Tahoe City, Tahoe City

A friend and I visited Lake Tahoe 2 years ago on a day trip and liked it so much we wanted to go back for a vacation. Not wanting to stay on the south shore, we settled on Tahoe City (one of our stops on the earlier trip). What a great choice! It has lots of great shops, restaurants, etc., but it's very mellow (exactly what we were looking for). We stayed at the America's Best Value Inn and would definitely go back there. It's an older building, but it was very clean, the office staff was helpful and it has a great location. Ask for a room on the second floor facing the lake. You have to try the hot tub. It overlooks the lake and has to be the best view I've ever seen from a hot tub! We loved the Sunday afternoon Emerald Bay cruise on the Tahoe Gal. Try the coffee and muffins at the Bagelry, ice cream at the Gear and Grind, and meals at Jake's, Rosie's, and the Blue Agave. There's also kayaking, biking, swimming (if you can stand the cold temps), feeding the trout, and lots of other things to do.