The lake is tucked away in the Sierra Nevada mountains along the border between California and Nevada with 2/3 of the lake's shoreline belonging to California. South Lake Tahoe is the lake's largest city on the California side. Tourists that want to do something just a little bit wicked can slip over to the Nevada side for some gambling adventures. Reno and Carson City are just a short drive away.

Vacationers can find good deals on Lake Tahoe hotels and vacation rentals, depending on your budget and preferences. There are hundreds of lodging options ranging from economy and moderate hotels, motels to full service luxury resorts, casinos, inns, cabins and luxury vacation rentals. 

Everybody knows you want to take a helicopter ride over Lake Tahoe. Exciting rides start at $55 if you drive yourself to the Lake Tahoe airport where the helicopter will be waiting. You can do some aerial photography or enroll in a program in basic or advanced flight training.

The helicopter seats a maximum of three, depending on combined weights and the weather. Each seat is made of fine leather. Active Noise Reduction headsets will be provided throughout the flight so you will able to talk with one another while airborne. Being airborne in a helicopter is kind of like the thrill of riding a roller coaster except you soar much higher and don't do all the loop-de-loops. Riding an airplane is always kind of linear and it can't pause; a helicopter can hover over the most spectacular views and turn slowly to give you a breath-taking 360 that you will always remember. You'll want to take pictures and movies all along the way because this area has some of the most photographed scenery in the United States.

Your helicopter pilot has flown hundreds of hours and knows how to provide you with chances to capture the most spectacular views.

The Squaw Valley cable car is another exhilarating ride you can take. It starts in the Squaw Valley village and zips you all the way up to High Camp.  That's an 8200 feet rise. Huge, plate glass windows wraps all around the car, providing you with a 360 degree view of everything. The excitement starts the very moment you are seated.  First you go almost straight up 2,000 feet. Then you lunge straight for a granite wall that looks just like it is too solid to move out of the way.  At the last second, up you go again.  Once you reach the top, you can ice skate, swim in the artificial lagoon, play some tennis or golf, mountain bike and bungee jump. Naturally, there are places to eat up there and -- at last count -- there are 405 rooms available if you want to spend the night up in the mountains.

The cable car is open all year round. During the day, the cost for adults is $12 but this is lowered to $5 after 4pm. Children enjoy themselves any time of the day so there is a flat fee of $5 for them, but there is no charge for the extra child if you are carrying a toddler below three years of age.

The scenic gondola ride at the Heavenly Ski Resort is another wonderful opportunity to explore this area.. This is located about half a mile from the Stateline casinos. The ride is only 2.4 miles long, however you will be trolling 14,000 feet into the air at the same time. You will not only see Lake Tahoe but also Carson Valley and the Desolation Wilderness. Once you get to the top, you can spend the day enjoying a picnic or watching the sun go down.  This ride is open all year round and the operating hours are from 10am to 5pm. About 8 passengers can fit inside the gondola comfortably,

In the good old summertime the water is as sparkling clean as ever but just remember this is still alpine water and it is still cold. Nonetheless, The younger generation comes here specifically to cool off, so in they go, with every intention of enjoying their water sport activities that include sailing, parasailing, boating, jet skiing, water skiing, kayaking, canoeing and – my all time favorite -- paddle boating. With all that exercise you can expect your taste buds to burst into new life. Thank goodness, there are lake front restaurants all over the lake, most of them are equipped with docks and buoys so your ride won't get away while you are eating.

For the warm-blooded there are numerous public beaches around Lake Tahoe, including The Commons Beach Park in downtown Tahoe City, Baldwin Beach, and Kings Beach recreation Center. Then too, Sand Harbor State Park is just a few miles south of Incline Village and it has a very attractive white sand beach. D.L. Bliss State Park which has a nice clean beach atmosphere, Sugar Pine Point State Park and the Emerald Bay State Park.

To really get to know any area you could go hiking or biking to explore the mountains and hills around the lake. There are also good sites for cycling, in-line skating, tennis, golf, fishing, river rafting and horseback riding.

The Eagle Falls walk located at the south western corner near Emerald Bay State Park is a nice easy trail with a footbridge near the falls. Squaw Valley is where you can see the Ponderosa Ranch of the old TV western series, Bonanza. There you can enjoy hayrides, visit a general store, saloon and many other activities one could often find in old western ranches. Squaw Valley is now famous for hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics. The David Walley’s Resort is a year round destination resort with 6 natural hot mineral springs pools, saunas, a fitness center, tennis, and golfing activities.

Lake Tahoe will always remain one of the best tourist spots in the world.