long trip report - multigenerational family trip

Question

Here is a trip report for a group of eight - my wife, 12 year old son, mom, dad, brother, brother’s partner, family friend, and me - who recently spent six days in Tahoe.

For context, my parents had been there before, but none of the rest of us had. I had spent the previous several days in Yosemite doing a lot of hiking, and the goal of the Tahoe portion of the trip was to relax.

We arrived to our condo, right on the water across from the Safeway in South Lake Tahoe, late in the afternoon on a Thursday. We unpacked and went to dinner at Riva Grill. The setting was great, the food and service were at best average. After dinner we went to Safeway to get groceries and other essentials for the week.

On Friday morning I inflated the two stand up paddleboards we brought with us and we got into the lake. While the water was by no means warm, it was warmer than I expected. We spent an hour or so paddling around our area and swimming. In the afternoon we decided to check out Heavenly Village. We went to Basecamp Pizza for lunch - seven of the eight of us thought it was great, with the one outlier being nearly impossible to please when it comes to pizza. After lunch we split up, with some people walking around the shops and my son and I playing mini golf. We then went back to our condo and sat around, looking at the lake and reading. That night I made bbq chicken on our grill, we played some games, and went to sleep.

Saturday morning was a repeat of Friday, jumping on the paddleboards and enjoying the smooth waters of the lake in the morning (at least where we were on the lake, the water was flat in the morning and got choppy in the afternoon). A group of us then made the short drive back to Heavenly and rode the gondola up the mountain. It was pricey, but I am glad we did it since it gave us great views of the lake on our first visit to the area. We did a few short walks along trails at the top of the lift, explored the area, and then rode back down. Later in the afternoon my brother, family friend, and I went to a couple of breweries - South of North and South Lake. There was a cream ale at South of North that was particularly noteworthy (you don’t see too many good cream ales) and the lineup at South Lake was respectable (we went to the one by the Y to avoid having to pay for parking). My wife cooked for the group for dinner that night and we enjoyed watching the sunset.

When we woke up Sunday we chose to drive up to Incline Village to rent bikes and ride the east shore trail. It is a short ride, but absolutely beautiful. There are not a ton of ups and downs, but there are some hills. I am not a biker and didn’t have any problems doing it on a cruiser (the rest of our group rented e-bikes, so had no problems at all). On the ride south we stopped at Hidden Beach for a quick dip and then rode to Sand Harbor Beach. We had a car reservation there for Tuesday, and I figured there was a chance going there on bikes on Sunday (you don’t need to reservation if you bike there - you just have to pay a small per-person entry fee) would scratch the itch and we wouldn’t go back a couple days later. Sand Harbor ended up probably being our favorite part of all of Lake Tahoe. We found ourselves a spot on the beach in the boulder area between the two bigger beaches and it was delightful. My son and I loved swimming in the crystal clear water, jumping off boulders, and everyone enjoyed the stunning scenery. We got lunch at the restaurant there, which was busy but the line moved quickly. The mai tais were pretty strong.

After a couple hours, we jumped back on our bikes, rode north on the trail, stopped for a bunch of pictures, and returned the bikes. Since we were almost on the other side of the lake as our condo, we decided to take the long route back, driving around the lake counter-clockwise. I should also mention that I had purchased the Lake Tahoe audio tour from the GuideAlong app. We have used it for several previous trips, and it was a great way to learn about the area you are vacationing while driving in the car. We made a couple of stops, including at Emerald Bay. The one downside about the drive is that my wife, who gets significant motion sickness (usually kept at bay if she is the one driving) and is afraid of heights got pretty freaked out by the drive between Emerald Bay and South Lake Tahoe (particularly the five minutes after you leave Emerald Bay heading south/east when there is one relatively steep drop off on both sides of the road and a series of hairpin turns). The rest of us thought it was beautiful.

That night my mom, dad, and I took my son to a magic show in Heavenly Village. He loves magic and really liked it. It was enjoyable enough that the three adults were also amused.

Monday morning three of us (did not include my wife, who had no interest in making the return trip) drove to Emerald Bay. We got to the parking lot around 8:30am and there were several open parking spots (by 9:30am the lot was full and there were a ton of cars parked on the side of the road). My brother and his partner immediately went down the path to the bay while I crossed the road to run up to Eagle Lake. I made pretty good timing on the way up, but it was slow going back down because the trail got packed and you had to pause a lot to make room for groups trying to make it up to the lake. The lake is nice and there are some good views on the trail, particularly on the way down as you have views of Emerald Bay, but I don’t think the trail is a must do. Once I got back down to the parking lot I went down the dirt path to Emerald Bay, but since we had other things to do in the afternoon I didn’t hang around for long and then walked back up.

In the afternoon we rented a speed boat for a half day and left from Ski Run marina (I think that is the name of it - it is the marina right next to Riva Grill). We had the boat for 3-4 hours, which was enough time to go over to Emerald Bay, float for a bit there while eating sandwiches and swimming, heading up to Meeks Bay and swimming there, and then boating back. I highly recommending getting out on the water, particularly if it is calm. For dinner that night we went to Scusi for Italian. I was surprised at being able to get a last minute reservation for eight. The food was good, but the service wasn’t great.

Given how much we liked Sand Harbor Beach when we biked to it on Sunday, we kept our reservation and went back on Tuesday. We had another excellent day. In fact, I liked it so much that I proclaimed it as my second favorite pace to swim (the first being Hanalei in Kauai). We spent a lot of time in the water and on our paddleboards. I don’t know if this is normal or not (it was a Tuesday), but I don’t think the parking lot ever filled up. I had to go back to our car to get something out of it around 11am, and I saw several open spots in our row.

My wife really wanted to go to Truckee, so we ended up driving there and then back to South Lake Tahoe late that afternoon. It was a lot of time in the car, but my wife was happy getting to go to Truckee and if you are stuck in a car, there are a lot worse places to do it than in Lake Tahoe.

Sadly we had to pack up and leave on Wednesday morning. All of us had a great time, and several of us said we really want to go back again one summer in the near future.

Answer

It sounds like your family had an amazing and well-balanced trip to Lake Tahoe, combining relaxation, light adventure, and beautiful scenery. For a six-day trip with a multigenerational group, your approach of mixing lake activities, local exploration, and short excursions was ideal.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the highlights and observations from your trip that might be useful for others planning a similar vacation:

Accommodation: Staying right on the water in South Lake Tahoe offered easy access to groceries and restaurants, as well as stunning lake views, which set a relaxed tone for your trip.
Lake Activities: Inflating paddleboards and swimming were great morning activities. The water, though cooler than a pool, was still enjoyable and calm in the mornings. Paddleboarding is a perfect family-friendly activity for all ages.
Heavenly Village: Exploring shops, playing mini golf, and riding the gondola provided a nice mix of entertainment and sightseeing. The gondola gave impressive views and is worth the cost, especially for first-time visitors.
Breweries: Visiting local breweries like South of North and South Lake offered a nice adult-friendly activity while keeping the overall day light and enjoyable.
Incline Village & East Shore Trail: Renting bikes and exploring the east shore trail was a highlight. Short hills made it manageable even for less experienced riders, and stops at Hidden Beach and Sand Harbor Beach added scenic variety and swimming opportunities.
Scenic Drives: Driving counter-clockwise around the lake was a beautiful way to see Emerald Bay and other sights. Note that some sections can be steep and winding, which may be uncomfortable for passengers prone to motion sickness.
Magic Show: A great family activity, particularly enjoyable for children, yet entertaining for adults as well.
Emerald Bay & Eagle Lake: Early morning visits help avoid crowds and make parking easier. While the trail to Eagle Lake provides good views, it may not be essential for those with limited time.
Boat Rental: Renting a speed boat was a fantastic way to explore multiple parts of the lake in one afternoon, including Emerald Bay and Meeks Bay. Swimming and relaxing on the boat made for a memorable experience.
Sand Harbor Beach: Returning on Tuesday confirmed it as a favorite spot for swimming and paddleboarding. Arriving early helped secure parking and space on the beach.
Truckee: A longer drive, but worth it for those wanting to explore local towns. The trip around the lake can make even longer drives scenic and enjoyable.

Some additional observations and tips:

Reserve popular spots like Sand Harbor Beach in advance during busy seasons to ensure access, though biking can circumvent the need for a reservation.
Morning lake activities are ideal since the water is calmer and crowds are minimal.
Splitting group activities between adults and children allows everyone to enjoy preferred experiences without feeling rushed.
Consider renting a car even with on-lake accommodations, as it allows flexibility for visiting other beaches, towns, and scenic drives.
Meal planning can be flexible: grocery shopping for some meals keeps costs down, while trying local restaurants adds variety and local flavor.
Mixing relaxing activities (reading, paddleboarding, beach time) with light adventure (biking, gondola rides, boating) works well for multigenerational trips.

Overall, your approach to Lake Tahoe — balancing rest, light exercise, and sightseeing — worked very well for a family group ranging from children to grandparents. The lake, beaches, scenic drives, and local towns offer something for everyone, making it an ideal destination for both relaxation and light adventure.

Key recommendations for anyone planning a similar trip:

Book lakefront or centrally located accommodations for convenience and views.
Start lake activities early in the day.
Plan at least one scenic drive around the lake to enjoy viewpoints like Emerald Bay.
Rent bikes for accessible trails like the east shore trail in Incline Village.
Reserve popular beaches or arrive early to ensure access, especially in peak season.
Include a mix of activities for adults and kids — local restaurants, breweries, magic shows, and small excursions like gondola rides.

With these tips in mind, a family or multigenerational trip to Lake Tahoe can be a mix of adventure, relaxation, and memorable shared experiences, much like your recent visit.

long trip report - multigenerational family trip

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