San Francisco and Lake Tahoe by Jenny Magee
Travelscene Samford
Well we’ve had a real run of some fantastic educationals lately so it was my turn to visit an old favourite San Francisco plus a new place for me – Lake Tahoe.
We landed in San Francisco and picked up our hire cars and drove 8 hours (should have been 3-4hours !!! we took the scenic route) to Lake Tahoe….moral of the story, make sure you have a GPS system to make life and the journey much more enjoyable.
We landed in San Francisco and picked up our hire cars and drove 8 hours (should have been 3-4hours !!! we took the scenic route) to Lake Tahoe….moral of the story, make sure you have a GPS system to make life and the journey much more enjoyable.
Spring in Lake Tahoe is the perfect opportunity for fishing and using the scenic Tahoe golf courses. Summer is family fun time with mountain biking, horse riding, swimming, and watersports. Every season offers unique Tahoe activities from cultural and arts festivals to exciting Las Vegas-style entertainment. In addition there is always great dining and casino gaming year round.Seeing the wonderful landscape in the spring, and the abundance of walking trails was a real highlight. The snow capped mountains in the distance and cool crisp fresh air, you knew you were in the mountains. Taking the gondola to the top of the mountains really did make you feel like you were on top of the world.
We stayed at the Village at Squaw in a 3-bedroom apartment overlooking the village square and mountains. A fantastic location that slept 8 adults comfortably, right in the heart of all the activities, be it winter for skiing or spring/summer for hiking. During our holidays here in January the skiing there is great and it’s low season as they are in school so the accommodation is so cheap – something to think about next time you want to take the family on a great skiing holiday. The ski resort of Northstar is also worth a visit with plenty of daily activities for the avid skier. A relaxing afternoon spent sailing on Lake Tahoe is a must for any budding sailor.
When heading back towards San Francisco take the scenic route via Emerald Bay and stop off at the tourist rest spot for some wonderful photo opportunities overlooking Lake Tahoe.
Once back in San Francisco our days were packed with activities like “bike riding” over the golden gate bridge (see picture) to Sausalito, cruising on San Francisco Bay on the escape from the rock cruise and around the infamous Alcatraz penitenuary. There are many dinning options in San Francisco, one of my favourites was at Neptune’s Palace restaurant at pier 39 over looking the bay. Another great option was doing the Hornblower dinner dance cruise around the bay.
Pier 39 is a hive of activity, especially on the weekends. Not only is it where the daily ferries depart for day trips to Alcatraz, you can also see the local seal colony, be entertained by the buskers, street performers, Hop on Hop off buses or take a horse and carriage ride.
Accommodation in SanFrancisco is well suited for all, from the Handlery at Union Square to the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express at Fisherman’s Wharf. San Francisco is often know as the windy city and this couldn’t be more true, so pack for all weather conditions.
The diversity of being close enough to spend time in the mountains and the city is sure to be a holiday to fit with everybody’s needs.
At Travelscene Samford it’s the work we do before you travel that makes all the difference. Don’t forget that only Travelscene American Express lets you travel anywhere, any time and pay with your membership rewards points so contact us on 3289 3700 and let us help you turn your American Express membership rewards points into your next trip.
