Must-Do's in Lake Tahoe

Heavenly Valley

How about taking a trip you won’t forget? It all starts at Heavenly Valley. The first part of the adventure is simply getting there—gondola-style! It’s a fun ride for kids and grown-ups alike. As is the new Heavenly Flyer (read more in the Adventure Rush article). Located just half a block west of Stateline, the Gondola is mere steps from most major lodging facilities, and puts the serenity of an alpine mountain within minutes of six casinos and nearly 5,000 hotel rooms. The eight-passenger gondola cabins take you almost two and one-half miles up the mountain in 12 minutes while you enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe.

Just when it seems the ride can't get any better, you’ll arrive at The Deck—a 14,000-square-foot mid-station observation platform. Located at 9,123 feet, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of the Carson Valley, Desolation Wilderness and shore-to-shore views of true-blue Lake Tahoe. Next, the gondola takes you up the valley to the top of Adventure Peak, where Stage 3 of this adventure is the park itself, complete with restaurant, terrain parks, cross-country ski rentals and trails, snowshoe rentals, snowbike rentals, wall-climbing and hiking trails.

When you come back down from the mountain in your gondola cabin, exit stage right and head for all the shopping at the fairly new 44-store shopping mall for even more fun and games. They’ve got it all, and eateries, too. Heavenly Mountain Resort, tel. 775-586-7000; www.skiheavenly.com.

• Ski lessons at Heavenly Mountain Resort help kids feel comfortable on the slopes.
• Corey Rich

Summer Fun

Hot Air Ballooning 

Time to slap on some sunscreen and get your movie star glasses on. You’re about to embark on the ride of your life—in a hot-air balloon over Lake Tahoe! You’ll hook-up with the Lake Tahoe Hot-Air Balloon patrol early in the morning, usually around 5 a.m. The staff picks you up at your hotel, and transports you to the launch site. You will meet your group and guide in Carson Valley, a few miles east of the South Shore. Soon, you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of this valley, which National Geographic rated as one of the most picturesque in North America.

You will be involved during the balloon inflation process and will receive a deluxe continental breakfast. Once launched, the flight will last an hour, with views of the ranchlands, rivers, wildlife and Lake Tahoe. Weather permitting, you will reach elevations of about 10,000 feet making it possible to look over the Sierras to Lake Tahoe. These lake views are truly breathtaking from this vantage point. At your landing destination, to celebrate this once in a lifetime experience, the pilot, crew and your guests will all enjoy a traditional champagne toast with plenty of champagne, mimosas and snacks while the crew deflates and packs up the balloon. You also get a souvenir as a memento of this special day. I have personally experienced it, and it feels like you are floating on a cloud; it is serene and peaceful. Allow four hours for the trip. $250 per person. Tel. 800-872-9294. www.laketahoeballoons.com

• Floating over Lake Tahoe in a hot air balloon highlights the area's majestic beauty of the area.
• Courtesy of Lake Tahoe Balloons Inc.

Fishing

Lake Tahoe isn’t known for its fishing, but really, it’s an awesome place to fish. In fact, sport fishermen flock to the Lake Tahoe region of the Sierras for the area’s wealth of choice fishing spots and prize fish. Practically name it and the lake has it: rainbow trout, brown trout, mackinaw and kokanee salmon. There are plenty of fishing outfits who can show you some of Lake Tahoe’s best fishing holes. Check out Mile High Fishing Charters, tel. 866-752–FISH; Blue Ribbon Fishing Charters tel. 530-544-6552; Tahoe Sportsfishing Company, tel. 530-541-5448. For additional on-the-water options, read our Tahoe boating article.