NORTH LAKE TAHOE Vacation Adventures & Eats

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY JEFF ZIMERMAN

We just returned from a wonderful four day trip in North Lake Tahoe. We spent our days and evenings stargazing, cycling, hiking, kayaking, river rafting and eating delicious meals.  The North Lake Tahoe Visitor Bureau was very helpful and we highly recommend that you view their website for recommendations on where to stay, play, and dine at https://www.gotahoenorth.com/. Some of our highlights included:

West Shore Sports in North Lake Tahoe is a great place to rent bicycles, kayaks, and paddle boards by the hour, half day, or full day during the summer. In the winter they rent snow-related equipment such as skis, snowboards, etc. The staff was very professional, friendly, and helpful. They have 3 three convenient locations in North Lake Tahoe: Homewood, Sunnyside and Sugar Pine Point. On your next North Lake Tahoe vacation, we recommend that you consider renting from West Shore Sports.  Visit their website at https://westshoresports.com/.

We joined Tahoe Star Tours at the Dark Skies Cosmoarium at Northstar California Ski Resort in Truckee, North Lake Tahoe for an amazing evening of stargazing! Tahoe Star Tours is available on Thursday and Saturday evenings from June to September. We gathered around a warm fire pit with star guide Tony Berendsen who educated us on all things space, followed by opportunities to stargaze through their telescopes.  Details and ticket information can be found at https://www.tahoestartours.com/.

We enjoyed a magical summer evening with Tahoe Adventure Company in North Lake Tahoe on their “full moon kayak tour.” We paddled out with our guides and witnessed a beautiful sunset, a gorgeous rainbow, and the beauty of the lake as the light changed to darkness. We also toured the lake while our guides entertained us with stories about Lake Tahoe and its history. Although we had hoped to see the full moon, the clouds made that impossible. It was still a fabulous evening though and we plan to try again! After about two hours on the lake we returned to shore and capped off the evening with hot drinks, snacks, and more stargazing on the beach. The staff was very professional and friendly.  Tahoe Adventure Company offers adventure trips, guided kayak and bicycle tours as well as kayak and paddleboard rentals.  We highly recommend that you join them on your next North Lake Tahoe visit. You can find further details at https://tahoeadventurecompany.com/

We spent an invigorating and fun-filled three hours on a Sunday morning rafting on the Truckee River in North Lake Tahoe with Tributary Whitewater Tours. The very friendly and helpful staff greeted us upon arrival and took the time to answer each person’s questions and concerns. After a quick shuttle ride to the river, we rafted through scenic meadows, mountains, and small but exciting rapids, making the trip enjoyable for all ages. Each raft comes with a highly qualified guide who instructs guests both before and during the trip. We highly recommend rafting with Tributary Whitewater Tours. Tributary Whitewater Tours provides tours through California, Oregon, and Idaho. You can find more information at https://whitewatertours.com/white-water-rafting/truckee-river-rafting-half-day-raft-trip/ and https://whitewatertours.com/

Spoon Restaurant is a wonderful, small restaurant located in a cottage in North Lake Tahoe. It is definitely one of the best dining experiences we had while in Lake Tahoe! The focus is on creating homemade yummy, eclectic comfort food using fresh and locally sourced ingredients.   Spoon rotates their menu based on the season. The staff was very friendly and checked on us regularly. We started our meal with Shrimp Aguachile, made with gingered mango gazpacho, cara orange, celery, mint, tomato, and Aleppo pepper.  Second, we shared the Summer Goddess Salad with organic greens, citrus roasted carrots, sultanas, scallions, toasted almonds, queso fresco, and Zhee’s Tahini Goddess dressing.  We then shared two entrees — the Garlic Roasted Organic Tofu with quinoa & chickpea tabbouleh, roasted cauliflower, house-made nut “feta” & pomegranate molasses and the Pan Roasted Salmon with asparagus, kalamata olive-roasted pepper vinaigrette, and daikon radish ribbons.  For dessert, we had the decadent and delicious Million Dolla’ Slice, which is layered buttery shortbread, salty caramel, dark chocolate ganache, and toasted almonds. Overall, it was a fantastic meal in a lovely setting, and we will definitely be back.  https://spoontahoe.com/

Shadyside Lounge is a lovely neighborhood local gathering place in North Lake Tahoe featuring a modern Mexican menu. Shadyside is now open seven days a week. For our dinner, we sat outdoors under the pine trees — a true Lake Tahoe experience. We each ordered a roasted seasonal veggie burrito, which was served on a 12” flour tortilla, and packed with house-made black beans, red rice, Chihuahua cheese, avocado crema, and spicy pickled red onions. It came with a side of chips and was large enough to have leftovers the next day. https://www.tahoeshadyside.com

Za’s Lakefront in North Lake Tahoe is open for lunch & dinner services daily. Za’s offers an eclectic American Italian seasonal menu with something for everyone at affordable prices. The deck overlooks Lake Tahoe and is considered one of the best restaurant views in the area. We started our meal with Za’s wonderful House Salad — a spring mix with cucumber, roasted beets, tomato, and a hard-boiled egg. For our entree, we shared Za’s very tasty Maple Glazed Butternut Squash Pizza, made with mozzarella, goat cheese, green onion, roasted red bells, sun-dried cherries, toasted cayenne pecans, and pumpkin seeds.  We enjoyed the meal and will definitely be back! https://zaslakefront.com/

Fire Sign Cafe has been a cozy, family-owned and operated Breakfast and Lunch restaurant in North Lake Tahoe since 1978. We enjoyed breakfast at Fire Sign while sitting on the beautiful outdoor deck surrounded by pine trees. We ordered two entrees. The French Toast, made from thick-sliced Challah Bread (from Truckee Sourdough) and topped with bananas, was delicious. The Cakes & Eggs Combo was also very tasty — including a choice of two buttermilk, whole wheat, or buckwheat pancakes, and two eggs any style. The meal was a relaxing start to a beautiful Tahoe day. https://www.firesigncafe.com/