoe dam; open Wednesday to Sunday, April to October
Day 3 – Sand Harbor and the drive home
8:00 AM | Travel | South Lake Tahoe, CA > Drive to Sand Harbor, 2005 Highway 28, Incline Village, NV | About 45 minutes up the east shore on US 50 and NV 28. Check out first
8:45 AM | Do | Sand Harbor, 2005 Highway 28, Incline Village, NV | Part of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. Vehicle entry needs a reservation in summer, and you can't park on Highway 28
9:30 AM | Do | Clearly Tahoe, 2005 Highway 28, Incline Village, NV | Walk-up kayak and paddleboard rentals inside Sand Harbor; first come, first served, and calm mornings are best
12:30 PM | Eat | Tunnel Creek Cafe, 1115 Tunnel Creek Rd, Incline Village, NV | Breakfast and lunch until 3 PM, a few minutes north of Sand Harbor
2:00 PM | Travel | Incline Village, NV > Reno-Tahoe International Airport, 2001 E Plumb Ln, Reno, NV | About an hour over the Mount Rose Highway
Maybe | Do | Donner Memorial State Park, Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, CA | Go home through Truckee and I-80 instead; it adds about 30 minutes. The visitor center is open 10 AM to 5 PM