Back to Incline Village, Lake Tahoe ~ Wisetrips Travel Blog

Friday, August 29, 2025

About a week ago, Inna and I decided to visit North Lake Tahoe (Incline Village) during the Labor Day weekend, when we would have Monday, September 1, off as a company holiday. Inna had made hotel reservations at the Incline Lodge for 3 nights and dinner reservations at a couple of restaurants (Soule Domain and Big Water Grille).

We planned to start our drive to North Lake Tahoe at around 18:00, but were delayed by UPS. Both Inna and I were expecting packages, which, for one reason or another, were delayed. I was expecting an Adorama package, which required my signature. Eventually, at 18:30, the UPS delivery truck stopped by our house, and we received our shipments.

We started our drive at 6:30 p.m., noting that there was still considerable traffic in the Lake Tahoe area. The projected driving time was reduced from 5 hours to 4.5 hours (normally, it's about 4 hours to cover the 186 miles). I had charged the Tesla Model Y to 95%, so that we could drive nonstop.

As we drove along 680 and 80, we encountered many slowdowns and very heavy traffic until we passed Sacramento. Even though our Tesla started out at 95%, we had to stop for additional charging at the Auburn Tesla Supercharger (our battery was below 30%). With that additional stop time, we arrived at Incline Lodge very late, past 11:30 p.m.

Inna had called ahead to Incline Lodge to check in and had to submit some documents to her room access code (as the lobby would close at 23:00), closing before our arrival. She called the hotel to warn of our late arrival, and the hotel staff called back, explaining the late-night check-in procedure.

When we finally reached the Incline Lodge, we parked our Tesla Model Y outside, found and unlocked our room #204, and went to bed.

Saturday, August 30, 2025

I had my alarm set to 07:00 and woke up right on time. After taking a shower, I quickly dressed and waited for Inna to get ready. We decided to eat breakfast at the nearby Drink Coffee, Do Stuff cafe. Last time we visited Lake Tahoe (during the July 4th weekend in 2024, we had eaten there, but had to wait in a very long line.

We decided to arrive early, getting there at 07:37. The line was quite short, and we quickly ordered the following:

Boris: Cappuccino, Yogurt parfait, Bread with Jam
Inna: Latte, Breakfast sandwich with Prosciutto

The Yogurt Parfait with granola was too sweet. I prefer Icelandic Skyr to Greek yogurt. The Bread with Jam was also too sweet. Inna liked her Breakfast Sandwich with Prosciutto.

Finishing around 08:15, we started our drive to Sand Harbor State Park, hoping to arrive in time to get a parking space. Unfortunately, we had not made parking reservations one week in advance and were turned away. Next time, make reservations at least one week in advance. (By the way, the daily parking fee is $15).

We decided to return to Tunnel Creek Cafe (3 miles north), where we could park our car (limited paid parking) and take the East Shore Express bus/shuttle (runs daily from 10:00 to 18:00). We decided not not wait for the shuttle. We grabbed our bag (containing swimsuits, towels, Kindles, and GoPro Hero 10 Black) and two beach chairs and walked 3 miles south (in about 55 minutes) to Sand Harbor State Park, following the Tahoe East Shore Trail.

On arriving at Sand Harbor State Park, we had to pay $4 entrance fee ($2 / person), and we looked for the Clearly Tahoe Kayak Rentals at Sand Harbor. It was a bit of a walk south, along the lake. After reaching the rental shed, we signed our liability waivers and requested 1-2 hours on a glass-bottom 2-person kayak. The total kayak rental cost was $95 + Nevada tax = $102 (for 2 hours).

We we considering renting the all-glass kayak too (it was almost twice as expensive). However, it had a limitation of only 1-hour rental allowed and was not as seaworthy (as easy to paddle) as the glass-bottom kayak.

We had a fantastic time kayaking around the lake, stopping by the Bonsai Rock (a small offshore rock with a growing Bonsai tree). We also paddle to the Thunderbird Lodge, which has a beautiful lake view with a mini lighthouse. We paddled back and returned our kayaks. We decided to return to our car, as we had paid for parking for 4 hours only. In addition, Inna was getting sunburned, and we did not think it wise to swim with peak sun at noon (at high elevation).

We waited about 30 minutes for the East Shore Express shuttle/bus, which arrived at 13:20. We considered ordering UberX, but it was expensive ($26 for a 3-mile ride) and had a long wait (20 minutes) too.

Once we boarded the shuttle, we got off at the Tunnel Creek Cafe bus stop. We decide to purchase additional parking time and stop by Tunnel Creek Cafe for lunch. We had eaten there last year (after hiking Monkey Rock) and were not very impressed.

However, this time, we seemed to have a better experience. After ordering the following items, we sat down indoors:

Drinks: Passion Fruit Cider (alcoholic)
Boris: Cappuccino, East Shore Cheese Steak
Inna: London fog, Big Blue Burger (blue cheese)
Dessert: Macadamia Nut Cookie

My East Shore Cheese Steak was excellent, and I really like the Passion Fruit Cider. Inna's Big Blu Burger was also delicious.

After lunch, we paid for 4 additional hours of parking (the parking machine did not like my credit cards, and it took many tries to get it to recognize my credit card). We decided to walk to Hidden Beach (about a mile away / 20-minute walk).

Once we reached Hidden Beach, Inna found a shady spot (it was very hot out) and we set up our chairs. I had forgotten to bring an umbrella, and it would have been very handy.

Inna swam in Lake Tahoe a couple of times, and I also went in for a short dip.p It was still quite cold (50+ degrees Fahrenheit). While resting, I finished reading A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle. I really enjoyed reading about expat life in rural Provence.

At around 17:30, we packed our bags and walked back to Tunnel Creek Cafe. We loaded our Tesla and drove to the nearest Tesla Supercharger (as my Tesla was at 10%). While I charged the car, Inna explored the nearby Raley's supermarket.

Once Tesla reached 52% charged, we decided to return to Incline Lodge and rest for a bit before driving to dinner. Inna had made a dinner reservation for 19:30 at Soule Domain.

Upon arrival, we parked our car on the street and waited to be seated. Our table was not initially ready. We were offered a different table in another room, and we decided to take it (to avoid additional, unnecessary wait time). After discussing the various options, we ordered the following items:

Drinks: San Pellegrino Sparkling Water
Appetizer: Lamb Salad
Inna: Seafood Pasta (Shrimp, Lobster) with Fettuccini
Boris: Lamb Chops from New Zealand
Dessert: Bread Pudding a la mode

The Lamb Salad and the Lamb Chops were excellent. Inna's Seafood Pasta with Fettuccini was also amazing.

After a short 10-minute drive back to our Incline Lodge, we stopped by the reception. The receptionist made us some hot tea (black for me, Chamomile for Inna) and we relaxed for a bit before returning to our room.

Sunday, August 31, 2025

Inna did not sleep well during the night, so we woke up late on Sunday morning. At around 09:00, we walked downstairs to the lobby to drop off our luggage (which needed to be moved to our new room #116).

We decided to eat breakfast at the nearby Sage Leaf Tahoe Restaurant, and I made breakfast reservations for 09:15. They turned out to be unnecessary, as the restaurant was completely empty. Parking near the restaurant was very limited and cramped, and we barely found a spot, even at 09:15.

After sitting down outdoors, we looked at the menu and ordered the following items:

2 Coffees
Mushroom Scramble
Cheddar Biscuits

Inna and I shared the Mushroom Scramble and the Cheddar Biscuits. They were both delicious and excellent.

After breakfast, we decided to hike around Spooner Lake, near Carson City. We started our 30-minute drive there, arriving around 10:30. There was a bad accident on the way there (traffic was stopped, and we saw a tow truck trying to pull something out of a deep ravine). We noticed that many people were parking their cars in precarious spots along the road.

While traffic to Lake Tahoe was very heavy, there was little traffic to Spooner Lake, and the parking lot at Spooner Lake was largely empty. We had to pay $15 for parking (Nevada residents pay $10).

The hike around Spooner Lake was pleasant, with beautiful views of Aspens. We saw many dogs along the leisurely trail. Although not especially scenic like the trails in Sedona, Spooner Lake was nice and comfortable (similar to Vasona Lake in Los Gatos).

From Spooner Lake, we drove to nearby Carson City to explore the area. The road there was quite twisty, and the air temperature notably increased from the low 70s in Lake Tahoe to the 90s. Carson City looked strange to me - like many cities in Nevada - a city in the middle of the desert surrounded by hills with minimal vegetation.

Parking downtown near Comma Coffee, we walked around and were surprised by green lawns and overall cleanliness. Most buildings were freshly painted; there were no homeless people anywhere. Comma Coffee turned out to be closed, so we continued our walk to the next closest coffee shop - Old World Coffee Roasters. We ordered the following items, and decided to sit indoors, as outside was quite hot (91 Fahrenheit):

Boris: Cappuccino
Inna: London Fog

After we finished our drinks, we walked around a bit and decided to stop by for lunch at Eve's Eatery. We waited to he seated and were given a few menus.

We decided to order the following (as recommended by our waitress):

Inna: Fresh Cucumber Lemonade, Salmon Benedict
Boris: Iced Tea, Agnolotti, Garlic Bread

The food was slow in coming, and we waited over 30 minutes. However, my Agnolotti was excellent, and Inna's Salmon Benedict was also very good. Inna's Fresh Cucumber Lemonade was excellent, too.

After looking at a few homes in Carson City, we decided to explore nearby tennis courts. We first stopped by Mills Park, but found pickleball courts only (in generally good condition). Large green lawns were well trimmed, and there were no homeless people. We next drove to Carson Tennis Club, which had 8 beautiful tennis courts (but no one was playing, due to the high temperatures). However, on the nearby Eagle Valley Golf Course, there were plenty of people teeing off.

We decided to return to East Lake Tahoe and stop at some of the famous viewpoints along the way. Our first stop was at Logan Shoals Vista Point. There was a small parking lot nearby, and I managed to park our Tesla there. We scrambled around a few rocks for breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe. Both Inna and I took numerous photos and marveled at the beauty.

Our next stop was Cave Rock, only a few minutes away. After passing through the tunnel, we found a small, narrow road for a boat ramp (with a sign that parking was full). Inna got out and took a few photos, while I waited in the car.

We continued our drive to Zephyr Cove and then to Round Hill, where we wanted to use the Tesla Supercharger. However, all the chargers were busy (and there was another car waiting), so we decided to return to Incline Village and charge our Tesla there.

At Incline Village, we charged our Tesla Model Y (from 19% to 80%) using the Tesla Supercharger near Raley's. While the car was charging, I walked to Raley's to check out the produce. I even found that this Raley's carried Skyr - my favorite Icelandic yogurt.

We looked at a few homes in Incline Village, but found their locations difficult to reach. After returning to Incline Lodge, we stopped to sample drinks during the hotel's happy hour (from 17:00- 19:00). We selected the following alcoholic beverages:

Inna: Wine - Château Souverain Chardonnay
Boris: Beer - Rogue Farms Honey Kolsch

For dinner, I made reservations at the Big Water Grille for 19:30. On arrival there (close to my Incline Lodge), we walked in and were seated. We ordered the following items:

Appetizer: Bread, Goat cheese stuffed figs
Boris: Mahi-Mahi Fish & Chips
Inna: Halibut

The food was mediocre and bland. Inna's Halibut was below average. My Mahi-mahi Fish & Chips were edible, but the French fries were mushy. We skipped dessert because we lost confidence in the restaurant's food quality.

After returning to our Incline Lodge, we decided to stop by the hotel's lobby. The receptionist made us hot tea, and we enjoyed relaxing there. We also shared one small pastry along with tea.

Monday, September 1, 2025

Happy Labor Day!

We woke up at around 07:00 to my iPhone alarm, although I had been awakened earlier by the sound of hotel guests departing. We packed our luggage and prepared to check out.

I reserved breakfast at the nearby Sage Leaf Tahoe Restaurant for 09:00. However, we decided to arrive earlier, in case there were open tables. Luckily, there was plenty of seating. After being seated outdoors, we looked at the menu and ordered the following items:

2 Coffees
Mushroom Scramble
Cheddar Biscuits

The Mushroom Scramble and the Cheddar Biscuits were wonderful. The coffee was delicious, too. Sage Leaf Tahoe Restaurant has become our favorite eatery for breakfast in Incline Village.

We had made some plans to see a few homes in Incline Village and drove to meet up with a realtor.

When we returned, we decided to stop by Fumo for lunch. We had eaten there last year and thought that it was a respectable eatery. We arrived at around 13:00, and there were a few people ahead of us. However, we were quickly seated indoors and ordered the following:

Boris: Smash Burger
Inna: Arugula Salad with Chicken

The Smash Burger was very good, and Inna liked her Arugula Salad.

After lunch, we started our long drive back to San Jose, with a stop in Fairfield to recharge the Tesla Model Y. Outside temperatures were hitting 106 Fahrenheit, and there was very heavy traffic to the Bay Area.

We reached San Jose at around 19:15, stopping by Whole Foods to purchase groceries.

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