Harvey's Outdoor Arena

Outdoor entertainment is going on throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin this summer. Enough shows are scheduled to fit just about everyone’s taste.

The annual Lake Tahoe Music Festival runs through Aug. 14. Go to http://tahoemusic.org/calendar/2010/07 for a schedule of events. The series is not at just one venue – which makes this even more unique.

Harveys Outdoor Concert Series at Stateline is always a favorite with locals and out-of-towners. Elton John just brought down the house with a 2.5-hour performance. One might think a parking lot is the last place you would want to watch and listen to a concert – think again. The acoustics are incredibly good for the various genres. Even Diana Krall with Chris Botti sounded fabulous a couple years ago in that same parking lot.

Still to come this summer at Harveys are Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan and Chickenfoot.

A special setting for events is the Tahoe Tallac Site on the South Shore near Camp Richardson. All of this acreage belongs to the U.S. Forest Service. Go early or on another day to learn about all the history this area has to offer.

Each year a music and arts festival is conducted at the site. Here is the website with the schedule: http://www.valhallatahoe.com/events.html. The variety of events can seem overwhelming. Some are geared toward families, some have a distinct “adults only” feel.

Even better, not everything costs money.

Another special event includes the inaugural Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week running Sept. 5-12. This website will give you all of that information: http://www.tahoerestaurantweek.com/. This will help introduce you to restaurants throughout the basin and give you an opportunity to create new favorites.

On Aug. 21 is the first Sample the Sierra event in South Lake Tahoe. More information is here: http://www.samplethesierra.com/. This Ski Run Boulevard event is a short ways from both properties.

Tahoe's famous Flume Trail

Lake Tahoe is one big playground. It’s ideal for the casual athlete, the weekend warrior and ultimate competitor.

On Sept. 12 is the annual Tour de Tahoe. This is a bike ride around the 72 miles of Lake Tahoe. Pre-registration is necessary: http://www.bikethewest.com/tourdetahoe.html.

The annual Lake Tahoe Marathon is much more than a marathon. Events are Sept. 22-26. There are a variety of running events, plus kayaking and cycling. The sooner you register, the less it will cost. http://www.laketahoemarathon.com/.

Thousands of hiking trails are all over the basin. Two great places to pick up information are Explore Tahoe: An Urban Trailhead in the Heavenly Village and at the U.S. Forest Service office near Lake Tahoe Community College. Our front office workers can tell you how to get to either location.

Explore Tahoe is also a great place to take kids. There are lots of hands-on activities, suggestions for things to do, trail maps and help with public transit.

There are trails for all ability levels. Right now the wildflowers are out in many places in higher elevations.

Plenty of water activities are possible – from a day at the beach, to renting a kayak or standup paddleboard, to going out on a scenic ride on one of the paddle-wheelers.

Bike rentals are available at either club, or bring your own. Road bike riding exists on the South Shore, but you are going to want to be comfortable pedaling in traffic or participating in a sanctioned event to have fun. Mountain biking is what this area excels in. Dirt is everywhere. Not all trails are technical, so you don’t have worry about thinking this is an X Games sport.

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For Menu of Flight Deck

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Wildflowers are popping up at lake level now, with the higher elevations not likely to be awash in color until late summer. The delay is because of all the snow.

Before thinking about hiking in the higher elevations, check with our staff or the local Forest Service office. Explore Tahoe in the Heavenly Village is a great resource for where to hike, getting some history about the area and picking up the local public bus. It’s also an excellent place to take your kids.

Plenty of beaches in the area have water toys to rent – like kayaks, paddleboards, paddleboats and motorboats. The wind can pick up in the afternoon, so be cautious about getting too far from shore.

Cycling is another fun activity in the area. Rentals are available at the activities center if you don’t bring your own bike. Lots of fun dirt trails of all ability levels abound. A few paved trails exist, but it’s the dirt that makes you really feel like you are in Tahoe.

Less stressful is a ride up the Heavenly Mountain Resort gondola. The views – well – we don’t think they get any better. Be sure to get off at the midway point and walk the 360-degree platform. Make sure your camera battery is charged.

Another Kodak moment is being aboard one of the two paddle-wheelers – Tahoe Queen or M.S. Dixie II. They offer cruises to Emerald Bay in the middle of the day and at sunset.

If music is what you are looking for, Harveys is again having its outdoor concert series. There is also the Lake Tahoe Music Festival, events at Valhalla at the Tallac Historic Site, shows inside the casinos, and lesser-known acts at smaller venues. A good source for events is www.tahoesouth.com.

If you want to keep up with what is going on with local news now or when you are here, LakeTahoeNews.net is the only source for news and activities about Lake Tahoe seven days a week.

As always, our front desk staff doubles as our concierge service and are ready to assist you with your plans.

The free extravaganza is appropriately called Lights on the Lake. This is because the fireworks are shot off from a barge floating in the lake. With the midnight, black sky, the colors are brighter than most anywhere else.

The American Pyrotechnics Association, a trade association for the fireworks industry, ranks the Lake Tahoe South Shore the fourth best Fourth of July display in the country. New York, Chicago and Washington took the top three spots.

The fun starts at 9:45pm – well, at least the fireworks do.

The show is set to music provided by KRLT-93.9FM – so be sure to be close to someone with a radio. It just adds a whole different dimension to the event.

The fun can be an all-day thing. If you are going to watch the fireworks from one of the beaches, be sure to stake out a spot early. Also, it gets chilly at night, so bring layers and not just traditional beach clothes.

Many of the beaches don’t allow alcohol on the Fourth.

Also, no personal fireworks are allowed – on either side of the state line.

Consider hiking to one of the waterfalls during the day – Eagle Falls and Cascade Falls are in the Emerald Bay area. With the abundance of snow this year, it’s still melting in the higher elevations and making its way to lake level.

Several restaurants have dusted off their out outdoor furniture to make dining outdoors an option. Some are near the lake, some more inland. Our staff can direct you to the flavor of food you crave.

Photo courtesy of Lake Tahoe News

CAMP RICHARDSON — Contrasting homogeneous suburban theme parks, Renaissance fairs bring back a time when life expectancy was stunted, disease was rampant, and reality TV was better known as King Henry VIII’s court.

The 18th Annual Valhalla Renaissance Faire at Camp Richardson is much more fun than that sounds, and you can bring the family. It’s a full immersion in jousting, archery tournaments, greasy smells, Elizabethan music, and surly artisans who have become caricature of the period.

Read the rest of the story….

Many of our area restaurants, including Riva Grill, Edgewood, The Apres’ Wine Company, and the M.S. Dixie offer brunches for Mother’s Day.

Pair brunch with the 2:00pm Vallhalla Boathouse Theatre performance of “Five Women Wearing The Same Dress” by the Oscar Winning Screenwriter of Americana Beauty, Alan Ball. This funny and poignant celebration of five very different women is the perfect toast to the uniqueness of your special Mom.

For more ideas on ways to celebrate Mother’s Day in Tahoe, give us a call at 800.822.5920.

Happy Travels and Happy Mother’s Day!

Sir Elton John

Harvey’s Outdoor Concert Series is starting to book acts for the upcoming season. Tim McGraw will start things off Memorial Day weekend. Opening for him is hot new country sensation Lady Antebellum.

On June 19 the Doobie Brothers and Chicago take to the stage.

Sugarland will play on July 10.

On July 30, Rascal Flatts returns to the South Shore.

The outdoor venue is one-of-a-kind in Tahoe. The acoustics are so much better than you would imagine. The crowds are always lively. A few performers have been known to comment on the lack of oxygen here at 6,200 feet, but they still belt out the lyrics like they are at sea level.

Each season eight to 10 entertainers are brought in. To keep up-to-date on who else is coming to town, check out our events calendar for more information and to purchase tickets.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE EARTH DAY FESTIVAL 2010
SATURDAY, April 17th, 2010, 10:00am-5:00pm,
Lake Tahoe Community College
FREE ADMISSION

Celebrate Mother Earth at the South Lake Tahoe Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 17th from 10am – 5pm at the Lake Tahoe Community College. Bring the family to learn about ways to counteract global climate change through recycling/composting, alternative energy, water conservation, sustainability, and reducing our ecological footprint. Rock out to live music all day and check out educational booths, conservation activities, and Washoe culture. Food and local crafts will be available for purchase, and a special Kid’s Zone will delight the young ones with story time, face painting, hands-on activities, bouncy house and a push-pull-pedal eco-costume parade. Admission is free.

Check out the event website.