Lake Tahoe, Hotels, Camping and Other Family Vacation Questions

We have visited California several times now but would like to cross off a few things off our bucket list while we also hit Disneyland for their 60th Celebration. We are thinking early June of 2015. Not sure of the budget yet but we are thinking at least a week and a half or so.

Bucket List Items include:
Lake Tahoe
Camping near Big Sur or somewhere near the Pacific Ocean.
Walt Disney Family Museum
Walt Apartment above the Firehouse

We have been to SF, Monterey, Yosemite National Park, San Diego, Catalina, DL, and driven quite a bit of HWY 1.

So my big two questions are:
1) Is Lake Tahoe worth a couple days of our trip?
We do plan on hitting YNP once again because on our first and only time my wife wasn't feeling good (we later found she had cancer in her thryoid gland and we also didn't make it to Glacier Point which we sorely missed),

2) Is camping a viable option for a family that has really never camped before? We would love to stay near the ocean and camp out or find a cabin of some sorts. We would want something safe and family oriented.

One more question if I may....Has anyone done the train that cuts through the redwoods near Santa Cruz?

I'm in the planning stages and welcome all the help I can get.

The last time I was in Tahoe was in 1990. It was a long time ago but the scenery around the lake was spectacular; especially in late May when there was still snow in the mountains.

We did a champagne sunset sailing cruise on the lake and it was really spectacular. Cold, but fantastic. We chose a company that used a sailing yacht so it was lovely and quiet in one direction. They did have to use the motor against the wind but there was nothing like it when we were sailing under wind power.

We camped and were with a group of about 10 other people so it was a lot of fun around the campground for us. If you don't already have equipment, it could be expensive setting yourself up with sleeping bags and comfortable mats/air mattresses. For your family, maybe a cabin might be a better way to go. I think there are a number of campsites that have cabins on-ground. You would have to book them way in advance.


We also camped in one of the campgrounds along the Big Sur riverside area on that trip. I know there are cabins for rent in that area as well.


I've also taken that Roaring Camp train at Felton to Santa Cruz. My DS was about 5 and mad into trains; so it was a great excursion for us. It was a great hour ride out to the Santa Cruz boardwalk. We spent about an hour there enjoying the amusement park and then caught the train back. We picked a weekend where the Blue Grass festival was on at Roaring Camp so there was lots to enjoy at the train station/depot itself. It is set up as a tourist trap; but for non-Americans, it was cute.
The beach train to Santa Cruz doesn't really take you through the Redwoods. You will see some redwoods on the beach train but not the big trees. If you're specifically after the redwoods, perhaps you might be better taking the train through the Redwoods.

But if you're heading to Felton, you might as well stop at Henry Cowell or Big Basin itself. I drove the SR35 (that's a great drive too) and stopped at Big Basin in 2012. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=47320200&posted=1#post47320200

I thought it was a great way to spend the morning.

BTW - FWIW. That TR does cover a few things along the Cabrillo section of PCH1, from Santa Cruz through to Half Moon Bay (the second post will have the quick links to the various posts).


Make sure you allocate at least 4 hours (or the whole day) to spend at the WDFM at the Presidio. There is a LOT of things to see and in a way, it is information overload. I spent about 2 - 3 hours there and it wasn't enough for me.

Thanks Princess for all the information.

Hi Mike!

1. Tahoe is gorgeous, and well worth a few days of your time. Take 1/2 day to drive around the lake - the views are very different at different locations. Take the tram up to Heavenly - you'll get great views.

There is a city-run campground, though I've never stayed there. It's on Highway 50, right where it comes closest to the lake. It looks wonderful - lots of pine trees, but walking distance to the lake. My impression is that, being in the middle of town, it tends toward urban camping, though the pine forest surroundings may mitigate that somewhat.

2. We used to camp a whole lot when we were younger, and back then it was a great way to go. But as RVs became popular, many "campgrounds" actually became more RV parks than places to camp. So you have to be careful to find out what any park involves. In any case, you never know what your family will take to until you try it. I say go for it! Just check out the campgrounds in advance. Google aerial view and street view are good tools for that.

3. We used to take our granddaughter to the train at Roaring Camp all the time when she was little. It's a wonderful place for little kids. For adults, it's also a nice place to see Redwoods if you haven't experienced them. But not quite as great an experience as with little kids. I agree with PrincessInOz - take the train dedicated to touring the redwoods, not the train to Santa Cruz beach. Also, note that there's a small arm of Henry Cowell Redwoods SP directly adjacent to Roaring Camp, here, and you can walk between Roaring Camp and the park. You pay for car parking in either location, and last I checked, it was the same price at both locations.

Also, if you have young kids, there's a playground that our granddaughter always adored. It's very near the entrance to Roaring Camp, on Graham Hill Rd just east of Highway 9.

HTH,
Bob

Highway 1 down Big Sur is a do not miss trip. Even though it appears you've done it before, I highly recommend doing that trip as often as possible. As far as camping -- there really are no campgrounds on the ocean. As you've probably noted yourself, the Big Sur coast is a rocky cliff high above the ocean. If you'd like to camp, probably Pfeiffer Big Sur campground is your best bet. There are other, private campgrounds around; but I suspect they're pricey. Fernwood Resort comes to mind - I believe they have both camping and cabin rentals, so you might want to check them out. Other accommodations include Ventana (also has a campground) and Post Ranch Inn. But if the view doesn't take your breath away, the prices certainly will. Be prepared for a shock.

Another possibility I've been curious about, but never done, is staying in a yurt at Treebones Resort. Looks gorgeous. But be aware that Treebones is by itself on the Big Sur coast, a long ways away from any other civilization (e.g. restaurants, gas). In fact, it's probably closer to San Simeon south of the Big Sur coast than it is to the town of Big Sur itself. So you have to want the wilderness experience. The views look amazing, though.

Wherever you stay, I also highly recommend a side trip down Sycamore Canyon Rd to Pfeiffer Beach. It is one of the most breathtaking beaches you'll ever see. And it's unique opportunity to be at the ocean in Big Sur.

And if you're driving down from Monterey, a stop at Point Lobos is always highly recommended.

HTH,
Bob

I definitely recommend a couple of days at Lake Tahoe. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center and trails are a fun little excursion, and include a stream profile chamber which allows you to see into the river through large glass panes in an underground room. Kids just love it - you can see all of the fish swimming around right next to you.

Right next door to this place is the Tallac Historic Site, which includes a mansion that was built along the lake in the 1920s for some rich folks. The grounds are beautiful and there is great beach access, as well as history tours.

I love camping, and if you'd like to camp near Tahoe I suggest Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, but camping does require a lot of equipment and infrastructure. Even for just a weekend, you end up needing a lot of gear that just may not occur to you until you're out there without it (oops, didn't bring a backup propane bottle for the stove...trail mix for dinner everyone!). If you don't have all of that already, or the space to haul it out to California, then finding a cabin may be a better option.

GrandBob said:

Fernwood Resort comes to mind - I believe they have both camping and cabin rentals, so you might want to check them out. Other accommodations include Ventana (also has a campground) and Post Ranch Inn.

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Ventana Campground is open again after being closed for years in violation of the property's permits. They built additions to the inn during the 80s, and the building the campground (and keeping it open) plus public access were requirements for their coastal development permit. There was the interesting case earlier this year of a billionaire renting out the place for his wedding (also without required permits). Still - it's pricey. I looked it up, and it's $50/night for tent sites without any kind of hookups.

RemainSeatedPlease said:

I love camping, and if you'd like to camp near Tahoe I suggest Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, but camping does require a lot of equipment and infrastructure. Even for just a weekend, you end up needing a lot of gear that just may not occur to you until you're out there without it (oops, didn't bring a backup propane bottle for the stove...trail mix for dinner everyone!). If you don't have all of that already, or the space to haul it out to California, then finding a cabin may be a better option.

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I've stayed at Fallen Leaf Campground before. Certainly nice, but understand there are bears and these bears know how to break into cars if they think they smell food. It's certainly quieter than Camp Richardson, which technically is a Forest Service campground like Fallen Leaf, but which is operated by a private family business. Fallen Leaf is operated by a contractor with sites that can be reserved on the internet. Camp Richardson's camping areas seem kind of disorganized, and I understand that the family that runs the place insists that all requests be made by phone, although they do have a website.

Also - it wouldn't be like one is out in the middle of nowhere. Fallen Leaf Campground has a store, although it's pricey. Kmart is only five miles away, as are several supermarkets. If you don't feel like cooking, there's plenty of restaurants in South Lake Tahoe or even Stateline.

Thanks everyone for the incredible advice. I have been looking at all the websites and trying to figure out exactly what we want to do. My first plan, usually this time of year, is to put on paper everything I would like to do. Then I see how much it will cost and then start subtracting from there. I know I want to spend 2 days in Lake Tahoe, 2-3 days in Yosemite, and then end up in Disneyland for the 60th Anniversary. I am really torn about the camping part of it. At this point I need to keep researching and probably hit trip advisor as well. Still not sure on which part of the coast to try to find a cabin.

GrandBob said:

Hi Mike!

1. Tahoe is gorgeous, and well worth a few days of your time. Take 1/2 day to drive around the lake - the views are very different at different locations. Take the tram up to Heavenly - you'll get great views.

There is a city-run campground, though I've never stayed there. It's on Highway 50, right where it comes closest to the lake. It looks wonderful - lots of pine trees, but walking distance to the lake. My impression is that, being in the middle of town, it tends toward urban camping, though the pine forest surroundings may mitigate that somewhat.

2. We used to camp a whole lot when we were younger, and back then it was a great way to go. But as RVs became popular, many "campgrounds" actually became more RV parks than places to camp. So you have to be careful to find out what any park involves. In any case, you never know what your family will take to until you try it. I say go for it! Just check out the campgrounds in advance. Google aerial view and street view are good tools for that.

3. We used to take our granddaughter to the train at Roaring Camp all the time when she was little. It's a wonderful place for little kids. For adults, it's also a nice place to see Redwoods if you haven't experienced them. But not quite as great an experience as with little kids. I agree with PrincessInOz - take the train dedicated to touring the redwoods, not the train to Santa Cruz beach. Also, note that there's a small arm of Henry Cowell Redwoods SP directly adjacent to Roaring Camp, here, and you can walk between Roaring Camp and the park. You pay for car parking in either location, and last I checked, it was the same price at both locations.

Also, if you have young kids, there's a playground that our granddaughter always adored. It's very near the entrance to Roaring Camp, on Graham Hill Rd just east of Highway 9.

HTH,
Bob

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Thanks Bob for the advice. Looks like we will being doing hotels now. What part of Lake Tahoe should we stay in?

Looks like our budget has limited us to driving cross country to save on plane fare. This scares me! That is 24 hours in a car each way. We've done Orlando (18 hrs or so) a few times but if we add Yosemite and Disneyland to the mix thats alot of driving.

Mike - Enjoy the drive!

Have you considered staying in a vacation rental rather than hotels?

PrincessInOz said:

Mike - Enjoy the drive!

Have you considered staying in a vacation rental rather than hotels?

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If we were going to be there longer, like for a week or so, I would but the plan is to be there just a for about two days. I would like to stay in Yosemite for about 3 days. I still would like to stay somewhere by the ocean for a few days as well before heading towards Anaheim.

And as far as the drive, well, thanks.

KCmike said:

Thanks Bob for the advice. Looks like we will being doing hotels now. What part of Lake Tahoe should we stay in?

Looks like our budget has limited us to driving cross country to save on plane fare. This scares me! That is 24 hours in a car each way. We've done Orlando (18 hrs or so) a few times but if we add Yosemite and Disneyland to the mix thats alot of driving.

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Wow, that's a lot of driving. Good luck! Make some time to see the sights along the way -- Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park, Salt Lake City, etc.

Tahoe -- You know, we used to go all the time, several times a year. That was before our granddaughter was born, who lives in Reno. She'll be 12 in a couple of weeks, and I can count our trips to Tahoe since then on, um let's see, two fingers So I'm afraid I don't have recent info.

Not to let that stop me, though Where to stay depends on what you want. For casinos - there are exactly 3 - Harrah's, Harvey's, and Montbleu. But it's not a Vegas-like scene. They're close to the lake, in Stateline, with good views, so they're not bad places to stay even if you don't gamble. Other places close by: Forest Lodge Suites, and the former Embassy Suites is now Lake Tahoe Resort hotel.

Much of the rest is motels. And there are a lot of motels. There are a bunch close to the casino resort area, but on the California side. There are a bunch more further down US50, and along Pioneer Trail. And a bunch more, the cheapest ones, south of the "Y" on US50, near the airport.

There are also resorts north of the casino area, in Nevada. Zephyr Cove NV has Zephyr Cove Resort, which has rooms, cabins, and a marina where the Tahoe Queen paddle-wheeler departs (a great way to spend a couple of hours). Or you can go further north, almost to the north end of the lake, to Incline Village and stay at Hyatt Lake Tahoe (pricey). And of course there are a lot of motels on the north end of the lake, too. Not to mention Squaw Valley and Tahoe City, on the northern end of the California side of the lake.

The possibilities are (almost) endless. If you just want a motel, and are arriving on a weekday, I'd just drive in along US50 and look at a bunch of motels. That's what we used to do, in our younger days. But if arriving on a weekend, I'd recommend reservations.

HTH,
Bob

GrandBob said:

Not to let that stop me, though Where to stay depends on what you want. For casinos - there are exactly 3 - Harrah's, Harvey's, and Montbleu. But it's not a Vegas-like scene. They're close to the lake, in Stateline, with good views, so they're not bad places to stay even if you don't gamble. Other places close by: Forest Lodge Suites, and the former Embassy Suites is now Lake Tahoe Resort hotel.

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Not quite. The old Horizon (and before that the High Sierra, and Sahara Tahoe) is slated to reopen as the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in late January. We actually drove by earlier this week, and they still have construction fencing. When it opens, I'm not quite sure how that affects the Hard Rock Tahoe, which is in Harveys.

http://hardrockcasinolaketahoe.com/
http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-81708341/
http://www.rgj.com/story/money/gaming/2014/11/24/hard-rock-tahoe-ramping-opening/70061346/

There used to be Bill's, but that was a casino only with no hotel. I like it since it was low limit and the only 100% nonsmoking place in Tahoe. The dealers said that they were in poor shape because they didn't allow higher limits (max $500) which might have attracted the high rollers who didn't want to be around smoke. They actually killed all their table games before they closed down for good. I

And there's also the Lakeside Inn and Casino.

http://www.lakesideinn.com

This looks like a good deal, and when I saw it in my email box, I thought of you Mike. Right on the water.

http://www.travelzoo.com/local-deal...rea/Getaway/166058/Beach-Retreat--Lodge-Tahoe

-Bob

Thanks Bob. This looks very inviting indeed. As usual with our best laid plans things are ever changing. Our latest is that we are driving to Denver and then flying to LA. We are staying south for 2 to 3 days on the beach and then driving north to Yosemite for a few days and then spending the rest of the time celebrating Disneyland's 60th anniversary. I'm afraid more time in Yosemite won out over Lake Tahoe. I do have a question though. Down south we found a great rate in Oxnard for an Embassy Suites on the beach. Is Oxnard ok for us? We really wanted to be in Santa Barbara but the cost is overwhelming there for a beach resort. One of those days I intend to drive up to SB to view the Courthouse, Mission, and other things.

Sorry you're gonna miss Tahoe. It's a beautiful area. You'll have to come back sometime.

I'm afraid I don't know much about Oxnard. In fact, it's been ages since we've been to Santa Barbara or Pismo. Hopefully someone will come along who can answer your questions.

Enjoy your trip to California.
Bob

If you still want to camp, look into KOA. They often have cabins on site.