South Lake Tahoe

Since I can remember, Lake Tahoe has been on my bucket list! I envisioned going here in the summer because tire chains are recommended during the winter months. However, I got there safe and sound in January 2023 with my 4-wheel drive Jeep Cherokee and totally enjoyed being flanked by snow banks piled up on the sides of the road while heading there. I met up with one of my friends' daughters who lives in South Lake Tahoe, and she gave me the locals’ insight. You won’t want to miss some of these food suggestions in the “Where to Eat” section below.

What to Do

Heavenly Ski Resort

Oftentimes I was told that Heavenly Ski Resort has the best views when skiing. I only got to experience the California side of Heavenly, which I think showed off an incredibly powerful landscape as well as the lake. I was able to ski the green and blue slopes here, as I would consider myself an intermediate skier. The ski shop here has a lot of good deals and I even found ski pants in the clearance rack to match my Burton jacket. When getting here for skiing, you will want to make sure you get there before 7:45am on the weekends or else the line to the California Lodge can be unimaginable.

Where to Eat

Curry & Grill

Located at the back of a liquor store… but wait, keep reading… This is some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had. This little literal hole-in-the-wall carryout restaurant is worth it. The chicken tikka masala is one of the best. Be ready for them to ask you your spice level from 1-5. We also ordered the garlic naan bread.

Thai on Ski Run

This is a great little Thai place. I got the yellow curry dish, as I always do at Thai restaurants. This is walking distance from Black Bear Lodge, which is the first hotel I stayed at.

Cafe Fiore

Another little literal hole-in-the-wall restaurant is Cafe Fiore, which centers around Italian food. This restaurant can only seat about 20 people total so be sure to make reservations. If you choose the swordfish dish, there will never be another swordfish dish. The waiter told me this and I can never have swordfish ever again unless it is eaten here! Another notable dish (dessert this time) is the white chocolate ice cream. This restaurant is also walking distance from Black Bear Lodge. I highly recommend coming here!

Sprouts Cafe

Not the grocery store Sprouts, but a healthy really good lunch place. We ordered here on our way back from South Lake Tahoe to Napa Valley, since this restaurant is a little further away from the main area of South Lake Tahoe. We also loved their juices, I especially liked the Kale Refresher and the All Green Juice. We all got the Vegetable Crunch sandwich and enjoyed every bite!

Base Camp Pizza

This really good pizza place is located walking distance from Marriott’s Timber Lodge. If you have a hankering for a pizza, definitely come here and also order a hot chocolate (with some Bailey’s).

Cuppa Tahoe

Cuppa Tahoe is an adorable coffee, bookstore, and gift shop which I loved to sit and look at books/work on this blog while drinking a smoothie. I loved the Mystery Smoothie - very much a darker red and purple-colored berry-filled drink.

Where to Stay

Black Bear Lodge

This lodge is very short driving-distance away from the California Lodge of Heavenly Ski Resort. I loved this location for being able to walk to the really nice restaurants of “Thai on Ski Run” and “Cafe Fiore,” and for a more quaint and homey-experience. Our hotel room got upgraded since we were staying for 4 nights and we were very appreciative of that! The place gave us a fancier experience than I’ve gotten in a while!

Marriott Timber Lodge

You can see and walk to the gondola from this very large hotel. It is also close to many shops and restaurants of South Lake Tahoe. This is the main lodge that most people stay at so it fills up quickly. The convenience is very desirable since you can get on the gondola to the slopes right outside the hotel doors.