Lake Tahoe is home to thousands of the most beautiful vacation rentals and scenic landscape in the United States and former home to the 1960 winter Olympics. The crystal clear lake located high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and its surrounding area, commonly referred to as Tahoe, and has an elevation of 6000+ feet in altitude. Lake Tahoe is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide and has a shoreline that extends over 70 miles. This breathtaking lake is shared by two states in the US: California, which stakes claim to 42 miles of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline and the state of Nevada which has 29 miles of it. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America and is renowned for its almost translucent waters and ski resorts. Mark Twain first set eyes on the lake during his visit to the area in the late 1860’s. He described it as "the fairest picture the whole earth affords." Tourists come from around the world to enjoy the many sites and activities the area has to offer, many of them staying in privately owned rentals.

The Squaw Creek resort offers some very nice accommodations much like a hotel. The rooms feature amenities such as big screen televisions and fireplaces. This resort is one of the nicer in the area. Visitors enjoy activities like boating, skiing, rafting or a simple family picnic during the spring, summer or fall. Other "best in class" are the thousands of Lake Tahoe Rentals situated around the entire shoreline. But unlike most other pristine lakes the properties do not overcrowd the shoreline.

The region features world class golf courses, restaurants, ski resorts, boating, fishing and off-roading. Family travel to the area provides amenities that will keep the kids going from dawn to dusk. There are beautiful beaches, ski schools, miniature golf, ice skating and roller skating just to name a few fun activities.

Hotels are popular on the South shore and make home to couples that enjoy testing their luck at the card tables or slot machines. But families prefer 3+ bedroom homes on both the South and North shores that provide living rooms and fully equipped kitchens. Some of the overlooked amenities that go along with the package are backyards and expansive decks, homes are furnished with hot tubs, WIFI, plasma TV’s, refrigerators, hair dryers, stereos, coffee makers, IPod docking stations, board games, iron, ironing board, pay per view movies, video games and best of all, space to relax after a hard day’s fun.

Aside from all the Lake Tahoe rentals the area is a prime American destination that boasts a wide variety of bars and restaurants that aim to cater to all tastes on both the North and South shores. Some popular restaurants located on the North Shore include Gar Woods Grill, Rosie’s and the Old Post Café, all of which are located in California and are favored breakfast, brunch and dinner spots. Other well-liked establishments include the Char Pit, which is a small restaurant located in the town of Kings Beach that is renowned for its hearty burgers and baby back ribs. River Ranch Lodge and Restaurant, Le Bistro, Dragonfly, Fiamma are still other dining spots which find favor with both locals and out-of-towners who come to Lake Tahoe on holiday.

Thanksgiving through President’s Day is Lake Tahoe’s peak season when many visitors come to spend time with family and friends. Most all hotels and rentals are booked up well in advance for a chance to enjoy a white holiday week.

Traveling to Lake Tahoe is straightforward. Coming from the greater Bay Area by car, Highway 80 East will put you on the North Shore. Simply take Highway 50 off of Highway 80 to end up on the South shore. The typical drive from San Francisco is about 4 hours unless it is Friday after 12 noon. If leaving town on a Friday, it is wise to get out of town early to prevent hours of extra travel time due to traffic. If you are flying in to Lake Tahoe simply land in Reno, Nevada and grab a rental car (four wheel drive in the winter months) and head over Mt. Rose. This will drop you down into Incline Village on the North Shore. This drive take 40 minutes but time will seem to go by much quicker because of all the scenic mountains, rivers, trees and beautiful white snow measured in yards during the winter months. Happy Tahoe travels.