Restore Your Soul in Lake Tahoe

AWARENESS MAGAZINE November/December 2014

As a reluctant city person, when I want to get away, nothing beats the destinations that combine natural quiet elegance with untamed spaces and simple pleasures. Lake Tahoe, with its sparkling and seductive personality, has the ability to permeate your soul. Mark Twain was so enamored with its beauty in the late 1880’s that he referred to the lake as “the fairest picture the whole earth affords.” The stunning scenery is matched with world class options for outdoor recreation, premier restaurants and fabulous places to stay.

After flying into Reno, I departed for Lake Tahoe on the Tahoe Express shuttle service to meet my good friend DJ. We both love outdoor adventure and within a few hours after arriving we were up in the air parasailing over the lake. Our view from high in the sky as we sailing over the crystal clear water was simply spectacular! Lake Tahoe is North America’s largest alpine lake, with 72 miles of shoreline. It is the highest lake of its size, with an elevation of 6,226 feet. With a depth of 1,645 feet, it is the third deepest lake in North America and the 10th deepest in the world. The panorama of mountains surrounding the lake create postcard beauty in the summer and turn into some of the world’s finest downhill skiing in the winter.

After our parasailing adventure, we headed to Cedar Glen Lodge to our two bedroom cabin with a wood burning stove, just across the road from the lake. The cozy lodge felt like a secluded retreat, sheltered among seasoned pine and cedar trees. Cedar Glen is ideally situated, close to skiing, hiking trails and dozens of regional attractions.

Prior to heading over to dinner to The Rustic Lounge, just across the courtyard, neither DJ or I were aware of the fact that this small, casual restaurant offers fine dining, along with two Le Cordon Bleu trained chefs. The French-inspired cuisine featuring local ingredients simply left us speechless! We sampled the Starter Scallops with brown butter, sage, heirloom garlic pu-ree and pecan wood smoked bacon. Sumptuous and deliciously garnished main courses fol-lowed. We completed a night of sheer indulgence with a Cherry Bomb, consisting of cherry mousse, toasted pistachio cake, cherry and cocoa nib sorbet, stewed huckleberries and chocolate for dessert.

After a good night’s sleep and scrumptious continental breakfast in the lobby bar, we headed off to Treetop Adventure Park to embark on a morning filled with sheer thrills and heart-stopping challenges. The competent and attentive staff gave us the reassurance and individual attention we needed before heading out and conquering the zip lines and rope ladders hanging high between the trees. Afterwards, we took our time to explore the 50-foot tree plat-forms connected by the bridges and zip lines and patted ourselves on the back for our bravery.

Visiting the Thunderbird Lodge Historic Estate, with its stunning architecture and panoramic views, came as a complete surprise. Prior to my visit, I’d never even heard of this place and didn’t recognize the name of the former owner, George Whittell Jr. Mr. Whittell, heir to one of San Francisco’s wealthiest families, inherited $30 million dollars and soon afterwards, made $20 million more in the stock market before the 1929 Crash.

Whittell proceeded to purchase 40,000 acres of the Nevada Shore of Lake Tahoe, initially planning to develop it and then decided he “liked not having neighbors.” When he died in 1969, much of the land went to the state or the U.S. Forest Service. Today, this huge piece of property remains undeveloped for all of us to enjoy. What a legacy!

The next day, we drove around six miles along the Truckee River and headed up to Squaw Valley in North Tahoe. The site, home to the 1960 Winter Olympic games, buzzes in the summer with hiking and bike riding and thrills skiers during the winter. We stayed at the Village at Squaw Valley and walked everywhere. We rented bikes at Parallel Mountain Sports and rode the tram up to High Camp, with an elevation of 8,200 feet. We walked around the corner to Trilogy Spa and treated ourselves to an afternoon of pampering. I chose the Lehua Honey Escape, a luxurious signature treatment consisting of applications of honey and coconut oil, with a cascading vichy rain bar rinse.

In the evening, we decided to make the short drive to River Ranch Restaurant, on the banks of the Truckee River for dinner. While sipping wine and perusing the menu, we looked out the window and watched the water roll across the top of the river rocks. Halibut Ceviche and Cervena Elk with Spice Rub and Sweet Corn Grits are house specialties. Perfection!

Leaving this outdoor wonderland tuned out to be an arduous task. It’s easy to see why Lake Tahoe, with spectacular views of ice-blue water and majestic mountains, is one of the most photographed places in the world!

Prior to flying home, I wanted to spend the night in Reno at the eco-conscious Peppermill Resort Spa Casino. This AAA Four-Diamond resort, known for their ground breaking green initiatives, is said to be the only U.S. hotel heated 100% by on-site geothermal energy. What does this mean? The Peppermill saves millions of dollars a year in natural gas bills and their carbon footprint has been drastically reduced by 12,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year. Along with other conservation programs, including LED parking lot lights and 40,000 square-feet of artificial grass turf that saves approximately 5.2 million gallons of water per season, a soap re-cycling program is in place and diverts more than 1,000 pounds of soap and shampoo a month from local landfills to a nonprofit agency that benefits Third World children.

IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION:

Cedar Glen Lodge: Call (530)-546-4281 or contact - tahoecedarglen.com

The Village at Squaw Valley: Call (530)-584-1000 or contact - SQUAW.com

Peppermill Reno: Call (775)-826-2121 or contact - PeppermillReno.com

North Lake Tahoe Express: Call (866)-216-5222 or contact - NorthLakeTahoeExpress.com

Squaw Valley Tourism: Call (855)-811-9905 or contact - Squaw.com