Welcome and Relax

Welcome to a summer of lake and mountain fun and (we hope) real relaxation! The COVID upheaval of the last two summers made achieving “relaxation” more difficult for most of us. Maybe you’re finally taking a long-delayed vacation, or at last feeling comfortable going out to restaurants or concerts. Sure, current inflation and higher gas prices haven’t made relaxation any easier, but Tahoe has plenty of ways to make your time here fun and affordable!

With a wide range of recent improvements, Tahoe might truly be “better than ever.” It’s now free to ride public buses on both sides of the lake. TART Connect, an innovative shuttle system, provides free door-to-door service throughout North Lake Tahoe via a phone app.

A host of South Tahoe night spots and casinos offer free live music acts throughout the week. North Tahoe and Truckee stage free outdoor music concerts, “High Notes,” most every summer night, rotating between lovely venues.

Tahoe’s has had a thriving summer tourism season for over 150 years (explored in “Tahoe Through the Ages,” page 22). But at least 50 of those summers have also featured epic traffic jams. Chokepoints on Tahoe’s roads can still clog-up on holidays and busy weekends, but recent improvements have lessened the problem. Round-about intersections have eased West Shore congestion and made the Kings Beach community safer for both vehicles and pedestrians.

And there are now more reasons than ever to leave your car parked. South Lake Tahoe redevelopment has turned the city blocks near Stateline into pedestrian-friendly fun. New bike and walking trails have been built around the region, with more in the works. E-bikes (for rent at Tahoe locations) make trails and fire roads more accessible to a wider spectrum of users. Or go car-free next visit with charter service or a commercial flight into convenient Reno Tahoe International Airport, with frequent shuttle service to the lake.

Sure, if you want to heat up your credit card, there are plenty of fine ways to do it here, whether it’s renting a boat for the day, savoring a gourmet dinner with a lakeview, or grabbing front row seats to see your favorite band. But whether you’re splurging or frugal, please help keep Tahoe a relaxing place for all by respecting the needs of your fellow vacationers, the efforts of Tahoe’s frontline workers, and the fragility of the natural environment you’re here to enjoy.

CHACO MOHLER—Publisher/Editor