Our guest post comes from Seth Halpern, editor of The Ambassador, a monthly publication dedicated to encouraging the local Christian community in Yuba City, CA. Seth is also the host of a weekly radio show of the same name. His website is www.ambassadornewspaper.com
For the most part, ever since we moved to Yuba City from the Bay Area, we have been “locals” who do just about everything here in town. Once in a while, though, it is good to “get out of town”! So recently we went for a weekend getaway to South Lake Tahoe. Somehow (and I’m still not quite sure why), we have never taken the drive to spend a weekend in Tahoe. Perhaps it’s because I thought that since we aren’t skiers in winter or boaters in summer, there was nothing much to do. Well, we found out otherwise.
We shared a “cabin” (more like a big house) with longtime friends from the Bay Area. After a Friday evening of relaxing and breathing in some fresh mountain air, we got ready for a full day of activity on Saturday. We experienced what is perhaps the two most popular “attractions” in the area. A Scenic Cruise around the lake and the Heavenly Gondola. Of course, the truly more popular attractions are the ski slopes and the beach/boating areas, but that’s not us.
From Zephyr Cove, a ten minute drive to Stateline and next to the casinos wasHeavenlyVillage. We meandered around the shops afterward, but for now our mission was to scale the heights on the gondola. The six of us sat comfortably in the fully-enclosed container. Though not thrill ride, the gondola is quite a challenge for those with a fear of heights. My wife, has such a fear, but after a few brief bouts of panic, seemed to really enjoy the ride. The first stop (more than half way up) brings you to the observation deck with breathtaking views of the lake, while the casinos resembled Lego pieces. At over 9,000 feet, I’m not quite sure whether it was the spectacular view or the elevation that took our breath away.
For a couple that is not interested in water sports, skiing, or casinos, South Lake Tahoe really does have some wonderful experiences to behold. One piece of advice, though… although, it was suggested that we can easily enjoy both of these activities in a day, I don’t advise it. Take a day at each to enjoy God’s handiwork at the beach at Zephyr Cove, and hiking trails at the top of the gondola ride and enjoy this jewel of the Sierras without the need to even peek into the casino!