California Dreaming: Lake Tahoe

Leg 2: Heavenly Village is well… heavenly

Whatever heaven must be like, it’s gotta have Tahoe. The folks at Heavenly Village obviously shared the same sentiment, seeing that they came up with the perfect name for  the place. With its unassuming rustic charm, it totally took my breath away. Being in Lake Tahoe is like stepping into a Hemingway novel, complete with plenty of that old-school romance.

I loved everything about it – the babbling brooks, the snow-capped mountains, the Lake with water so still you’re almost afraid to disturb its serenity. It was the perfect place to escape from the cares of the world, as it were. No phone calls, emails or pesky work issues to clear (URGENTLY it always seems). People knew how to stop and smell the roses, to give you the time of day and chat like old friends and enjoy the little things in life.

Some may say that it’s terribly backward but sometimes, a little trip back in time may be just what we need.

Originally, we wanted to stay in a log cabin, the kind with walls made of actual logs, a fireplace with actual chimneys and an actual wooden bear outside. I found the loveliest place – the Hyatt Regency in Incline Village, but then it was situated at the other side of the Lake (about an hour’s drive from Heavenly Village). So we settled on Harveys, which was right at the heart of the action.

We were in Tahoe in the middle of April, so it wasn’t supposed to snow but we woke up on the second day to find a thick layer of snow had fallen during the night. It was like Christmas came early for me and while everyone was running for cover, there we were, 2 crazy Chinese kids jumping around in the snow.

Speaking of Christmas, Starbucks only brings in Toffee Nut Latte in December and it is the most delightful drink on the planet. Imagine my ecstasy when I wandered into the Starbucks in Tahoe to find Toffee Nut Latte in April. I could have died happy there and then.

Of course, Tahoe would not be complete without a ride to the top of Adventure Peak on the Gondola. You could ski, snowboard and for the less adventurous, do kiddy stuff like tubing. I watched in awe as skiers flew down from the top of the mountain. It was poetry in motion. I thought for a while and decided to go with tubing just in case I broke a rib or got a concussion. As it turns out, tubing was surprisingly fun. Ok, so it was an activity for kids, but my inner child was having the time of her life.

In my opinion, Lake Tahoe is the best place to fall in love. And if you’re already in love, GO TO LAKE TAHOE. There will be lots of boom-chica-wow-wow action. Trust me, I should know.